The E-Sylum:  Volume 11, Number 6, February 10, 2008, Article 11

SCOTT RUBIN ON BILL 'BROWNIE' BROWN

Regarding our earlier discussion of Bill "Brownie" Brown,
Scott Rubin writes: "Bill Brown was a coin dealer for many
years in Lambertville, NJ.  His store was on Bridge St. and
was only a couple of hundred yards from the Delaware River.
On the other side of the River is New Hope, Pa.  At the time
of Bill's shop New Hope was a thriving tourist town and
Lambertville was a poor small town.  Now Lambertville is
just as much a tourist destination as New Hope.

"There are also a few well known flea markets just outside
town.  At one time Bill was going to open his own flea market
but it never came to pass.  This was after he had closed
his store.

"If memory is correct Bill only closed his store because
the real Estate company that owned the building wanted to
use his store for themselves.  I used to deal with Bill Brown
from the early sixties until he closed, but I do not remember
when that was.  I bought many fine auction catalogues from
Bill.  Included in one group were my pristine copies of B. Max
Mehl's Dunham and Atwater sales - I believe I paid $5 each
for them.

"There is the story that Bill appraised a very large
collection of coins in Pennsylvania once and was told he
could buy the entire collection.  When he arrived with a
truck to pick it up he found out that the coins had all
been sold and he was to only get the library.  So many
of the Mehl's and other 1930-1940 auction sales I bought
from him came from that very unhappy deal.

"Bill also held monthly auctions of coins in the firehouse
in Lambertville, and I attended at least one of these in
the early 1960's. Bill also held at least one sale with
Norman Pullen in 1970.

"One last story about Bill: shortly after closing his store
I called him to see if I could buy any books he still might
have.  He gave me his address and said to stop by when I
could.  Some time shortly after the call I drove into town
looking for his street.  I had trouble finding it and stopped
to ask someone fixing their car in front of their house.  He
asked me who I was looking for, when I told him Bill Brown,
he said turn right and the next corner and then another right
and I would find Bill's house.  Not only that he finished
his comments with "He's home" - such a small town was
Lambertville."

  Wayne Homren, Editor

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