World’s Greatest Coin Grader
Ian Russell GLOBALLY RECOGNIZED COIN GRADER and veteran numismatic auctioneer Ian
Russell was introduced
to coins and collectibles when he was 14 years old
and living in Sydney, Australia. He has graded and
handled many of the greatest rarities in numismatics,
including the record-breaking $12 million purchase
of the world’s most valuable silver coin – the unique
Specimen 1794 Silver Dollar.
Russell has made this top list of graders as he has
graded the three most valuable coins ever submitted to
PCGS, including the 1933 Saint-Gaudens Double Eagle
and a privately produced Casascius Bitcoin token –
these two are currently valued at over $100 million!
As one of his many responsibilities at GreatCollections, the firm he co-founded in 2010, he oversees
the raw coin and paper money submissions to PCGS,
CAC and NGC. During 2024, GreatCollections has
already spent over $3 million with these companies on
grading fees.
“Our goal is to only grade coins for our clients
where the grading by a third party adds value. There’s
no point in wasting money on grading fees otherwise,”
said Russell.
In the decade before co-founding Great Collections,
he gained further valuable experience working as
president of Teletrade, Inc. and chief operating officer
of Bowers and Merena Auctions, at the time, two of
the largest coin auction houses in North America.
After several years with Stanley Gibbons, he realized
the collectibles market was much more active in the
United States and, being young, left his family and
friends in Australia with two suitcases of belongings.
He says that he found Teletrade fascinating. Within
the first year, Amazon.com gave him a tour of its
headquarters in Seattle, and he was one of the leads
on KISS The Auction.
The multi-million-dollar auction was conducted
jointly by Greg Manning Auctions and Butterfield’s
at Paramount Studios in Hollywood. The auction set numerous records and is still regarded today as one
of the most successful music memorabilia auctions in
history.
In 2010, Russell and his wife launched GreatCollections in Irvine, California with a goal to improve how
coins and paper money are sold at auction. Since their
first auction, they have sold over 1.5 million certified
coins worth over $1.3 billion.
The GreatCollections auction archive contains
every coin that company has sold. Russell said that it’s
likely the most useful auction archive for coins since
it contains coins of all values, and it’s automatically
increasing by over 100,000 records each year as new
auctions end.
Despite the online approach to bidding, Russell has
developed relationships with thousands of collectors
which led to handling 1804 Silver Dollars and 1913
Liberty Head Nickels. He also helped one of his clients
assemble the greatest collection of Saint-Gaudens Double
Eagles ever formed. In one six-month period, Russell
sold two dozen seven-figure coins to private clients.
Third-party coin grading and the highest quality images, which GreatCollections refers to as
GreatPhotos, make it possible to bid on a $50, $5,000
or $500,000 coin online without viewing the coin
in person. Russell pointed out that he and his team
also offer in-depth opinions about coins to potential
bidders as requested.
Russell and GreatCollections have received notable
recognition over the past few years, including the
American Numismatic Association’s Harry Forman
2023 Dealer of the Year award, as well as the Numismatic Literary Guild award for Best Dealer Website.
GreatCollections has been the official auctioneer of
the American Numismatic Association for the past
three years.
Ian Russell, President/Owner
17891 Cartwright Road
Irvine CA 92614
Tel: 800-442-6467
Website: www.greatcollections.com
