James Essence

James has been a collector for 26 years, and has been a coin dealer for the past 15 years.

Born and raised in Madison, James attended several colleges including UW-Madison and eventually graduated from University of California at Berkeley. James financed his education by buying and selling coins at national shows, gaining depth in knowledge of issues involved in coin collecting and dealing.

James got his start in Numismatics at age five by going with his dad to the bank to visit the safety deposit box which held a small collection of gold coins that have been passed down in the family. When James was 12, Len opened the doors to his shop in Madison. Since those early days Len encouraged James' enthusiasm in numerous ways and became a significant mentor in all areas of numismatics.

Over the years James has served the numismatic hobby in many ways. He is past vice-president of the Madison Coin Club, served as dealer chairman of the Madison coin show, and has won numerous national exhibit and literary awards. James has also been interviewed on National Public Radio, as well as local TV and radio stations covering various topics of numismatics.

In 2002 James began working for Len at his shop with the idea to eventually purchase the business which occurred in 2003. Since then Len and James have been serving the Greater Madison area in all their coin and stamp collecting needs.