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I started collecting ancient coins and notgeld almost five decades ago, and somewhere along the way the hobby became a second career. After an intense high‑tech career, I shifted my energy into dealing, research, and education—setting up at major shows, running a large regional coin show for years, and traveling abroad to chase down unusual material. Today I focus on coins and currency with character: ancient, medieval, modern, and wonderfully odd!
I bought my first “old coin” nearly fifty years ago and promptly fell down the rabbit hole. What began as a teenager’s fascination with ancient history turned into a lifelong pursuit of coins, banknotes, and odd bits of money from all over the world. Along the way I earned a doctorate and built a demanding high‑tech career, but the coins never left. I read about them on airplanes, hunted for them on business trips, and spent weekends at shows. Eventually, the balance tipped. I found myself spending more time in bourse halls than boardrooms, and Ephesus Coins (also known as Ephesus Numismatics) became the natural home for what I was already doing: researching, buying, and sharing interesting money with serious collectors.
My professional background is in high technology, and that training shapes how I approach numismatics. I like evidence, provenance, and data. I also like asking “why”: Why was this coin overstruck? Why did this town issue emergency paper when there was no ink to spare? Why is this particular silk note dripping with symbolism? The analytic habits I developed in tech now go toward understanding the objects in front of me and explaining them clearly to collectors. That combination—technical discipline and curiosity—has led me to some unusual corners of the hobby: experimental issues, propaganda pieces, local emergency currencies, and private money that barely qualifies as “coinage” but absolutely qualifies as fascinating.
Over the years I’ve set up at major regional and national shows, organized a two‑hundred‑table coin show, and traveled abroad to buy directly from banks, dealers, and collections. One of the great pleasures of this business is the people: the collectors who light up when they recognize a piece, and the historians, archivists, and curators willing to share their time and expertise.
I’m honored to have been recognized by my peers with dealer awards and invitations to speak and be interviewed. But the real reward is simpler: placing a coin or note into the hands of someone who understands why it matters.
Why “Ephesus”?
Ephesus was one of the great cities of the ancient world: a crossroads of cultures, trade, and ideas. It struck coins in many periods and under many rulers, each layer adding to the story. I chose the name because it captures what I enjoy most in numismatics—the meeting point between history, art, and commerce.
Ephesus Coins isn’t about one era or one country. It’s about following those crossroads wherever they lead: from Roman provincial bronzes to German silk notgeld, from Civil War scrip to Japanese hansatsu.
[more – histpory in coins, interest]