George O. Walton, Collector
(1907-1962)
George Walton began collecting coins at the age of 12 under the
tutelage of his grandfather.
He was originally a government employee and an intelligence agent
during World War II. After retiring from the government, he became a
freelance estate appraiser for banks and trust companies, and served as
a buyer-agent for several millionaire coin collectors in the
Carolinas.
Walton became the third president of the Middle Atlantic Numismatic
Association in 1956, and was subsequently a member of its advisory
board, as well as being a member of 20 other numismatic
organizations.
At almost every convention he attended, as well as at a number of
banks and other venues, Walton presented award-winning exhibits on a
diversity of numismatic topics — from U.S. and Confederate paper
money to $50 gold pieces — all based on his collections. Walton
loved to share his knowledge of numismatics through his exhibits and
personal contacts with dealers and collectors.
As a collector, Walton is best known for owning a 1913 Liberty nickel
(which he obtained in 1945 in a trade for approximately $3,750 and
currently on exhibit at the ANA Money Museum) and for having the best
private collection of North Carolina gold Bechtler pieces.
His numismatic collections also included paper money, western
territorial gold, as well as other U.S. and international gold coins.
His collection was one of the best in the country in many categories.
When it sold in 1963 for $878,101, it brought the highest price ever
paid for a private collection.
Walton’s interests extended well beyond numismatics — he
was a serious gun collector with one of the finest collections in the
South, including 1,400 handguns and 350 rifles at the time of his death.
He also was interested in stamps, books, statues, jewelry and
swords.
|
