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Wonderful and surreal experience at Harlan J. Berk this week

WeissWeiss Posts: 9,941 ✭✭✭✭✭
edited November 28, 2022 9:22AM in World & Ancient Coins Forum

The Dawn of Coinage has always fascinated me: there was no money, then folks traded raw nuggets, then proto-coins, then money that we would recognize all within a lifetime. My icon, and another of my best coins from my box of 20, are pieces from this Dawn of Coinage that I got from Harlan J. Berk in Chicago. The first is from the first series of silver coins ever made, a Lydian Siglos. The second is my icon to the left, a Lydian electrum Trite--predating the siglos by a few years and arguably the first coin ever made. It has since become the symbol of my company, which I named "Electrum" over 30 years ago after the natural alloy of gold and silver from which the earliest coins were made.

Though I live 150 miles away, Mr. Berk was kind enough to arrange the sale of the siglos on installments over the phone nearly 20 years ago (sending the coin to me upon receipt of that first payment), and then sent the trite to me on approval. Real old school trust and guidance. Note the dates on the invoices, I've since had them slabbed and, again not surprisingly, they came back as some of the highest graded-pieces in their respective series.

Unfortunately, the many times I've been in Chicago since have been on the weekends, when Harlan J. Berk is closed. But the three of us (me, wife, kid) were in Chicago earlier this week to watch the Bulls vs. Celtics (#BullsNation), and we found ourselves on Clark Street on Monday afternoon.

We visited the ground floor storefront. Lots of goodies to see in the windows and in their counters. But when I mentioned ancients, they directed me to the 13th floor of the building. Through a dark and secluded gothic-inspired foyer, up the elevator, and down an empty corridor in a scene reminiscent of the movie Snatch at the diamond merchants, to a door identified as Berks.

We knocked, but when there was no answer we let ourselves in.
We arrived at a series of rooms radiating from a central meeting room. Walls are lined floor to ceiling with books and folios, broken only by large canvases of post-modern paintings. On the large table in the middle was a tray overflowing with common ancients, much like a bowl of candy or mints would be at any other business.

So unexpected was this layout (I was expecting coin counters, slabbed coins and red books) that I was a bit at a loss for words. We were greeted by an elderly gentleman, I believe Curtis Clay for those familiar, and I mentioned an interest in early electrum coinage. He asked us to be seated, disappeared for a few moments and brought out a piece for me. Apologetically he mentioned it was the sole electrum piece they had on hand (their most recent sale having concluded). It was a small "hemihecte" of Ionia. I saw the price and agreed at once.

Pushing my luck, I asked if Mr. Berk was available. Sadly he had just left the office, but his son Aaron was in and could complete the transaction. He popped into Aaron's office, and I was ushered in to meet him. Aaron is a friendly and enthusiastic steward of the business. His office looks like mine at home: Piles of paperwork and coins on either side of his computer, more bookshelves covering the walls with post-modern art (a theme we'd see elsewhere). I quickly explained how important the dawn of coinage is to me, and how his father's recommendations and accommodation years ago became part of my company's identity. He beamed at my praise, no doubt something he's heard a hundred times before, then offered us a tour of their suite. He mentioned that their library is unique and is an important resource for scholars. He showed us their photography studio, the display and catalog areas for the antiquities side of their business--floor to ceiling cases with treasures from around the ancient world, including a massive Ptolemaic (?) painted sarcophagus. Aaron introduced us to all the staff, including their support dog Orion, who followed us around for the rest of the tour. Then Aaron let us into Harlan's office, lined with Flemish and 16th & 17th century Dutch paintings.

It was all so wonderfully unexpected. A bit chaotic but entirely comfortable. A numismatic Hogwarts. And you got the feeling it all made absolute sense to everyone there.

Anyway. I'm sorry I didn't get a chance to meet Harlan but I'm sure Aaron shared our story. And I got the ultimate tacky tourist souvenir to complement my memory of my trip to the mother ship:

We are like children who look at print and see a serpent in the last letter but one, and a sword in the last.
--Severian the Lame

Comments

  • pursuitoflibertypursuitofliberty Posts: 6,968 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Thanks for posting this @Weiss

    That made for a nice read this morning, and I'll hope next time you make to their shop, you'll get to meet Harlan


    “We are only their care-takers,” he posed, “if we take good care of them, then centuries from now they may still be here … ”

    Todd - BHNC #242
  • TPRCTPRC Posts: 3,789 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Wonderful story and write-up! I've been to the store once before I collected ancients. I have been at auctions with Mr. Berk. It seemed to me that every coin I identified as high grade that I decided could be a good value, Mr. Berk just raised his hand until he got it. Oh well! At least it gave me confidence that I was doing something right!

    Tom

  • MartinMartin Posts: 995 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Nice story. The ofr needs you

    Martin

  • johnny9434johnny9434 Posts: 28,438 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Cool read, I like 👍

  • baddogssbaddogss Posts: 1,288 ✭✭✭✭✭

    A real treat. I could relate to your excitement and thrill. Thanks for sharing.

