Being an expert is just a "claim". Anyone can claim that. Being respected by others for what you say, or what you observe about evaluation of coins or history is another thing.
There HAS to be research to even get close to a decent evaluation of grade, or for that matter, why certain dates and mints have strike problems.
That's where the history comes in. Every coin has a story......and that story affects the coin.
OH....expert...........I wouldn't call myself one. But I would not post anything here if I didn't have a clue to what I was saying. I like to contribute. Others can make up their own minds about what I say.
I keep hammering the fact that 'Knowledge is power". It is a good thing to live by in our Hobby.
Pete
"I tell them there's no problems.....only solutions" - John Lennon
An old engineering principle says 'You don't know what you don't know.'... Experts are always open to learning, and explore avenues to achieve more knowledge, simply because of that principle. One cannot learn anything if one believes they already know everything. Cheers, RickO
Niels Bohr — 'An expert is a person who has made all the mistakes that can be made in a very narrow field.'
The pardon is for tyrants. They like to declare pardons on holidays, such as the birthday of the dictator, or Christ, or the Revolution. Dictators should be encouraged to keep it up. And we should be encouraged to remember that the promiscuous dispensation of clemency is not a sign of political liberality. It is instead one of those valuable, identifying marks of tyranny.
Charles Krauthammer
With slabbed coins as quickly as one can have business cards printed, get CDN subscription, sign up for PCGS submittal, PCGS US Coin forum, get NN / CW subscription, buy a Red Book, get coin facts, and submit bourse application for table at a show. And most of all - have plenty of money for your opening inventory of 100 PCGS /CAC inventory of USGTC, Dollars, Walkers, and Commems (mix up to u). Get two Allstate display cases and lighting - gaps can be filled with currency or mod slabbed coins. Stacks of PCGS 69 - 70 AGE / AGB will draw them over or u could just put an expensive slabbed coin on top of stack of cheap slabs under $25 u got off the bay - makes your case look good!
Don't wanna buy back some guys coin "sorry we are phasing those out." Wanna get rid of a tire kicker: "Bonzo over there has some interesting browse buckets (of junk)." Some guy telling you your coin too expensive "Go find one." A little $&?! Know it all irritating you: "Maybe you should go write a book." Offered a coin that bids for $100 you want buy for $80: Lay 4 $20 bills on the table "This is my best offer considering current market conditions."
Define "expert" or "expert in numismatics"
I have encountered many over the past 27 years who believed they are an "expert"
Many considered Breen an expert
Those who believe they know everything, are usually closed minded and know very little
My good friend Alan said it best in that we contribute what we can with the resources, research, hard work
we en-devour, we add to the knowledge base so that future generations can build further upon the pillars
of those who came before them.
I greatly enjoy when I am proven wrong, 1. I learn something new, 2. I strive harder in the future to learn more
I look at someone like JD, who is more knowledgeable about U.S. proofs than anyone else, yet JD is very opened
minded, many times I have provided archive records to him, which showed him a new perspective, and showed
that he was incorrect, JD has done the same for me. We learn, and the accumulation helps us all evolve and
enjoy our coins more. The more we learn about them, the more we appreciate what they represent.
You can be an expert at pricing, grading, you can be an expert at selling, what does it mean to be an expert on
coins though? Does this include their history, who made them, how they were made, what they represent,
how they were sold, there are so many different subjects that are covered under the category of coins and
expertise.
I don't think you can put a time frame or number of hours to become an "expert" in anything. With that said, if your peers consider you an expert in a particular area, I think that is a good starting point. For example, Fred Weinberg is an expert in Errors, QDB is an expert in, well...several areas, Ryan Carroll would be considered an expert grader, Doug Winter is an expert in US Gold, and so on. All of the experts have areas where they more knowledgable than other areas. Importantly, all experts in the coin arena continue to learn every day. They all continue to strive to get better. Every collector should emulate this drive to get better in their area of interest. It really takes a lifetime of commitment to become an expert.
Some people have 20 years experience and are experts.
Others have 1 year experience 20 times and are idiots.
The answer is, it depends.
