Background
Charles Edward Anthon was born in 1823 in New York City, New York, United States, the son of a prominent lawyer, John Anthon, and nephew of Charles Anthon, eminent classical scholar. His mother was of French origin.
Charles Edward Anthon was born in 1823 in New York City, New York, United States, the son of a prominent lawyer, John Anthon, and nephew of Charles Anthon, eminent classical scholar. His mother was of French origin.
He graduated from Columbia College in 1839, spent some years in study and travel in Europe, and upon his return was elected to the chair of history in St. John's College, Annapolis, Maryland.
In 1852 he was appointed professor of history and belles-lettres in the New York Free Academy, which later became the College of the City of New York. Here he remained until ill health forced him to resign in March 1883. He went abroad in May, but died in Bremen the following June.
He became interested in numismatics sometime about 1865, in which year he made his first purchase of coins at the Chilton sale. To these he added until he had acquired an extensive collection containing many rare pieces. For a series of sales from his cabinet he made catalogues, so carefully and thoroughly prepared, "that they will long serve as books of reference for students and collectors. "
From 1869 until his death he was president of the American Numismatic and Archaeological Society (ANS) of New York, and from May 1867 until April 1870 he was an editor of the American Journal of Numismatics.
He published A Pilgrimage to Treves, through the Valley of the Meuse and the Forest of Ardennes in the Year 1844 (1845), a brief but excellently written descriptive and historical sketch; The Son of the Wilderness (1848), a translation of a dramatic poem by Friedrich Halm; Narrative of the Settlement of George Christian Anthon in America (1872); The Gloriam Regni [Gloriam Regni Tui Dicent 1670] or Silver Louis of 15 Sous, and of 5 Sous, Struck for Circulation in French America (1877); and in the Proceedings of the New York Law Institute in Accepting the Donation of the Bust of the Late John Anthon (1876), there is printed a letter of presentation signed by him.
He received an honorary degree of Master of the Arts by Columbia University in 1853, and received a Doctorate of Laws from the University of the City of New York in 1866. As an officer of the ANS, he played an important role in continuing and expanding the Society's publications program through his work as editor of the American Journal of Numismatics.
There is no record of his family.
