CoinFacts Board of Experts
John Dannreuther
Founder, Professional Coin Grading Service (PCGS)
Expertise: All U.S. coins.
Specialties: U.S. gold and type coins, counterfeit detection, and special strikings.
John Dannreuther grew up in the rare coin business. His father ran trade paper ads in the 1950s as V.J. Dannreuther and Sons. After graduating from the University of Mississippi with a degree in chemistry, John went back into the coin business, becoming a full-time dealer in 1973. Today he is considered one of the top rare coin experts of all time.
In 1986, John was one of the co-founders of Professional Coin Grading Service. In 1997, he was the principal text author of "The Official Guide To Coin Grading And Counterfeit Detection," the Numismatic Literary Guild's "Book Of The Year" award winner for 1998.
Ron Guth
President, Professional Coin Grading Service (PCGS)
Expertise: U.S. and World coins.
Specialties: Encased Postage, Exonumia, U.S. Colonial Coins, German Stamps, Civil War Commutation Money.
Ron Guth is a licensed Certified Public Accountant who has been involved professionally in numismatics for nearly forty years as a collector, dealer, researcher, and writer. For the past two decades, he served as an auctioneer for virtually every major numismatic firm, selling classic rarities such as the 1913 Liberty Head Nickel and the 1804 Silver Dollar. In 2001, Ron authored the award-winning Coin Collecting For Dummies. In 2002, he co-authored United States Proof and Mint Sets 1936-2002, which won the Numismatic Literary Guild (NLG) Award for Best Numismatic Investment Book. In 2003, Ron co-authored the best selling book The 100 Greatest U.S. Coins, which went on to win the Professional Numismatic Guild and the NLG Best Book of the Year Awards. In 2003, Ron received the prestigious President’s Award from the American Numismatic Association in recognition for his numerous contributions to numismatics.
David Hall
President, Collectors Universe
Expertise: All U.S. coins.
Specialties: Top quality U.S. type coins, gold, silver dollars, commemoratives, and early 20th century coins.
David Hall arguably understands collectibles markets and how they work better than anyone in the world. He became a full-time rare coin dealer in 1972 and was quickly one of the major players. In the 1980's he was the man behind the major market innovations of the decade; guaranteed buy/sell markets, electronic trading, and his piece de resistance, the Professional Coin Grading Service (PCGS). In 1990 David Hall was named Orange County "Entrepreneur Of The Year" by Inc. Magazine. The February 20, 1996 issue of Numismatic News called him "the man who changed the rare coin market forever." The July, 1999 issue of Coinage Magazine named David Hall one of the top "Numismatists of the Century."
Ron Howard
Director of Grading, Professional Coin Grading Service (PCGS)
Expertise: All U.S. coins.
Specialties: U.S. type coins, gold, and rarities.
Ron Howard has been a collector/hobbyist since 1959. He received his Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Mississippi in 1970 and became a professional numismatist in 1972. Up until 1986, when he joined PCGS as the first grader hired, he was a coin buyer and cataloguer for several major numismatic firms, examining, purchasing, or cataloging virtually all major U.S. collections during that period. He has attended over 300 numismatic conventions. Ron has authored a book on silver dollars and many articles, and has contributed to numerous auction catalogues, including at least four American Numismatic Association auction catalogues.
Julian Leidman
Numismatic Expert
Expertise: All U.S. coins.
Specialties: U.S. colonial coins, patterns, ultra-rarities, die varieties, Hard Times tokens.
Julian Leidman began his career as a professional numismatic dealer and consultant over 40 years ago. Julian boasts an unbroken record of attendance at every major U.S. coin auction since 1968, where he represented not only himself but as many as 25 bidders at a time. Along the way, Julian handled some of the most important U.S. coins. He assisted in the completion of the finest collection of double eagles ever assembled, he was involved with the 1973 sale of the renowned Wilkison collection of gold pattern coins, and he assembled specialized collections of all early U.S. coins by die variety. Julian consults with corporations, dealers, and collectors to build world-class collections and to promote numismatics. He received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Professional Numismatists Guild, of which he is a proud member. Contact Julian at Julian@JulianCoin.com or visit his website at www.juliancoin.com.
Gordon Wrubel
Senior Grader, Professional Coin Grading Service (PCGS)
Expertise: All U.S. coins.
Specialties: U.S. gold coins and early copper.
Gordon Wrubel, Senior Grader at Professional Coin Grading Service , is a well-known expert in rare U.S. coins specializing in top quality rare U.S. gold. He is in charge of our inventory acquisitions and consults with clients who are building some of the world's finest collections. In 1974, he became a full-time coin dealer and has sold over $50,000,000 in valuable coins during his career. He holds a life membership in the American Numismatic Association and in 1980 became a member of the Professional Numismatists Guild. In 1986, Gordon was one of the founders of the Professional Coin Grading Service and served as Director of Grading until 1995. He is also one of the world's top experts in rare "rock and roll" records. Contact Gordon at WrubelG@collectors.com.
