![Greg Roberts](https://stage.stacksbowers.com/wp-content/themes/stacksbowers/uploads/our-experts/Roberts-Greg-Headshot.png)
Greg Roberts
CEO
California
Greg Roberts
Greg, who was born and raised in Pasadena, California, was introduced to the world of numismatics by his uncle, Gene Calvert. One year, when he was about 11 years old, his uncle gave him a coin album for Christmas. Two years later, Greg attended his first coin club meeting with his uncle. From these initial experiences Greg soon developed into a collector, but equally quickly to develop was his interest in the business and trading side of the rare coin market.
During his high school years, Greg learned that he was able to make extra money buying and selling coins. His transition from a hobbyist to a dealer came naturally, especially since weekend trips to local coin shows provided Greg with enough money that he did not need to have another job while going to school. He eventually ended up selling coins to his high school principal as well as his friends.
After graduating from high school, Greg began attending college while also working for Nick Buzolich, Sr. and Nick Buzolich, Jr. at Quality Coin Exchange, a father-son wholesale partnership. The year was 1980, and Greg credits them with giving him his first formal education in the coin industry.
Greg next moved on to a coin buyer position with a retail operation in Newport Beach, California. During his nine-year tenure with the firm he helped bring in more than $120 million worth of coins. He started his own coin business in 1990.
Today, as CEO of Stack's Bowers Galleries and Amark, Greg manages an international collectibles network with affiliates headquartered on three continents.
Greg is a member of the Professional Numismatists Guild (PNG), a life member of the American Numismatic Association (ANA), and a member of the Industry Council for Tangible Assets (ICTA). He is married, loves spending time with his children and is a big fan of the California Angels and Los Angeles Lakers.
![Brian Kendrella](https://stage.stacksbowers.com/wp-content/themes/stacksbowers/uploads/our-experts/Kendrella-Brian-Headshot.png)
Brian Kendrella
President
California
Brian Kendrella
Brian began his tenure as President of Stack’s Bowers Galleries in July 2013 after Spectrum Group International combined its numismatic operations — Stack’s Bowers Galleries, Teletrade, and Spectrum Numismatics — to create a single, unified brand, known as Stack’s Bowers Galleries.
Before being named President, Brian was Director of Operations of Spectrum Group International and was responsible for the company’s worldwide numismatic operations, as well as end-to-end management of Spectrum Group International’s auction houses specializing in rare and fine wines, collectible and antique arms and armor, and philatelics.
Prior to joining Spectrum Group International, Brian worked as an investment banker from 2004–2009 at Roth Capital Partners, a full-service investment bank dedicated to the growth of small- and micro-cap companies. While at Roth, Brian completed several mergers and acquisition assignments, as well as a number of equity and financings totaling over $1.6 billion of transaction value, primarily for consumer and Internet clients.
Brian earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration with a dual emphasis on Corporate Finance and Investment Markets from the University of Southern California.
![Andrew Glassman](https://stage.stacksbowers.com/wp-content/themes/stacksbowers/uploads/our-experts/Glassman-Andrew-Headshot.png)
Andrew Glassman
CFO
California
Andrew Glassman
Andrew Glassman graduated from California State University, Fullerton in 1989 with Bachelor of Arts degree in Accounting, and completed his Certified Public Accountant requirements in 2003. He joined Spectrum Numismatics in 1991 as Controller, took over as Chief Financial Officer in 2000, and as President in 2009. He also served as member of the Board of Directors for Spectrum Numismatics. He is currently an Executive Vice President of Stack’s Bowers Galleries.During Andrew’s time with Spectrum Numismatics, the firm grew into an internationally recognized, preeminent rare coin and currency dealer. Now as part of the Stack’s Bowers Galleries executive team, he strives daily to uphold and expand the company’s tradition of being the most active buyer and seller of rare coins, and considers himself extremely fortunate to work with one of the finest staffs in the entire rare coin industry.
Andrew is a member of the Professional Numismatic Guild (PNG) and the American Numismatic Association (ANA). He has been married 20 years and has two children. An avid baseball fan, Andrew coached little league for eight years.
![Q. David Bowers](https://stage.stacksbowers.com/wp-content/themes/stacksbowers/uploads/our-experts/DavidBowers.png)
Q. David Bowers
Stack's Bowers Galleries Founder
New Hampshire
Q. David Bowers
Q. David Bowers, is perhaps the best-known and most noteworthy numismatist of the last 50 years. Beginning in 1953, Dave's contributions to numismatics have continued uninterrupted and unabated to the present day. His work with rare coins is so voluminous and so extraordinary that he was named by COINage magazine in 1999 as one of the "Numismatists of the Century," one of only six living individuals to receive this honor. Dave's dedication to the hobby and his lifelong interest in rare coins, along with his pursuit of scholarly knowledge, have made him one of the most honored and revered numismatists of all time. Dave is the only person to have served as president of both the Professional Numismatists Guild (1977-1979) and the American Numismatic Association (1983-1985). He has received the highest honor from the Professional Numismatists Guild (PNG), the Founders Award; and from the ANA, he has received its two most distinguished awards — Numismatist of the Year and the Farran Zerbe Memorial Award, and is enshrined in the Hall of Fame. He lectures annually at Harvard University and has appeared on the "Today Show" as well as programs on CNN, CBS, ABC, NBC, Fox, The Discovery Channel, and The History Channel.
Dave is the most prolific numismatic author of our generation, having produced 50 works, hundreds of auction and other catalogs, and several thousand articles, mostly written in the field of rare coins. In 2000-2003 he was central in the marketing of the gold coins and ingots from the vast treasure of the S.S. Central America and wrote the definitive book on the subject, A California Gold Rush History Featuring Treasure from the S.S. Central America. He also serves as numismatic director of Whitman Publishing LLC, where he has produced many other books including more than a half dozen in the very popular Bowers Series. More of Dave’s books have won “Book of the Year” honors from the Numismatic Literary Guild than any other author. From the PNG, he has received the coveted Friedberg Award a record seven times! During his illustrious career, he has cataloged and sold at public auction many of the finest and most valuable and important collections ever assembled, with The D. Brent Pogue Collection, The Louis E. Eliasberg Collection, Ambassador and Mrs. R. Henry Norweb Collection, The Garrett Collection (for The Johns Hopkins University), The Harry W. Bass, Jr., Collection, and The Walter W. Childs Collection, being but a short list.
Dave is a trustee of the New Hampshire Historical Society and a fellow of the American Antiquarian Society, the American Numismatic Society, and the Massachusetts Historical Society. He has been a consultant for the Smithsonian Institution, the Treasury Department, and the U.S. Mint. For many years he was a guest lecturer at Harvard University. In Wolfeboro, NH, he is on the Board of Selectmen and is the town historian.
![Harvey G. Stack](https://stage.stacksbowers.com/wp-content/themes/stacksbowers/uploads/our-experts/HarveyStack.png)
Harvey G. Stack
Stack's Bowers Galleries Founder, in Memoriam
New York
Harvey G. Stack
![Harvey G. Stack](https://stage.stacksbowers.com/wp-content/themes/stacksbowers/uploads/our-experts/HarveyStack.png)
It is with great sadness we announce the passing of our friend and founder, Harvey G. Stack on January 3, 2022. His leadership over the years spearheaded our operations and his kindness and mentorship to staff, collectors, dealers, numismatic organizations and colleagues will never be forgotten.
Harvey was born in Manhattan on June 3, 1928, the son of Morton M. Stack and Muriel Stack. He grew up in Bronx and Jamaica, New York and attended NYU. His life revolved around his family and around numismatics, as generations of the Stack family built upon the rare coin business founded in 1933 by Harvey's father, Morton, and his uncle Joseph at 690 Sixth Avenue in Manhattan. Presenting their first public auction in 1935, Stack's quickly progressed to larger premises and a growing reputation. Although as a youngster Harvey worked after school and during vacations at the firm's Manhattan coin store, it wasn't until 1947 that he went to work full time for Stack's Rare Coins, a career that would last more than 70 years. As one of the second generation of family members to join the firm, Harvey worked alongside his father, uncle, and cousins Norman and Benjamin, supported by a staff of experts that comprised many of the most well-known professional numismatists of the 20th century.
In 1953 Stack's moved to a gallery at 123 West 57th Street, a location that would be home to the firm for more than 60 years and become a popular destination, known as the "clubhouse" for collectors from all over the world. As a family member, Harvey's responsibilities were wide ranging, assisting clients in the store, traveling to pick up collections and attend conventions and coin shows, cataloging auction lots, auctioneering, and any other work that needed to be done. He became an expert in many areas of numismatics and was able to translate his warm and jovial personality into long-term relationships with the collectors and dealers he worked with over his career.
The decades following World War II were times of great growth for Stack's. Besides opening a new and improved location, they were tapped to present at auction many important collections including Anderson-Dupont, Davis-Graves, Charles A. Cass ("Empire"), R.L. Miles, Massachusetts Historical Society, Samuel Wolfson, and George Walton, as well as conducting public auctions in conjunction with major numismatic shows including the American Numismatic Association and the Metropolitan New York conventions. In the 1970s, Harvey's son Larry and daughter Susan joined the firm, bringing in a third generation.
