Jeremiah Colburn (1815-1891), was born January 15, 1815, at Cambridge, Massachusetts, the eighth of ten children, the sixth of seven sons of Calvin Colburn (1773-1834) and Catherine Sybil Lakin(1770-1858). His grandfather served in the American Revolution.

In his youth he worked as a clerk for Colonel Seth J. Thomas selling men's haberdashery. He took over the business in 1840.

According to his obituary published in the Boston Journal, Thursday, December 31, 1891, page 7, he began collecting coins at age 15, i.e., in 1830. Additionally, the obituary reports hecollected minerals, natural history, books, autographs, manuscripts, engravings and other items chiefly regarding American colonial history.

Beginning in 1857, he was a frequent contributor to the Historical Magazine.

In 1858, he was one of the founders of the Prince Society, an organization devoted to printing historical works.

On March 3, 1860, he was one of the founding member of the Boston Numismatic Society. They met at the New England Historic Genealogical Society. 13 Broomfield Street, Boston. Dr. Winslow Lewis waselected the first president; Jeremiah Colburn, Vice-president and Curator; Henry Davenport, Treasurer; William Sumner Appleton, Secretary. Colburn was one of the principal driving forces of theBoston Numismatic Society seven years after his death the Society gave its holdings of coins and books to the Boston Museum of Fine Arts.

Augustus B. Sage had a portrait of him struck on a medal in bronze in 1860, as Sage's Numismatic Gallery, No. 3.

His collection was sold by Woodward in 1863. Mason mentions him in connection with the McCoy Sale, Colburn, Jeremiah - Colburn's coins were purchased by W. Elliot Woodward and subsequently sold atauction. The first sale took place on April 28-May 1, 1862; the second followed on October 24, 1863. Several others collectors' coins were included in the first sale. Each sale contained largecents.

He was a donor, in 1878, to the ANS library.

He died of pneumonia on Wednesday morning, December 30, 1891, at Boston, Massachusetts.

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