Coin and paper money auction firm Bowers and Merena Auctions has named Matthew Quinn as director of currency auctions, it announced Aug. 21.
Quinn will work alongside currency specialist Kevin Foley, who is consignment director and senior numismatist for rare currency for Bowers and Merena.
The announcement comes on the heels of Bowers and Merena’s official auction of the American Numismatic Association World’s Fair of Money in Los Angeles in early August, which presented more than 500 U.S. and world bank notes, including a rare 1870 Fr. 1162 $100 California gold bank note that realized $207,000.
Quinn comes to Bowers and Merena from sister company Spectrum Currency where he worked at dealing bank notes, cataloging, auction processing and enhancing dealer relationships.
“Matt is an ambitious young talent in the industry who takes his passion for collectible paper money with serious detail,” said Steve Deeds, president of Bowers and Merena. “He has been working closely with Bowers and Merena on several auctions in recent months and he will surely be a valuable asset to our company and our consignors.”
Originally from New Hampshire, Quinn credits his initial passion for numismatics to his grandfather who introduced him to coins at a young age, he said.
He added that he first learned the intricacies of U.S. bank notes from veteran currency dealer Donald Severance and was inspired to pursue a career in numismatics and bank notes by seasoned currency expert Peter Treglia, both of whom he worked closely with during his time at Spectrum Currency.
Quinn became fascinated with the auction process while at Spectrum Currency as he assisted Bowers and Merena, enjoying cataloging U.S. bank notes and later adding world bank notes to his repertoire with the recent acquisition of Ponterio and Associates.
“I’ve always strived to be the best I can be, and with numismatics you can never stop learning. I am really looking forward to this new direction and challenge,” Quinn said.
For more information, call (800) 458-4646 or visit the firm’s Web site at www.bowersandmerena.com.