Harvey and the Stack family were instrumental in building some of the greatest collections of their time, including the cabinet of gold coins assembled by Josiah K. Lilly, chairman of the Eli Lilly & Co. pharmaceutical company. After Lilly's death in 1966, his collection of over 6,000 coins became part of the National Numismatic Collection at the Smithsonian, a process aided by Harvey and other members of the Stack family. Over the decades, Harvey and the Stack family also built a relationship with Louis E. Eliasberg, Sr., who accumulated the only complete collection of United States coins ever formed. In 1976, when the nation was celebrating its Bicentennial, Harvey and the firm helped facilitate the display of Eliasberg's incomparable collection at the United States Mint in Philadelphia.
Harvey Stack's role in numismatics was not purely business. He fought for clearer import regulations on coins from overseas and testified before a congressional subcommittee leading up to the Hobby Protection Act of 1973. He worked with the American Numismatic Association and other professionals in the effort to develop a standardized grading system for coins. In 1996 he appeared before the U.S. House Banking Committee to propose the 50 State Quarters Program, which brought countless new collectors into the hobby. Harvey Stack served on the board of the Professional Numismatists Guild for nearly a decade and acted as its president for two years beginning in 1989. In 1993 he received the PNG's Founder's Award, their highest honor, for his dedication to the hobby. Over the years, Harvey was a great supporter of the American Numismatic Association, the American Numismatic Society, and the Smithsonian Institution. He was a long-term member of the International Association of Professional Numismatists, as well as numerous other numismatic societies.
As the 20th century turned to the 21st, Harvey Stack and Stack's were still going strong, as Larry and Harvey brought to auction the incredible John J. Ford, Jr. Collection, and many other famous name cabinets. In addition, they partnered with Sotheby's in the record-breaking sale of the first 1933 Saint-Gaudens double eagle to cross the auction block. In 2011, Stack's merged with Bowers and Merena to create Stack's Bowers Galleries, one of the top numismatic auction firms in the country and a company that continues the Stack family's legacy of presenting important numismatic cabinets and realizing record-breaking prices. Harvey remained involved in the new business until the very end, telling the company's history, mentoring staff members, and maintaining his relationships within the hobby. Most recently he and Larry worked with the estate of long-time friends and clients Mark and Lottie Salton to bring their outstanding collection of world and ancient coins to market. It is unfortunate that Harvey will not be there to see the fruits of his labor as this remarkable cabinet crosses the auction block in 2022 and 2023.
Harvey was predeceased by his parents, his uncle Joseph, his cousins Norman and Ben. He is survived by his wife, Harriet, children Larry (Loretta) and Susan (Larry), grandchildren Rebecca (Jimmy) and Matthew (Tanya), and five great-grandchildren: Bryce, Avery, Dylan, Brielle and James.
Services will be private. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, the American Numismatic Society or a charity of choice. The family can be contacted at Harveygs6328@gmail.com.
![Lawrence R. Stack](https://stage.stacksbowers.com/wp-content/themes/stacksbowers/uploads/our-experts/Stack-Larry-Headshot.png)
Lawrence R. Stack
Stack's Bowers Galleries Founder
New York
Lawrence R. Stack
Lawrence R. Stack, son of Harvey Stack, joined the family firm in 1974, having learned much of the business from his own study, dealing, and family experience. He is personally responsible for the development of many important and noteworthy collections and brought several significant collections to Stack’s, including The John J. Ford, Jr. Collection, The “Dallas Bank” Collection, as well as the world-record sale of the highest price ever realized at auction for a rare coin — the legendary 1933 St. Gaudens Double Eagle (Gold $20) that realized an astonishing $7.59 million (the two latter sales in partnership with Sotheby’s). An experienced collector, Lawrence has formed major collections of French Ecus, Five-Franc pieces, and Ecus d’Or, and his in-depth collection of Celtic and Anglo-Saxon coins ranks high among the finest ever assembled. His Renaissance medals collection is now one of the standard reference works for the field. He is a member of the American Numismatic Association (ANA) and numerous national and international numismatic associations.
![Julie Abrams](https://stage.stacksbowers.com/wp-content/themes/stacksbowers/uploads/our-experts/1656605010Abrams-Julie-Actionshot.png)
Julie Abrams
Consignment Director & Dealer Liaison
New York
Julie Abrams
Julie Abrams started in numismatics fresh out of college in 1986, when she teamed up with Bernard Rome to launch Teletrade, the first computerized auction company. Well before the advent of internet coin auctions, Teletrade developed a unique auction platform utilizing state-of-the-art digitized voice board technology to run live auctions with remote bidding. As President of Teletrade, Julie helped the company expand in size, increase the frequency of auctions, and grow annual sales to $24 million within a few years.
In 1999, GMAI, a publicly traded company, purchased Teletrade. Julie remained as CEO of Teletrade and served as Executive Vice President of Sales for the parent company.
In 2004, Julie joined Stack’s Rare Coins in New York City. During her tenure with Stack’s, she fostered strategic partnerships and obtained major consignments for the firm’s auctions. In addition, she worked closely with national and international dealers, executed bids for private clients, and was instrumental in expanding the company’s e-commerce presence.
In 2012, Julie worked with Legend Numismatics to create a new auction company, Legend Rare Coin Auctions, a boutique firm focused exclusively on the niche of superb quality United States coins.
Julie is a member of the American Numismatic Association, the Central States Numismatic Association, and Florida United Numismatists. She graduated from the University of Vermont in Burlington with a Bachelor of Arts in Economics.
Julie travels nationwide to attend major coin shows, where she meets with collectors and dealers to discuss consigning their collections and inventory. She enjoys cooking for her teenage son, who fortunately shares her adventurous palate. Julie is also an avid tennis player, always on the lookout for her next match.
![Jeff Ambio](https://stage.stacksbowers.com/wp-content/themes/stacksbowers/uploads/our-experts/Ambio-Jeff-Headshot.png)
Jeff Ambio
Vice President of Numismatics
California
Jeff Ambio
Jeff holds a Masters of Business Administration from Pepperdine University and a Bachelor of Arts in History from Cornell University. Upon his graduation from Cornell in 1998, Jeff chose to pursue a life-long love of coins. Since then, his passion for coin collecting has blossomed into a successful and rewarding career.
Jeff launched his professional numismatic career in 1999 when he went to work for Heritage Numismatic Auctions (now Heritage Auction Galleries) in Dallas, Texas. There he served as both a Cataloger and the Catalog Production Manager for the firm’s U.S. coin catalogs, handling thousands of rare and important United States coins. He also designed and wrote many of the marketing pieces produced by the firm during his tenure. After a short stint as a Cataloger with Superior Galleries of Beverly Hills, Jeff moved to California in 2004 to accept the position of Director of Numismatics with Bowers and Merena Auctions of Irvine. He later served as Vice President of Numismatics at Rare Coin Wholesalers of Dana Point, California.
In addition to extensive numismatic cataloging and marketing experience, Jeff is a widely read numismatic writer credited with groundbreaking work in the field. His first book, Collecting & Investing Strategies for United States Gold Coins, was published early in 2008. Delving deeper into the U.S. gold series, Jeff then completely updated and revised David W. Akers' classic work A Handbook of 20th-Century United States Gold Coins: 1907-1933. Additional books authored include Collecting & Investing Strategies for Walking Liberty Half Dollars — the first book published on this important and popular series in 15 years — Collecting & Investing Strategies for Barber Dimes, What to do with Granddaddy's Coins: A Beginner's Guide to Identifying, Valuing and Selling Old Coins and a forthcoming title Collecting & Investing Strategies for Peace Dollars. Jeff also served as sole editor of the book World's Greatest Mint Errors by Mike Byers.
Jeff has also authored numerous articles. A market analysis entitled, “Profit from the Central America Treasure? — Previous Coin Hoards Suggest a Surprising Opportunity” appeared in the February 2001 edition of Rare Coin Investment Trends. Turning his attention to proof Liberty Seated Dollars, Jeff authored “Proof 1840 Seated Dollar Restrikes” for Volume 28, Issue No. 83 of The Gobrecht Journal. This article was reprinted in the May 7, 2002 edition of Numismatic News under the title “Restrike Proof 1840 Seated Dollars Possible.” Two follow-up articles on proof Liberty Seated Dollars, “Reverse Die Dates 1854 Dollar Restrike to 1859” and “Restrike Proof 1856 Seated Dollar Confirmed,” appeared in the June 4, and July 30, 2002 editions of Numismatic News. Works published in Coin World include "The Last Double Eagle” (co-authored), which appeared in the June 3, 2002 edition. Two additional articles, “Unique Indian Eagle May Have Been First” (November 11, 2002) and “Republic Shipwreck Yields RPM $20” (February 7, 2005) garnered front-page exposure.
