I encourage requests to write an article about someone. When I met with David McCarthy at theANA convention, he suggested an article on DeWitt Smith. His name variously appears asDeWitt, Dewitt or De Witt.

DeWitt Smith was born in Sandisfield, Massachusetts, on April 4. 1840. Records of his ancestryare a bit muddled. I believe some of the links in the FamilySearch site are incorrect. He wasprobably the son of Jared Smith (1802-1848). His mother was Caroline Julia Sheldon (1810-1845). Both parents died when he was young. He was raised by his grandmother and uncleElizur. He attended the Deacon Alexander Hyde school and studied civil engineering.

During the Civil War, he served as a second lieutenant with Company H of the 49thMassachusetts Volunteer Infantry. He served as Captain of the company during the battle of PortHudson.

After his military service, he returned to Lee, Massachusetts, to join his uncle, Elizur Smith andcousin Wellington Smith with the Smith Paper Company. They had five mills in the area. In 1899he became president of the company.

He also had interests in the banking business. He was the vice president of the Lee Savings Bankand a director of the Lee National Bank. He was a director of the Berkshire Mutual FireInsurance Company of Pittsfield. He contributed funds for the Lee marble school and the newpublic library,

He was married on October 10, 1865, to Jane Elizabeth Graves (1843-1918). They hadfive children that survived. His home on Park Street had a two-acre lot with gardens andgreenhouses. His collection of orchids was the finest private collection in the country with avalue estimated at $30,000. Smith employed a staff or four gardeners to tend to his flowers. Hesold his orchids in 1892.

Carl Wurtzbach contributed his recollections to Hobbies Magazine for March 1941.

Smith was a life member of the American Numismatic Society. He joined the AmericanNumismatic Association as member 178 in January 1894. He was followed by Carl Wurtzbachas member 179. In the June 1895 issue of The Numismatist, he reported that he collected He had extensive collections of all of these.

He acquired the 1792 Washington President gold eagle from Lorin Parmelee and sold it with hiscollection to Virgil Brand. This was one of the highlights from the collection of Eric P. Newman,and described as Eric's favorite coin.

He died at home at Noon on June 25, 1908, and was noted as the wealthiest man in Lee. He wasburied at Fairmount Cemetery in Lee, Massachusetts. In a tribute, Thomas Elder wrote.

The New York Times carried a story in their issue of October 19, 1908.

Just four days earlier, a local newspaper, The North Adams Transcript, carried a contradictorystory in their issue of October 15, 1908.

The buyer did not remain secret for long. The October/November 1908 issue of The Numismatistreported,

The Numismatist went on to repeat the story from the New York Times.

This coin is problematical if it was the same coin stolen from the Mint. Authorities have beenknown to confiscate stolen coins. The coin cannot be traced through the Brand collection orauthenticated after 1908.