ANA Executive Director Larry Shepard sent CoinLink the following email on Sunday afternoon:

“I am sad to pass on the news that Jack Lee died this morning. Jack was not only a numismatic icon, but also one of the finest and most respected individuals ever associated with this hobby. I, for one, will truly miss him.”

Jack Lee was an iconic figure to many , and a fixture on the bourse floor for a generation of collectors and dealers. His renowned eye and judgement for selecting beautiful coins coupled with his friendly demeanor made any encounter with the man both enjoyable and educational.

Jack Lee’s first great collection contained Morgan dollars (business strikes and proofs), Peace dollars, and Walkers and was assembled in the 1980’s and early 90’s.  It was considered one of the all time best collections at the time, and the standard by which all subsequent collections were judged. Jack sold the collection in the 1990’s

However always the collector, Jack started immediately started building another set,  even re-buying and selling many of his “Lee I” coins - sometimes over and over again! His second collection was sold five years later, and Jack Lee II pedigreed coins are still  avidly sought after as are the Jack Lee I.

Finally Jack assembled a third collection which culminated in the Jack Lee III sale by Heritage at the Palm Beach Signature sale in November 2005 . A truly amazing legacy.

Jim Halperin, CEO of Heritage commented, “Regardless of whether a coin is pedigreed to Lee I, II, III - or any combination there are few pedigrees in American numismatics that mean as much to the collecting community as “Ex: Jack Lee.” Those words convey volumes about the quality of the coin, its eye-appeal, and its status as one of the premier examples of the issue. That in itself is a tremendous tribute to this friendly, unassuming collector/dealer.”