Walter Breen
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Walter Breen (September 5, 1928 - April 28, 1993) was an American author. He is best known among coin collectors for writing Walter Breen's Complete Encyclopedia of U.S. and Colonial Coins. "Breen numbers", from his encyclopedia, are widely used to attribute varieties of coins. He is also well known for his writings in defense of the homosexual practice of pederasty.
Biography
A foundling child discovered in San Antonio, Texas, Walter Breen strove to distinguish himself academically from a young age and continued excelling academically throughout his post-secondary education. He received his B.A. from Johns Hopkins University in 1952, having finished four years of coursework in approximately ten months, and later earned his M.A. from UC Berkeley in 1966.
As Breen completed his undergraduate college coursework, he immersed himself in the study of coinage. 1951 saw the journal Numismatist publish his earliest writings on the subject. Two years later he completed his first book on American coins, Proof Coins Struck by the United States Mint, 1817-1901. Coins were not all that occupied Breen's research, however.
Walter Breen also spent considerable time compiling information on the history of homosexuality, particularly pederasty, sexual relationships between adult men and adolescent males. His research, unprecedented in its extensive treatment of the history of homosexuality, formed the basis for his 1964 book Greek Love, which he published under the pseudonym "J.Z. Eglinton."
Despite his alternative sexual interests, Breen was married to science fiction writer Marion Zimmer Bradley in 1964. They had two children and separated in 1979.
Breen was arrested in 1991 and charged with eight felony counts of child molestation involving a thirteen-year-old boy.
He was diagnosed with liver cancer in 1992, and died in prison in Chino, California the next year.
Publications
- Walter Breen's Encyclopedia of United States Half Cents 1793-1857
- California Pioneer Fractional Gold: Historic gold rush small change 1852-1856 and suppressed jewelers' issues 1859-1882; co-authored by Ronald Gillio, this is the standard reference for this series of coinage
- Penny Whimsy; assisted William Sheldon to produce this 1958 update to Sheldon's Early American Cents.
- Greek Love; assited by Warren Johansson and published by Oliver Layton Press in 1964.