From 2009–2011, Jeff served as a Market Analyst for Coin Values magazine. During that time he authored two articles that received front cover exposure in the publication: “Truth Time for Barber Dimes" featured in the March 2010 edition; and "Learning to Walk" (about Walking Liberty Half Dollars) appeared in the June 2010 edition.
Jeff received an Extraordinary Merit Award from the Numismatic Literary Guild (NLG) in August 2002 for his article titled “Proof 1840 Seated Dollar Restrikes” that appeared in The Gobrecht Journal. A second Extraordinary Merit Award from the NLG followed in August 2010 for his book Collecting & Investing Strategies for Barber Dimes.
Early in his career, Jeff's achievements as a numismatist were honored with a scholarship to attend the American Numismatic Association (ANA) Summer Seminar. In 2007, he came full circle, this time returning to the ANA Summer Seminar as an instructor and originator of the course "Attributing United States Coins." Jeff is a member and supporter of the ANA and the NLG, and he has been a contributor to the well-known book A Guide Book of United States Coins (The Official "Red Book" of U.S. coins) by R.S. Yeoman since 2008.
In 2007, Jeff founded Ambio Rare Coins, Inc. and also graduated from the Texas Auction Academy. Through his business, Jeff worked as a technical and marketing consultant for rare coin auction houses, dealerships and brokerage firms across the United States, including Bowers and Merena Auctions (now Stack's Bowers Galleries) in Irvine, California.
In 2011, Jeff returned to Stack's Bowers Galleries to accept the position of Vice President of Numismatics and Auction Production. In this capacity he continues to serve as one of the firm's senior numismatists for United States coins and exonumia, trains and supervises the Stack’s Bowers Galleries numismatic cataloging staff, and manages the overall catalog production process for the firm’s U.S. coin and exonumia sales.
![Bobby Avena](https://stage.stacksbowers.com/wp-content/themes/stacksbowers/uploads/our-experts/Avena-Bobby-Headshot.png)
Bobby Avena
Head Numismatic Trader
Pennsylvania
Bobby Avena
Bobby was born in Vineland, New Jersey, and was brought into the world of coins by his father, Daniel. He quickly became involved with the hobby and, with his father, started his own company at the age of 15. He began traveling to all major coin shows and was able to develop a reputation as one of the greatest coin graders in the country. In 2000, Bobby joined Spectrum Group International. Presently, Bobby attends over 30 coin shows a year along with every major auction.
Bobby has been a PNG member for over 25 years and is a life member of the American Numismatic Association (ANA), the Silver Dollar Round Table, and the Florida United Numismatics (FUN).
Bobby currently lives in New Jersey with his wife of over 20 years, Cammy, and his two daughters, Madeleine and Chloe. He enjoys spending his free time fishing and hunting.
![Wayne Berkley](https://stage.stacksbowers.com/wp-content/themes/stacksbowers/uploads/our-experts/Berkley-Wayne-Actionshot.png)
Wayne Berkley
Vice President of Client Services
California
Wayne Berkley
Wayne Berkley started his numismatic career in 2012 with Teletrade.com where he worked with thousands of coin collectors and dealers to buy and sell their coins via the industry’s first online platform. In 2014, when Teletrade merged with Stack’s Bowers Galleries, Wayne was brought in to quickly grow the company’s Internet only auctions into what is now the Stack’s Bowers Galleries Collectors Choice Online Auction. In 2015, Wayne was promoted to Director of Client Services. In this position he works closely with bidders and consignors to build the Stack’s Bowers auction program. Wayne is a licensed auctioneer in multiple states, and has hammered tens of millions of dollars in coins and currency for the firm’s events since 2015.
Prior to joining Stack’s Bowers Galleries, Wayne was a banker and eventually manager with Wells Fargo Bank in Tampa, Florida. During his banking career, Wayne worked closely with investment and private banking clients to help them achieve their financial goals. While at Wells Fargo Bank, Wayne was recognized as the top banker in his region for both Customer Service and Sales for 2008-2009.
Wayne holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Applied Economics and Business from The Florida State University. He is a member of the American Numismatic Association, Professional Numismatics Guild (PNG), and Florida United Numismatists.
![Henrik Berndt](https://stage.stacksbowers.com/wp-content/themes/stacksbowers/uploads/our-experts/1721397236berndt-henrik-headshot.png)
Henrik Berndt
Senior Numismatist
Denmark
Henrik Berndt
Henrik Berndt offers more than 15 years of diverse experience acquired in the numismatic departments of prominent auction houses such as Bruun Rasmussen and Spink, London. Most recently, Berndt has single-handedly built a strong and highly respected numismatic auction business at Danish auction house VF Auktion. A true collector in many areas, Berndt loves the coin business as well as the intelligent and dedicated collectors and colleagues one finds in the world of collectibles.
![Peter Bjørnstrup](https://stage.stacksbowers.com/wp-content/themes/stacksbowers/uploads/our-experts/1721397483bjornstrup-peter-headshot.png)
Peter Bjørnstrup
Senior Numismatist
Denmark
Peter Bjørnstrup
Peter Bjørnstrup serves as a consultant and brings 25 years of experience as a senior auction cataloger, private dealer and numismatic author and publisher. Bjørnstrup spent several years leading the coin department at Thomas Høiland Auktioner before purchasing his own coin and stamp shop in Roskilde, Denmark, which he operated for more than 15 years. Bjørnstrup was bitten by the collecting bug when he received his first cigar box of coins from a family friend in 1967. As an adult he decided to make numismatics his career and has loved every minute of it.
![Jeremy Bostwick](https://stage.stacksbowers.com/wp-content/themes/stacksbowers/uploads/our-experts/Bostwick-Jeremy-Headshot.png)
Jeremy Bostwick
Senior Numismatist and Cataloger
California
Jeremy Bostwick
Always interested in coinage and history, Jeremy inherited the coin collecting gene from his maternal grandfather. He began in the hobby as many often do—seeking out U.S. type coins and reading the Red Book from cover to cover. While in college, he began working part-time in the brick-and-mortar coin shop that he had visited throughout his youth. There, he gained valuable experience from the “other side of the counter,” interacting with the public by selling to and buying from customers, as well as sorting and cataloging purchases and setting up at local and regional coin shows.
He continued his experience in the trade by spending the past 12 years working at numerous prestigious auction houses and firms, chiefly in charge of cataloging and presenting ancient and world coins from all areas, as well as researching exonumia (such as medals and tokens), communicating with customers regarding the evaluation and placement of their consignments, and serving as a representative on bourse floors and at auctions.
He now brings this wealth of knowledge Stack’s Bowers Galleries, where he is a main contributor to the cataloging and presentation of ancient coins, world coins, and medals. He also conducts research for our popular “Coin of the Week” blog posts. He considers medals to be an unexplored treasure, representing a true “final frontier” of the hobby, and he enjoys shedding light upon this highly interesting niche aspect of numismatics.
![Andrew Bowers](https://stage.stacksbowers.com/wp-content/themes/stacksbowers/uploads/our-experts/Bowers-Andrew-Actionshot.png)
Andrew Bowers
East Coast Sales Manager
New York
Andrew Bowers
Andrew Bowers, son of Dave and Christie Bowers, earned a degree in Business Administration from the University of New Hampshire in 2003. By that time he had been involved with rare coins all his life—including traveling to national and regional conventions, assisting with auctions, and meeting collectors, dealers, and consignors. He was present and often helped when Bowers and Merena Galleries sold the Norweb, Bass, Eliasberg, and many other great collections.
After graduating from UNH he entered the business full time, working at the Wolfeboro office of what became Stack’s Bowers Galleries. Through the years he has taken a personal interest in federal coins, medals, and United States currency. In 2008 he moved to New York City to work with Harvey and Larry Stack and other professional numismatists. Over the years of working at the counter in our Manhattan store, he has worked with thousands of people from all walks of life and all degrees of collecting interests, helping them with their individual needs. Today you can communicate with him or visit at the firm’s gallery at 123 West 57th Street, where he buys and sells coins and paper money, accepts auction consignments, and greets visitors.
![Chris Bulfinch](https://stage.stacksbowers.com/wp-content/themes/stacksbowers/uploads/our-experts/1666971515Bulfinch-Chris-Actionshot.png)
Chris Bulfinch
Numismatist
Massachusetts
Chris Bulfinch
Chris’ lifelong fascination with coins began with his grandfathers’ collections.
Assembled during and after Naval service in World War II, these captured his young imagination, and he spent many nights with his brother combing through silver British half crowns, Mexican pesos, and Philippine 10 centavos. They wondered aloud who might have handled these common coins.
While attending the Pingree School in South Hamilton, MA, he wrote his college essay on coin collecting, and graduated cum laude with honors from Trinity College in 2018, earning his BA in History. After college, he took an Associate Editor’s position at Coin World magazine, launching a career in numismatic media. He co-created and co-hosted the Coin World Podcast. His work has appeared in Coin World, CoinWeek, The Numismatist, and PCGS Rare Coin Market Report. He has also contributed to the fourth edition of Whitman Publishing’s American Silver Eagles: A Guide to the U.S. Bullion Coin Series and to the eighth edition of Mega Red. He was won multiple Numismatic Literary Guild Awards for his writing and podcasting.