"My friends who see my collection sometimes ask what something costs. I tell them and they are in awe at my stupidity." (Baccaruda, 12/03).I find it hard to believe that he (Trump) rushed to some hotel to meet girls of loose morals, although ours are undoubtedly the best in the world. (Putin 1/17) Gone but not forgotten. IGWT, Speedy, Bear, BigE, HokieFore, John Burns, Russ, TahoeDale, Dahlonega, Astrorat, Stewart Blay, Oldhoopster, Broadstruck, Ricko, Big Moose, Cardinal.
This is my 9th year in the hobby and I don't consider myself anything approaching an expert. What I don't know outweighs what I do know by a percentage so large it's unquantifiable. Any time I can learn something new I am happy. That happens pretty much every time I go on the forum, or read a hobby publication.
Honestly, I doubt anyone will ever consider me an expert in this hobby, and I'm ok with that. This is a secondary hobby to me and as such I don't give it undivided attention very often, although I have been known to go on a tangent where it's all I think about for a time.
Even in basketball cards, where people have called me an expert, there's still more to learn and I take great joy in the discovery of new knowledge. There's always something new to learn and discover.
@BuffaloIronTail said:
Being an expert is just a "claim". Anyone can claim that. Being respected by others for what you say, or what you observe about evaluation of coins or history is another thing.
I agree with this statement
Problem is sometimes reader/person who is respecting does not know better
During the early 1990s, when I started to research the archive and found many letters which refuted Breen's
statements in his books, people did not care, they said it was in the book, and therefore must be true.......
I believe most people today are open minded compared to years past.
Some things we can state as absolute, such as
I can state in the state of MA, for my weight class and age group, I am the strongest person on the bench press
Some things are open to interpretation, such as those characteristics and qualities that make someone an expert.
On the basic definition of an expert being a person having a comprehensive and authoritative knowledge on a skill or a particular area, or having, involving, or displaying special skill or knowledge derived from training or experience, then I believe most of the people here have demonstrated their expertise and experience in their field or specialty
and therefore most here would qualify IMO as an expert.
I believe the hobby and collectors have evolved to know more about their coins, because of financial
interests to protect their investments, curiosity, and the desire to learn more, also the internet and forums such
as this has helped spark discussions and learning.
@Zoins said: "How many years in numismatics does it take to teach at ANA Summer Seminar?"
LOL, That all depends on what year of the ANA Summer Seminar you are talking about. Which course probably matters also. In the earlier years, it did not take a whole lot.
The "modern" instructors are much more experienced. I don't wish to give examples of either specific instructors or specific courses over the years. Just know that Summer Seminar is one of the best ways to get a numismatic education. It is not the only way by far.
@Coinstartled said:
...in a given category....maybe two or three?
I have heard that it takes 8 years of serious work to master a musical instrument.
Is that reasonable in coins?
Sorta like asking how long is a short piece of rope. Are you focusing on a few specific coins or trying to be able to grade em all? How much time are you spending reading any looking at as many coins as you can that you are interested in.
Frankly I don't think the hobby can be mastered as so many posts have occurred discussing a third try at the TPG got the grade they wanted. Point is I don't think the TPG entities have it all figured out as exampled by the re submission to the grading entity resulting in a grade change.
@oldgoldlover said: "Frankly I don't think the hobby can be mastered as so many posts have occurred discussing a third try at the TPG got the grade they wanted. Point is I don't think the TPG entities have it all figured out as exampled by the re submission to the grading entity resulting in a grade change."
Something to think about. Grading a coin is only one good attribute that an "expert" should have. Furthermore, that is also the one with the most subjectivity. I read of a trial where a group of expert witnesses' graded the same 1924 Saint from AU-55 to MS-65. Nevertheless, all the experts knew it was genuine and most of them could fill your ear about who designed it, its weight, fineness, historical significance, etc. All of them were professionals with decades of numismatic experience.
I always thought an expert was anybody with a briefcase more than 100 miles from home.
There are a few people in the world of coins that I'd consider true experts (most have been mentioned above), but I also think that a lot of noted "experts" are merely skilled at parroting books and sounding authoritative.
