WORLD-WIDE COIN INVESTMENTS

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V29 2026 INDEX E-SYLUM ARCHIVE

The E-Sylum: Volume 29, Number 12, 2026, Article 14

E-Sylum Feature Writer and American Numismatic Biographies author Pete Smith submitted this article on two people behind the World-Wide Coin Investments dealership. Thanks! -Editor

Wayne suggested this as the subject for an article. Like a tree, this topic has many roots and branches that could be the source for another story. I will focus on two people. One built the company while the other ruined it.

World-Wide Coin Investment Inc. was founded in 1962 by John B. Hamrick, Jr. as president and Warren E. Tucker as vice-president. Each drove a Mark IV Lincoln as their company car.

In 1965, World-Wide Coin Investments, was selling copies of Sheldon's Penny-Whimsy from 1201 Fulton Bank Building in Atlanta. In 1968, the firm was operated by Hamrick at 346 Peachtree Street in N. E. Atlanta, Georgia. The company name was shown as World-Wide Coin Investments, Inc. In Apil 1968, the company began regular monthly ads in The Numismatist.

In 1971, World-Wide acquired Peachtree Coin Shop owned by Blaise Dantone. He remained on as a consultant.

In 1972, World-Wide Coin Investments was the first rare coin firm to have a main-frame computer on site. In 1974 they offered a free computer Want List Service.

In 1972, Hamrick in quick succession bought an 1894-S dime for $50,000, an 1804 dollar for $80,000 and a 1913 Liberty Nickel for $100,000. These brought the firm the desired result with positive publicity.

World-Wide Coin Investments became the first publicly traded rare coin company in February, 1972. The end of the company name was changed from Inc. to Ltd. The original issue was 140,000 shares sold for $5 each. The value quickly rose to $10 per share.

In 1973, they were World-Wide Coin Investments, Limited. Their address was 2970 Peachtree Street N. W. Suite 430. P. O. Box 11666 Atlanta, Georgia, 30305. Chattanooga Coin & Stamp Co. Inc, was a subsidiary and Gary B. Fillers was added to the board.

Things were going well for World-Wide in 1974 and Hamrick announced earnings of 22 cents per share in the second quarter. The World-Wide Rare Metals Exchange was thriving.

In 1974, J. Brian Skone was appointed president. Hamrick remained as chairman of the board. Under the leadership of Skone, much of the numismatic assets of their Florida store were sold off to GBH, Inc, (George B. Humphreys) in 1975. The firm suffered during the stagflation of 1975 and operated at a loss.

In 1976, World Wide Mint was a division of World-Wide Coin Investments, Ltd. They promoted bicentennial medals. Other subsidiaries included World-Wide Metals Exchange Ltd., and World- Wide Camera Fair, Ltd,

In 1977, Skone shifted activity from dealing in rare coins to marketing Coca-Cola memorabilia and production of silver ingots. It was reported that World-Wide operated at a loss in 1977. Skone resigned as president and CEO in 1978 and Hamrick returned in the role of president and chairman of the board. Skone remained as president of a subsidiary, World-Wide Camera Fair, Inc.

World-Wide had retail stores in Augusta, Athens, Savannah, Columbus, Georgia and Jacksonville, Florida,

In 1979, John B. Hamrick, Jr. sold 51 percent of the company to an undisclosed investor. Price was 75 cents per share for 290,000 shares. It was later reported that on July 24, 1979, Joseph H. Hale acquired 65 percent of the company. At that time the company had 40 employees. He was a childhood coin collector with no experience as a dealer. Joseph H. Hale was apparently successful in acquiring businesses but not good at managing them.

Floyd Seibert joined the board of directors in September 1979 and served as the firm's audit committee. Following the sale, the previous board resigned and on September 1, 1979, a new board was formed consisting of Hale, Jones and Siebert without an election by shareholders. Hale failed to file the proper forms to register change of ownership with the SEC.

World-Wide sold off their retail stores in 1980. After his separation from his company, in 1980 Hamrick was with Precious Metals Trading Corp.

Hale proposed the issue of 300,000 new shares of stock at a price of 75 cents ($225,000) and produced minutes of a meeting on July 24, 1979. allowing Hale to trade coins or medallions in exchange for these shares of stock. Others who attended the meeting testified that no minutes were taken and no action was taken to accept coins or medallions for the stock. The SEC had strong evidence that the minutes were fabricated.

Hale then sold medallions to World-Wide in exchange for the 300,000 shares of stock. Later testimony stated that his appraised value was greatly overstated and that the medallions had no value in the secondary market.

In 1981, the Boston Stock Exchange suspended trading in stock of World-Wide. By August, 1981, the company had been reduced to three employees. In October 1983. The National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc. dropped the company from the NASDAQ exchange since there was no public trading of the stock.

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filed suit against Hale and Siebert in August 1981 for violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. Presiding Judge Robert Vining made this statement:

"The deterioration of World-Wide's internal controls and accounting procedures constituted the primary thrust of the SEC's complaint. The SEC contended that the combination of late filings, lack of internal controls, transactions unsupported by adequate documentation, and a total disregard for proper accounting procedures resulting in the precarious position of the company. The company's accounting books were virtually ignored, general ledgers and general journals were not kept, and the checks written on the World-Wide's five checking accounts were not reconciled."

Hale and Siebert resigned from the board of World-Wide in July 1982 and were replaced by Larry Amick as chairman of the board.

On February 27, 1985, Joseph H. Hale was sentenced to five years in prison with five additional years of probation. He was ordered to pay a fine of $60,000 and ordered to pay $175,000 in restitution to the shareholders.

By 1985, the company name was back to World-Wide Coin Investments, Inc. with Tom Byrd as manager. They were at 3145 Peachtree Road N. E. Atlanta, Georgia 30305.

An unsatisfied customer won a court case against World-Wide in 1986 for failure to deliver Noble platinum coins that were ordered.

Their last ad in Coin World was February 17, 1988. Their last ad in The Numismatist was in the issue for June, 1988. Closing of the company and its subsidiaries was not noted.

Hamrick continued in business as John B. Hamrick & Co. Hamrick died on November 4. 2023, at age 81.

In 1977, Merritt Matherson Richardson, president of World Wide Coin Investments of Atlanta, Inc. was charged with nine counts of theft by receiving stolen property.

The original company ran a large display ad in 1977 with the statement, "World-Wide Coin Investments, Ltd., a Delaware corporation with its principal; office in Atlanta, is not affiliated with a certain Georgia corporation of a similar name whose president was recently indicted by the Fulton County Grand Jury."

World-Wide Mint had a Minneapolis address. About ten years ago I drove by there and found a small auto repair garage. I doubt if that was a production facility and they marketed products produced somewhere else, possibly Handy & Harman. I did not trace their ownership history.

Thanks, Pete - I was unaware of this history. I suggested the topic after reading in the new book Finding the Fort that a portion of an 1850s U.S. Army post payroll coin hoard was sold into the numismatic market in the 1970s by World-Wide Coin Investments, Inc. -Editor

To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see:
NEW BOOK: FINDING THE FORT (https://www.coinbooks.org/v29/esylum_v29n10a02.html)