My interest in coins began at a very young age when I could first read the dates on my parents coins and noticed all the early dates still in circulation at that time. My interest in ancient and medieval coins began a few years later in 1968 when I was 13 years old and attended my first coin auction. This was at a Bud Haynes auction in Red Deer where I viewed a lot including two ancient Roman coins along with an introductory book about them. Fortunately I was the only one in the room willing to bid on the lot, allowing my meager budget of $8.00 to acquire them. That $8.00 set me on life long path study and learning about ancient coins. I still have both the book and one of the two coins.
The next few years were frustrating as Western Canada was not a hot bed of ancient coins. I was forced to search further abroad to acquire more examples but over time I found sources and like many collectors acquired many duplicates and surplus items when buying group lots. I begain selling my extras as a very small scale vest pocket dealer while still in university. This gradually expended in to a hobby business as I started buying coins specifically for re-sale, and in 1986 started R.D.K. ANCIENT COINS as a part time store although I was then also working as a geologist in the oil patch.
In 1989 Tom Preston joined the business and the name was changed to Calgary Coin Gallery. This allowed the business to be hopen full time an expansion into a wider variety of coins including Canadian, US and modern World coins. I quite the oil business in 2001 to work in the store full time. Tom retired in 2012 after which I have run the business full time by myself. While I now deal in all aspects of numismatics, my first love is still ancient and medieval coins.
In August of 2023 I sold Calgary Coin (R&T Enterprises Ltd) to Rej and am now working as a consultant while I get Rej trained and able to run the business himself. I may stay on for a few more years after that but I am not at retirement age it was time to do this. I will be adding more information about Rej in the near future..test.
CNA - Royal Canadian Numismatic Association (Life member 433)
ANA - American Numismatic Association (br-3150774)
CAND - Canadian Association of Numismatic dealers
CNS - Calgary Numismatic Society
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