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Most intelligent coin professionals?

I have met a lot of successful dealers over the past few years. Some have struck me as being way smart. Who do you think are the most intelligent coin people in the business? People who probably could have become rocket scientists if they chose? So base your answer on suspected IQ and not necessarily on accomplishment.

Jay

Comments



  • << <i>Some have struck me as being way smart. >>



    What does this mean?
  • jayboxxjayboxx Posts: 1,613 ✭✭
    Some have struck me as being way smart.

    Way! Totally.
  • MrHalfDimeMrHalfDime Posts: 3,440 ✭✭✭✭
    Somehow the name Dick Osburn comes to mind. Oh, and by the way, he was a rocket scientist before he became a dealer. Really.
    They that can give up essential Liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither Liberty nor safety. Benjamin Franklin
  • gonzergonzer Posts: 3,053 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Fred Weinberg, John Devine, Mike Byers
  • BarndogBarndog Posts: 20,515 ✭✭✭✭✭


    << <i>Somehow the name Dick Osburn comes to mind. Oh, and by the way, he was a rocket scientist before he became a dealer. Really. >>



    First name I thought of too. This comes from Dick's web site (www.dickosburn.com):

    In June of 2003 I retired from my job with the space program to devote full time to my numismatic activities
  • airplanenutairplanenut Posts: 22,390 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Some choose to become rocket scientists instead of coin dealers...
    JK Coin Photography - eBay Consignments | High Quality Photos | LOW Prices | 20% of Consignment Proceeds Go to Pancreatic Cancer Research
  • Don`t forget the late David Lawerance. He was an Oceanographer.
  • MikeInFLMikeInFL Posts: 10,188 ✭✭✭✭
    Bob Grellman struck me as a very intelligent coin professional, as does Mark Feld. Admittedly, I have not spent enough time with enough dealers to comment on many...Mike
    Collector of Large Cents, US Type, and modern pocket change.


  • << <i>So base your answer on suspected IQ and not necessarily on accomplishment. >>



    On that basis, the hands down winner has got to be James Taylor. That is, if flaminio's hypothesis is correct.
    Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?

    Apropos of the coin posse/aka caca: "The longer he spoke of his honor, the tighter I held to my purse."

    image
  • bidaskbidask Posts: 14,029 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Anybody who can run a successful business from there home ( pay the bills, kids college tuition, take a vacation or two ).
    I manage money. I earn money. I save money .
    I give away money. I collect money.
    I don’t love money . I do love the Lord God.




  • Marty's poled chicken! Now that takes brains.
  • zap1111zap1111 Posts: 1,298 ✭✭
    Frank Van Valen and David Lange blew me away at the ANA Summer Seminar during our Collecting US Type Coins course.
    zap1111
    102 capped bust half dollars - 100 die marriages
    BHNC #198
  • roadrunnerroadrunner Posts: 28,313 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Halperin started off in Harvard and then went on to form one of the leading rare coin companies within a few short years (NERCG). He is credited with being the first (or one of the first?) to install a main frame computer into the business model. Being a futurist, author, leading cracker and grader tells me he could have been very successfull in any field (sciences, literature, medical, etc.) he chose.
    Rather than butt heads with Steve Ivy for another decade they teamed up. His former company went to hell in a hand basket withing a few years after he left. I'd give him credit for training the largest and most successful group of coin professionals in the business, probably about a dozen or more. Most are still active in one way or another. Tom Noe might be his first to go dark side.
    Another one of his protege's, Mark Emory, is a pretty well educated Renaissance man as well.

    Jim Halperin's proteges: Lee Bellisario, Russ Vaughn, Chris Tracey, Jay Miller, James DeGeorgia, Tom Noe, Mark Emory, John Dannreuther, Warren Mills, Charlie Browne (thanks Mark for the last 3)....and my memory is failing me, please help....there are a number more. When you spin off that many successfull dealers, you have to be darn smart.



    roadrunner
    Barbarous Relic No More, LSCC -GoldSeek--shadow stats--SafeHaven--321gold
  • michaelmichael Posts: 9,524 ✭✭✭
    not necessarily in any particular order and i am sure there are more but only
    these i know from experience, i am sure i forgot some too!

    mark feld!!!!!!!!!!
    dave mccarthy!!!!!!!!!1 of kagins
    our own pistereen!!!!!!!! on here that works for anrcoins.com
    todd imhof!!!!!!!
    dave wnuck!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! over at earlycoins.com also his partner john
    scott schechter!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! who now works for ngccoin.com this guy has the eye!!!!!!!
    katy at pinnacle
    andy lustig from smythe
    harry laibstain
    tony terranova
    bob grellman
    that eac large cent guy that looks like a cartusian monk
    david lange
    Frank Van Valen
    jeremy airplanenut






  • MadMartyMadMarty Posts: 16,697 ✭✭✭
    Russ!
    It is not exactly cheating, I prefer to consider it creative problem solving!!!

  • HigashiyamaHigashiyama Posts: 2,279 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Michael -- regarding Scott Schechter -- another Harvard guy!
    Higashiyama
  • lordmarcovanlordmarcovan Posts: 43,888 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Darksiders seem to be smarter. image

    No, seriously, the most intellectual dealers I've met were world coin dealers, particularly the ones who deal in ancient coins. Folks like Allen Berman come to mind.

    I suppose the nature of their specialty brings them a lot of crosscultural and historical knowledge you don't find as often among US coin dealers. Which isn't to say there aren't some highly intelligent professionals in US coin specialties. Some of those EAC folk strike me as particularly brainy. And the guys who sell numismatic literature. The ones who only sell books. Goes with the territory, I suppose.

    Explore collections of lordmarcovan on CollecOnline, management, safe-keeping, sharing and valuation solution for art piece and collectibles.
  • RollermanRollerman Posts: 1,897 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Q. David Bowers?
    "Ain't None of Them play like him (Bix Beiderbecke) Yet."
    Louis Armstrong
  • torrero, are you a bull fighter?


  • << <i>Russ! >>



    You gotta be kiddin'!

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