His writing continues to appear in many of these publications and he writes Stack’s Bowers’ “U.S. Coin” and “Did You Know?” blogs.
He is a member of the ANA, ANS, New England Numismatic Society, Boston Numismatic Society, Stoneham Coin Club, the Society of Bearded Numismatists, and a life member of the Numismatic Bibliomania Society, Civil War Token Society, and Society of Paper Money Collectors.
He is also a member of the Massachusetts Historical Society.
His collecting interest include Philippine coinage struck under U.S. Administration, Civil War Tokens, Boston-, Massachusetts, and World’s Fair-related exonumia. Notable counterstamps and Hard Times Tokens are also of interest.
Outside of numismatics, Chris collects vinyl records and gems and minerals. He loves running, skiing, sailing and boating, and biking. Sampling craft beer and small-batch bourbons rounds out his weekends nicely.
![Jason Carter](https://stage.stacksbowers.com/wp-content/themes/stacksbowers/uploads/our-experts/Carter-Jason-Headshot.png)
Jason Carter
Executive Vice President
Oklahoma
Jason Carter
Jason Carter founded Carter Numismatics in 1996 and has since shaped the company into one of the most well-respected rare coin firms in the United States. With a wide knowledge of all U.S. coinage – from colonial through 20th century – Carter specializes in patterns, territorials, high-end type, bust, seated and Barber rarities. He is also well versed in all types of U.S. gold coins.
Widely recognized as one of the top coin graders in the country, Carter was the youngest member ever admitted to the Professional Numismatists Guild, a nonprofit group of the world’s top rare coin and paper money experts. He is an American Numismatic Association life member, a supporter of the Industry Council for Tangible Assets and a member of the Oklahoma Numismatic Association. Carter started his career at Heritage Auctions in 1993 prior to forming CNI.
![Kelvin Cheung](https://stage.stacksbowers.com/wp-content/themes/stacksbowers/uploads/our-experts/1677092467Chung-Kelvin-Stacks-Bowers-Galleries.png)
Kelvin Cheung
Director and Senior Numismatist
China
Kelvin Cheung
Kelvin Cheung, Director and Senior Numismatist in our Hong Kong office, is one of the hobby’s foremost experts in world paper money and Asian coins. Cheung’s expertise is well known in the numismatic community world-wide, having spent nearly the past decade at Spink, most recently as its Global Head of Banknotes and Bonds. He is highly respected among his peers and collectors.
Cheung first became interested in coins and banknotes as a child in the early 1990s, when his parents gave him foreign coins and currency that came into their fish and chip shop in the United Kingdom. His interest grew throughout his teenage years and while he pursued his education in London, dabbling in part time dealing along the way. In 2006 he started cataloging part time for Spink’s Hong Kong auctions, becoming a full time employee in 2013, a position he held through 2022. During his time at Spink, Cheung was a key contributor to the firm’s significant growth in Asia. Cheung is a member of the International Bank Note Society and the International Bond and Share Society, among other industry affiliations.
![Henrik Holt Christensen](https://stage.stacksbowers.com/wp-content/themes/stacksbowers/uploads/our-experts/Christensen-Henrik-Headshot.png)
Henrik Holt Christensen
Senior Consignment Director of Europe
Germany, Nebraska
Henrik Holt Christensen
Henrik Holt Christensen is Danish and specializes in North Atlantic banknotes and coins. When he was 12 years old his grandmother started sharing her collection with him. Henrik's collecting interests expanded greatly as he traveled beyond Denmark while working as an engineer, experiences that fostered his passion for World Currency. His specialties include Greenland, Faeroes Island, Iceland and all the Scandinavian countries from early vintage "Viking Kings" to modern coins and currency. Henrik has focused on these countries since his early days of collecting.
Christensen's professional background is in manufacturing engineering, where he has a Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering and a Master's in Business Finance/Manufacturing Investments. He worked to address challenges within the automotive manufacturing, oil and gas, hydraulic systems, mining, medical device, and electronics industries. Henrik possess global experience, working in Denmark, Scandinavia, Germany, Poland, England, and South Africa, and he is fluent in five languages, including Danish, Swedish, Norwegian, German and English.
Pursuing his dream of working in the numismatic hobby, in 1998 Christensen started his own company and began traveling in Europe to collector shows, buying and selling world paper money. In 2014, he moved to the United States with his wife and family, and participated in American coin and currency shows. Today Henrik lives with his wife and two children on a farm in Nebraska.
![Stanley Chu](https://stage.stacksbowers.com/wp-content/themes/stacksbowers/uploads/our-experts/1666972179chu-stanley-Actionshot.png)
Stanley Chu
Boston Store Manager
Massachusetts
Stanley Chu
Stanley was born and raised in Boston, Massachusetts. His interest in coin and paper money collecting started in his youth. After completing his homework and studies, one of his duties in helping at his family bakery in Chinatown was to count and sort coins and currency and prepare them for the bank deposit the next day. He was taught to sort out all the non-U.S. coinage, U.S. silver coinage, and U.S. type coins such Wheat cents, Buffalo nickels, silver certificates, etc. from the general circulating types. Best of all, he got to keep the findings as his reward for identifying them. As his interest in coin and currency collecting grew, his mother brought him to coin shows where he started to collect coins and currency that reflects his heritage, focusing on Chinese and British Hong Kong coins and currency including the British Trade dollar series. After graduating with honors from Suffolk University in Boston with a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration in Accounting, he worked in the accounting field for three years before he started his professional numismatic career. For the next decade, he worked as a numismatist at Colonial Trading Company in Boston prior to joining the Stacks Bowers’ team.
Stanley is a life member at the American Numismatic Association, New England Numismatic Association, Nashua Coin Club, and the Florida United Numismatist. Since 2016, he has been a volunteer district representative for the ANA representing the states of Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine. While serving as a district representative, in 2019 he also started serving on the membership committee of the ANA. With his dedication and efforts in promoting and educating others in numismatics, he was awarded with the ANA Presidential Award in 2020. In 2021, the Board of Governors of ANA named him National Program Coordinator leading the district representative and International Ambassador program and was also appointed chairman of the membership committee of the ANA by President Ralph Ross.
In his spare time other than coin and currency collecting, he enjoys playing board games, fishing, cooking, traveling, and visiting museums.
![Greg Cohen](https://stage.stacksbowers.com/wp-content/themes/stacksbowers/uploads/our-experts/1690247864greg-cohen-headshot.png)
Greg Cohen
Senior Numismatist
New York
Greg Cohen
Greg Cohen has been involved in numismatics since childhood when he was given a handful of coins his grandfather had saved from the family hardware store cash register. After graduating from Quinnipiac University in 2006 with a BA in History and dual minors in Economics and Political Science, Greg took a position at R.M. Smythe & Co. In April 2008, Greg began working at Stack’s, where he catalogued United States and world coins for auction and was a familiar face at numismatic conventions and in the New York Gallery. In January 2016, Greg became Senior Numismatist at Legend Rare Coin Auctions where he focused on gathering consignments, writing and research. Today, Greg is once again part of our New York Gallery team.
Greg is a member of the ANA, ANS, FUN, CSNS, John Reich Collector’s Society, Barber Coin Collector’s Club, and the Seated Liberty Collectors Club. Greg lives in New Jersey with his wife and two sons where he enjoys spending time with his family fishing, painting, gardening, cooking, and reading.
![Mark Curcio](https://stage.stacksbowers.com/wp-content/themes/stacksbowers/uploads/our-experts/Curcio-Mark-Headshot.png)
Mark Curcio
Philadelphia Store Manager
Pennsylvania
Mark Curcio
Mark Curcio joined Stack's Bowers Galleries in the fall of 2021 as the Philadelphia store manager. His life-long passion for collecting began when he was six years old, filling coin albums along with his grandmother. This interest grew to encompass almost every area of numismatics, from ancient coins through modern world currency, from Indian Head cents to Morgan dollars, and everything in between. His most recent fields of interest include Roman Imperial coins, Canadian tokens and Chinese cash. His vast expertise and enthusiasm for the hobby are valuable assets to the Stack’s Bowers Galleries team.
![Cassi East](https://stage.stacksbowers.com/wp-content/themes/stacksbowers/uploads/our-experts/East-Cassi-Actionshot.png)
Cassi East
Director of Operations
California
Cassi East
Cassi East started her career in the collectibles industry in 1997 with Kingswood Coin Auctions. In 1998 she was promoted to DIrector of Auctions for all auction companies then owed by Collectors Universe (Auctions by Bowers and Merena, Kingswood, Good Rockin' Tonight, Odyssey Auctions, Lyn Knight Currency, and Superior Sports Auctions). In 2003 Collectors Universe sold the auction divisions and Cassi stayed on with CU as Director of Customer Service, charged with managing the customer service staff of the authentication and grading services. In 2006 the company purchased Certified Coin Exchange (CCE), a sight-seen/unseen, rule-governed trading system for coin dealers, and appointed Cassi President. In 2012, Cassi was appointed President of Long Beach Expo, the largest Coin, Currency, Stamp and Sports Card Collectible Show.
