LEVE, ABRAHAM ATLAS

Copyright 2011-2018 John N. Lupia, III

Fig. 1. Photo of A. Atlas Leve, circa 1890.

Abraham Atlas Leve (1869-1948), Syracuse, Onondaga County, New York.

A. Atlas Leve, as he was popularly known was a coin, stamp, and curios dealer. His specialty was rare paper money including Confederate, Broken Bank Bills, Colonial and Continental Notes, Foreign Notes, and also, autographs, portraits, and Lincoln medals.

He was a regular client and correspondent with the Chapman Brothers. There are many letters in the archive and will post one or two as time allows.

In 1902 he was the publisher of The New Perforator, a philatelic monthly.

He published an article on the new cent design titled "The Lincoln Cent" published on August 19, 1909, New York Times, page 6.

Fig. A. A. Leve and his novelty items. Here is a pinback he had made circa 1915, "SOME CLASS TO SYRACUSE I LIVE HERE A. A. LEVE"

In late November 1915, A. Atlas Leve became entangled in a feud with B. Max Mehl regarding stolen Republic of Texas Bank Notes, found in a Mehl auction sale lot. In the press Leve called Mehl by the pseudonym Mox Nix Nil. The feud lasted two years in the press.

He read a paper at the ANA annual convention in Baltimore, September 23, 1916, titled : "Some Paper Money I Have Mat", which was published in the December 1916 issue of The Numismatist, pages 549-551. In that essay he discussed the 20,000 Texas bank notes, warrants and bonds signed by Sam Houston. Leve was instrumental in having these notes restored to the Texas Historical Society.

Fig. Leve's 1917 Price List of Confederate Notes.

In the November 24, 1917, issue of Publishers' Weekly, page 1861, he advertised he wanted to buy Crosby's Early Coins of America, Low's, Hard Times Tokens, Detectors, and other numismatic works.

Fig. Leve correspondence with Henry Chapman, Jr., postmarked May 5, 1918, Syracuse, New York, franked with Scott #463 and Scott #498. Courtesy Lupia Numismatic Library.

In 1918, he was the publisher of The American Collector.

In the June 28, 1919, issue of MeKeel's Weekly Stamp News he advertised wanting to buy rare shades of colors of current 2c and 3c U. S. postage stamps.

He published his poem "Collector's Lament" in the November 1919 issue of The Numismatist, page 455.

In discussing Herbert C. Needham's stamp buying activities during the early days of the Great Depression, Herman Herbst, Jr., Nassau Street, tells us that two stamp auctioneers : Max Ohlman and Vahan Mozian (1871-1945), would bring the entire auction lots to him for him to make the first bids and give him ample opportunity to cherrypick the best items. These two stamp auctioneers were also friends and colleagues of A. A. Leve.

Fig. Stamp dealer Vahan Mozian correspondence with A. A. Leve, postmarked June 8, 1932, Grand Central Station Annex, New York, Zone 4. Courtesy Lupia Numismatic Library.

Fig. Frank G. Duffield, Editor and Business Manager of The Numismatist, correspondence with A. A. Leve postmarked September 15, 1932, Baltimore, Maryland, Zone 3, franked with Scott #599 and Scott #705. Courtesy Lupia Numismatic Library.

He died on August 2, 1948 at Syracuse, Onondaga County, New York. He is buried at Westchester Hills Cemetery, Westchester County, New York.

For Bibliography see below ad.

Bibliography :

Philatelic West,

The Numismatist, August (1919) : 336 notice of cancellation of paper money sale.

MeKeels Weekly Stamp News (1922) : 295

The Numismatist, October (1922) : 528 ad

Stamps : A Weekly Magazine (1936) : 312

The Numismatist, (1940) : 156

Hobbies (1944) : 34