What is now proved was once only imagined. - William Blake
Comments
Being an expert is just a "claim". Anyone can claim that. Being respected by others for what you say, or what you observe about evaluation of coins or history is another thing.
There HAS to be research to even get close to a decent evaluation of grade, or for that matter, why certain dates and mints have strike problems.
That's where the history comes in. Every coin has a story......and that story affects the coin.
OH....expert...........I wouldn't call myself one. But I would not post anything here if I didn't have a clue to what I was saying. I like to contribute. Others can make up their own minds about what I say.
I keep hammering the fact that 'Knowledge is power". It is a good thing to live by in our Hobby.
Pete
An old engineering principle says 'You don't know what you don't know.'... Experts are always open to learning, and explore avenues to achieve more knowledge, simply because of that principle. One cannot learn anything if one believes they already know everything. Cheers, RickO
Niels Bohr — 'An expert is a person who has made all the mistakes that can be made in a very narrow field.'
The pardon is for tyrants. They like to declare pardons on holidays, such as the birthday of the dictator, or Christ, or the Revolution. Dictators should be encouraged to keep it up. And we should be encouraged to remember that the promiscuous dispensation of clemency is not a sign of political liberality. It is instead one of those valuable, identifying marks of tyranny.
Charles Krauthammer
With slabbed coins as quickly as one can have business cards printed, get CDN subscription, sign up for PCGS submittal, PCGS US Coin forum, get NN / CW subscription, buy a Red Book, get coin facts, and submit bourse application for table at a show. And most of all - have plenty of money for your opening inventory of 100 PCGS /CAC inventory of USGTC, Dollars, Walkers, and Commems (mix up to u). Get two Allstate display cases and lighting - gaps can be filled with currency or mod slabbed coins. Stacks of PCGS 69 - 70 AGE / AGB will draw them over or u could just put an expensive slabbed coin on top of stack of cheap slabs under $25 u got off the bay - makes your case look good!
Don't wanna buy back some guys coin "sorry we are phasing those out." Wanna get rid of a tire kicker: "Bonzo over there has some interesting browse buckets (of junk)." Some guy telling you your coin too expensive "Go find one." A little $&?! Know it all irritating you: "Maybe you should go write a book." Offered a coin that bids for $100 you want buy for $80: Lay 4 $20 bills on the table "This is my best offer considering current market conditions."
Define "expert" or "expert in numismatics"
I have encountered many over the past 27 years who believed they are an "expert"
Many considered Breen an expert
Those who believe they know everything, are usually closed minded and know very little
My good friend Alan said it best in that we contribute what we can with the resources, research, hard work
we en-devour, we add to the knowledge base so that future generations can build further upon the pillars
of those who came before them.
I greatly enjoy when I am proven wrong, 1. I learn something new, 2. I strive harder in the future to learn more
I look at someone like JD, who is more knowledgeable about U.S. proofs than anyone else, yet JD is very opened
minded, many times I have provided archive records to him, which showed him a new perspective, and showed
that he was incorrect, JD has done the same for me. We learn, and the accumulation helps us all evolve and
enjoy our coins more. The more we learn about them, the more we appreciate what they represent.
You can be an expert at pricing, grading, you can be an expert at selling, what does it mean to be an expert on
coins though? Does this include their history, who made them, how they were made, what they represent,
how they were sold, there are so many different subjects that are covered under the category of coins and
expertise.
Kevin
a lifetime
BHNC #203
Show me the coin. I'll give you a novice opinion. Rarely do the experts render one out here.
``https://ebay.us/m/KxolR5
I'll go back to the definition I heard as a youngster...to be an expert, you have to be 50 miles from home.
Great!!
I don't think you can put a time frame or number of hours to become an "expert" in anything. With that said, if your peers consider you an expert in a particular area, I think that is a good starting point. For example, Fred Weinberg is an expert in Errors, QDB is an expert in, well...several areas, Ryan Carroll would be considered an expert grader, Doug Winter is an expert in US Gold, and so on. All of the experts have areas where they more knowledgable than other areas. Importantly, all experts in the coin arena continue to learn every day. They all continue to strive to get better. Every collector should emulate this drive to get better in their area of interest. It really takes a lifetime of commitment to become an expert.