![Michael Fornitz](https://stage.stacksbowers.com/wp-content/themes/stacksbowers/uploads/our-experts/1721396500fornitz-michael-headshot.png)
Michael Fornitz
Director of Stack's Bowers Galleries Denmark
Denmark
Michael Fornitz
The “grand old man” of Danish professional numismatics, Michael Fornitz will lead Stack’s Bowers Galleries’ team of expert numismatists. A native Copenhagener, Fornitz, who holds a M.A. in numismatics, has 40 years of experience in the auction field and has been head of the numismatic department in three Scandinavian auction houses. Through the years Fornitz has cataloged most major Danish single-owner sales of Danish, World and Ancient coins and has orchestrated the most world price records for Danish coins. For the last 20 years he has worked as deputy director and chief numismatist at Bruun Rasmussen Auctioneers, a Bonhams’ affiliated firm.
![Nicholas Fritz](https://stage.stacksbowers.com/wp-content/themes/stacksbowers/uploads/our-experts/1690248435nick-fritz-headshot.png)
Nicholas Fritz
Numismatist
California
Nicholas Fritz
Nicholas got his entry into the world of coin collecting in elementary school, starting with collecting State Quarters and Wheat Cents from pocket change. His love of the hobby was supplemented throughout his time in High School and College as a vest pocket dealer at shows in the Northeast buying and selling world coins. While Nicholas catalogs and works with the entire breadth of World and Ancient coinage, he has particular interest in Indian and Islamic Coinage, along with having an interest in and cataloging highlights from Poland, Russia, China, and Britain. Nicholas maintains an active coin collection, mostly Indian coins from the Mughal Empire.
Outside of the office Nicholas earned a master’s degree in philosophy from the University of Leeds and still loves reading philosophy in his free time. He is a big Philadelphia sports fan and collects Philadelphia sports autographs. He also has a great fondness for riding his road bike in Southern California, and most weekends you can find him out on the road.
![Ron Gillio](https://stage.stacksbowers.com/wp-content/themes/stacksbowers/uploads/our-experts/Gillio-Ron-Headshot.png)
Ron Gillio
Numismatics Acquisitions Coordinator
California
Ron Gillio
Ronald J. Gillio is an internationally renowned rare coin dealer, auctioneer, author and researcher who has been active and influential in numismatics for more than 45 years. He joined Stack’s Bowers Galleries in early 2007 as Numismatic Acquisition Coordinator and U.S. and World Coin and Currency Specialist, a position that includes purchasing and obtaining consignments.
Ron’s involvement in numismatics literally spans the globe. In addition to his work with Stack’s Bowers Galleries, he continues as general chairman of the popular Long Beach and Santa Clara, California Coin, Stamp & Collectibles Expos on behalf of the shows' owner, Collectors Universe, Inc. He also continues his retail store in Santa Barbara, California — Gillio Rare Coins & Fine Jewelry, a division of Ronald J. Gillio, Inc. — one of the largest buyers/sellers/importers of rare coins in the United States. He has conducted nearly 80 multi-million dollar auction sales in the United States, Europe, Hong Kong, Japan and Singapore, and his résumé includes such well-known names as Pacific Coast Auction Galleries, Butterfield Auction Galleries, Robert R. Johnson, Inc., Baldwin's Auctions of London, Spink London, Taisei Stamps & Coins of Hong Kong and Singapore, and Butterfield-Johnson-Gillio. He is an official appraiser to the State of California and served as an auctioneer for the United States Marshall's Office.
A respected member of the most esteemed numismatic associations, Ron is a past president of the Professional Numismatists Guild (PNG), as well as the recipient of the Founders Award, the highest honor of the PNG. He is a Life Member of the American Numismatic Association (ANA), and has been a member of the International Association of Professional Numismatists (IAPN) for more than two decades. He is also founding charter member No. 11 of the Professional Coin Grading Service (PCGS). Well known for his writings and research in the field, Ron collaborated with Walter Breen in the writing and publishing of the new standard reference book California Fractional Gold. In 1984, he became a contributor to the 37th edition of A Guide Book of United States Coins (The Red Book), and has appeared as such in every subsequent edition. He has also been a contributor to the Standard Catalog of World Coins, the Official ANA Grading Standards for United States Coins, and the Coin World Almanac.
Ron is based in our Santa Barbara, California office and can be reached directly at 805-637-5081
![Dennis Hengeveld](https://stage.stacksbowers.com/wp-content/themes/stacksbowers/uploads/our-experts/1717514674Hengeveld-Dennis-Headshot.png)
Dennis Hengeveld
Director of Consignments & Senior Numismatist
California
Dennis Hengeveld
Dennis Hengeveld grew up in the Netherlands and has been involved in numismatics since the age of 8 when his grandmother gave him a 19th century Dutch coin. After a brief hiatus in his early teens, he rediscovered numismatics, initially collecting Dutch coins before focusing on the coinage of the United States through a Guide Book of U.S. Coins he got for his 15th birthday.
Dennis became involved in American numismatics while still living in the Netherlands and was active on various coin-related Internet message boards. After attending numerous shows in the United States he moved to California in 2011. In 2014 he founded VOC Numismatics, which specialized in historic world coinage but also offered world paper money, which soon became his passion. After deciding to specialize in world paper money he founded World Banknote Auctions in 2020, which surpassed $7 million in sales in 2023 and was acquired by Stack’s Bowers Galleries in 2024.
His personal numismatic interests include banknotes of the Netherlands and its colonies and Liberty Seated coinage of the United States. While numismatics is his first passion Dennis has a keen interest in history, holding a Bachelor’s in history from Southern New Hampshire University. Dennis is a lifetime member of the American Numismatic Association (ANA), the International Banknote Society (IBNS) and the Society for Paper Money Collectors (SPMC). He is also a member of the Professional Numismatists Guild (PNG) and a member of the American Numismatic Society (ANS).
![Devin Hipp](https://stage.stacksbowers.com/wp-content/themes/stacksbowers/uploads/our-experts/1677097967Hipp-Devin-Headshot.png)
Devin Hipp
Vice President
Virginia
Devin Hipp
Devin Hipp is a lifelong coin collector and numismatist, and he is recognized in the numismatic field for his expansive knowledge in United States and world coins with emphasis on coin grading and variety attribution.
His interest in numismatics began at age 10 when his curiosity was piqued by groups of world coins brought back from his father's business travels in Europe. During his middle and high school years, Devin authored over a dozen articles on specialized numismatic topics that were published in the American Numismatic Association's weekly emails for young numismatists called YourNewsletter. He also received six scholarships to attend the ANA's Summer Seminar programs where he completed courses on the Modern Minting Process, Errors and Varieties, Early American Coppers, 19th Century American Numismatics, Advanced Coin Grading, and American Colonial Coins.
Devin had his first break into the professional numismatic landscape in the summer of 2006 as an intern for Spectrum Numismatics (now Stack’s Bowers Galleries). After that, he returned to the Atlanta area and graduated from the Georgia Institute of Technology in August 2012 with a bachelor's degree in Business Management and a certificate in Marketing. Shortly after graduation, he pursued his entrepreneurial ambitions and left his numismatist position with a prominent Atlanta area coin dealer to start Devin Hipp Enterprises LLC, a company specializing in wholesale trading and building high-end certified coin collections for select clients. From the company’s inception in October 2012 through March 2015, Devin became the largest volume submitter in the state of Georgia of coins to third-party grading services and was widely regarded for his keen grading ability and eye for purchasing raw coins for certification.
In March 2015, Devin and his family relocated to Virginia Beach, Virginia, where he briefly explored an opportunity with an internet-based retailer as their lead grader. In January 2017, he reestablished Devin Hipp Enterprises LLC in the state of Virginia and grew the business to become a major submitter nationally to the third-party grading services while also becoming a fixture at all major national numismatic shows and events. In July 2022, Devin returned to his professional roots at Stack’s Bowers Galleries where he accepted the position of Vice President.
Devin is a co-instructor at the annual Witter Coin University event and is the lead instructor for the Stack’s Bowers Galleries Professional Numismatist Program. He is also a life member of the American Numismatic Association, Georgia Numismatic Association, and Florida United Numismatists. In his spare time, he pursues interests in world paper money, fine watches, hi-fi audio, vintage guitars and amplifiers, and Porsche automobiles.
![Christine Karstedt](https://stage.stacksbowers.com/wp-content/themes/stacksbowers/uploads/our-experts/1659365210K-Christine-Actionshot.png)
Christine Karstedt
Executive Vice President
New Hampshire
Christine Karstedt
Christine Karstedt serves as Executive Vice President for Stack’s Bowers Galleries and is deeply involved with consignors in their auction program. A familiar figure at numismatic conventions and auctions for over 35 years, Chris has built a vast network of hobby contacts during her extensive career. Her unstinting and tireless efforts have helped leading collectors and dealers worldwide obtain the very best prices for coins, tokens, medals and paper money, working hand-in-hand with experts and departments within our organization.
