GRANT, HORACE MAITLAND

Fig. 1. Horace Maitland Grant photographic advertisement in The Numismatist, August 1938, page 703

Buy the entire Horace Maitland Grant Collection held in the Lupia Numismatic Library. Estimate $1,000 to $1,500.

Horace Maitland Grant (1873-1960), was born January 24, 1873 at Bellingham, Norfolk County, Massachusetts. Grant was an innovative coin and stamp dealer for thirty-seven years from 1921 to 1958.

Born the son of Eldridge [Ellridge] Grant (1846-) and Elizabeth T. Rockwood Grant at Bellingham, Massachusetts. His father was a retail grocer who owned a general store in Bellingham according to the 1880 Census. He began collecting coins in 1885 at the age of twelve. Horace would relate later in life how as a boy he would cherry pick rare coins from his father's cash box at the store. His first coin collection was stolen when he was 15 years old in 1888 comprising mainly Early American Copper half cents and large cents and U. S. silver coins. According to the family records his father also ran a post office within the store as Postmaster, and young Horace was the Assistant Postmaster. Resulting from this office he amassed a whole peck filled with encased postage stamps. His coin collecting began by selecting coins that came over the counter in his father’s store, which he was allowed to keep. In the 1920’s he worked at his company Selected Electric Appliance Company of Providence Rhode Island. With a career in the electrical appliance industry he clung to coin and stamp collecting and developed an interest in buying and selling as a dealer.

On April 30, 1893, he married Susie Adelaide Metcalfe (1873-1948), and they had two children Raymond Maitland Grant (1894-1918) and Ernest Adelbert Grant (1897-1972). They owned a summer cottage at Lake Pearl, Wrentham, Rhode, Island. Raymond was killed during WWI. Ernest always lived at home with his parents and his wife Henrietta and their children Donald Maitland Grant and Marion Elizabeth Grant, where he worked with his father in the various family businesses.

In 1900 he lived at Dean Avenue, Franklin, Massachusetts and worked as an Express Agent. According to his 1918 Draft Card he lived at 38 Norwich Avenue, Providence, Rhode Island, and was the General Manager manager of Grant Vacuum Cleaner & Sales Agency.

Grant was a member of the ANS and was also ANA Member No. 2239, having joined in 1921 and still living at 38 Norwich Avenue, Providence, Rhode Island. Beginning about 1923 opened his hobby shop at 109 Empire Street, Providence, Rhode Island; but due to the multiple business of electrical appliances, sales, repairs and the hobby shop he sometimes used various numbered addresses such as 93, 111, and 119 Empire Street, Providence, Rhode Island; and also at 115 Ivy Street, East Providence, Rhode Island. About 1925 he moved his residence to 69 Stamford Avenue, Providence, Rhode Island. He served as the past-president of the Rhode Island Coin Club.

Fig. 2. Early business envelope of Horace M. Grant of 1923 illustrated with the Grant Commemorative Half Dollar of 1922., and franked with a precancel Scott #581 issued 1923.

Fig. 3. Another early business envelope of Horace M. Grant as a stamp dealer sent to his brother-in-law at Grant's home, postmarked April 21, 1928, Lindberg, Kentucky. Courtesy Lupia Numismatic Library, Special Collection, Horace Maitland Grant File. For sale. Write john@numismaticmall.com

In January 1929 he exhibited coins at the Rotary Club of Providence, Biltmore Hotel, Providence, Rhode Island, while Foster Lardner gave his coin talk "Coins and Their History" . He began publishing half page ads in The Numismatist in June 1929. In 1930 he acquired a black walnut loving cup made in the 1790's that was inlaid with coins from the 1790's to the late 1920's all uncirculated. A photograph of this cup was published in The Numismatist in March 1930, page 152.

In May 1933, he published the only issue of Grant's Cover Bulletin, Grant's Stamp and Coin Shop. This became Grant's Hobby Shop Bulletin (not listed in Smith).

Fig. 4. Grant's advertisement selling Da-Nite Miniature Indoor and Outdoor Golf Courses as part of his Hobby Shop repertoire published in the Springfield Republican, Sunday, September 7, 1930, page 27

He founded The Hobby Shop on Empire Street, Providence, Rhode Island. He ran coin auctions by mail bids beginning in March 1938. Remy Bourne published the photograph of Grant's Hobby Shop, August 1936 Fixed Price List of U. S. Commemoratives.

