Robert Hewitt Jr.
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Robert Hewitt Jr. was a successful real estate investor in Manhattan, New York, and a notable numismatist.Johnson, D. Wayne
"Medals in Books Led to Two Art Medal Series"
''E-Sylum'', vol. 8, no. 9, article 12, February 12, 2005. Numismatic Bibliomania Society website. Retrieved on September 3, 2007.
Hewitt began collecting coins as a young man while serving a mercantile apprenticeship and compiled a comprehensive Abraham Lincoln medal collection considered by numismatists as one of the greatest of its kind. In 1908, he endeavored for the creation of a medal to commemorate the centennial birth of Abraham Lincoln. He commissioned esteemed French-American sculptor and medallist
Jules Edouard Roiné Jules Édouard Roiné (Nantes, October 24, 1857 – April 11, 1916), was an exemplary French-American sculptor and master medal engraver of his era. He was a student of Léopold Morice, renowned sculptor who completed the bas relief over the ...
for the design, "which is described as the most beautiful representation of Lincoln's features that has as yet been made." In 1918, Mrs. Hewitt donated the Robert Hewitt Lincoln collection to the U.S. National Museum ( Smithsonian Institution). At the time of donation, the U.S. National Museum reported that the collection included “1,200 specimens of medallic souvenirs of President Lincoln, and includes medallions, plaques, medals, medalets, coins, tokens, and…campaign” items. Hewitt’s extensive collection of Lincolniana provided both an important historical and artistic view of Lincoln. In addition, Hewitt founded the important numismatic group the
Circle of Friends of the Medallion Circle of Friends of the Medallion was formed by Charles DeKay, Robert Hewitt, Jr., and the French-American trio of Jules Edouard Roiné with brothers Felix and Henri Weil, all living in New York City.Johnson, D. Wayne"Circle of Friends of the Medal ...
in 1909 with other medal enthusiasts and produced the first privately created medal series in America. Also, Hewitt served as the Corresponding Secretary of the American Numismatic and Archaeological Society (currently the American Numismatic Society) in 1868-69 and the Second Vice President in 1880-84.Lossing, Benson J. ''History of New York City Volume II'' (New York: The Perine Engraving and Publishing Co., 1884), p. 598.


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{{DEFAULTSORT:Hewitt, Robert Jr. American numismatists Year of death missing Year of birth missing