Love of "Money" is a Rare Business

Abbott & Barton Rare Coins

Andrew Barton was 4 years old when he started collecting coins. He had a special hiding place for the currency his parents would give him. As he got older, he continued his fascination with rare coins, even using the money earned from his newspaper route to purchase coins for his collection.

Now, many years later, Andrew has teamed up with Mike Abbott to open Abbott & Barton Rare Coins.   Located at 4698 South Holladay Blvd., the coin store caters to anyone with an interest in buying, selling or trading currency. Andrew especially enjoys working with young people, encouraging them to carry on the tradition of coin collecting.

“I’m still basically a kid at heart,” he says. “The young people are the future of coin collecting and we hold them very near and dear.”

Among the rare coins at Abbott & Barton’s is an Athenian Owl from ancient Greece. Dating back to 449 B.C., the coin is 2,500 years old. “This is the most famous ancient Greek coin in history,” Andrew says. “This would have funded the building of the Parthenon.”

The store has a complete set of United States 20-cent pieces, minted from 1875 to 1878. They never really caught on and are now very valuable to coin collectors and enthusiasts. Cent coins from 1799 and 1804 can also be found at the shop, some valued at $5,000. One of the most popular U.S. coins, the uncirculated, beautifully-toned Morgan silver dollar, is available to buy, sell or trade.

Customers not knowledgeable about the value of coins can bring their collections into Abbott & Barton’s for a free verbal appraisal. Or they can utilize the U.S. Coins Red Books, which lists every coin ever made and the value for each.

A member of the Utah Numismatic Society and the American Numismatic Association, Andrew shares his knowledge of rare coins with anyone willing to learn. He frequently teaches Boy Scout groups to help them receive certification for the coin collecting merit badge.

“In numismatics, knowledge is king,” he says. “If I can help my customers, that’s a great thing.”

 Andrew says in today’s economy, coins are a great investment because “they’re always valuable, always increasing in value and there is no sales tax on rare coins in Utah.”

Fairness, honesty, good deals and value are important to Mike and Andrew. Honest appraisals, customer service and good advice are a mainstay of their business. Along with currency, bullion and ancient coins, the shop deals in rare Utah items including old documents.

Abbott & Barton Rare Coins is open Tuesday through Friday from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m. and on Saturday from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. For more information, call 278-8500.
 

Spotlight courtesy of The Valley Journals, written by Peri Kinder.

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