HONESTY, EXPERTISE, AND CONVENIENCE

coins

Our Story

Numismatics, the hobby of coin collecting, has been around for thousands of years. Throughout history, the intrinsic value of gold and silver has been recognized by people of wealth and affluence, as well as people who purely enjoy the thrill of the hunt, finding a rare date, a rare coin or the penny that will fill the last slot in a collection book. Pentwater, MI native, Patrick Mullen was one of those people. In 2008, after a successful career as a television media executive, Mullen's love for coins led to he and his wife, Kathy opening "Mullen's Coins", which quickly developed into a national and international business of buying and selling coins as well as appraising high-end collections.

Several years into the business, Mullen was contacted by fellow West Michigan numismatist, Benjamin Soldaat about some coins Mullen had for sale. The pair struck up a business relationship that would grow, leading to Soldaat eventually buying the business from Mullen in 2020, and changing the business's name to Grand Rapids Coins.

Once Soldaat took control, the business continued soaring to new levels, fueled by the grip of the global COVID-19 Pandemic. The lock-downs caused by the pandemic lead to many people trying to pass their time in isolation by starting new or revisiting old hobbies. With the company exclusively online Ben found himself dealing with a deluge of public interest, from buying and selling mass amounts of rare coins, to helping those interested in investing in Gold, Silver and Platinum bullion, to evaluating countless collections.

By mid 2021, Soldaat realized with the uptick in business, the need for help was imminent. During a random conversation with a fellow parent at his child's school, he learned that a woman by the name of Emily Hughes shared an interest for coins, precious metals, and jewelry. With the uptick in estate appraisals, and Emily's knowledge of the jewelry industry, Ben asked Emily to do some consulting work. Emily, who had put herself through college working in retail jewelry, agreed to sign on with Grand Rapids Coins. Working a few hours. a week quickly turned into a full-time position. Soldaat recognizing Hughes' strong work ethic, business savvy and customer relationship skills and soon offered her an opportunity to buy into the business, soon after, a solid partnership was formed.

Hughes quickly identified there was a desperate need for women leaders in the precious metal and numismatic industry. Coin shows and retail stops were a family affair, Hughes was routinely overlooked by retailers who erroneously assumed husband rich was the purchaser, Hughes knew she could do better. The partners met and agreed Soldaat would continue to use his prominent knowledge in numismatics to evaluate collections while Hughes took the reigns as company president to focus on national growth. Our goal is to provide a competitive two way market for buyers and sellers. Grand Rapids Coins is proud to be one of the few large scale women owned and operated businesses in the industry.

Whether you are coming to Grand Rapids Coins to sell an estate collection, to buy a collector coin, or to invest in pressure metals, you can expect fair value, honesty and integrity from each and everyone of us at Grand Rapids Coins- our clients deserve nothing less.

We invite you to check out our extensive inventory found on our website, and if you don't see it here, please reach out to one of our knowledgeable staff.

We stake our  reputation for honesty and integrity on our ability to offer you the very best deal.

Emily Hughes, President-Grand Rapids Coins

Grand Rapids Coins
Member: BBB, ANA, PCGS, NGC, CAC, Central States Numismatics Society

Meet and contact our team

Ben Soldaat

Ben Soldaat

"I’ve been a lifelong collector of coins and always had a passion for the hobby. The hobby turned into a fulltime career when I purchased the business in 2020. Some of my favorite series are Barbers and Seated Dollars. The fun is always in the hunt so it’s never a dull day with new material constantly coming in!"
Dan Soldaat

Dan SoldaaT

brent

Brent Ashcroft

After wrapping-up an award-winning 30-year career as an anchor/reporter in West Michigan TV News, Brent’s passion for history, collectibles and coins has led him to Grand Rapids Coins as one of our top collection appraisers. Alongside his experience as a coin evaluator, Brent's knowledge in precious metals can be trusted when it comes to help with making investments. Brent provides valued solutions daily to interested buyers, both locally and nationally, helping clients develop budget-conscious investment choices, whether they’re just getting started or wishing to expand their portfolios.
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