A passion for coins, currency, safes and locks, and helping people 

I hold a B.A. in Historical Archaeology from Wesleyan University, and an M.A. in Science Education from Columbia University. I have over 30 years of experience collecting and dealing in rare items and enjoy meeting people and hearing stories about the things that they have. I publish and write articles and books on science and numismatic education.

In June 2024 I retired from teaching high school and middle school science and am fortunate to now be a full-time numismatist. I started Hudson Valley Numismatics over 20 years ago when someone sought me out about selling their collection and I realized I could turn my hobby and passion into a business. 

Read: Building a U.S. Style Collection

New to numismatics but not small business 

With a B.A. in Health and Society from the University of Rochester and a Master in Public Health from Columbia University, what am I doing in the coin and estate business? After a 30-year career, I was incentivized to make some changes. Marc and I met in 2018 and married in 2024. We both were at pivotal points in our day jobs and have decided to expand our partnership to business and work full-time helping people with their estates. We are now a family business. 

With previous small business experience and years of working in the non-profit space doing a bit of everything, I am working on social media, website content, operations, auctions, business development, marketing, and learning. 

History Buff

I consider myself both a historian and educator. History has been my main passion. I have a B.A and M.A. in American History, with concentrations in the American Civil War, Prohibition, Eisenhower and the Cold War, and thanatology (the study of death). I gossip about dead people, take people to their homes and graves, then rearrange all their stuff. (Historian, tour guide, archivist). When dealing with the living, I answer the questions others are afraid to ask and educate the public on a topic with which they are unfamiliar.

We want democracy to survive for all generations to come, not to become the insolvent phantom of tomorrow. Eisenhower Farewell Address, 1961

A Global Perspective

I was born in Belarus and achieved both a Bachelor's degree in English from Minsk State Linguistic University and Associate's degree in Business Administration from the Borough of Manhattan Community College. I am also a graduate of the American Numismatic Association's Seminar series, where we complete annual coursework in coin authentication, grading, valuation, and sales. I speak English and Russian fluently, which helps bridge the gap between U.S. communities and abroad. I recently became an American citizen and have worked with Marc since I came to the U.S. nearly 20 years ago. I run Honest Coin Shop in NJ and collaborate with Hudson Valley Numismatics.