Snowpack Numismatics is a one-person operation based in Colorado. Every coin you see listed came through the same careful hands — mine — and every decision about what to buy, how to grade, and how to price it runs through the same filter: would I keep this in my own collection? If the answer is yes, it lands here.
How Snowpack works
I source coins the same way most working dealers do — by paying attention everywhere coins change hands. The major auctions: Heritage, Stack's Bowers, Great Collections, David Lawrence. The smaller and regional houses, where some of the most interesting material quietly slips through. Local coin shops across Colorado, and any time I'm traveling I make a point to walk into the shops in whatever town I'm in — the best finds usually come from someone who knew the previous owner. Estate purchases from Colorado collectors, and a handful of long-standing dealer relationships that pre-date Snowpack by years.
And yes — like everyone else, I watch eBay and other dealers' sites for coins where I think I can find value. There's no shame in it; the listings page is open to everyone, and a sharp eye is the whole game. The difference is what happens before a coin lands on Snowpack: every piece is vetted in hand. Nothing is sight-unseen, nothing is resold from a wholesale box, and nothing is photographed under flattering lighting to hide a problem.
When I find something with the right combination of grade, eye appeal, and price — an undergraded coin, a pristine example of a common date, an early American piece with genuine character — it goes up on the site within a week. When a coin doesn't quite live up to its grade, I pass. The inventory stays small on purpose.
Our commitments
- Slab certified only. Every coin in this inventory is certified by PCGS, NGC or CACG — occasionally ANACS for the right piece. No raw coins, no tray lots, no "details-grade" pieces sold as problem-free. CAC-stickered coins are clearly labeled.
- Coins at every grade and price. A nice circulated Indian Head cent for $40 and a six-figure Bust dollar are both welcome on the listings page. What I care about is that every coin is priced for what it is — original surfaces, accurate grade, no upselling to the holder. Collect what you love at the level that fits your budget; the inventory is built to support that.
- Every coin is negotiable. Make an offer on anything listed. Serious bids get a same-day response — accept, counter, or a clear no. Coins have always been a conversation.
- Fully insured, always. Orders under $2,500 ship USPS Priority Mail, insured with tracking. At $2,500 and above, shipping upgrades to free USPS Registered Mail with signature confirmation — slower, one to two weeks coast-to-coast, but the only method I trust for irreplaceable coins. Local collectors can skip the mail entirely and pick up in person.
- No buyer's premium on auctions. Our quarterly sales close the first Sunday of each quarter — hammer price is what you pay. The major houses charge 15-20% on top; I think that's predatory. Bid to your number, not to your number divided by 1.2.
- Genuine satisfaction guarantee. If a coin arrives and isn't what you expected, send it back within 14 days for a full refund — no restocking fee, no interrogation. Real dealers stand behind their inventory.
What I collect personally
Early American coinage, broadly — most everything pre-1960 with the right look. My favorite ground is early silver and pre-1933 gold. Draped busts and capped busts. Flowing hair dollars. Seated Liberty across every denomination it ran in. Indians of every flavor. Federal contract coinage — Fugios sit in their own corner of my collection — and early American copper of all kinds, half cents through large cents and the colonial copper that came before them.
The thread that runs through all of it is original skin and gorgeous toning. Cleaned coins, dipped coins, lifeless "white" coins — I pass every time, no matter how high the holder grade reads. A coin that's spent a century quietly carrying its own patina in an album somewhere is worth more to me than a stripped MS-65 of the same date. If it doesn't have eye appeal, it doesn't belong in the inventory.
Morgans and Peace dollars aren't my main lane, but every now and then one shows up that just sings — outstanding strike, killer toning, real presence. When that happens it goes in the inventory without hesitation. It's about the coin, not the series.
If you collect what I collect — or you have something special in any of those areas you're thinking of selling — we'll have a lot to talk about.
A side passion: Civil War tokens & exonumia
Outside the inventory, my favorite corner of the hobby is exonumia — the world of medals, store cards, hard-times tokens, and everything else that looks like a coin but isn't one. The pieces that pull me in hardest are Civil War tokens: one- and two-cent privately-issued pieces struck during the coin shortages of 1861–1864, when small change vanished and merchants and patriots filled the gap themselves.
What hooked me is the combination of incredible design and incredible history. Hundreds of die varieties, each one a little snapshot of the country mid-war — eagles, flags, slogans, portraits of Lincoln and McClellan, mocking caricatures, store cards from grocers and tailors and saloon-keepers in towns that don't exist anymore. Every token is a tiny archive of a moment when the United States was unraveling and ordinary commerce kept insisting on going forward.
Snowpack doesn't sell Civil War tokens — at least not yet. They're a personal obsession, not part of the business lane. But if you collect them and want to talk shop, I'm always game.
Professional memberships
Snowpack is a member of the major organizations that keep this hobby honest:
- American Numismatic Association (ANA)
- Florida United Numismatists (FUN)
- Central States Numismatic Society (CSNS)
- Civil War Token Society (CWTS)
Meet us in person
We travel to major national and regional coin conventions throughout the year, including the ANA World's Fair of Money, the FUN Convention, and the Long Beach Expo. If you are planning to attend, we would love to have you stop by our table to view inventory, discuss consignments, or talk shop.
Check our Show Calendar for table locations, dates, and to schedule a face-to-face meeting.
Get in touch
Want a specific coin I don't have listed? Have one you're thinking about selling? Looking to consign a small collection? Email mike@snowpackcoins.com — every message gets a personal response, usually within a few hours.