John Jay Ford Jr., 81; Coin Dealer, Collector of Early American Coins

John Jay Ford Jr., 81, a coin dealer known for his meticulous numismatic catalogs whose personal collections of early American coins have astonished recent auction-goers, died July 7 at a nursing home in Scottsdale, Ariz.

Bidders have spent $35 million on such rarities as the oldest coins issued by the Continental Congress and Confederate pennies. Ford’s collections could bring in more than $55 million, the amount spent for the collection of Louis Eliasburg, who assembled examples of every known American coin, according to one expert.

In a long-running and bitter dispute, some prominent numismatic experts alleged that Ford was part of a scheme to sell fake gold and silver bars, claiming that they were from the American West. Ford, backed by authorities, denied the charges.

Born in Hollywood, Ford moved to New York after his stockbroker father lost most of the family’s money during the Depression. Ford served as an Army cryptographer in World War II before joining New Netherlands Coin Co., a New York City-based coin auction firm.