ZABRISKIE, ANDREW CHRISTIAN

Copyright © 2011-2018 John N. Lupia III

Zabriskie, Capt. Andrew Christian (1853-1916), 52 Beaver Street, New York.

He was born in New York City, New York on May 30, 1853, son of Christian A. (1829-) of New Jersey and Sarah Jane (Titus) Zabriskie (1833-), who were married in 1849 at New York City, New York, New York. He was born into one of the largest real estate owning families in that city. He studied at the School of Mines and Columbia College. After graduating from Columbia University, Zabriskie helped manage the family's real estate business. In 1872 he is cited by his initials A. C. Z. in Mason’s Coin and Stamp Collector’s Magazine VI, No. 1, January (1872) : 20 ; and by the initials A. Z., in Mason's Numismatic Herald Vol. I, No. 1, June (1879) : 6a. Zabriskie was a lifelong collector. During his career he amassed a large collection, the most significant of which were Lincoln medals and Polish (i.e., coins and medals of Poland, not polished) coins and medals. His most lasting achievement as a collector is in the field of Political tokens and medals; most specifically his focus on the sixteenth president. His pioneering work, "A Descriptive Catalogue of the Political and memorial Medals Struck in Honor of Abraham Lincoln", was published in 1873. Only seventy-five copies were printed, but it became the foundation of the collecting area which has become known as Lincolniana. He was a member of the New York National Guard from 1873 through 1897, and eventually rose to the rank of Captain. Later in life he would be known as "Captain Zabriskie" due to this service. A member of the ANS for forty-two years, Zabriskie first joined the ANS on December 1, 1874 and became a life member in 1894. The De Morgan Collection, papers written on this collection and that of the Censola Collection by Gaston L. Feuardent were read at the ANS Annual Meeting on March 19, 1878, by Mr. Zabriskie. In 1880 he was a real estate dealer working for his family. In 1893 he donated 50 pamphlet cases to the ANS. On December 6, 1894 he exhibited at the ANS a Brasher doubloon. On June 6, 1895 he married Frances Hunter of New York working for his family's firm. During this same period he served initially as Third Vice-President from 1880-83 and then as First Vice-President from 1884-96 before finally being elected President of the ANS in 1896. He remained as President until his resignation in December 1904. In 1902 he served on the ANS Committee on School for Coin and Medal Designing and Die Cutting. During the forty-fourth meeting on January 20, 1902 he gave his annual address and donated the gold O-ban of Japan the largest Japanese gold coin. In 1908, when the Society's constitution was amended to create the office of Honorary President, Zabriskie, along with Daniel Parish, Jr., was elected Honorary President for Life. His collection, which included superb large cents, was sold by H. Chapman on June 3-4, 1909.

Zabriskie's tenure as president of the ANS was marked with a financial crisis, which led him to advocate for the merger of the ANS with the New-York Historical Society. When that proposal was rejected by the membership of the ANS, he resigned from the presidency in December 1904. He was succeeded by Archer M. Huntington. He was also a member of the Holland Society.

Zabriskie died on September 16, 1916. His collection of 1429 lots sold through Henry Chapman, 10^th sale. on June 3-4, 1909. Adams rating A

Bibliography :

American Numismatic and Archaeological Society, of New York At its Twentieth Annual Meeting, March 19, 1878: page 4

The Numismatist, Vol. X, No. 1, January (1897) : 20;

The Numismatist, Vol. 4, No. 5, May (1892) : 73;

The Numismatist, Vol. 8, No. 1, January (1895) : 25; Vol. XV, No. 3, March (1902): 84-85, 91; No. 4, April (1902) : 125 (two-line ad); No. 6, June (1902) : 174;

Proceedings of the American Numismatic and Archeological Society (1903) : 28

Smith-I 251

Who’s Who : 2359

Gengerke, Martin, American Numismatic Auctions, 8^th edition (1990) : 33;

Gnecchi, Ercole and Francesco, eds., Guida Numismatica 4^th edition. (Milano : U. Hoepli, 1903. Edition) : 558, No. 5791

American Journal of Numismatics, VI, No. 6, October (1872) : 85; H-II, No. 4, March (1881) : 29d;

Pete Smith, “American Numismatic Pioneers : An Index to Sources,” Asylum Vol. XXII, No. 3, Consecutive Issue No. 87, Summer (2004) : 303;

Sylvester Sage Crosby, The Early Coins of America; and the laws governing their issue. Comprising also descriptions of the Washington pieces, the Anglo-American tokens, many pieces of unknown origin, of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, and the first patterns of the United States mint. By Sylvester S. Crosby. (Boston, 1875) Listed as subscriber

Adelson, Howard L., The American Numismatic Society, 1858-1959. (New York, ANS, 1958)

Pete Smith, American Numismatic Biographies, (Rock River, 1992)

The Numismatist, Vol. VII, No. 1, January (1894) : 12;

Adams, Vol. 1, 76, 82, 94;

“Early Gold Proofs,” The Numismatist, Vol. XXII, No. 5, May (1909) : 141

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