Don Taxay
Donald Paul Taxay was an American numismatist and historian, known for the reference works he composed and for his disappearance at the height of his career.
Career in numismatics
Taxay's first published work was Counterfeit, Mis-Struck and Unofficial U.S. Coins, in 1963, followed by The U.S. Mint and Coinage in 1966, An Illustrated History of U.S. Commemorative Coinage in 1967, Money of the American Indians in 1970, and Scott's Comprehensive Catalogue and Encyclopedia of United States Coins in 1971. He also served as the curator of the Chase Manhattan Bank Money Museum from April 1964 to May 1966.Business career
His first numismatic job was as manager of the leased coin department at the Jordan Marsh department store in Boston, joining the firm in 1958. He followed this with stints as the manager of Royal Athena Coin Galleries in New York City, and New Netherlands Coin Company, where he worked with renowned numismatists and researchers John J. Ford and Walter Breen. In 1963, Breen and Taxay formed the Institute of Numismatic Authenticators.In 1969, he and William Thomas Anton, Jr. co-authored catalogs for Harmer Rooke. In 1974, he joined award-winning numismatist Harry Forman in establishing the coin dealership of Forman, Taxay and Associates. In 1975, Taxay was appointed senior vice president of First Coinventors, Inc. where he also served as director of their Colonial American Coin Club. On July 8, 1976, he formed Rare Coin Collectors Co-op, Inc., which operated until December 30, 1977. In approximately 1977, Taxay withdrew from society.