Jim Halperin was born in Boston, Massachusetts in
1952, and has been a professional numismatist since
1969, when he opened Jim's Stamp & Coin Shop, in
Cochituate, Mass. He attended Harvard College, but
took a leave of absence (which so far has turned out to
be a permanent one) in 1971, halfway through his
sophomore year, to become a full time coin dealer.
In late 1982, Jim Halperin moved to Dallas, Texas, to
form a partnership with long time friend and arch-rival,
Steve Ivy.
Jim Halperin and Steve Ivy's company, Heritage
Capital Corporation, is now possibly the largest and
certainly one of the most well respected coin and stamp
firms in the world. It's divisions and affiliates include
Heritage Rare Coin Galleries, Heritage Coin
Wholesale, Heritage Numismatic Auctions, U.S. Rare
Coin Exchange, Steve Ivy Philatelic Auctions, U.S.
Tangible Investment Corporation and the Numismatic
Certification Institute.
Jim is considered to be among the world's foremost
experts on US. coins and coin grading. His other
interests include late 19th and 20th century paintings
and sculpture, art nouveau glass, comic art, weightlifting and racquetball.
Jim currently lives near Dallas, Texas with his wife, Gayle, a professor of dance. They met in mid-1982 in New York City (appropriately at the Lone Star Cafe). Gayle had been dancing professionally for a modern dance company in New York City, and also taught at Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut. They have been blissfully married since 1984, and Gayle now teaches dance technique at Texas Woman's University.
Jim and Gayle have also set up a foundation based in Dallas to promote the teaching of daily health education courses in public schools.
This book's forerunner, the N.C.I. Grading Guide was Jim's first book, although he has written dozens of articles for numismatic publications. Jim hopes to write several other educational numismatic books, and is presently looking for ideas and suggestions of topics for his next book.
Any correspondence should be addressed to:
Jim Halperin
3500 Maple Ave. 17th Floor
Dallas, TX 75219-3941
e-mail: [email protected]
