Rare coins, antique weapons dealer James Cohen laid to rest

JAMES H. COHEN, a renowned dealer in rare and valuable coins as well as antique firearms and swords, whose famous store on Royal Street dates back to 1898, succumbed after a lengthy illness on Tuesday, March 27. He was 91.

JIM COHEN

As a child, Cohen worked with his grandfather, William S. Feldman, who founded the conventional antiques store that dealt in items such as jewelry and furniture. Following Feldman’s death in 1958, Cohen opened his own business in the same location of 437 Royal Street and James H. Cohen and Sons began to specialize in rare and valuable coins and antique weapons.

Cohen’s store located just down the block from Brennan’s Restaurant was a popular tourist haunt for decades. He and his sons became authorities on rare coins and stocked the store with a plethora of antique weapons that were, in some cases hundreds of years old. They had in their possession as one time a Confederate half-dollar, one of only four known to exist in the world. Although they parted with that rare find many years ago, one of the coins recently sold at auction for $600,000.

During the height of the Mardi Gras doubloon craze that began in the 1960s, he and his sons became avid collectors and traders in all of the colorful collectibles that included valuable doubloons struck in solid gold and .999 silver.

Guns sold at the location were technically considered antiques and so a federal firearms license was not required. Many of the rare swords on display were collected from the United States, Europe and around the world.

Cohen also sold rare maps, nautical instruments and weather instruments from his location, which he ran with the assistance of his two sons and other family members.

He was a longtime member of Congregation Beth Israel.

Cohen served in the U. S. Merchant Marines during World War II. He was appointed to the U. S. Assay Commission in 1975 and was appointed by Governor Mike Foster to serve on the Louisiana Commemorative Coin Advisory Commission to design the 2002 Louisiana quarter.

He is survived by his wife of 70 years, Beverly Steckler Cohen, his two sons Jerry and Stephen (Julie Felix Cohen), two grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.

Graveside services were held at the (Old) Beth Israel Cemetery, 4321 Frenchmen Street, at 3:00 p.m. Rabbi Gabriel Greenberg officiated.

In lieu of flowers, memorials are suggested to Congregation Beth Israel, 4000 W. Esplanade Avenue, Metairie, LA 70002 or the M. D. Anderson Cancer Center Foundation, P. O. Box 2558, Houston, TX 77252-8037.

Condolences may be expressed online here. Tharp-Sontheimer-Tharp Funeral Home of Metairie was in charge of arrangements.