A 1920 Wheat penny recovered from Dillinger’s pants after he was killed outside the Biograph Theatre on July 22, 1934. Penny is accompanied by a 1996 statement of authenticity signed by William J. Helmer, Contributing Editor and former Senior Editor of Playboy magazine and author of seven highly regarded books on the subject of Depression Era gangsters, including Dillinger: The Untold Story. The penny and statement are framed behind Plexiglass along with a photocopy of a July 16, 1990, receipt from Helmer to G. Russell Girardin for the pennies, shaving brush, and pocket knife; a photo of Girardin; one of Girardin’s business cards, company letterhead, and another clipped business card, to an overall size of 24 x 18. Accompanied by: the original 1990 letter signed by Helmer acknowledging receipt of the Dillinger belongings from Girardin, “3 1-cent pieces, shaving brush, and pocket knife;” photocopies of two letters from Joe Pinkston of the John Dillinger Museum to Helmer, alluding to the Girardin items including the pennies; and an original letter from gangster historian Rick Mattix telling the story of how the Dillinger items came into Mr. Helmer’s possession. Also included are: two unsigned glossy photos, one of Girardin and the other of a deceased Dillinger on a stretcher, surrounded by a large crowd; two copies of Dillinger: The Untold Story, one hardcover limited edition #1/48 and one paperback, each signed by co-author Helmer.
In 1934, a Chicago ad man named G. Russell Girardin persuaded Dillinger’s attorney Louis Piquett to collaborate on a series of newspaper articles on the ‘inside story’ of the Dillinger gang, with the help of legal assistant Arthur O’Leary and Dillinger’s father, John Wilson Dillinger. In the following two years, they published a series of articles titled ‘Dillinger Speaks’ in the Hearst newspapers, illustrated with photos of the outlaw’s letters and other personal belongings, obtained directly from his father. According to Helmer’s letter of authenticity, Girardin returned the majority of the borrowed items after publication, with the exception of “a small decorative penknife and shaving brush John had left at home, as well as ‘five or six’ of the pennies found in Dillinger’s pocket after he was killed outside the Biograph Theatre the night of July 22, 1932,” which the elder Dillinger gave him as souvenirs.
It wasn’t until nearly sixty years later that Helmer met Girardin while doing research for his own book on Dillinger. In his early nineties and still living in Chicago, Girardin was “pleased that anyone knew of his newspaper articles, and he said he would add footnotes elaborating on some of the names and events that could not be reported at the time because of persons still living.” He pulled from his shelf an old 427-page manuscript of unpublished information that he had written at the same time as the articles. When Helmer read it and encouraged Girardin that they should collaborate on editing it and try to get it published, the two began their project. Shortly after adding his footnotes, correcting much of the deliberate misinformation written decades prior, Girardin suffered a major stroke. During the following weeks in the hospital, he was able to set his legal affairs in order before suffering another series of strokes that led to his death in September of 1990. In Helmer’s letter, he states that “under the terms of our agreement, I was to finish the book on my own…In the hospital he let me know that I could keep the knife, brush, and pennies, which are mentioned in his introduction, and one of which is included in this display.” Finally published by Indiana University Press in 1994 under the title, ‘Dillinger: The Untold Story,’ the collaborative biography is viewed as a major contribution to the subject.
With the transfer of this penny referred to in multiple publications, along with the additional accompanying letter from Dillinger expert Rick Mattix, explaining that he and Joe Pinkston, owner of the John Dillinger Museum in Nashville, Indiana, were with Helmer when he was given the pennies and personal affects, this coin holds rock-solid provenance—by far one of the finest displays of the gunned-down gangster’s final personal affects that we have seen. RR Auction COA.
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