    Thank you PCGS for the Forums! ANA # 3150931 - Successful BST with: Bah1513, ckeusa, coin22lover, coinsarefun, DCW, guitarwes, SLQ, Sunshine Rare Coin, tmot99, Tdec1000, dmarks, Flatwoods, Wondercoin, Yorkshireman
    Sugar magnolia blossoms blooming, heads all empty and I don't care ...
  • cladkingcladking Posts: 28,673 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Cool.

    Cool coins, too. Thanks for sharing.

    My interests lie long before the advent of coinage and extend all the way back 40,000 years but I like all kinds of "moderns" as well. ;)

    The first coins were transformative to the ancient world but very little is really known just as very little is known about how the barter systems worked. It is ironic that right up to this day little is known about what coins circulated where or when.

    You'd think something so important and watched as coins and money would be recorded.

    Tempus fugit.
  • CaptHenwayCaptHenway Posts: 32,256 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Finest ancient coin shop in North America!!!

    Numismatist. 50 year member ANA. Winner of four ANA Heath Literary Awards; three Wayte and Olga Raymond Literary Awards; Numismatist of the Year Award 2009, and Lifetime Achievement Award 2020. Winner numerous NLG Literary Awards.
  • cladkingcladking Posts: 28,673 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @CaptHenway said:
    Finest ancient coin shop in North America!!!

    You'd have to say that. ;)

    But I do agree.

    Tempus fugit.
  • WeissWeiss Posts: 9,941 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Thanks, guys. It'> @CaptHenway said:

    Finest ancient coin shop in North America!!!

    Part of me had the urge to say "...and I know @CaptHenway !".
    And then I realized they might not know their esteemed former colleague by that name.
    And then I realized, though I've conversed with, read, and followed you for many years, I have in fact never met you :)

    We are like children who look at print and see a serpent in the last letter but one, and a sword in the last.
    --Severian the Lame
  • vplite99vplite99 Posts: 1,292 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Nice story, thanks for posting.

    Vplite99
  • nwcoastnwcoast Posts: 2,869 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Excellent write up of a remarkable visit.
    Thank you for sharing!
    The next best thing to being there myself- which I hope to actually do someday.

    Happy, humble, honored and proud recipient of the “You Suck” award 10/22/2014

  • MWallaceMWallace Posts: 4,148 ✭✭✭✭✭

    This is the kind of thing I like reading on this board. Congrats and thanks for posting it here because I don't visit the ancient board too often. Maybe I should.

    http://www.SmallDollars.com
  • rickoricko Posts: 98,724 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @Weiss... Thanks for an interesting and well written story about your experience there. Cheers, RickO

  • WeissWeiss Posts: 9,941 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Thanks, everyone. Nice to get positive feedback from those who share my passion.

    We are like children who look at print and see a serpent in the last letter but one, and a sword in the last.
    --Severian the Lame
  • Bob13Bob13 Posts: 1,489 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @Weiss - thanks for the great story. I've also stopped in during a trip to Chicago - but stayed on the ground floor and was able to talk to Mike P/ @FinallyHere which was a great experience. HJB is a class act!

    My current "Box of 20"

  • ashelandasheland Posts: 23,248 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Very cool! 👍

    My YouTube Channel

  • cheezhedcheezhed Posts: 5,852 ✭✭✭✭✭

    What a wonderful story and experience. Thank you for sharing.

    Many happy BST transactions
  • pcgscacgoldpcgscacgold Posts: 2,910 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Thanks for taking the time to write up you experience at HJB. It’s nice to read about the dealers that are a positive for our hobby.

    Successful BST with BustDMs , Pnies20, lkeigwin, pursuitofliberty, Bullsitter, felinfoel, SPalladino (CBH's - 37 Die Marriage's)
    $5 Type Set https://www.pcgs.com/setregistry/u-s-coins/type-sets/half-eagle-type-set-circulation-strikes-1795-1929/album/344192
    CBH Set https://www.pcgs.com/setregistry/everyman-collections/everyman-half-dollars/everyman-capped-bust-half-dollars-1807-1839/album/345572

  • JimTylerJimTyler Posts: 3,442 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Been to the public area many times and always wondered what went on behind the scene. You don’t build up an arsenal like that overnight. Your write up gave me an amazing mental picture. Thank you.

  • bigmarty58bigmarty58 Posts: 2,002 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Great story, thanks for posting.

    Enthusiastic collector of British pre-decimal and Canadian decimal circulation coins.
  • jedmjedm Posts: 3,040 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Very cool read. I used to enjoy his ads in Coin World.

  • Becky7474Becky7474 Posts: 103 ✭✭✭

    Thanks!

  • atomatom Posts: 438 ✭✭✭✭

    Thank you for great writeup!

    Aaron has a wonderful podcast on youtube, "Ancient Coin Podcast". Any level collector can benefit from his hour long shmooze: state of the market, some interesting coins up for auction (both inexpensive & pricier), then an educational segment, and it's really enjoyable.

  • 1984worldcoins1984worldcoins Posts: 620 ✭✭✭✭✭

    You have a talent to tell a story! You must make a book about it, with lots of pictures and coin photos!

    Coinsof1984@martinb6830 on twitter

  • BSmithBSmith Posts: 155 ✭✭✭

    Very nice, I remember when you got the first two coins. I bought my William ll coin from them,
    very happy with it.

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