Exploring the history and beauty of coins

When I was 7 years old, I found a 1918-D Buffalo Nickel that was just sitting on the ground while exploring a Ghost Town with my mother. Not knowing what I was holding, my 7-year-old brain just about exploded. Luckily, my grandfather was a longtime numismatist and was more than happy to teach me about Buffalo Nickels and anything else I wanted to learn about.

Since then, I have had a love and appreciation for the beauty and history of U.S. Coins of all denominations.

Because I started out so young, I had many coin dealers take advantage of my youth and ignorance. In those days, there were no grading companies or online auction houses you could search to make a purchase. You had to go to a coin shop or a coin show. Then both the buyer and the seller had to agree on the grade and what you were willing to pay or accept.

I learned many expensive lessons the hard way. Often I would buy a coin that was represented at a certain grade. Since I was not well-versed in grading, I usually ended up overpaying for a coin that had been overgraded and misrepresented. Based on these early experiences, I was driven by a desire to learn as much as possible about grading and valuing the denominations that I was interested in collecting.

Frequently, when doing my Livestream Auction shows on Whatnot, I get asked questions and enjoy being that resource. I decided to start The Educational Numismatist as a way to help spread information and whatever knowledge I have acquired over the years in a format that is accessible to anyone at any time.