ARNOLD, GEORGE CARPENTER

Copyright © 2000-2019 John N. Lupia III

Lieutenant George Carpenter Arnold, (1868-1938), Businessman and Coin dealer. 1st Residence : 238 Adelaide Avenue, Providence, Rhode Island; 2nd Residence : 156 Adelaide Street, Providence, Rhode Island; 3rd Residence : 109 Mathewson Street, Providence, Rhode Island.

He was born July 31, 1868, son of William Rhodes Arnold (1839-1912) and Sarah Hill Carpenter Arnold (1843-1920). He married Flora Etta Richards (1870-1960), on December 14, 1892, and they had three children : Lincoln Richards Arnold (1893-1981); Philip Rhodes Arnold (1895-1969); George Carpenter Arnold, Jr. (1896-1989). He was educated at the Episcopal Military Academy of Cheshire, Connecticut and graduated in 1887.

A notice in his biography published by in the National Register of the Society of the Sons of the American Revolution :

"In November, 1887, he joined Company C, First Regiment of Infantry, Rhode Island Militia; was elected Corporal, 1889; Second Lieutenant, 1890; First Lieutenant, 1891-4. For nearly a quarter of a century he was engaged in the worsted yarn business. He is President and Treasurer of the Possnegansett Ice Company; Treasurer and Director of the Arnold Real Estate Company; Treasurer of the Arnold Numismatic Company; Director of the Central Real Estate Company and of the Providence Realty Company; Treasurer of the Motor League of Rhode Island; Treasurer of the Society of Descendants of the Founders of Providence Plantations. He is the author of several books—one treating on Numismatics (of which he is an authority)--—and publisher of the “Genealogical Tree of the Arnold Family, embracing nearly thirty generations, from 1100 A. D.”

And his children:

"Lincoln Richards Arnold, Brown University, Class of 1916; Philip Rhodes Arnold, Amherst College, Class of 1918, and Capt. George Carpenter Arnold, Jr., Dartmouth College, Class of 1918, now United States First Vice Consul at Seville, Spain."

His ancestry is traced back to the Puritans who left Somersetshire, England in 1635, with William Arnold, cited in Lincoln's History of Hingham, Massachusetts. William Arnold was one of the buyers of land from the American Indians, and his share included most of Providence, Pawtuxet, and Warwick, Rhode Island. He was also a descendent of the Arnold family who fought during the Revolutionary War. His great-great-great-grandfather was James Arnold, Captain-Lieutenant Rhode Island Militia; and his great-great-great-grandfather was James Rhodes, Member of the Rhode Island General Assembly. He used the family residence built on 120 acre (including a 27 acre Lake) of the original colonial grant by his ancestor George Arnold in 1771 at Warwick, as his summer home.

He was ANA member No. 184. He joined the ANA in 1891 and is member no. 68. He collected US, Foreign crowns and ancient coins. He was also a member of the Rhode Island Philatelic Society.

He operated as The Arnold Numismatic Co., Publishers and in the 1907 Ninth edition of Numismatic Guide (38 pages) he is mentioned as the company Treasurer.

He advertised to trade proof sets of 1857, 1863, 1864, 1869, 1870, 1871, 1873, 1875, 1878, 1879, 1880 to 1890 for US $1.00, $3.00, $4.00, and $5.00 gold coins. In another ad in the same 1902 March issue of The Numismatist Arnold solicited to buy the 1779 Admiral Howe, Rhode Island colonial medal. He suggested he would be willing to trade nice half cents and cents for the colonial medal.

He visited the US Mint on Monday, January 6^th, 1902 and secured specimens of the newly minted cents, nickels and quarters that were struck on Friday, January 3^rd.

He held a coin mail auction sale on April 25^th, 1902 which contained a brilliant proof Stella $4.00 gold piece and a remarkably complete 110 varieties set of U.S. half dollars 1794 to 1895.

He was slated to be the Exchange Superintendent for The Numismatist as suggested at in the April issue of 1902.

Together with George Barton and Wendell Phinney he attended the Lyman H. Low and Chapman Brothers coin sales held on June 18^th and 19^th, 1902. He continued to doing business with the Chapman Brothers throughout his career as a dealer.

He announced in the 1902 August issue of The Numismatist that he is preparing to publish his 6^th edition of the Arnold Numismatic Guide, which will be considerably enlarged containing twenty-four pages. In 1907, he published the 9th edition of Numismatic Guide (38 pages), where he calls himself the company Treasurer.

He was Member No. 6840 of the Society of the Sons of the American Revolution and served as the Historian General.

He died at the age of 70 on September 20, 1938 and is buried in the Swan Point Cemetery, Providence, Rhode Island.

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Bibliography :

Gnecchi, Ercole and Francesco, eds., Guida Numismatica 4^th edition. (Milano : U. Hoepli, 1903. Edition) : 563, No. 5883.

The Numismatist, Vol. XIV, No. 1, January (1901) : 26; Vol. XV, No. 7, July (1902) : 204;

His collection was sold by Lyman Low (92^nd sale) on September 7, 1904.

The Numismatist, Vol. XVIII, No. 2, February (1905) : 62; No. 3 March (1905) : 93

He wrote the monthly editorial “New England Notes” published in 1902 in The Numismatist.

Work :

Arnold Numismatic Guide; 6^th ed. 1902;

“Plaint of the Postage Stamp” Mason I, No. 8, November (1867) : 72a-b;

Bibliography :

ANA Membership List and Directory (1927) : 68

The Numismatist, Vol. VII, No. 1, January (1894) : 14; Vol. XIV, No. 2, February (1901) ; 51; Vol. XV, No. 3, March (1902) : 89; No. 4, April (1902) : 105, 107, 109, 115, 121; No. 5, May (1902) : 151, 154, 155 (ad); No. 6, June (1902) : 182, 185, 192 (ad); No. 7, July (1902) : 204, 216, 217, 221 (ad); No. 8, August (1902) : 255; No. 9, September (1902) : 285;

Adams, John W., United States Numismatic Literature. Volume 1. Nineteenth Century Auction Catalogs. (1982) : 134;

Sigler 133; Index

National Register of the Society of the Sons of the American Revolution, Volume 1 (1902) : 923