The ANACS Numismatic Team

J.P. Martin’s involvement in the field of numismatics dates to 1965, and his accomplishments and expertise make him truly one of the top names in the hobby. J.P. worked as a coin dealer in the Chicago area until 1986, when he became a Senior Numismatist for ANACS. He went on to hold that same title at ANAAB and ICG, returning to ANACS at the beginning of 2008. J.P. is not content to limit his vast expertise to just the grading of coins. His resume of accomplishments and recognition in the hobby is diverse and vast. To wit, Mr. Martin has:

Michael Fahey has been a professional coin grader since 1981, and has personally mentored graders that are currently employed at each of the major third-party coin grading services. Mr. Fahey joined ANACS in January of 1981, and was promoted to the position of Final Grader in September of that same year. In 1984, he became a Senior Numismatist, and has held that title ever since, with the exception of a two year period (2006 – 2008) when he held the same title at ICG.

Michael’s expertise in coin authentication is well known, and he is the author of an authentication article that has appeared regularly in Coin World magazine for over 15 years. His work with Coin World was expanded five years ago, and he now authors a in-depth grading article there every month. He also assisted in the writing of the ANA Grading Guide, and Coin World’s Making The Grade book and iPad application.

In addition to his written contributions, Mr. Fahey also provides his authentication expertise to various auction houses and law enforcement agencies. Michael is a longtime member of the ANA.

John Roberts is a lifelong numismatist regarded as one of the industry’s leading experts in Morgan Dollar variety attribution, and is credited with the discovery of several hundred varieties, many on behalf of his clients. Mr. Roberts became a professional numismatist in 2000, after serving as a soldier and engineer in the U.S. Army. He worked in a leading coin store in Columbus, Ohio, before starting his own business as a coin dealer focusing on varieties. In 2003, he joined the ANACS team, and is the Director of Attribution Services in addition to his duties as a grader.

Mr. Roberts is an avid collector of numismatic literature, and is fascinated by the story behind the coins, particularly methods of manufacture and politics of the day. He is a member of several numismatic organizations from the local to the national level, including the ANA, CSNS, OSNA, FUN, NBS, NLG, CONECA, and NCADD. He currently serves on the Board of Directors for the SSDC and CONA.

Mr. Roberts is also well regarded as an author. His column, About VAMs, appears monthly in Coin World magazine. His recent book, A Guide to the Varieties of the 1878 Carson City Morgan Silver Dollar, received an Award of Extraordinary Merit from the Numismatic Literary Guild and the A. George Mallis Award from the Society of Silver Dollar Collectors. John can frequently be found at major coin shows around the country, both as an educational speaker, or providing expert opinions on behalf of ANACS.

Larry Wilson brings a lifetime love of numismatics and history to his role as Senior Grader. Before joining ICG at its inception, Larry was an avid coin collector and some time dealer since 1976. Larry oversaw the final quality control step of the grading process at ICG from 1998 through 2008, when he joined the ANACS grading team. At ANACS, Larry is one of just two graders who have the final say on the grades of hundreds of thousands of coins each year. Larry is a member of the ANA.

Kathleen Oviatt joined ANACS in 2000, and became a member of the grading team in July of 2005. Mentoring with Mr. Martin and Mr. Fahey, Ms. Oviatt has finely developed her skills of counterfeit detection and variety verification. She worked as an editor on Q. David Bowers’ The Official RED BOOK: A Guide Book of Washington and State Quarters. Kathleen is a member of the ANA.

Suzanne Jones started at ICG in 1999, where she was promoted to grader in 2002. She joined the ANACS team in 2008, and has been continuing her numismatic career here since. Her specialty is U.S. coins. Suzanne is a member of the ANA.

Brian Kent is a coin collector who came to Colorado from Florida to join the ANACS Grading Team. Brian’s specialties are variety research and attribution, grading of domestic and foreign vintage coins, and numismatic micro-photography.

In addition to our full time team of graders, ANACS relies upon a network of esteemed numismatic consultants, allowing us to have the most inclusive acceptance policy in the hobby. Respected experts who regularly review and authenticate coins for us include: Steve Album (Islamic, Indian, and Oriental coins), Allen Berman (Foreign, Ancient, and Medieval coins), Rick Ponterio (Spanish Colonial coins and more), and Dr. James Wiles (Errors and Die Pair varieties). In addition, our numismatic team maintains healthy relationships with experts across the numismatic spectrum, whom we occasionally call upon to provide expertise about specific types of coins.