FOREIGN, ANCIENT, & MEDIEVAL COINS & COLLECTIBLES

BOUGHT, SOLD, APPRAISED , & ATTRIBUTED SINCE 1981

(845) 434-6090

agberman@aol.com

Curious inquiries always welcome

The Excitement of History

    There are few civilized societies over the past 2,000 years which have not left us coins, or some similar means of exchange, as touch pieces of their traditions and their culture. Coins are the point of contact where an ancient Roman merchant and a Professor in Vancouver, or where a peasant during the Bolshevik Revolution and 21st century American entrepreneur meet.

    As a hobby, coin collecting is not only intellectually stimulating, it is a pursuit suited to any budget from $10 per month to $10,000 per month depending on one's tastes. As a teaching aid, it brings the excitement of earlier cultures into the classroom, providing instant "hands on" stimulus for students who don't fully grasp the reality of the past they are studying.

    Coins are one of the few examples of ancient or medieval artifacts to have been mass produced in the modern sense. They are a readily available primary source, reflecting history in a variety of fields. Each coin is capable of reflecting cultural, political, economic, and technological trends. Most are also capable of indicating the social, religious, and ethical ideals of the people who created them. For the ancient and medieval periods they are perhaps the only primary source common enough to be widely dispersed among the population without being reproduced artificially.

SERVICES

	Sale of historical coins of all periods, from ancient Greek to post-Soviet.
	Purchase of medieval and world collections.
	Identification of early coins.
	Bank, insurance and estate appraisals.
	Location of difficult to find historical coins.
	Advice for teachers using coins in the classroom.
	One week introductory courses on medieval coins and on Papal coins.
	Research and cataloging.

Who is Allen G. Berman?

    For those who reasonably ask "How could coins that old be real?" permit me to offer my credentials.  (For long time friends, forgive me for blowing my own horn.)  I have been a full time numismatist since 1981 and this is the only profession I have known.  I have written several books and a number of articles. I have been cited as an expert by The Celator, Coins, Numismatic Literary Guild Journal, World Coin News, Seattle Times and The New York Times. I have been interviewed on topics ranging from early U.S. Silver dollars to coins of the new post Soviet republics.

    My most recent book is Warman's Coins and Paper Money, a volume of the Warman's Encyclopedia of Antiques and Collectibles. Originally conceived as an introduction for the curious layman, it has received praise throughout the numismatic community as well. The book, now in its third edition, has even received the recommendation of the American Numismatic Association which has called it "remarkable."

    My earlier works include Papal Coins, an international standard on the subject, and Papal Numismatic History. I edited Coins of the Crusader States, the first comprehensive work of its kind in over a century, and  collaborated on Medieval Coins in the Christian J. Thomsen Collection, a work prepared under the approval of the Danish National Museum. These books have been favorably reviewed in Europe as well as in North America. I am also a contributor to the mammoth Standard Catalog of World Coins.

    I began coin collecting as a childhood hobby, but the study of coins soon became a key focus in my life. As an undergraduate I was given the opportunity to work directly with the American Numismatic Society's collections, recataloging a portion of its medieval holdings. At present I serve as a member of the Society's Committee on Medieval Coins. I completed my master's thesis on early papal coins in 1986. I have presented lectures to groups as diverse as the Cub Scouts and MENSA. In 1997 I was appointed an instructor for the American Numismatic Association's Summer Conference, creating an intensive course in medieval coins attended by numismatists from both the United Staes and overseas.

    In addition to writing, I am a rare coin dealer with an international clientele. Since 1979, I have routinely been called upon to appraise and identify coins for other numismatic firms, auction houses and banks. Krause Publications, the world's largest numismatic publisher, has many times awarded me their Customer Service Award. I have repeatedly provided expert testimony before Senate and House committees at the Connecticut state capitol. I am a member of the American Numismatic Association, American Numismatic Society, Numismatic Literary Guild, Russian Numismatic Society, Ancient Coin Collectors Guild, Token and Medal Society, Florida United Numismatists, Pacific Northwest Numismatic Association, Bermanian Guild of Numismatists, and served as Secretary of the Fairfield County Numismatic Association from 1987 to 2003.

© 2024 Allen G. Berman