Charles Henry Coster

Charles Henry Coster (1852–1900) was an American financier and noted philatelist. He was also the author of The United States Locals and Their History, a book considered to be the first major work on the private local posts in the United States.

Early life Coster was born on July 24, 1852, in Newport, Rhode Island. His ancestors were Dutch immigrants who settled in New York in the late 18th century. John Gerard Coster, his grandfather, was a native of the city of Harlem, the Netherlands. He and his brother, Henry, went to the United States and founded a mercantile house that became one of the most prosperous in New York.

Coster was recognized for is participation in rescuing struggling businesses, which some interpreted negatively. It was said, for instance, that "he got rich sitting up with sick railroads and going to their funerals". Together with Morgan, through Northern Pacific, Coster helped bankrupt railroad enterprises and give them new lease of life. He was tasked with finding solutions to problems, balancing the intricate and interwoven relations of railroad obligations, bonds, underlying bonds, collateral trust mortgages, and loan applications. During this period, he was characterized as Morgan's overworked partner, who had done the bulk of the spadework in reorganizations that Northern Pacific was involved in. An account described him as "a sort of financial chemist, and possessed a gift of analysis" that enable him to develop clear and sound solutions. This made it possible for Morgan to go ahead with structuring plans. The family lived in 27 West Nineteenth Street, New York City.