THORSON, NELSON THORE

Copyright 2000-2019 John N. Lupia, III

Nelson Thore Thorson obituary.The Numismatist, January (1952) : 51

Nelson Thore Thorson (1881-1951), was born on September 16, 1881, at Horby, Sweden, son of John Nels Thorson, a cook, and Hannah Thorson. He originally spelled his middle name Thore, but later on dropped the "e" sometime in the 1920's.

He was a stamp, coin, and paper money dealer who specialized in Scandinavian coins, Confederate paper money, and medals. He was Life member No. 12 of the ANA, a member of the ANS, Chicago Coin Club, and the New York Numismatic Club. He also collected a wide variety of curios including : Indian relics, firearms, autographs and jewelry.

In 1887, he came to America and became part of the Swedish immigration to Nebraska where Swedes began inhabiting post Civil War. That same year appear the first issue of Omaha svenska tribun, one of the early Swedish-American newspapers in Nebraska.

In 1904, he joined in with 150 Swedes forming the Omaha Posten Publishing Company that issued Omaha Posten, a weekly newspaper for the Swedish-American Nebraskan.

In 1910, Thorson bought the Omaha Posten Publishing Company which he ran until October 1942 selling out to retire into coin dealing. The paper ran until 1954

Thorson to ANA member John Edwin Morse, Worcester, Massachusetts, postmarked Omaha, Nebraska, January 23, 1905. Rare World's Fair St. Louis 1904 printed by the Samuel Cupples Envelope Company, the sole licensee of the Transfer of Louisiana Territory 1803 cachet in multi-colors. Thorson has his rubber stamped corner card as a store card design. Courtesy Lupia Numismatic Library.

He joined the ANA in 1907 and is member no. 888. He collected Scandinavian coins, medals and paper money.

In 1918, his address as it appears on his draft card was 551 South 26th Avenue, Omaha, Nebraska.

Corrine Paulson Thorson, The Numismatist, October (1929) : 667

On August 5, 1923, he married Corrine Paulson (1881-1973), a pianist.

“Nelson T. Thorson, Omaha Collector Honored,” Philatelic West, September (1924)

From 1926 to 1930, he served as the National Treasurer for the John Ericsson Republican League of America.

Thorson correspondence with Henry Chapman, Jr., postmarked June 26, 1926. Courtesy Lupia Numismatic Library, Special Collection, The Chapman Family Correspondence Archive.

In 1928, he served as a delegate in the Republican National Convention.

From 1929 - 1933, he served as Chairman of the Board, ANA

Nelson Thore Thorson at the ANA Convention 1933. The Numismatist, October (1933) : 651

From 1933-1935 he served as the 19th president of the ANA.

On Sunday May 6, 1934, he founded the Omaha Coin Club at his home inviting numismatic friends.

At the 1934 ANA Convention he distributed 200 store cards.

In October 1943, he became a full-time coin dealer.

In 1948, he issued an A. W. Ault encased postage stamp brass store card containing the 1947 CIPEX reprint of Scott #1 and Scott #2, the first U. S. postage stamps. These were printed on a souvenir sheet for the convention and cut squares are common and not infrequently found encased by various coin and stamp dealers. Ault purchased hundreds of these sheets and issued varying lots sizes up to 100 for dealer requests costing about 40c each.

He died on November 27, 1951.

Thorson tomb, Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Omaha, Nebraska.

Bibliography :

Philatelic West, Vol. 31, No. 1, September (1905)

Philatelic West, Vol. 75, No. 2, January-February (1919) : 73 ad

The Philatelic West, July 1924 (ad) verso 8th leaf from end.

The Philatelic West, September 1924 (ad)

ANA Membership List and Directory (1927) : 38, 54

The Numismatist, Vo. 46, No. 10 (1933) : 664-665 (photo).

Stamps, January 3 (1942) : 30

J. Oscar Backlund, A Century of the Swedish American Press. (Chicago: Swedish American Newspaper Co., 1952).

Don T. Thrall, "Encased Postage Store Cards," TAMS October (1977) : 210

Pete Smith, American Numismatic Biographies (1998) : 230