Jeff Garrett

Jeff Garrett began his coin collecting the all-American way, with Lincoln Cents. In 1969 a family friend gave him a Lincoln cent board. From that time, coins became the focus of his life. While growing up in the Tampa Bay area in Clearwater Florida, Jeff became very active in several local clubs, serving as a junior officer of the Clearwater Coin Club in the 1970's. He was mentored at an early age by many of the area dealers, among them Ed French and Jeff Means. Jeff attended his first ANA convention at the 1974 Miami convention with Ed French and has not missed one since. He has been a member of the ANA for over 25 years with life membership number 3124. At the age of 17, Garrett was offered a position with Florida Coin Exchange, one of the dominant firms of the day. Two years later, he became a partner. In 1984, he founded Mid-American Rare Coin Galleries, which continues to operate today. Garrett also is co-owner of Sarasota Rare Coin Gallery. During the 1980's Garrett was a partner in Mid-American Rare Coin Auctions which sold many important collections, and earned catalogue of the year in 1986 from the Numismatic Literary Guild. Several years later Jeff organized the Bluegrass Coin Club in Lexington, Kentucky. Because local coin clubs were so important in Jeff's early life, he felt it would be important to foster the same atmosphere of enthusiastic collectors that he enjoyed as a youth. Today, the club is very healthy, with over thirty members in attendance each month.

Today, Garrett Today, Garrett describes his expertise as being a "dealer's dealer." With a network of professionals he has established over 25 years, he helps with financing, research, and the sale of acquisitions. Over the course of his career, Garrett has handled nearly every United States rarity. During the American Numismatic Convention in 2003 Garrett was one of the experts called upon to authenticate the long lost 1913 Liberty Nickel. In 2004 Garrett handled one of the greatest gold collections ever assembled, the famed Dukes Creek set of Georgia gold. That collection sold for over four million dollars. Another important aspect of his career is his membership in the Professional Numismatic Guild, to which he has belonged since 1982. Garrett has recently been President of the prestigious organization. In 2003 he was given the Abe Kosoff Founders Award by the PNG, that organizations highest honor for work promoting the hobby and organization. In 2009 Jeff was awarded the PNG Art Kagin Ambassador Award for his “tireless efforts promoting numismatics”.

In 2009 Garrett ran successfully for seat on the board of governors for the American Numismatic Association. The ANA is the largest numismatic organization in the world.

Although he spends most of his time buying and selling coins, Garrett enjoys research and the study of rare coins. Jeff has authored many of the most popular numismatic references published in the last decade. This includes the award winning 100 Greatest U.S. Coins and the Encyclopedia of United States Gold Coinage. The Encyclopedia was published in cooperation with the Smithsonian Institute. Jeff is also an important part of the Smithsonian’s National Numismatic Department and serves as consultant to the museum on funding, exhibits, conservation, and research. Thanks to Jeff’s and many others efforts, rare coins are once again on exhibit at the Smithsonian’s Museum of American History.

Other numismatic works include the Redbook of Auction Records series and United States Coinage-A Study by Type. Garrett currently serves as valuations editor for the Guide Book of United States Coins (Redbook), the leading numismatic publication in the world.

Living in Lexington, Kentucky, he enjoys golf, travel, and spending time with his family: his wife Mary Lynn, their daughter Morgan, and their son Benjamin, who now works as a rare coin grader for Numismatic Guaranty Corp. in Sarasota Florida.

Jeff Garrett on Junior Officer Night Clearwater Coin Club, 1972