Born in Philadelphia. Graduate of the University of Pennsylvania. He studied the American Indians. From 1837 to 1844 he worked in archaelogy in the Mississippi Valley. He dug over a thousand Indian mounds and collected 40,000 relics and artifacts. He donated this collection to the Philadelphia City Museum.

John J. Egan painted a panorama based on the sketches of Dickeson called Panorama of the Monumental Grandeur of the Mississippi Valley. The painting in tempora on muslin was 7.5 feet by 348 feet. It was used to illustrate Dickeson’s lectures.

Author of The American Numismatical Manual of the Currency or Money of the Aborigines, and Colonial, State, and United States Coins in 1859, 1860 and 1865. It was important at the time as the first comprehensive encyclopedia of United States coinage.

Dickeson sold his collection of 84 New Jersey coppers to Dr. Maris in 1876. His coins were included in 15 auctions, mostly in 1869 to 1871.

Dickeson produced copies of colonial coins including the Sommers Islands Shilling, Continental Currency, and others. He was the intermediary in the sale of dies used to produce the 1804 large cent restrikes. He used a postal die and a new reverse to produce fantasy pattern cents dated 1792.

He died at home in Philadelphia.

bio: Attinelli (*gives DOB as 6/18/1809); CW/NM 3/31/76; NYHSD; NUM/NIN 5/94 obit: AJN 17 Jul 1882 page 23