Bio

• Born in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Married to Henrietta Spitz February 11, 1945. They had two sons and a daughter. Brother of Paul Kagin; father of Donald Kagin. He served in the Army in World War II 1942 to 1944. Member of the Masons and a Shriner.

  Kagin began collecting coins in 1926 at age six. He began to work for Richard Hollinbeck at Hollinbeck Stamp and Coin Co. in Minneapolis in 1933 at age thirteen. He moved to Omaha in 1935 and in 1936 moved to Des Moines to manage the company branch office there. He bought full ownership in 1940.

  With Hollinbeck-Kagin until 1973. President of Kagins in 1974 and chairman of the board of Kagin's Numismatic Auctions. They conducted mail bid sales in the mid 1930's and auctions under various names from 1940 until 1987. Early mail bid sales were mimeographed and unnumbered. Kagin claims 387 auction sales. Gengerke lists 292 auction sales with 580,526 lots. Kagin was a charter member of the PNG and served as president 1963 to 1964. Kagin contributed a column "Vintage 1928" to Coin World begining in July 1983.

  The Kagins assembled an excellent collection of private and territorial gold coins including many unique and finest known examples. In 1974 they bought the Henry Clifford collection. Additional pieces were added from the Garrett Collection and others. The collection was exhibited at the old mint in San Francisco after 1973. In 1988 the collection was sold to Tangible Investments, Inc.

  The death of Kagin was reported in the August 1969 issue of the TAMS Journal. The report proved to be somewhat premature. He received the Medal of Merit in 1983 and Glenn Smedley Memorial Award in 1999. He received the ANA Farran Zerbe Award in 2000.

  He died in Des Moines, Iowa.

  bio: Adams II (photo); WWA 78; interview 5/11/91 obit CW 8/8/2005, NN 8/2/2005

Date of birth

• 1919-11-25

Place of birth

• Minneapolis, Minnesota

Date of death

• 2005-07-18

Relationships