Fig. 5. George Linn (LINNPRINT 724-25) a First Day Cover of William Penn October 24, 1932, to Horace M. Grant . Courtesy Lupia Numismatic Library, Special Collection, Horace Maitland Grant File. For sale. Write john@numismaticmall.com

On June 22, 1934, Horace M. Grant, Stephen C. Lyon and nine others organized the new Coin Club of Rhode Island. Horace M. Grant was elected the president, Rhoda G. Packard, vice-president, Harry L. Grant, treasurer, Ornam L. Patt, Jr., librarian, Stephen C. Lyon, secretary.

Fig. 6. Grant receiving his first mail from Norman Shultz, postmarked December 10, 1936. Courtesy Lupia Numismatic Library, Special Collection, Horace Maitland Grant File. For sale. Write john@numismaticmall.com

Fig. 7. Grant & Lyon advertisement published in the March 1934 issue of The Numismatist.

It appears from notices in periodicals that from March 1934 - June 1936, he sold coins and stamps trading under the name of Grant & Lyon with his business partner Stephen Chandler Lyon, at 119 Empire Street. Stephen C. Lyon (1884-1956), is ANA Member No. 8981 with an address at 51 Empire Street, Providence, Rhode Island. His Grant's Hobby Shop Bulletin in 1934 had the name changed to Grant and Lyon Hobby Shop Bulletin. (not listed in Smith).

In late April 1935, Grant & Lynn published 6 cachets for First Day Covers of Connecticut Tercentenary with licenses from the Travelers Insurance Company who originally published these as historical sketches on their 1935 calendar.

In 1936 he had the 1779 Admiral Howe Medal/Rhode Island restrike made.

Fig. 8. Grant's circular distributing C. E. Green's, Mint Record in 1936.

Fig. 9. Grant's Spring Price List 1936. Courtesy Lupia Numismatic Library, Special Collection, Horace Maitland Grant File.

Fig. 10. Grant receiving his first mail at Grant's Hobby Shop from The Collector's Shop in New Haven, Connecticut, postmarked February 8, 1938. Courtesy Lupia Numismatic Library, Special Collection, Horace Maitland Grant File. For sale. Write john@numismaticmall.com

Fig. 11. Grant receiving his first mail from John Zug, postmarked March 1, 1938. Courtesy Lupia Numismatic Library, Special Collection, Horace Maitland Grant File. For sale. Write john@numismaticmall.com

Fig. 12. Courtesy Lupia Numismatic Library, Special Collection, Horace Maitland Grant File. For sale. Write john@numismaticmall.com

Beginning on March 8, 1938 Horace Grant held coin auctions sale. In all he held sixteen sales ending July 18, 1946.

Fig. 13. Grant receiving his first mail from Tatham Stamp & Coin, postmarked May 1, 1938. Courtesy Lupia Numismatic Library, Special Collection, Horace Maitland Grant File. For sale. Write john@numismaticmall.com

Fig. 14 & 15. Grant's Parker House coin auction catalogue date December 13, 1938. Above : Bid Sheet December 13, 1938. Courtesy Lupia Numismatic Library, Special Collection, Horace Maitland Grant File. For sale. Write john@numismaticmall.com

Fig. 16. Horace M. Grant published his new game involving Lincoln Cent dates and mint marks in 1939. Courtesy Lupia Numismatic Library, Special Collection, Horace Maitland Grant File. For sale. Write john@numismaticmall.com

Fig. 17. Grant was a member of the New Haven Numismatic Society, postmarked March 22, 1939. Courtesy Lupia Numismatic Library, Special Collection, Horace Maitland Grant File. For sale. Write john@numismaticmall.com

Fig. 18. Grant was a member of the Detroit Coin Club, postmarked July 8, 1940. Courtesy Lupia Numismatic Library, Special Collection, Horace Maitland Grant File. For sale. Write john@numismaticmall.com

Fig. 19. Grant was a member of the Hartford Numismatic Society, postmarked November 8, 1940 . Courtesy Lupia Numismatic Library, Special Collection, Horace Maitland Grant File. For sale. Write john@numismaticmall.com

Fig. 20. Grant receiving correspondence from S. M. Koeppel of Los Angeles from whom he bought coins, postmarked November 8, 1940. Note inverted postmark cancellation. Courtesy Lupia Numismatic Library, Special Collection, Horace Maitland Grant File. For sale. Write john@numismaticmall.com

