It is with profound sorrow that we share the news of the passing of Gordon Bowker. Grandson of the renowned numismatist Howard Bowker, co-founder of Starbucks, and a celebrated Seattle entrepreneur, Mr. Bowker died on August 21, 2025, in Seattle, USA. He was 82.
His passing, which occurred during the world's premier ANA World’s Fair of Money, cast a shadow over the numismatic community. As a visionary entrepreneur and cultural custodian, Gordon Bowker’s life left an indelible mark on modern consumer culture and on the fields of numismatics and cultural heritage.
Business Maverick and Cultural Custodian
Deeply rooted in Seattle, Gordon Bowker made a lasting impact on the city’s business landscape and diverse industries. He was not only a co-founder of Starbucks but also of Redhook Brewery, and he founded the influential advertising agency Heckler Associates.
The agency he co-founded with designer Terry Heckler created iconic ads for Rainier Beer, including the famous croaking frogs advertisement and the halfman, half-beer-bottle imagery. They also designed Starbucks’ original mermaid logo, which debuted in 1971 at the first Starbucks store near Pike Place Market. Additionally, Bowker helped launch the Seattle Weekly, penned restaurant reviews, and co-founded a real estate development firm.
Gordon Bowker's partner, Jerry Baldwin, said of him: "He really was able to feel the pulse, or maybe the pre-pulse, of the zeitgeist of the moment. … He could see what was coming, and it was just part of his wiring. He wasn’t looking for it; it was just there."
Continuing His Grandfather's Legacy:Promoting Numismatic Donations and Cultural Heritage
Beyond his business achievements, Gordon Bowker devoted himself to advancing the collecting passion and scholarly mission of his grandfather, the distinguished numismatist Howard Bowker. Representing his family, he workedwith Michael Chou, President of Champion Auction, to facilitate multiple donations from the Bowker Collection to museums and cultural institutions worldwide. Recipients include the Shanghai Mint Museum, Shenyang Mint Museum, China Banknote Printing and Minting Museum in Beijing, the Smithsonian’s National Numismatic Collection (NNC), and Germany’s Kunstmuseum Moritzburg.
Howard Bowker was among the most influential collectors and scholars of Chinese coinage in the mid-20th century. In his later years, he willed that his life’s work be donated for the public good, to further numismatic culture and research.
Key donation processes involving Gordon Bowker include:
·April 2010, March 2015, June 2016: The Bowker family donated precious coins and coin dies to the Shanghai Mint Museum, including Chinese numismatic rarities such as the Customs Tael (NGC AU50), Old Kiangnan Dollar (NGCMS63), Kiangnan Circlet-Scale Dragon Dollar (NGC MS65), 1898-1899 Chekiang Dollar (NGC MS61), Tian Guo Sheng Bao Cash Coin (NGC AU DETAILS), and Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum Dollar (NGC MS62).
·September 2010: Donation of 212 rare Chinese banknotes to the China Banknote Printing and Minting Museum, including Qing dynasty notes and the First Series of Renminbi. Among them, the 1904 Henan Provincial Bank 1000-cash note is the only known example (PMG XF40).
·May 2011: Donation of 84 rare coins to the Shenyang Mint, including scarce vintage coins like the Kirin Arsenal 3-Mace and 5-Mace coins, and Sinkiang Mace coin.
·May 2016: Donation of over 6,000 Chinese coins to the Kunstmuseum Moritzburg in Germany, becoming the largest donation of Chinese coins in Germany. Prior to this donation, these coins were exhibited in a grand exhibition in Macau.
·2017: Gordon, representing the family, donated a batch of significant coins to the NNC. These included rarities like the Henan Double Flag 500 Cash copper pattern, a complete set of Szechuan brass gilt patterns from the Ferracute Machine Company, Kwangtung 7.3 Candareens Reversed Pattern, and the Hung Hsien (Yuan Shih-kai) Flying Dragon 10-Dollar Gold struck in brass. This donation also facilitated the establishment of the Howard F. Bowker Research Room.
The Bowker Numismatic Research Fund: Funding Over Ten Million RMB Over a Decade
Following the 2016 sale of part of the Bowker Collection by Champion Auction,the NNC established the Bowker Numismatic Research Fund with support from the Bowker family and Michael Chou. The fund sustains a wide range of projects, such as:
·Coin Digitization and Wax Removal Project;
·Cataloging and Digitization of the Chinese Paper Money Collection;
·Translation and Research of U.S. Mint Reports;
·Exhibitions "Really Big Money" and "The Value of Money";
·Restoration and Preservation of Precious Books.
To date, the fund has allocated over ten million RMB to major initiatives. The total value of the Bowker family’s donations to museums worldwide is estimated to exceed one hundred million RMB.The Bowker Cultural Scholarship: Investing in Future Generations
The Bowker family's contributions extend beyond numismatic donations into the field of education. Using proceeds from the sale of stamps, envelopes, and other items from the Bowker Collection through Champion Auction, the Bowker Cultural Scholarship was established in Macau to promote cultural and educational development. The initial scholarship period is five years.
In addition to the Bowker Cultural Scholarship, related funds are used to support stamp and coin clubs in five Macau schools, nurturing intellectual curiosity, cultural awareness, and civic responsibility among youth.
Tribute to Gordon Bowker: The Humble Inheritor
Gordon Bowker often said that his grandfather was a humble and kind man who taught his descendants to respect culture and learning. True to that spirit, Gordon worked quietly yet determinedly to fulfill his grandfather’s vision-repatriating coins to their origins and sharing them with the world.
His passing is a significant loss to the numismatic community. Yet the cultural bridges he built and the scholarly legacy he helped cement will continue to guide and inspire generations to come.
We honor the memory of Gordon Bowker. May his spirit, like the collections he cherished, endure and illuminate the path ahead.