'Expert' in anything is vague and subjective. Like grading coins...............
I see it all the time at work.
Some people have 20 years experience and are experts.
Others have 1 year experience 20 times and are idiots.
The answer is, it depends.
All of them.
Collector, occasional seller
How many years in numismatics does it take to teach at ANA Summer Seminar
An expert..... To have a comprehensive and authoritative knowledge of this hobby depends on the person.
15.
This is my 9th year in the hobby and I don't consider myself anything approaching an expert. What I don't know outweighs what I do know by a percentage so large it's unquantifiable. Any time I can learn something new I am happy. That happens pretty much every time I go on the forum, or read a hobby publication.
Honestly, I doubt anyone will ever consider me an expert in this hobby, and I'm ok with that. This is a secondary hobby to me and as such I don't give it undivided attention very often, although I have been known to go on a tangent where it's all I think about for a time.
Even in basketball cards, where people have called me an expert, there's still more to learn and I take great joy in the discovery of new knowledge. There's always something new to learn and discover.
I agree with this statement
Problem is sometimes reader/person who is respecting does not know better
During the early 1990s, when I started to research the archive and found many letters which refuted Breen's
statements in his books, people did not care, they said it was in the book, and therefore must be true.......
I believe most people today are open minded compared to years past.
Some things we can state as absolute, such as
I can state in the state of MA, for my weight class and age group, I am the strongest person on the bench press
Some things are open to interpretation, such as those characteristics and qualities that make someone an expert.
On the basic definition of an expert being a person having a comprehensive and authoritative knowledge on a skill or a particular area, or having, involving, or displaying special skill or knowledge derived from training or experience, then I believe most of the people here have demonstrated their expertise and experience in their field or specialty
and therefore most here would qualify IMO as an expert.
I believe the hobby and collectors have evolved to know more about their coins, because of financial
interests to protect their investments, curiosity, and the desire to learn more, also the internet and forums such
as this has helped spark discussions and learning.
Kevin
@Zoins said: "How many years in numismatics does it take to teach at ANA Summer Seminar?"
LOL, That all depends on what year of the ANA Summer Seminar you are talking about. Which course probably matters also. In the earlier years, it did not take a whole lot.
The "modern" instructors are much more experienced. I don't wish to give examples of either specific instructors or specific courses over the years. Just know that Summer Seminar is one of the best ways to get a numismatic education. It is not the only way by far.
Sorta like asking how long is a short piece of rope. Are you focusing on a few specific coins or trying to be able to grade em all? How much time are you spending reading any looking at as many coins as you can that you are interested in.
Frankly I don't think the hobby can be mastered as so many posts have occurred discussing a third try at the TPG got the grade they wanted. Point is I don't think the TPG entities have it all figured out as exampled by the re submission to the grading entity resulting in a grade change.
@oldgoldlover said: "Frankly I don't think the hobby can be mastered as so many posts have occurred discussing a third try at the TPG got the grade they wanted. Point is I don't think the TPG entities have it all figured out as exampled by the re submission to the grading entity resulting in a grade change."
Something to think about. Grading a coin is only one good attribute that an "expert" should have. Furthermore, that is also the one with the most subjectivity. I read of a trial where a group of expert witnesses' graded the same 1924 Saint from AU-55 to MS-65. Nevertheless, all the experts knew it was genuine and most of them could fill your ear about who designed it, its weight, fineness, historical significance, etc. All of them were professionals with decades of numismatic experience.
I always thought an expert was anybody with a briefcase more than 100 miles from home.
There are a few people in the world of coins that I'd consider true experts (most have been mentioned above), but I also think that a lot of noted "experts" are merely skilled at parroting books and sounding authoritative.
What is now proved was once only imagined. - William Blake
For how many years was the voice of "World's Greatest Authority" Prof. Irwin Corey ignored?
Sometimes it's a very fine line between ineffable and effin' laughable.