James Charles Risk, CVO
ARMS: Azure, on a bend or between two bezants, three maple leaves gules.
SOURCE/NOTES & CREDITS:
Arms from the Letters Patent in a Grant by the College of Arms, England, dated 17 October 1991.
James Charles Risk, CVO, FSA, born on 13 May 1913, served as a US Naval Officer in WW2, became a specialist in coins, orders and medals and worked at Coin Galleries on 57th Street in New York City for many years. Jim was the author of numerous articles on coins and medals, some of which we retain which he was kind enough to autograph for us years after the fact, He wrote the book “Order of the Bath” and was one of the authors of “Royal Service, Volume II”.
Separately Jim systematically organized & catalogued the Queen’s orders and medals first in 1966 at Buckingham Palace and then in 1977 he did the same for her collection at Windsor Castle which we believe became the basis of the conferral of his CVO. We believe he is the only American to be awarded the CVO.
We well remember buying coins from him as a teenager and learned much in the process. Jim Risk was a friend of ours for fifty plus years, he died on the 23 Oct 2005, at age 92.
The artwork is a rendering by John Hamilton Gaylor.
Wedvick Armorial, 030c, Risk, 20080318
