MOORE, WALDO CLIFTON

John N. Lupia, III

Fig. Photograph of Waldo C. Moore circa 1907 (See also the ANA 1908 Group Photograph- he is in the back row second from right).

Moore was a prolific contributor to The Numismatist publishing over 130 articles largely on paper money and tokens, and composed dozens of poems. Besides poems he had a passion to write slogans including : [Lewsiburg] The Biggest Little Town in Ohio.

Fig. Photograph of Waldo C. Moore holding a pay warrant issued by Charleston, South Carolina. Photo published in the in various newspapers throughout Ohio including Lewisburg, Ohio, Leader, and Dayton Daily News, Sunday, April 3, 1932, page 12. The photograph and the whole article were reprinted in Hobbies : The Magazine For Collectors, Vol. 37, No. 4, June (1932) : 68-69.

Waldo Clifton Moore (1874-1953), was born on July 23, 1874, at West Baltimore (now Verona), Preble County, Ohio, son and eldest of five children of John W. Moore (1850-1897), a native of Maryland of English-Dutch descent engaged as a building contractor, and his wife Mary Elizabeth Schnorf Moore (1856-1940), of German descent.

He had worked on his family 200 acre farm "Clifmore" so named after the two families Clifton and Moore. The farm was a noted chicken farm in its day for raising Orpington breed stock hens. Moore went to the local Harrison township public schools passing with highest honors the Boxwell Exam and became certified to teach in several counties. He graduated from the Dayton Normal School, and also from Dayton Commercial College.

In 1894, he attended the National Normal University, Lebanon, Ohio.

After passing the Civil Service Exams he was certified as a bookkeeper. He began teaching for six years and was promoted to principal at the Ithaca Normal School, Ithaca, Ohio. He resigned in 1899 taking a post at the Peoples Banking Company.

There he served a cashier at the Peoples Banking Company. His numismatic and philatelic interests grew into a passion for collecting memorabilia relating to Ohio. Moore is best known as a scrip collector specializing in Ohioan scrip, broken bank bills, shinplasters and bank and sutler's checks, campaign buttons, medals, autographs, and shells. He also was a specialist in Civil War tokens and store cards.

On August 19, 1896, he married Imogene Horn (1873-1963), daughter of Allen T. Horn (d. 1906), a druggist, and Frances Sloan Horn, both natives of Virginia. Imogene was a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution having a great-grandfather who fought in 1768. They had no issue.

In 1900, they lived at 9 Main Street, Harrison, Preble County, Ohio.

In 1904, Moore joined the ANA and is Member No. 637.

On May 13, 1905, Ben G. Green, Sale #16, auctioned a portion of the Moore collection.

In 1907, Moore issued a store card with the obverse legend MOORE"S HENNERY, LEWISBURG, O./WHITE/ORPINGTON/STOCK/1907 - Reverse : CURRENT/FOR/ONE BIT/IN /EXCHANGE. The store card was a cash value token in exchange for twenty-five cents towards purchases of hens or eggs.

In 1911, he was chairman of the ANA Biographical Album Committee.

In 1911, he issued his own store card with a rebus on the obverse Awl + Tea + Hat + G [Cleft] + litters [hogs and hounds] + II [= two i's = is] knot + gold doubloon. "All that glitters is not gold" and legend on the reverse WALDO C. MOORE/A.N.A. 637/LEWISBURG, O./BANKER/NUMISMATIST/PHILATELIST/FOWL FANCIER/1911.

In 1912, he was appointed by President Taft to the U. S. Assay Commission.

From 1912 - 1917, Moore served as the General Secretary of the ANA.

Fig. Correspondence with Moore to Henry Chapman, Jr., inquiring about Rochester notes one his his favorite scrip. Courtesy Lupia Numismatic Library, Special Collection, The Chapman Family Correspondence Archive.

In 1915, Governor Willis appointed Moore Trustee of the Ohio State Archaeological and Historical Society.

From 1917 to 1919 he served on the ANA Board of Governors.

Fig. Moore has Peoples Bank issue paper pennies during the WWI effort to conserve copper. Salem News, Saturday, December 29, 1917, page 1.

From 1919-1921 he served as the thirteenth president of the ANA.

In 1920 they lived in the family home on Greenville Street, Harrison, Preble County, Ohio. He lived there lifelong though at times stayed at his other properties.

In 1920 the Preble County Bankers Association was founded and Moore served as the first president.

In 1922, Moore became ANA Life Member No. 7.

In 1924, Moore served on the ANA Board of Directors.

In 1930 they lived at another of their many properties : 37 Commerce Street, Harrison, Preble County, Ohio.

In 1931, the Peoples Banking Company was robbed in an armed hold-up.

In 1934, he retired from the Peoples Banking Company.

On January 5, 1935, Milfred Henry Bolender, Sale #94, auctioned a portion of the Moore collection. This sale took place the day following the death of Henry Chapman, Jr.

Fig. Tombstone of Waldo C. Moore, Roselawn Cemetery, Lewisburg, Preble County, Ohio.

He died on Saturday morning, January 24, 1953, at his home after a long illness. He is buried at Roselawn Cemetery, Lewisburg, Preble County, Ohio.

Moore had been very active in local politics serving several terms as Harrison City Clerk, the Village Council at Lewisburg, as well as the chairman of the Finance Committee. He was also active in the local Methodist Church and with the Freemasons, Odd Fellows, and Knights of Pythias. He was also active in the National Geographic Society and the Indian Rights Association.

The large hoard of Moore's scrip collection was inherited by family members who had no understanding of it or its value. It became broken up into parcels and either stored away or sold to private dealers and collectors decades later.

In 1972, Moore was inducted into the ANA Hall of Fame.

Bibliography :

1880 U. S. Census

1900 U. S. Census

1910 U. S. Census

WWI Draft Card

Ohio History Journal, October (1915) : 601-602. Biographical sketch includes photo.

The Numismatist, May (1917) :198

1920 U. S. Census

Hobbies : The Magazine For Collectors, Vol. 37, No. 4, June (1932) : 68-69.

"The Stoner and Shroyer Tokens," The Numismatist, January (1942)

Dayton Daily News, Sunday, January 25, 1953, page 22 obit

Arlie R. Slabaugh, "The Tokens of Waldo C. Moore, The Numismatist, April (1972) : 541-542.

"Waldo Moore Had Fun With Hobby", The Numismatist, April (2002) : 412-413 Biographical sketch with photo.