Chris started with the Bowers and Merena organization in 1989 and familiarized herself with all aspects of numismatic auctions by learning the process from the ground up. Although the name above the door has changed from Bowers and Merena to American Numismatic Rarities to Stack’s and now Stack’s Bowers Galleries, she has been steadfast in her dedication and contributions to the hobby. Chris never took the leap to becoming a professional numismatist herself commenting that she had Dave Bowers on the right and Harvey and Larry Stack to the left therefore having the most respected expertise in the hobby at her fingertips.
Over a long period of years she has worked with hundreds of buyers and consignors and was instrumental in bringing to market some of the most noteworthy collections of our time, including the D. Brent Pogue Collection, the Louis E. Eliasberg Sr. Collection, the Harry W. Bass, Jr, Collection, the Ambassador and Mrs. R. Henry Norweb Collection, the Walter Childs Collection, and the Cardinal Collection to name a few. She continues to bring many more familiar name collections to auction each year.
In addition, Chris' ability to attract worldwide attention to the sale of numismatic material placed her at the center of the publicity program for the record-breaking $100 million treasure of the S.S. Central America.
Often asked what she collects, she comments “I collect friendships with all the consignors I’ve worked with over the years. I enjoy helping them present their consignments in a world class manner and then enjoy staying in touch. Many times I’ve gone on to assist additional family and friends!”
Chris is a member of the Professional Numismatists Guild (PNG), a life member of the American Numismatic Association (ANA), and was awarded the Art Kagin Ambassador Award in 2017, an honor presented by the PNG for those who provide distinguished service as an advocate of numismatic goodwill.
![Adem Karisik](https://stage.stacksbowers.com/wp-content/themes/stacksbowers/uploads/our-experts/1670345550Karisik-Adem-Headshot.png)
Adem Karisik
World Banknote Expert
Canada
Adem Karisik
Adem Karisik's passion for coins and banknotes started at a young age; he began collecting in his early teens. Upon graduating high school in 2019, he became a full-time numismatic dealer, eventually founding Karisik Auctions and opening up an office in Vancouver, British Columbia. He provides a wide array of services for all collectors, dealing in items ranging from modest value to solo known rarities. Adem's expertise encompasses all world banknotes and coins, but he specializes in Canadian and Asian numismatics. Adem enjoys conversing about coins and banknotes with clients and regularly attends major Canadian and U.S. coin shows.
![John Kraljevich](https://stage.stacksbowers.com/wp-content/themes/stacksbowers/uploads/our-experts/Kraljevich-John-Headshot.png)
John Kraljevich
Director of Numismatic Americana
South Carolina
John Kraljevich
A native of historic Chester County Pennsylvania and a graduate of the University of Virginia, John has been sought out for his expertise on early numismatic Americana since his teen years. For over a decade, he has been a popular annual instructor on early American topics at the American Numismatic Association (ANA) Summer Seminar. As a regular columnist in the ANA journal The Numismatist and the national bi-weekly Coin World , John has been honored for his research and writing by the ANA and the Numismatic Literary Guild. Several auction catalogs penned by John have become classic reference works, including The LaRiviere Collection of Betts and Indian Peace medals, The Eliasberg Collection of World Gold Coins, and The Roehrs Collection of Regulated Gold. John has been elected by his peers as a member of the Rittenhouse Society, an honorary fraternity of numismatic researchers, and as a Fellow of the American Numismatic Society. His counsel has been sought by institutions such as the Smithsonian Institution, Colonial Williamsburg, The Massachusetts Historical Society, Monticello, and others, and he has been quoted on numismatic topics by mainstream media around the world, including CNN, The Associated Press, National Public Radio, and BBC.
![Nirat Lertchitvikul](https://stage.stacksbowers.com/wp-content/themes/stacksbowers/uploads/our-experts/Lertchitvikul-Nirat-Headshot.png )
Nirat Lertchitvikul
Director of Asian Operations
Hong Kong, China
Nirat Lertchitvikul
Nirat Lertchitvikul has been a major force in the Asian coin and paper money market since becoming a full-time numismatist in 1979. He has traveled extensively, seeking rarities from China, Hong Kong, Thailand, Straits Settlements, Korea, and other Asian countries, aided by his vast numismatic knowledge and his ability to communicate fluently in several languages.
![Ping Lertchitvikul](https://stage.stacksbowers.com/wp-content/themes/stacksbowers/uploads/our-experts/Lertchitvikul-Ping-Headshot.png)
Ping Lertchitvikul
Manager of Asian Operations
Hong Kong, China
Ping Lertchitvikul
Over the past two decades, Ping Lertchit has traveled across Asia as one of the leading female numismatists,
bringing her expertise to collectors across dozens of countries and executing the sale of some of Asia's top collections.
Using her vast knowledge of Asian history paired with her fluency in many languages, she is a premier expert in both
the numismatic industry as well as the development of the hobby. In 2020, she was a key player in the record breaking 10 year anniversary SBPHK auction.
![Chris Maisano](https://stage.stacksbowers.com/wp-content/themes/stacksbowers/uploads/our-experts/Maisano-Chris-Headshot.png)
Chris Maisano
Numismatist
Pennsylvania
Chris Maisano
Chris joined the Stack’s Bowers Galleries team in the summer of 2021 as a numismatist for the newly opened Philadelphia gallery. Since 2013, Chris has been avidly collecting coins, traveling to shows and immersing himself in the hobby. He became a lifetime member of the ANA in 2017, has attended the ANA summer seminar from 2015 through 2019, and was the 2015 PNG Young Numismatist Scholarship Award winner. Chris graduated with honors from Ramapo College of New Jersey with a bachelor’s degree in Business Management. His work experience began as a numismatist for David Lawrence Rare Coins and as a numismatic contributor and cataloger for CDN Publishing. His passion and expertise lie in United States coinage, with collecting interests that include Saint-Gaudens double eagles and CAC-approved toned coins, particularly key dates in both popular and underrated series. Chris’ responsibilities at Stack’s Bowers Galleries include auction cataloging as well as counter sales and purchases.
![Aris Maragoudakis](https://stage.stacksbowers.com/wp-content/themes/stacksbowers/uploads/our-experts/1687802298Maragoudakis-Aris-Actionshot.png)
Aris Maragoudakis
Director of World Currency Auctions
California
Aris Maragoudakis
Over the past decade Aris has established himself as a leading expert in the field of World paper money, having auctioned or brokered tens of millions of dollars’ worth of banknotes, domestically and internationally. Aris has handled at least one-third of the individual World banknotes that have realized over $50,000 at public auction in the past five years. He has a passion for forging relationships with both dealers and collectors, and assesses each deal with fairness, no matter the value of the note or size of the collection. His efforts have aided the rapid growth of the World Paper Department at Stack’s Bowers Galleries and contributed to the growth of the hobby itself.
Aris works closely with dealers, hobbyists, and other firms to finalize private treaty deals such as the record-breaking set of Zanzibar banknotes. In 2017, in collaboration with our Hong Kong office, Aris oversaw the sale of a complete set of People’s Republic of China notes. This featured the coveted 1951 10,000 Yuan for $358,000, which remains the highest priced single World banknote sold by a major U.S auction house. Additionally, his efforts to procure and subsequently auction the rarest treasures of World paper money have comprised handling complete sets of first issue Imperial Bank of Persia notes, the Arias Issue from Panama, the extremely rare Haj Pilgrim sets, some of the rarest Canadian notes, and many other rarities from highly collected countries around the globe.
Aris is a member of all major numismatic guilds and associations and attends all major shows both domestically and internationally. In his spare time, he treasures taking his pups to the beach with his girlfriend, traveling, savoring the best coffee or wine, and making pizza from scratch. He is a lifelong New York Knicks fan, but has also experienced many joyful sporting moments as a fan of both the New York Yankees and the New York Giants. He has lived in New York City and Boca Raton, Florida, but has resided in Southern California since 2015.
![James McCartney](https://stage.stacksbowers.com/wp-content/themes/stacksbowers/uploads/our-experts/McCartney-James-Actionshot.png)
James McCartney
Senior Numismatist
New York
James McCartney
James McCartney joined Stack’s Bowers Galleries in 2013 as a numismatic researcher and cataloger, working closely with a incomparable team of experts in the production of numerous landmark sales. He is a valued contributor to their auction program and handles many of the firm's rarities. A lifelong collector, James is enthusiastic about all 18th and 19th century U.S. type coins, with a particular affinity for early copper issues and Morgan silver dollars. In addition to our catalogs, James’ writing can be found in our U.S. coin blog articles and various other industry publications.
James received a Bachelor’s degree in English and Psychology from Rutgers University, and worked as Operations Manager at a Washington, D.C. based enterprise, before bringing his comprehensive skill set to Stack’s Bowers Galleries.
