George Kolbe has announced his retirement from the U.S.-based bookseller Kolbe & Fanning effective Nov. 13.
For more than four decades, Kolbe has been a prominent figure in the numismatic community as both a bookseller and an author. “His expertise in rare and collectible numismatic literature has made him a trusted name among collectors and scholars alike,” reads a statement issued by the bookseller in November.
Kolbe published his first three-page fixed price list in 1967, when he was located in Redondo Beach, Calif., and serviced just a handful of potential customers. As Kolbe’s career progressed, his lists featured more sophisticated content and formats, and by 1976, he held his first auction – a mail-bid sale – featuring 763 lots. In 1979, Kolbe held his first public auction in conjunction with the Convention of International Numismatics in Los Angeles, Calif., solidifying his position as a prominent figure in the numismatic book trade.
Throughout his career, Kolbe has worked on nearly 170 auctions held under his name or in partnership with David Fanning.