John DannreutherFounder, Professional Coin Grading Service (PCGS)
Expertise: All U.S. coins.
Specialties: U.S. gold and type coins, counterfeit detection, and special strikings.
John Dannreuther grew up in the rare coin business. His father ran trade paper ads in the 1950s as V.J. Dannreuther and Sons. After graduating from the University of Mississippi with a degree in chemistry, John went back into the coin business, becoming a full-time dealer in 1973. Today he is considered one of the top rare coin experts of all time.
In 1986, John was one of the co-founders of Professional Coin Grading Service. In 1997, he was the principal text author of "The Official Guide To Coin Grading And Counterfeit Detection," the Numismatic Literary Guild's "Book Of The Year" award winner for 1998.
Ron GuthPresident, Professional Coin Grading Service (PCGS)
Expertise: U.S. and World coins.
Specialties: Encased Postage, Exonumia, U.S. Colonial Coins, German Stamps, Civil War Commutation Money.
Ron Guth is a licensed Certified Public Accountant who has been involved professionally in numismatics for nearly forty years as a collector, dealer, researcher, and writer. For the past two decades, he served as an auctioneer for virtually every major numismatic firm, selling classic rarities such as the 1913 Liberty Head Nickel and the 1804 Silver Dollar. In 2001, Ron authored the award-winning Coin Collecting For Dummies. In 2002, he co-authored United States Proof and Mint Sets 1936-2002, which won the Numismatic Literary Guild (NLG) Award for Best Numismatic Investment Book. In 2003, Ron co-authored the best selling book The 100 Greatest U.S. Coins, which went on to win the Professional Numismatic Guild and the NLG Best Book of the Year Awards. In 2003, Ron received the prestigious President’s Award from the American Numismatic Association in recognition for his numerous contributions to numismatics.
David HallPresident, Collectors Universe
Expertise: All U.S. coins.
Specialties: Top quality U.S. type coins, gold, silver dollars, commemoratives, and early 20th century coins.
David Hall arguably understands collectibles markets and how they work better than anyone in the world. He became a full-time rare coin dealer in 1972 and was quickly one of the major players. In the 1980's he was the man behind the major market innovations of the decade; guaranteed buy/sell markets, electronic trading, and his piece de resistance, the Professional Coin Grading Service (PCGS). In 1990 David Hall was named Orange County "Entrepreneur Of The Year" by Inc. Magazine. The February 20, 1996 issue of Numismatic News called him "the man who changed the rare coin market forever." The July, 1999 issue of Coinage Magazine named David Hall one of the top "Numismatists of the Century."
Ron HowardDirector of Grading, Professional Coin Grading Service (PCGS)
Expertise: All U.S. coins.
Specialties: U.S. type coins, gold, and rarities.
Ron Howard has been a collector/hobbyist since 1959. He received his Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Mississippi in 1970 and became a professional numismatist in 1972. Up until 1986, when he joined PCGS as the first grader hired, he was a coin buyer and cataloguer for several major numismatic firms, examining, purchasing, or cataloging virtually all major U.S. collections during that period. He has attended over 300 numismatic conventions. Ron has authored a book on silver dollars and many articles, and has contributed to numerous auction catalogues, including at least four American Numismatic Association auction catalogues.
Julian LeidmanNumismatic Expert
Expertise: All U.S. coins.
Specialties: U.S. colonial coins, patterns, ultra-rarities, die varieties, Hard Times tokens.
Julian Leidman began his career as a professional numismatic dealer and consultant over 40 years ago. Julian boasts an unbroken record of attendance at every major U.S. coin auction since 1968, where he represented not only himself but as many as 25 bidders at a time. Along the way, Julian handled some of the most important U.S. coins. He assisted in the completion of the finest collection of double eagles ever assembled, he was involved with the 1973 sale of the renowned Wilkison collection of gold pattern coins, and he assembled specialized collections of all early U.S. coins by die variety. Julian consults with corporations, dealers, and collectors to build world-class collections and to promote numismatics. He received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Professional Numismatists Guild, of which he is a proud member. Contact Julian at Julian@JulianCoin.com or visit his website at www.juliancoin.com.
Gordon WrubelSenior Grader, Professional Coin Grading Service (PCGS)
Expertise: All U.S. coins.
Specialties: U.S. gold coins and early copper.
Gordon Wrubel, Senior Grader at Professional Coin Grading Service , is a well-known expert in rare U.S. coins specializing in top quality rare U.S. gold. He is in charge of our inventory acquisitions and consults with clients who are building some of the world's finest collections. In 1974, he became a full-time coin dealer and has sold over $50,000,000 in valuable coins during his career. He holds a life membership in the American Numismatic Association and in 1980 became a member of the Professional Numismatists Guild. In 1986, Gordon was one of the founders of the Professional Coin Grading Service and served as Director of Grading until 1995. He is also one of the world's top experts in rare "rock and roll" records. Contact Gordon at WrubelG@collectors.com.