Leon Hendrickson dies

Longtime Indiana coin dealer Leon E. Hendrickson died July 23 at the age of 90.

He was at Summers Pointe Senior Living in Winchester, a community he loved deeply and where founded what became a large and thriving coin business.

The World War II veteran was a man of many vocations farmer, restaurant operator and coin dealer.

It was his coin dealership, SilverTowne, that made him a national figure.

His obituary mentioned that he belonged to over 30 organizations.

He served as president of the Professional Numismatists Guild, the Central States Numismatic Society and the Indiana State Numismatic Association.

PNG honored him with its Lifetime Achievement Award.

And there is no question it was a lifetime of achievement.

Change in the till of the Rainbow Restaurant, which he operated 24/7 in the late 1940s inspired him.

Nothing traced the arc of his career better than what was said in his obituary:

“Operating the Rainbow restaurant for 20 years, he became fascinated with the hobby of coin collecting. He started a small coin shop above the Rainbow and then began showing his coins at local coin shows around the area.

“His hobby soon became a full-time profession. He moved the ‘Winchester Coin Shop’ into the basement of his home and began doing business at some of the largest coin shows in the country.

“The Winchester Coin Shop soon became known as “SilverTowne” as the business expanded into not only rare coins but also silver and gold bullions coins and bars.

“Leon became known as one of the leading experts in the hobby and profession of coin collecting as well as investing in silver and gold bullion. SilverTowne soon began manufacturing its own brand of pure silver bars which even today are widely sought after by investors nationwide.

“Of course Leon’s SilverTowne soon became too large for his basement. It now operates out of the beautiful two-story building that he built next to his home and employs over 100 people.”

It is no wonder why PNG, the Silver Dollar Roundtable and the Blue Ridge Numismatic Association extended top honors to him.

His local community knew he was special. He was named Citizen of the Year by the Winchester Lions Club in 1982.

On July 28 a celebration of his life was held at the Winchester Towne Square Community Centre.

Entombment was at Fountain Park Center in Winchester.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be given to: Leon and Ruhama Hendrickson and Family Scholarship Fund, 213 S. Main St., Winchester, IN 47394, or online at www.randolphcountyfoundation.org, or Hendrickson Trust Fund for Local Out Reach, 1212 E. 100 S, Winchester, IN 47394.

Walker Funeral Home in Winchester handled the arrangements.

More Collecting Resources

• If you enjoy reading about what inspires coin designs, you'll want to check out Fascinating Facts, Mysteries & Myths about U.S. Coins.

• Check out the newly-updated Standard Catalog of World Coins, 2001-Date that provides accurate identification, listing and pricing information for the latest coin releases.