George Frederick Kolbe (1941–2025)
Anyone interested in the bibliophile side of numismatics knew George Frederick Kolbe, simply because the most exciting books were offered at his auctions. But people didn’t just read his catalogues if they wanted to buy something. Anyone interested in bibliophile editions considered them essential reading. They were overflowing with fascinating information about the significance of books whose names most coin collectors had never heard of. If numismatic literature is now considered a separate field of collecting, it is largely thanks to George Frederick Kolbe.
A lifelong love of numismatics and its books
George Kolbe was born on 9 September 1941, the youngest son of a modest working-class family. From an early age, he developed a passion for coins. He began collecting at the age of 9 or 10 and started trading at 20. At first, it was just a hobby, as George Kolbe actually worked in the
management of a food chain after completing his studies. But like every good dealer at the time, George began to compile a large library. This helped him to assess what was rare and what was common. And that was when he realised that books could be much rarer than the coins they described. At that time, no one was seriously interested in numismatic literature. And so Kolbe Numismatic Bookseller was born.
His antiquarian bookshop specialising in numismatics quickly grew to become world-renowned. While just a few pages were enough for the first stock list sent out in May 1967, his auction catalogues have been distributed all over the world since 1976. Kolbe became virtually synonymous with bibliophile numismatic books. His catalogues developed into standard works. Those who read them were delighted by his love of finely bound, exquisitely preserved and richly illustrated works, which was reflected in the detailed descriptions.
Soon he was ‘the’ auction house when it came to selling comprehensive libraries. And so he held the record for the highest sum ever realised in a single day for a book auction. He sold the highlights of the John J. Ford Jr. Library for an impressive $1.66 million. And that was just one of more than 150 auctions of numismatic literature conducted by George Kolbe.
George Kolbe was one of those men who made a contribution to the numismatic community. This includes, not least, the founding of the Numismatic Bibliomania Society in 1979, which is extremely active in the United States today. George Kolbe received numerous awards for his commitment, including the Trustees’ Award of the American Numismatic Society in 2005.
George Kolbe was a far-sighted man. He sought support early on to ensure that the numismatic book trade would continue in his spirit in the future. The result is Kolbe & Fanning Numismatic Booksellers. In 2023, George Kolbe announced that he would be retiring from active business life – at the age of 82! Now he has passed away. But Kolbe & Fanning lives on. David and Maria Fanning have announced that they will not change the name.
A man of opinion and tolerance
I also had the privilege of getting to know George Kolbe and had many good conversations with him. Some were controversial. I remember well when we were exchanging emails and were surprised to discover that we had completely different views of former US President Ronald Reagan. We must have spent a large part of our working hours writing those emails. They flew back and forth between Lörrach and California constantly. For days on end. We talked about experiences, fears, national traumas, our attitudes towards war, the NATO double-track decision and nuclear weapons. We couldn’t agree at the time, despite the many hours we invested in the debate. That never damaged our good relationship, on the contrary.
George Kolbe was a man who had strong opinions and stood up for them, but he could also tolerate those who disagreed with him. He was interested in the people he was talking to and listened carefully. He always remained a gentleman, and I never heard him say a malicious word. He enjoyed engaging in challenging conversation. The topic didn’t necessarily have to be numismatics.
I never missed an opportunity to chat with George Kolbe about everything under the sun and a little bit of politics when I met him at a numismatic event. I will miss him.
Text and images: Ursula Kampmann
