NUMISMATIC CAREERS: A CHAT WITH NGC

In 1987, a company called the Numismatic Guaranty Corporation (“NGC”) was formed in order to provide a specific service to the numismatic community: an honest, trusted third party coin authentication and grading service. Although not the oldest third party group, established 15 years after the founding of the American Numismatic Association Certification Service (“ANACS”) and two years after the Professional Coin Grading Service (“PCGS”), NGC boasts an impressive 39 million authenticated and graded coins as of 2017, their 30th year of operation.

Max Spiegel, NGC Senior Vice President, Sales & Marketing, described employment, formal education, and careers in the third party coin grading service in an exclusive interview with JET Numismatics. For young coin collectors, some believe that their collection begins and ends with holding on to coins, placing them in an album, or simply protecting them in 2×2 cardboard flaps, for long term storage. However, the opportunities for younger generations to learn about getting more out of their collection, getting a numismatic education, and even making a career out of numismatics is vast, but unfortunately for the latter, not promoted as it should be.

As for the Numismatic Guaranty Corporation, their organization is described as a “dream job” for any type of numismatist, according to Spiegel. Spiegel continued to say, “You get to see some of the world’s greatest rarities and you are surrounded by some of the most talented numismatists in the world.”

For younger generations, many of the numismatists born in the 21st century are nearing the end of the K-12 educational system, and some will be seeking higher education. A difficulty for those considering our hobby as a career path through higher education is finding a degree involving numismatics. Currently, the University of Vienna in Austria offers programs involving numismatics, however for those numismatists seeking higher education in the United States, their options are slim to none.

When asked about this topic during the NGC hiring process, Spiegel offered an alternative to formal higher education, saying, “We look at numismatic experience and ability more than formal education. Many of our senior graders have decades of experience either as graders or dealers. Many of our junior graders have collected for a number of years and showed an eye for grading.” Spiegel goes on about the junior graders, saying, “They’re now being trained by the senior members of our grading team.”

For those determined to achieve a college degree, it is clear a degree specifically for numismatics is not necessary. According to Spiegel, “There are a variety of degrees that have a connection to numismatics, including economics, history and art history.” As for his organization, Spiegel said, “When NGC is evaluating prospective graders, however, we seldom consider what they studied in school. We are much more interested in their numismatic knowledge, grading ability and how well they work with our existing grading team. Prospective graders are always tested in a grading room setting before we make a job offer.”

To read the complete article, see:
NUMISMATIC CAREERS: A CHAT WITH NGC (https://jetnumismatics.wordpress.com/2017/12/29/numismatic-careers-a-chat-with-ngc/)

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