![Michael Moczalla](https://stage.stacksbowers.com/wp-content/themes/stacksbowers/uploads/our-experts/1705440192mike-moczalla.png)
Michael Moczalla
Currency Specialist
Texas
Michael Moczalla
In 1974, Mike began his numismatic journey as many youngsters do when he received two wheat cents in change in Chicago. In 1990, his interest in currency was piqued after his wife found an error note in her change (an item they still own today). Mike’s career includes opening his own business, MGM Currency and Collectibles in Vernon Hills, Illinois, over 15 years with Heritage Auctions in Dallas, and serving as a contract grader at PMG. He is a 25+ year member of the American Numismatic Association, Treasurer of the Professional Currency Dealers Association, a member of the Society of Paper Money Collectors, the Blue Ridge Numismatic Association, the Florida United Numismatists, the Georgia Numismatic Association, and a life member of the Illinois Numismatic Association.
![Crystal Ng](https://stage.stacksbowers.com/wp-content/themes/stacksbowers/uploads/our-experts/Ng-Crystal-Headshot.png)
Crystal Ng
Auction Services Executive
Hong Kong, China
Crystal Ng
Crystal is a certified multilingual translator and interpreter and is fluent in Cantonese, Mandarin, English and Japanese. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in languages from the University of Hong Kong and worked in sales at the Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ Bank. From there she trained with Stack’s Bowers Galleries in the field of numismatic auctions and has been an integral part of the firm’s expansion in the Asian market. Her superb customer service skills have been invaluable to our bidders and consignors alike and she is a dynamic presence on site at our auctions and conventions in Hong Kong.
![Ben Orooji](https://stage.stacksbowers.com/wp-content/themes/stacksbowers/uploads/our-experts/Orooji-Ben-Actionshot.png)
Ben Orooji
Director of U.S. Coin Auctions
California
Ben Orooji
Ben Orooji has been an ardent collector for over 15 years. He was a vest pocket dealer for six years before joining Stack’s Bowers Galleries in early 2013 as a numismatist and cataloger. Ben specializes in the Capped Bust, Reeded Edge half dollars of 1836-1839 and is an expert with all federal U.S. coins. His cataloging and research have been instrumental to our offering of countless numismatic rarities in our award winning catalogs. He is also a frequent contributor to our weekly U.S. coin blogs. While primarily a U.S. coin collector, Ben maintains an active and diverse collection including coinage of the Parthian and Sasanian empires, medals and tokens of U.S. and international exhibitions, coin jewelry and even a comprehensive collection of play money.
Ben is a graduate of the University of Maine with a Masters of Arts in Clinical Psychology, and the University of Central Florida with a Bachelors of Science in Psychology and Behavioral Forensics. After graduating from the University of Maine he worked in a maximum-security prison within the Florida Department of Corrections. The ethical care and rehabilitation of incarcerated individuals remains a cause about which he is passionate to this day. Ben and his wife, Tina, have been married for 10 years and have a daughter, Alyssa. He is first and foremost a family man and enjoys spending time with them and watching his daughter grow.
![Matt Orsini](https://stage.stacksbowers.com/wp-content/themes/stacksbowers/uploads/our-experts/Orsini-Matt-Headshot.png)
Matt Orsini
Director of World & Ancient Numismatics
California
Matt Orsini
Long before Matt discovered coins, he knew he had the collecting gene. As early as he can remember, it was always something: rocks in his younger years, and then baseball, basketball and football cards took over as his appreciation for sports developed in early adolescence. Along the way, the introduction to small groups of coins saved by family members would spark a lifelong passion.
Not long after getting the coin “bug,” eBay played a huge role in the development of the career side of his aspirations. While selling rocks or cards at a profit was virtually impossible, the fledgling online auction venue presented real opportunities for a teenager to make some money in coins. Matt was able to do this by offering a pleasing presentation and excellent customer service. Since that time, Matt has spent nearly 15 years at several prominent international auction houses, where he honed his craft, never forgetting his humble foundation: a commitment to customer service that brought his earliest successes.
Still a collector, Matt appreciates a broad spectrum of numismatic disciplines. While the diversity of world and ancient coins receives the majority of Matt’s day-to-day attention, he still frequently finds himself searching for additions to his collection of medals and tokens depicting George Washington. Because of their iconography, Matt also has a growing collection of Latin American coins. Depicting suns with faces, soaring mountains and native landscapes, he believes this area of coins parallels the beauty of painted art more closely than any other.
![Chris Ortega](https://stage.stacksbowers.com/wp-content/themes/stacksbowers/uploads/our-experts/Ortega-Chris-Actionshot.png)
Chris Ortega
Numismatist and Auctioneer
California
Chris Ortega
Chris Ortega has worked in the auction industry since 2003, gaining experience as a bi-lingual auctioneer and personal property appraiser. He began his career working with various government agencies, state and local municipalities, and national consumer banks conducting on-site appraisal valuations and liquidation auctions.
In 2010 he took a break to launch a luxury boutique specializing in high-end designer goods. To expand the business he successfully completed the Diamond Grading Course at the Gemological Institute of America and utilized digital marketing to further grow the business. While the business was a success, Chris decided to use his new-found expertise to return to a career in the auction industry.
Since 2017, Chris has served as an auctioneer and numismatist at Stack’s Bowers Galleries. He is responsible for identifying and evaluating all incoming consignments, collections, and preparing them for auction. His favorite coin motifs are the Draped Bust and Gobrecht silver dollar designs. Highlights of his career as an auctioneer include the sale of two 1804 silver dollars, one from the Pogue Collection and one from the Larry H. Miller Collection, as well as an 1894-S Barber dime. Each of these numismatic rarities realized an excess of one million dollars.
Outside of the office Chris enjoys jogging and exercising, researching wrist watches, and spending time with his family.
![John M. Pack](https://stage.stacksbowers.com/wp-content/themes/stacksbowers/uploads/our-experts/JohnPack-01.png)
John M. Pack
Executive Director of Consignments
California
John M. Pack
John has been involved in numismatics for over 35 years. Previous to relocating to our corporate headquarters in California, John worked with Q. David Bowers in our Wolfeboro, New Hampshire office for 15 years. During that time he worked with consignors guiding their collections through the auction process under the firm names Auctions by Bowers and Merena, American Numismatic Rarities, Stack’s, and Stack’s Bowers Galleries.
John is one of our primary contacts for auction consignments, and personally oversees many aspects of our auction presentations. He has worked with thousands of consignments over the years, including such well-known names as Eliasberg, Norweb, Bass, Pogue, and many others that would be readily recognized from our catalogs. His numismatic interests cover a broad spectrum but are presently focused mostly on American numismatics.
In addition to working with consignors, he regularly catalogs special projects including, most recently, the Twin Leaf Collections of United States Large Cents and State Coppers, Washington medals from the William Spohn Baker Collection on behalf of the Historical Society of Pennsylvania, the Larry Ness Collection of Indian Peace Medals and the D. Brent Pogue Numismatic Library. Earlier projects of note include our presentations of the American Bank Note Company Archives, the archives of Louis E. Eliasberg, Sr., the treasure coins of the S.S. New York, the native gold crystals from the Roraima Shield Collection, the record-setting presentation of the Harry W. Bass, Jr. Collection of United States paper money in 1999, and many other smaller offerings.
![Kyle Ponterio](https://stage.stacksbowers.com/wp-content/themes/stacksbowers/uploads/our-experts/Ponterio-Kyle-Headshot.png)
Kyle Ponterio
Senior Numismatist and Cataloger
California
Kyle Ponterio
As a member of a family with three generations of numismatists, it was with great anticipation that Kyle Ponterio continued his family tradition. Kyle joined Ponterio & Associates in 2005, when he started out packaging in the shipping room, along with imaging for the print and online catalogs. Soon after, with the guidance of his father Rick Ponterio, and brother Kent Ponterio, he began learning numismatics at a rapid pace. He then started cataloging coins for auction, doing numismatic research, and buying and selling coins, as the latest numismatic specialist at Stack's Bowers Galleries.
Although Kyle credits his father and brother for his success in numismatics, he brings a fresh new pair of eyes to the company. He enjoys traveling to shows because it gives him the opportunity to look at other's cases and enjoy their collections. Kyle collects sun face coins and necessity money. He is an American Numismatic Association (ANA) member, and also attends monthly meetings of the Greater Orange County Coin Club.
![Richard Ponterio](https://stage.stacksbowers.com/wp-content/themes/stacksbowers/uploads/our-experts/Ponterio-Rick-Headshot.png)
Richard Ponterio
Executive Vice President
California
Richard Ponterio
Richard Ponterio began collecting coins as a young boy at about the age of 10. His interests in numismatics first peaked while working for his uncle who owned a vending machine company. During the summer, Rick would accompany his uncle along his route, re-stocking the machines and collecting the monies which had been deposited. At the end of each day, the two of them would search through the coins for dates and varieties they needed for their collections. In 1972 he decided to make numismatics his full-time profession.
From 1974–1982, he helped co-found the firm Ponterio & Wyatt, conducting mail bid auctions, price lists, and attending major coin shows. In 1982, he formed the company Ponterio & Associates, which was accepted into the International Association of Professional Numismatist (IAPN) in 1988. He also served on the executive committee of the IAPN for eight years. He joined the Professional Numismatists Guild (PNG) in 1979, and served on its board of directors for six Years. He is an ANA life member and is the president of the New York International Numismatics Convention.
