You've found this page either because you already are an
ancient coin collector or because you might like to explore the
possibility of becoming one. I joined that latter group some 50
years ago when I saw my first ancient coin in the window of a jewelry
store in Adana, Turkey—where I was stationed with the U.S. Air
Force. Of course it was not an overnight transformation. I
knew virtually nothing about ancient coins—never even considered the
fact that they might exist. I had a short love affair with 19th
century U.S. coins while in High School, but the possibility of holding
a 2,000+ year old coin in my hand was never in my dreams. I
didn't know they existed, much less that they were remarkably common in
many cases. Once bitten I was smitten. My Air Force career
took me to places where legitimate markets existed for these coins and
my appetite was whetted. I started acquiring as many books as I
could about ancient coins (within my limited budget) and the more I
learned the more intriguing they became. After I retired from
USAF service, I earned a Master of Arts degree in Art History at the
University of Wisconsin with a specialization in ancient coins.
It was a rare discipline in those days, and is not much more prevalent
in academia today for that matter. Following my graduation from
the UW in 1986, my professional numismatic career took a dramatic turn.
I created The Celator, initially a tabloid newspaper and then a full
feature magazine with international circulation. It was always a
labor of love, but who would have guessed that it would enjoy a 25+
year lifespan with subscribers in dozens of countries. I also
became more active in the trade and in publishing books about this
great avocation. My focus on this web site will be on helping
those who want to learn more about those wonderful coins from
antiquity.
I hope you'll find the site interesting and useful, To view our Table of Contents, Click HERE.
