By Jackson Keefe for CoinWeek…
At 15, while most of my friends were gaming or playing Airsoft, I found myself weighing chains with broken clasps and earrings that did not match—buying 10k gold from locals and selling it at thin margins to “Sell Your Gold” shops. I didn’t come from a family of jewelers, but I quickly learned the value of precious metals and the quiet market around them.
Like many young numismatists, I started on Instagram, where deals were sparse and small, margins even smaller. I’d hustle up enough to buy a small gold chain, making $10 here, $15 there. It wasn’t glamorous, but the treasure hunt for gold excited me. Trading from one person to another taught me market mechanics: understanding the gold price per gram, spotting fake pieces, negotiating with those older than me, and meeting more experienced dealers.
By 16, I graduated from scrap to bullion: generic rounds, bars, and American Eagles. I could now trade in bulk using my profits from a year of selling scrap that only refiners wanted. I began buying large groups from coin shops and selling them to wholesalers. Knowing the real-time melt value of gold and silver became everything. Gold calculators and wholesale sheets drove my pocket investing empire. The spot price moves, someone wants a quote, and I had to be fast, confident, and accurate.
Then came the turning point. A collector on Instagram offered me three XF Morgan Dollars at melt. I didn’t think much of it then — 90% silver is 90% silver, right? But when I sold one to another collector, he was thrilled. “Nice coin,” he said. “Great eye appeal.” That was my first introduction to the world of numismatics — not just silver content but design, toning, condition, and demand.
I didn’t stop. I kept one Morgan, started researching it, and then bought a few more. Next thing I knew, I was collecting toners, digging into U.S. type coins, asking questions at shows, and watching auctions at Stacks Bowers. I went from trading scrap to collecting by the slab. Each piece had a story, a value beyond its market, and people were willing to pay for that story.
Numismatic bullion became my gateway—coins that ride the line between melt value and collectible premium. Many young dealers enter the world of coins through numismatic bullion. You buy based on weight, and you sell based on beauty.
Eventually, I started traveling to major coin shows across the country. Baltimore, Long Beach, Denver. I met legends in the hobby, handled six-figure coins, and developed deep relationships with collectors and dealers. What started as a side hustle on Instagram became a full-fledged career — one built on respect, precision, and a genuine love for the material.
