ARTICLE PROFILES RICHARD BAGG

Have you checked your portfolio of rare coins lately? Richard Bagg follows the field closely, because he is immersed in this esoteric endeavor.

In an era of Fidelity, Putnam and Charles Schwab, the Newburyport expert and consultant is deeply involved in a science — and investment field — almost as old as the republic itself.

“Many people start as coin collections, with pennies, nickels and dimes as youngsters,” said Bagg, who has close to four decades of experience.

“I continued my interest over the years and have been a rare coin specialist to investment professionals, financial planners and actual investors.”

Bagg, a native of western Massachusetts, earned a doctorate in psychology from the University of New Hampshire.

But he gravitated to coin collecting and consulting, which has emerged as an investment against inflation and falling stock markets.

One of his specialties is appraising collections for estates, museums, libraries and historical institutions such as the Historical Society of Old Newbury.

Another area of his expertise is auction. He is a past auction director for one of the foremost auction firms in the business, Bowers and Merena.

During his time there, he acquired consignments for more than 150 auctions, and played a role in the offering of collections from such institutions as the New York Public Library and Johns Hopkins University.

“A lot goes into coin collecting, including knowledge of history and an awareness of the market,” said Bagg, who travels frequently to appraise and/or plan sales of collections.

“I have participated in the production of 150 coin auctions for more than 10,000 clients,” the Temple Street resident said.

To read the complete article, see:
Check your coin jar (www.newburyportnews.com/news/local_news/article_a2971dfd-e766-5ed2-a350-e6ca27631dfc.html)

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