Robert Coulton Davis was born in Philadelphia circa 1813 and died on August 25, 1888. He was a pharmacist who was employed by Charles Ellis and was later in business for himself. His collections included signers of the Declaration of Independence, in addition to his coin collection. Davis wrote a serial on Pattern coins published in the Coin Collector’s Journal. He held membership in the Numismatic and Antiquarian Society of Philadelphia as well as the American Philosophical Society.