Owner Biography
John A Fox
The following information on dealer John A. Fox was taken from an article in the Chronicle of May 2008, written by Varro A. Tyler:
Born on August 17, 1911, in New Jersey, John A. Fox became interested in stamp dealing at age 12 and went on to become one of New York’s most colorful and most successful dealers during the 1950s and early 1960s. Although he denied, in a 1986 interview, ever having personally manufactured or produced fraudulent covers, a considerable number of such items were certainly included in his stock.
This fact first came to public attention as a result of a sheriff’s sale of Fox’s stock held on behalf of his creditors on January 3, 1974. A legendary ladies’ man, Fox had been named as a co-respondent in a divorce proceeding, and another suit had been brought against him by the Internal Revenue Service. The divorce suit, which also involved the purchase of a stamp collection, resulted in a judgment against Fox of $1,600,000. This forced him into receivership and necessitated the sale.
Fox had already been censured in 1966 by the American Stamp Dealers Association. Now he was dropped from membership in that group, of which he had been president in 1952-53. He had also been expelled from membership in the American Philatelic Society on November 28, 1966. An appeal in his case was denied by the full board of the Society at a meeting in New Orleans on March 31, 1967. However, as is the custom, no details were specified. The stated grounds for the expulsion were simply “unethical conduct and conduct unbecoming a member.”
In spite of this significant damage to his reputation, Fox continued to hold auctions of philatelic material until December, 1987. He died at his home in Floral Park, New York, on June 16, 1988.
Born on August 17, 1911, in New Jersey, John A. Fox became interested in stamp dealing at age 12 and went on to become one of New York’s most colorful and most successful dealers during the 1950s and early 1960s. Although he denied, in a 1986 interview, ever having personally manufactured or produced fraudulent covers, a considerable number of such items were certainly included in his stock.
This fact first came to public attention as a result of a sheriff’s sale of Fox’s stock held on behalf of his creditors on January 3, 1974. A legendary ladies’ man, Fox had been named as a co-respondent in a divorce proceeding, and another suit had been brought against him by the Internal Revenue Service. The divorce suit, which also involved the purchase of a stamp collection, resulted in a judgment against Fox of $1,600,000. This forced him into receivership and necessitated the sale.
Fox had already been censured in 1966 by the American Stamp Dealers Association. Now he was dropped from membership in that group, of which he had been president in 1952-53. He had also been expelled from membership in the American Philatelic Society on November 28, 1966. An appeal in his case was denied by the full board of the Society at a meeting in New Orleans on March 31, 1967. However, as is the custom, no details were specified. The stated grounds for the expulsion were simply “unethical conduct and conduct unbecoming a member.”
In spite of this significant damage to his reputation, Fox continued to hold auctions of philatelic material until December, 1987. He died at his home in Floral Park, New York, on June 16, 1988.