Robert I. Nesmith (1891-1972) was a numismatist, photographer, and an authority on treasure hunting. He ran a photography firm, R. I. Nesmith & Associates, in New York City and was chief photographer for Copper Commando, a newspaper published during World War II that was devoted to demonstrating the importance of metal production to the war effort. He later owned and operated a bookstore in Rye, New York, called The Foul Anchor, which specialized in books on treasure hunting. He became an associate member of the American Numismatic Society in 1943 and a fellow in 1944.