![Steve Price](https://stage.stacksbowers.com/wp-content/themes/stacksbowers/uploads/our-experts/Price-Steve-Headshot.png)
Steve Price
Director of Numismatic Business Development
California
Steve Price
Steve Price started collecting coins at the age of 9. After serving in the Marine Corps, Steve pursued his passion for numismatics and opened his coin store, Penny Lane Coin, in Costa Mesa, California. Shortly after opening his store he began working as a consultant for Stack’s Bowers Galleries, a position that soon developed into a full time job with the company. Steve’s area of expertise is United States coins, a field in which he is well versed in market values. He also enjoys research on varieties and mint errors.
![Mark Schimel](https://stage.stacksbowers.com/wp-content/themes/stacksbowers/uploads/our-experts/Schimel-M-Actionshot.png)
Mark Schimel
New York Store Manager
New York
Mark Schimel
Mark started collecting before the age of 10, intrigued by the Indian cents and Morgan dollars that his grandmother gave him. Going through his mother’s change (with her permission of course), he started a collection of Walking Liberty half dollars. At that point, half dollars became his passion. The Walking Liberty collection was missing some key issues, at which point Mark discovered that coin dealers could come to his rescue. Later, as a frequent visitor to Stack’s on West 57th Street, he upgraded the set. Slabs had not yet been invented, so he was able to go through date rolls and pick out the best ones without paying a premium. In time he fell in love with early half dollars, eventually forming one of the highest grade and most complete sets of Heraldic Eagle half dollars by Overton variety. Most of these coins came from Stack’s, with some from Bowers and Merena.
Mark started his professional numismatic career in Philadelphia working part time for Andy Kaufman of Coins and Currency Inc. while attending the University of Pennsylvania. From that institution he earned his BA and eventually his MBA from the Wharton School. After graduation he pursued other professional interests, while remaining an avid collector, and returned to a career in numismatics in 2012.
Mark is a passionate collector (hoarder), and has a sizable collection of antique telephones, radios, electric fans, toasters, vintage toys, and almost anything interesting in early technology.
Mark has been a member of the ANA for over 35 years, and also is a member of the John Reich Collectors Society, the Gold Coast Coin Club, and the Antique Telephone Collectors Association.
![Larry Stendebach](https://stage.stacksbowers.com/wp-content/themes/stacksbowers/uploads/our-experts/Stendebach-Larry-Actionshot.png)
Larry Stendebach
Numismatist
California
Larry Stendebach
Larry spent the early part of his life in Texas, later moving to the Saint Louis, Missouri area, where he now resides. A lifelong coin collector, Larry attributes his passion for numismatics to his parents, who introduced him to the hobby at an early age by encouraging collecting wheat cents from circulation and saving up to buy the occasional Morgan dollar from the local coin shop. Larry’s collection is always changing but he has a particular fondness for high end United State type coins and the Spanish colonial coinage of Mexico.
A maker / engineer by nature, it was not long before Larry looked to combine his loves of technology and numismatics, creating innovations including Stack’s Bowers Galleries’ patent pending technology: Coins in Motion. Coins in Motion creates high resolution coin animations that accurately capture the in-hand visual appeal of rare coins and other numismatic treasures.
Larry spends much of his free time cultivating the next generation of coin collectors, including by creating and producing content for online locations where the younger generations gather – YouTube, Reddit, Instagram, etc. He has been on the moderation team for Reddit.com/r/coins for the better part of a decade, a community that has seen a nearly 700% growth in membership (to over 71,000 by the end of 2020). These are almost exclusively younger collectors. Larry also maintains an active numismatic YouTube channel with over 100 videos.
![Maryna Synytsya](https://stage.stacksbowers.com/wp-content/themes/stacksbowers/uploads/our-experts/Syntsya-Maryna-Headshot.png)
Maryna Synytsya
Vice President of European Operations
France
Maryna Synytsya
Maryna Synytsya joined Stack’s Bowers Galleries in 2011 and runs the company’s corporate office in Paris. Multicultural and multilingual – fluent in French, English, Russian, as well as basic Italian and German - Maryna helps our numismatic experts as a liaison to European clients. She also travels to major European shows to represent Stack’s Bowers, to promote the company and to seek auction consignments.
Maryna is professional, detail-oriented and holds a Master’s degree from Lyon University of Art and Luxury Industry. She is personable, outgoing and a pleasure to work with. These skills make her adept at customer service and an asset for client relationships.
![Peter A. Treglia](https://stage.stacksbowers.com/wp-content/themes/stacksbowers/uploads/our-experts/Treglia-Peter-Actionshot.png)
Peter A. Treglia
Director of Currency
California
Peter A. Treglia
With over 20 years of experience as a professional numismatist, Peter Treglia brings a wealth of knowledge to his position as Director of Currency for Stack’s Bowers Galleries. He purchased his first coin at the age of 14, became a dealer almost immediately at age 15, and quickly discovered paper money, thanks to the Internet. After collecting paper money for about a year, Peter started selling notes on eBay. Once he realized that he could make money-trading currency, he immediately became hooked.
In February 2005, Peter was hired as one of the five original currency graders for Paper Money Guaranty (PMG). After working for PMG for seven months, Peter left the firm to start his own currency venture. Soon after, Spectrum Group International CEO Greg Roberts asked him to lead the Spectrum Numismatics (now Stack’s Bowers Galleries) currency division. Since the Stack’s Bowers Galleries/Spectrum Numismatics/Teletrade merger, he has overseen the Stack’s Bowers Galleries paper money cataloging and consignment teams, in addition to his primary duties buying currency.
Peter is a Life Member of the American Numismatic Association (ANA) and the Society of Paper Money Collectors (SPMC), and is also a member and Past President of the Professional Currency Dealers Association (PCDA).
![Vicken Yegparian](https://stage.stacksbowers.com/wp-content/themes/stacksbowers/uploads/our-experts/Yegparian-Vic-Actionshot.png)
Vicken Yegparian
Vice President of Numismatics
New York
Vicken Yegparian
Vicken Yegparian, one of our auction consignment directors, is a numismatist specializing in United States, Ancient and World coins, in addition to U.S. medals. He is very much involved with the day-to-day operations running the auction business.
A graduate of Columbia University, Vicken was the first recipient of the Georgia Stamm Chamberlain Memorial Award of the Medal Collectors of America for his presentation on colonial era medals of his alma mater, "The Silver Medals of the King's College Literary Society, 1767-1771," delivered at the 2004 Coinage of the Americas Conference (COAC) held by the ANS. At the 2006 COAC, he collaborated with Roger Siboni, ANS President, on "Mark Newby and His St. Patrick Halfpence." Elected a Fellow of the ANS, he is also a member of many numismatic organizations, including the ANA, the Colonial Coin Collectors Club, the John Reich Collectors Society, the Liberty Seated Collectors Club, the Medal Collectors of America, and the Flying Eagle and Indian Head Cent Collectors Club, among numerous other specialty organizations.
![Frederick Yow](https://stage.stacksbowers.com/wp-content/themes/stacksbowers/uploads/our-experts/Yow-Frederick-Headshot.png)
Frederick Yow
Consignment Director, Southeast Asia
Frederick Yow
Frederick Yow is a Consignment Director based in Singapore and serves clients in Singapore, Malaysia, Brunei, and Indonesia as well as greater Asia. Fred's interest in numismatics started early as a schoolboy, collecting world coins from travelling sailors. In 1993, he was introduced to the world of paper money and has been an avid collector ever since. A notable milestone of his numismatic journey was the acquisition of key "Private Bank of Singapore" notes from the famed Dr. Chan Chin Cheung Collection in 1996. He has served as co-writer and editor of "Banknotes of British Malaya, The Frank Goon Collection" published by Spink. This notable work was selected as the International Bank Note Society (IBNS) Book of The Year in 2012.
![Zhou Shou Yuan](https://stage.stacksbowers.com/wp-content/themes/stacksbowers/uploads/our-experts/Yuan-Shou-Zhou-Headshot.png)
Zhou Shou Yuan
Numismatic and Information Technology Consultant, Mainland China
China
Zhou Shou Yuan
Zhou Shou Yuan, who had been collecting stamps and coins since the 1990s, joined Stack’s Bowers and Ponterio as a Numismatic and Information Technology Consultant in Mainland China in September 2015.
In 2013, Zhou Shou Yuan founded Shouxi.com, to serve collectors interested in Chinese coins. Shouxi.com provides timely, comprehensive, authoritative and independent third party information and services, including news, archives, forums, agent bidding, consignment, shopping and more.
Shouxi.com has co-hosted a series of International Coin Expositions and other large coin events and has cooperated with 40 coin companies and associations worldwide. Shouxi.com is the most influential brand among online and offline interactive platforms in Chinese numismatics.
Zhou Shou Yuan is a graduate of the Wuhan University Electrical Engineering College, with expertise in electric power training, news reports, media relations, consulting, and more. He has 15 years of cross-industrial and management experience and a very strong relationship with Internet, print and television media.