Did you know Stack’s
Bowers Galleries is offering the collection of Lt. Colonel John W. Dawson at
our official auction of the ANA Worlds Fair of Money, coming up next month in
Denver Colorado? Our entire auction is now online, so check it out under the upcoming
auctions menu,. Register to bid, view our offering and bid today!
The Collection of Lt.
Colonel John W. Dawson
November 22,
1927-February 21, 2013
Lt. Colonel John W.
Dawson was a highly decorated U.S. Air Force fighter pilot who fought in both
the Korean and Vietnam wars. He was a career officer, serving over 30 years in
the Air Force. Lt. Col. Dawson’s many medals include two Bronze Stars, three
Distinguished Flying Crosses, 12 Air Force Service Medals, and the Meritorious
Service Medal, along with many others, totaling over 45 medals. John also
highly valued education and earned two Master’s Degrees, along with numerous
accommodations for advanced Air Force training and education programs.
John Dawson was born into
a family of six children in Vincennes, Indiana. Like many coin collectors of
his generation, John’s love of coins began while growing up in a large family
with little money during the Depression. One of John’s first jobs was to help
his Dad in the family butcher shop, so he had the opportunity to look through
the coins that passed through the register. John became fascinated with the
variety and age of the coins. It was during those tough economic times that
John’s love for coins took hold as he realized that certain coins could hold
their value, even in a depressed economy. John’s enthusiasm for coins grew to
the point that he became a serious coin collector, a passion that lasted
throughout his life. Many of the coins in his collection he owned since his
early twenties and he never seemed to want to sell anything.
From 1976 until 2008, Lt.
Col. Dawson lived in the Colorado Springs area and enjoyed the rich numismatic
culture there. He was a member of the American Numismatic Association (ANA) and
attended local meetings and conventions. He was also a frequent visitor to the
Denver Mint and the ANA Museum. As to his own collection, Lt. Col. Dawson
concentrated on collecting early silver dollars, such as the Flowing Hair,
Draped Bust and the Morgan types. His passion for coin collecting continued
until the end; he even visited a coin shop only months before his death in
February of 2013.
Lt. Col. Dawson was
married to Nellie J. Dawson, for 59 years. Nellie was an opera singer and the
Dawson house was always filled with music and love. John and Nellie were the
loving and devoted parents of five children. After Nellie’s passing in
September 2016, the children decided to pass their father’s coin collection on
to those who would enjoy the coins as much as their father had.
By: Joseph A. Dawson, son
