John T. Abbott, Sr.

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The sad news of the death last November 30th 2010 of John T. Abbott Sr. at age 83 was announced in the February 2011 issue of The Numismatist, page 95. He was the proprietor of Abbott's Coins in Birmingham Michigan, had already retired from active work, and the business is being carried on by his two sons John Jr. and Matt.

 

John Sr. was an easy-going pleasant person, with a ready smile, generous with his expertise, and always square to deal with. I knew him for many years mostly because of our mutual interest in picture postcards. Aside from collecting postcards himself, he also became a postcard dealer, and bought and sold hundreds of thousands of them. In that respect, he was much like Q. David Bowers, who obviously loves postcards almost as much as coins.

 

Among his many postcard writings, QDB is the co-author of a wonderful book about the fabled art nouveau postcards of the Czech artist Alphonse Mucha. John Abbott Sr. also built up a major collection of Mucha postcards, although I never asked him if he was personally influenced in that direction by QDB. Another coin dealer with an interest in Mucha postcards is Jim Fairfield of Fort Wayne, Indiana.

 

John Abbott Sr. will be long remembered and missed with fond nostalgia, and I send heartfelt condolences to his widow Sandra, their two sons, and the loyal employees of their store, which is represented at many major Michigan coin and postcard shows.

[WoodenJefferson]

Sounds like Mr. Abbott Sr had some ties to some of the wheels of not only coins, but post cards as well.

 

We often hear of the departed, to bad we don't get to know these people while they are alive.

 

Thanks for posting this information, may he rest in peace.

 

Note: I looked today about the hint that I had given you, turns out it was a USPS pre-paid envelope addressed to a Senator McMillan from Minnesota and not on a post card. 1895 I believe, Oh well.