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Paul J. Bosco Coins and Medals

Paul J. Bosco Coins and Medals 1 Collectibles Jewelry Murray Hill Nomad

“I have half a million coins and medals for sale,” Paul Bosco said proudly as he ushered me into his shop. “That’s right, half a million.” And yet when I walked inside, in addition to being struck by his massive coin collection, I was drawn to his fascinating assortment of antiques - Turkish pipes and American pocket watches, old costume jewelry and wooden masks, vintage paintings and postcards. The shop was filled to the brim with delightful, historical finds.

The rest of the Manhattan Sideways team split up eagerly, wandering the store as if on a treasure hunt, while I lingered behind to talk with Mr. Bosco. The first coin he ever collected, he told me, was a sixteenth century brass jetton from the Netherlands. Since pencil and paper were rare at the time, these coins were placed in slots on a table and used for counting, a sort of European version of the abacus. The next thing I knew, we were talking about sixteenth century wars and Mr. Bosco’s favorite type of coin: decapitati in numis, medals of people getting their heads cut off.

I quickly learned that Mr. Bosco is a hardcore history buff, more interested in discussing World War I or Art Nouveau than his own life story. But I finally convinced him to tell me about the time he has spent amassing a treasure trove of coins, medals, and antiques. “I’ve been doing this since 1973,” he told me. “Full-time since 1975.” He worked mostly with foreign coins at first, but when he opened a coin store in the Manhattan Art and Antiques Center in the early 1990s, he expanded into American coins and began to dabble in antiques. A flood in the early 2000s forced him to close his shop, and he operated out of a storeroom for three years, before finally settling into his current location in 2008.

Some of Mr. Bosco’s items cost only a few dollars, while others go for several thousand. Though his customers are usually foreigners and tourists, he mentioned that New Yorkers often stop in to purchase some of his best sellers, which include old silver dollars and a six-piece complete set of New York City subway tokens. While he talked, I browsed through his astounding inventory of 50,000 medals, arranged by topic in helpfully labeled boxes: medicine, aviation, World War One, Lord Byron, Mythical Beasts, and many more. Some of these large, commemorative coins dated as far back as the Renaissance.

When Mr. Bosco told me that his all-time favorite item in the store is “a portrait of Abraham Lincoln made out of leaves,” I thought my ears had deceived me. But I had heard right, and there was no stopping him from leading the entire team upstairs to view it. Still in its original frame from 1890, the portrait features the sixteenth president in faded brown and orange tones, as well as a bald eagle biting a chain in half to free a group of slaves. The portrait is signed “Jacobi,” and Mr. Bosco explained that it was most likely made by a Russian Jewish immigrant who viewed Lincoln as a champion of the underclasses.

The more time I spent at Bosco, the more amazed I was by the endless inventory of coins and antiques hidden behind such a small, unassuming storefront. Bosco is truly one of Manhattan’s best-kept secrets, full of wonders and surprises for anyone who ventures inside.

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Paul J. Bosco Coins and Medals 1 Collectibles Jewelry Murray Hill Nomad
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Maison 10

Maison 10, an exciting and innovative gallery and boutique project from the minds of co-founders Tom Blackie, Henri Myers, and Carsten Klein, opened in June 2016. For the trio of founders, ten is the magic number, as the space operates in ten-week cycles, each centered on ten featured works by a particular artist, alongside ten different product categories, each with ten carefully selected items. Customers can also choose one of ten different charities to which ten percent of the proceeds of their purchase will be donated. Maison 10 combines the founders’ shared love of art, culture, and philanthropy. Despite its bare bones appearance, the storefront is bound to catch the pedestrian eye, or perhaps first their nose with sage burning out front. When Manhattan Sideways stopped by, the wall on the side of the building featured a striped mural, which we learned is repainted every ten weeks by the newest featured artist. The shop is minimally decorated with white display tables showcasing a colorful array of products. It is clear that the room is meant to be rearranged every ten weeks, and that the items on display speak for themselves. The window display rotates even more frequently, changing daily at four pm. “It’s all about engaging with customers. We like to keep it fresh, and the opposite of formulaic, ” Tom remarked with a laugh. The only constant presence in the store is the large statue of a gorilla sitting in the back corner, overseeing the boutique. The founders’ wide range of backgrounds and experiences give Maison 10 the worldly quality it effortlessly seems to possess. Henri, who is originally from New York but has spent quality time in Los Angeles, has spent most of his professional career working in fashion marketing and branding development, attending trade shows, and cultivating a keen sense of taste. 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Similarly, the diverse selection of gifts, fine art, and lifestyle items ranging from candles and books to handmade jewelry appears to be the best of the best. “With only ten categories and ten products, we’ve already pre-selected the best items, and they all have a story, ” Henri noted as he moved between a fruit bowl made from copper and walnuts to a bag made from authentic Japanese satin. “It mostly comes down to personal taste. These are the things we love and feel should be on everyone’s radar. It’s about introducing the customer to an experience one on one. We want to bring back shopping. ” Henri mentioned how important it is that Maison 10 offers products at a wide range of prices, so as not to alienate any potential customers, “We wanted to make it so that you could come in and find a $15 book, a $600 bag, or even a $7, 000 piece of art. ”Nine out of the ten charitable organizations to which the men donate remain fixed throughout the year. The tenth changes with the cycle and is chosen by the designer. The fixed charities are mostly found through personal connections thanks to Tom’s work experience in the non-profit world, and thus are largely New York- and London-based. The impressive list contains local favorites like Housing Works, which is dedicated to fighting the dual crises of homelessness and AIDS, and SAGE, which supports LGBT elderly nationwide. There are also world humanitarian causes including Orange Babies, an Amsterdam-based organization that advocates for HIV positive pregnant women throughout Africa. The Manhattan Sideways team visited right around the first anniversary of Maison 10's opening, and Tom was pleased to report that the business was doing well after its first year. “It keeps getting busier and busier; people love the concept and we’ve definitely gained some super fans who come in every two or three days. 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Kang Ho Dong Baekjeong

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