National Rarities' July Employee Spotlight
Every member of our outstanding team has a special role that makes everything possible. From estate buying to the final sale and a person who helps make all of that possible is Mark Regan Estate Specialist, GIA AJP. We hope you get to know a bit about Mark in our July Employee Spotlight!
Our customers are always amazed by your vast knowledge. Give us a brief history of yourself and your relevant training
I'm a born and raised St. Louis native with a previous background in the military industry. Paired with being an avid outdoorsman, it has led me to be one of our inhouse military experts. I've also taken on a great interest in helping with our fine watch department!
Always on the go! What does a typical day look like for you at National Rarities on and off the road?
Not one day is the same here at National Rarities. One day I may be listing an antique toy and the next a high end Rolex wristwatch, we sell a large diversity of items. On the road I get to meet some amazing people and evaluate their "rarities", it really is a pleasure to help identify the value of these items! Everyday on the job brings new learning experiences and challenges, but it is why I love my job!
We love having you on the team but what is your favorite thing about working at National Rarities?
My favorite part of being an employee at National Rarities is my "work family". I cherish the relationships I have formed with my co-workers. We truly are a big family here at NR!
You have met with so many clients. What is your favorite piece that you have purchased or sold? Do you have a story behind it?
My favorite item I purchased for the company was a 1895 Proof Cameo Morgan Silver Dollar. There is no circulation strike 1895 Morgan Dollars from the Philadelphia Mint known to exist. However, there were 880 proof coins produced for the year. This was not a particularly low mintage for a proof coin, but the lack of any circulation strikes creates high demand and makes the 1895 Proof Morgan Dollar a prized rarity. Mint records do indicate that a total of 12,000 Morgan Dollars were struck at the Philadelphia Mint in 1895. Countless theories have been written about it, but the general consensus is that they were presumably all melted in one of the great melts. These occurred after the so-called Pitmann act was signed into law in 1918, calling for the melting of 270 million silver dollars in storage. It has also been speculated that it was an accounting error and the pieces were never struck. Whatever the reality is, the only 1895 Morgan Dollars are from the 880 Proofs struck for collectors. All are greatly in demand, and valued much higher due to the fact that it has the lowest mintage for any Morgan dollar. Many call it the "Holy Grail" of silver dollar collecting. In December 2010, an example graded NGC 1895 Proof 68 Ultra Cameo sold at auction for a stunning $121,643.55.
Thank you Mark for taking time out of your busy day to answer some fun questions! Get to know more and more members of our team every month with our employee spotlights.
Stay tuned for our next National Rarities Employee Spotlight!