Is there a person who is accepted as the first known coin collector? The first person who allegedly collected coins that has been documented was Mithridates VI Eupator of Pontus. Who was the first known coin dealer in the United States? If by coin dealer we mean someone who made his living exclusively from buying and selling coins, the first coin dealer was likely Edward Cogan. Cogan, an English-born accountant who has been dubbed the “father of U.S. coin collecting,” conducted coin auctions between 1858 and 1879.Who is the earliest person known to have collected U.S. coins?