Fig. 21. Grant business envelope advertising his coin auction sales at Parker House., postmarked April 30, 1941. Courtesy Lupia Numismatic Library, Special Collection, Horace Maitland Grant File. For sale. Write john@numismaticmall.com

Fig. 22. Grant receiving correspondence from coin and curio dealer Harry Harris of Richmond, Virginia, postmarked June 2, 1942. Courtesy Lupia Numismatic Library, Special Collection, Horace Maitland Grant File. For sale. Write john@numismaticmall.com

Fig. 23. Grant receiving correspondence from ANS Secretary E. R. Shackford, postmarked December 5, 1942. Courtesy Lupia Numismatic Library, Special Collection, Horace Maitland Grant File. For sale. Write john@numismaticmall.com

"Any Old Coins?" was the headlines for the story about Grant on a coin buying trip to New Orleans, Louisiana, is reported in the local paper. Times-Picayune, Saturday, September 18, 1943, page 27

Fig. 24. Grant's Fixed Price List of 1945. Courtesy Lupia Numismatic Library, Special Collection, Horace Maitland Grant File. For sale. Write john@numismaticmall.com

Fig. 25. Grant's final Auction on July 18, 1946, selling an original 1875 copy of Crosby's Early Coins of America in mint condition. Courtesy Lupia Numismatic Library, Special Collection, Horace Maitland Grant File. For sale. Write john@numismaticmall.com

"Numismatic Parley Opens Here Today" was the headline for the story of the Second New England Numismatic Conference sponsored by the Boston Numismatic Society with speakers who were administrative officers of the ANA . Horace Grant, district secretary of the New England Numismatic Association in the news just two days after his last auction. The story was published in the Boston Traveler, Saturday, July 20, 1946, page 3

He retired in 1958 and the business was taken over by his son and co-worker Ernest A. Grant operating coin auction sales at Grant's Hobby Shop. The first auction was held on May 30, 1958 with Towne Coin Company. Two more auctions were held in October 1959 and posthumously to Horace Grant on October 15, 1960. Ernest gave talks and presentations on coins at various clubs including the Newport County Coin Club in 1962. He died of Bronchopneumonia and Coronary Sclerosis on January 9, 1960 at the Roger Williams General Hospital, Rhode Island. He was a member of the Excelsior Lodge, Freemasons, Franklin, Massachusetts.

Fig. 22. Grant's Tomb.

He (or his ashes are) is buried at the Oak Hill Cemetery, Bellingham, Norfolk County, Massachusetts. There appears to be a record that he was cremated.

Auction Sales

[01] March 8, 1938

[02] April 26, 1938

[03] July 19, 1938

[04] December 13, 1938

[05] March 14, 1939

[06] May 16, 1939

[07] October 10, 1939

[08] June 18, 1940

[09] November 19, 1940

[10] February 4, 1941

[11] May 20, 1941

[12] June 17, 1941

[13] April 11, 1942

[14] June 5, 1942

[15] February 10, 1945

[16] July 18, 1946

Acknowledgements

Special thanks to Anthony "Tony" F. Dewey, APS Member from Hartford Connecticut for his pointing out the April 1935 issue of the Connecticut Tercentenary cachets by Grant and Lyon.

Bibliography

1900 U. S. Census -Franklin, Massachusetts

Pawtucket Times, Thursday, September 14, 1905, page 11

Proceedings of the Most Worshipful Grand Lodge of Ancient Free and Accepted Masons of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts for the Year 1906 (Boston, 1907) : l

The Philatelic West, September (1924) :

The Numismatist, February (1929) : 85

The Numismatist, September (1934) : 565

Hobbies : The Magazine for Collectors, December (1934) : 82

Hobbies, January (1935) : 80 small ad by Grant & Lyon

The Providence Directory and Rhode Island Business Directory (1935) : 415

The Numismatist, April (1935) : 240

Hobbies, September (1935) : 81 Grant & Lyon ads (2)

Boston American, Sunday, January 10, 1960, page 4 (Obit)

“Obituaries,” The Numismatist, Vol. 73, No. 3, March (1960) : 272

Chester M. Smith, Jr., American Philatelic Periodicals (APRL, 1978) : 10720

Remy Bourne, Fixed Price Lists & Prices Paid For Lists of United States Coin Dealers 1930-1939, Vol. III : 46

Martin Gengerke, American Numismatic Auctions

Michael A. Mellone, ed., Mellone's Planty Photo Encyclopedia of Cacheted First Day Covers, Volume IV 1932 (FDC Pub., Co., 1995) : 106.