Did you
know one of the stars of the Stack’s Bowers Galleries official auction of the
ANA World’s Fair of money is The Finest Known 1913 Liberty Head Nickel, the Dr.
William-Morton Smith Specimen? Lot 1096
will be sure to draw a lot of attention during our Rarities Night Session,
which crosses the block starting at 6:00PM on Wednesday, August 15 in Room 115A
of the Pennsylvania Convention Center.
Interested in the story behind the famous 1913 Liberty Head Nickel?
Continue reading to learn more about Dr. Morton-Smith in this appreciation
written by Ron Gillio, our Numismatic Acquisitions Coordinator. You can also
download a free PDF of the catalog to your mobilized device by clicking this
link: http://media.stacksbowers.com/VirtualCatalogs/2018/SBG_1913_Nickel_Supplement_LR.pdf
Dr.
William “Bill” Morton-Smith
Dr.
William “Bill” Morton Smith was born on March 16, 1948, in New York, New York.
He and his sister, Adrienne, were raised in the city by their parents, Katrina
and James. Bill attended The Buckley School, St. Mark’s Preparatory
School and the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. He completed his
medical degree at the University of Southern California.
While
on medical rotation in London, Bill was set up on a blind date with his future
wife, Rhodabel. After a long distance relationship, Rho and Bill were wed
in Gargrave, Rho’s hometown in Yorkshire, England. After Bill completed his
residency at Huntington Memorial Hospital in Pasadena, California, the couple
moved to Santa Barbara, where Bill would live for the next 35 years. Bill and
Rho had three children: Timothy, Nicholas and Emma.
“Dr.
Bill,” as most knew him, ran a private medical practice for 20 years. As Santa
Barbara’s medical community would tell you, Bill was an exceptional physician
who cared for his patients with the utmost excellence and deepest compassion.
In 2001, he closed his practice and, after Rho’s passing, he shifted his focus
to volunteer and humanitarian work, locally and around the world.
Several
decades ago, I got a call from Bill asking me to come to his home to view his
coin collection. His collection contained a complete set of Proof Liberty
nickels, various other U.S. sets, colonial coinage, large cents, and half cents
that he had inherited. Bill was interested in the value of the coins and wished
to discuss having them certified, as he had researched the best way to handle
coins.
I spent
hours at his house examining the collection. All the while we talked about
numismatics and he told me the story of how the coins came into his possession.
The story begins with Bill’s inheritance of an antique desk that had belonged
to his grandfather, William Spaulding.
William
Spaulding belonged to a prominent Boston family. He amassed great wealth mainly
through his partnership in the Nash, Spaulding & Co. sugar refining
company. He also held important positions in other businesses, including as a
director with Boston Consolidated Gas Co. and a trustee with Suffolk Saving Bank.
The Spauldings lived in a mansion at 99 Beacon Street and they had a passion
for acquiring art. Their donation of 6000 Japanese prints to Boston’s Museum of
Fine Art in the early 1920s is an important part of that Museum’s collection.
Bill
continued his story by telling me that he was inspecting the desk’s drawers and
compartments one day when he opened up a compartment and discovered the coins.
He was stunned that the coins had not been found before! He said this find
transformed him from someone with a casual interest in coins into a true
collector.
I
advised Bill to submit the set of Liberty nickels to PCGS along with other
highlights from his collection. He did so and we were both happy with the
results. After he received the graded coins, he remarked that his only complete
set was the Liberty nickels. I pointed out that he was missing the 1913 date, a
very rare coin that would make his set complete. It was then that Bill asked me
to find a 1913 Liberty nickel to finish his collection. We eventually acquired
one – the Gem Proof example being offered in this auction.
Bill
and I became good friends and met regularly for lunch. We would talk about
coins, old cars, the stock market, and various topics of the day. He developed
his knowledge of numismatics and obtained more rare coins for his collection.
He always looked forward to going to the Long Beach coin show and would usually
bring a special coin from his collection to show to other collectors.
In
addition to coins, he also inherited and purchased other fine antiques and
collectibles, which he loved to display to family and friends. He hosted dinner
parties where he would feature a coin or an item from one of his other
collections, or a guest would bring an interesting piece to share. I enjoyed
attending a few of these gatherings. I recall one party where a guest brought a
cased set of Colt Revolvers and another party where a special, old bottle of
French wine was the showpiece.
Bill
was devoted to his family, to his patients and to his humanitarian work. He was
also a collecting enthusiast who truly appreciated the historical importance
and artistry of numismatics.
Ron
Gillio
Numismatic
Acquisitions Coordinator
Stack’s
Bowers Galleries
