Young Collector Profile: Ross Koenig

Nineteen-year-old collector Ross Koenig got his start in the hobby at the age of 12 when he found a 1894 Indian Cent while searching through change with his grandparents. What began as a chance discovery is turning into what this young numismatist hopes is a lifetime pursuit. “A lot of support in the beginning from my parents, local coin shop, and the American Numismatic Association (ANA) young numismatist program kept me engaged, especially as the COVID-19 pandemic caused clubs in my area to shut down,” he recounts. “Most of my time collecting in the beginning was spent coin roll hunting.”

The college sophomore pursuing chemistry and Jewish studies also loves American history. And that draws him toward collecting primarily U.S. coins and banknotes, with a primary focus on building a U.S. type set. “As the history of coins is what I enjoy the most, collecting all dates or mintmarks within a series interests me less than type sets with a larger amount of variety.” He also enjoys collecting what he calls “conversation starters,” or pieces most people don’t know much about. “I like to collect odd pieces like large-size Silver Certificates, 5 Ounce Silver America The Beautiful Quarters, odd-denomination coinage, and so on. Though they are fun to talk about with guests, I mainly like these pieces for provoking conversations in my own head.” He also strays into world and ancient coinage, but he adds, “The daunting nature of collecting coins from the whole world has kept me focused mostly on the United States.”

Koenig says coins can help him better understand the nation’s past by analyzing the relics of yore. “Being able to hold and own artifacts that are the result of policy decisions of their time is one of the main benefits of collecting coins that continues to keep me interested.” He says another important aspect of the hobby is the network of friends he has built from across the United States. “Because the hobby is smaller than something like collecting trading cards, I’m able to see and connect with the same faces over and over, which has led me to create multiple friendships within the hobby!”

Even with a vibrant network of fellow collectors, Koenig wonders why more young people don’t collect coins. “Talking with friends in high school, most felt that coin collecting wasn’t interesting or rewarding enough for them to take interest.” But this never deterred the budding collector, who eventually went on to write for the American Numismatic Association (ANA), which eventually landed him the organization’s coveted Young Numismatist Literary Award in 2023 and the Young Numismatist of the Year Award in 2024, not to mention ANA Summer Seminar scholarships.

Recently coming off an internship with Heritage Auctions, Koenig continues sharing his passion for numismatics through writing articles about the hobby, conducting academic presentations in college that touch on coins, and studying metal compositions in college chemistry classes. “By bringing up coins whenever possible, I’ve exposed many people to numismatics who otherwise might never have encountered it.” As his college journey continues, Koenig isn’t sure what his career holds in store. He hopes to pursue a profession as a metal chemist, though he says he’s open to a numismatic career path. “Regardless of where I end up, I definitely hope to stay involved in numismatics as a collector and hobbyist.”