Fifty years is quite some distance to travel as a professional numismatist. My personal journey
actually started 65 years ago when I was 7 years old and my grandmother gave me a handful of Indian
head cents and an 1818 Swedish silver medal. The final spike in the rail that led me to where I am today
was when, as part of my 35 cent a week allowance, my father gave me a 1916-D dime, which at the time
was worth $12.50. This made coin collecting, numismatics as we know it today, seem to be a pretty
good way to go.
Today, Harlan J. Berk, Ltd. is a full service numismatic company with a 31 N Clark St. ground
floor location in the financial district of Chicago. We not only deal in ancient coins, but have very strong
departments in U.S. Coins, bullion, paper money, world coins, antiquities, and a newly founded highly
successful department in antique maps, both American and world. Harlan J. Berk, Ltd. also owns Gemini
Numismatic Auctions, LLC, which holds an annual sale at the New York International in January and has
held a midyear sale in Chicago and may also do more in the future.
This catalog celebrating our 50
th
anniversary is a print catalog. Which is a bit of a dinosaur, but
is a tangible way to mark this important moment. Future Buy or Bid catalogs will in general be
electronic, though hand printed catalogs will be available upon request. We are looking forward to doing
business with all of you for another 50 years. To mark our 100
th
anniversary, most likely someone else
will be writing this letter.
Harlan J. Berk
President, Harlan J. Berk, Ltd.
