Are there many careers in numismatics?

The trouble with numismatic jobs is, generally you need to be an experienced numismatist to perform them. There are no "entry-level" jobs in numismatics unless at a firm large enough to have mailroom clerks or something.

 

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Looking at your posts, it seems you're focused on US coins. The opportunities for a US cataloger for those are much, much smaller than with someone who is well versed in world and ancient coinage. For US coins, you're much better off focusing on polishing your grading skills and going for a job at NGC or PCGS.

 

I don't think there are 200 professional grader jobs in the whole country. And it's a grind. You get a few seconds per coin, and 90% of what you see - probably 100% for rookies - will be high-grade bullion.

 

All very true. But even if there's only 100 graders, that's still going to be easier (and better, experience wise) than trying to find a job at a firm straight out. If you want something more than just working part time in the local shop, its the way to go.
And if you want to do anything in the US field, you MUST be able to grade.

 

@SuperDave literally said every single thing I was going to say. Just read his posts in this thread and pretend I said the same thing.

 

Anything has got to be better than this one.

 

I think the solution is to network professionals in the field.

Rather than discouraging the poster - I think what is important is to know that you really need to have the burning passion and knowledge as well as a basic understanding of business. Numismatics is somewhat a niche market. Don't get me wrong - there are millions of dollars involved but unlike larger markets such as automobiles, agriculture etc, this is still small.

Best advice is to keep sharpening your skills in numismatics, write articles if you have the burning passion and when the opportunity arrive, you can at least document and demonstrate what you have accomplished. There is nothing wrong being a small time coin dealer on ebay or at flea markets - this will still let you appreciate the business aspect of numismatics.

Whatever you do - be the expert in it and this is how you land a job as people value your expertise.

 

One are that is lacking, and where I make a fair amount is appraising for local banks and attorneys. They call me up when they need an estate or trust settled. More often than not, they just want it appraised...no sale involved. Before I came on the scene 20 years ago in my area, they would outsource that service 100+ miles away. It's maybe once a month, so I can't exactly make a living doing just that, but it supplements my shopping.

 

He needs to start now, because it'll take 10-15 years of visible professional experience before a TPG will even consider hiring him as a grader. They don't exactly hire folks off the street.

 

You guys are forgetting about being the personal buyer for a billionaire coin collector

 

What I wouldn't give. I'd finally be able to put worthy coins under my lenses, and see just_what I'm capable of with a camera.

The only trouble is, where does one advertise to acquire such a position? The intended audience doesn't exactly frequent Craigslist....

 

My plan is to infiltrate Legend and work my way up until I get a face to face with Bob Simpson then find common ground and ask for a chance

 

I'd stand a better chance with Laura. She's a loose cannon, just like me.

 

A good friend of mine had a shop for many years. He told me that someone ask for a job every few days. He liked me because I worked for free. It's tough to get a job at a local coin shop. There has to be a great deal of trust involved.

 

This happened to a coin shop somewhat in my area recently. She was like a daughter to the owner. So sad and disheartening

http://m.pe.com/articles/silver-794138-store-conway.html

 

I would think the best entry-level jobs for a person would be as an assistant at a coin shop (one that goes to plenty of shows). The show circuit is where you network, build a reputation, and grow your business and career.

No TPG is going to hire you as a grader until you have proven experience, depth of knowledge, and skill as a grader. If you live in their area, you may be able to get a non-grader job and build your career from there. Again, not many auction firms are going to hire you as a cataloguer until you have a similar depth of experience. If that is your career goal, then that is great - but you have to start at the bottom.

Other professional numismatic careers that nobody has really mentioned include journalist and/or researcher. If you have experience and an ability to write well, you may look at some numismatic publications (CoinWorld, Numismatic News, etc.) or publishing companies (Whitman, Krause, etc). Many of their articles are free lance (several people here have published articles with them), but they do also have staff. Again, I wouldn't expect a front page article, but I'm sure they have entry level positions.

It is really hard to make a living as a researcher, or author (as Roger Burdette has lamented many times), but you can start working towards that. Researching is a skill, just like any other, and writing takes talent - but if you can write well and have interesting things to say, people will be interested. Until you build a decent oeuvre, this will most likely only provide you some walking around money - but it's a start.

You could also develop numismatic websites. There is a certain skill required, but I'm sure there are many hobbyists who would like help developing or maintaining a site. Some of the best repositories of numismatic knowledge on the internet are specialist websites.

Another alternative could be museum positions. Maintaining, curating, creating displays, and researching all has to be done. There aren't too many numismatic museums, but there are many museums with numismatic displays. With a certain amount of experience, I'm guessing places like the ANA or ANS would be interested.

 

All true, every word.

I am being deliberately discouraging - although, I hope, factual - for a reason. If I can discourage you here, you don't have what it takes to succeed in this business, because you have to become a genuine expert to do any of it right. That's not something you can do part-time or casually.

If you have the drive and ambition to make something of it, you won't care what I say. Everything else can be taught or learned, but but you can't teach desire.