A Visit to Alaska Rare Coins in Fairbanks, Alaska

I was in Fairbanks over Thanksgiving (long story) and had the opportunity to visit Alaska Rare Coins. Dick Hanscom and his partner Jerry Cleworth have been in business in Fairbanks for nearly half a century, opening in 1976. Like most storefront coin shops, they do their share of gold and silver bullion business. Dick noted their over-the-counter business is healthy on the buy side, surprising to me as the city is rather remote. Still, the metro population is about 100,000, the second largest in Alaska, and includes a good number of collectors. They also have the most extensive book selection of books I've ever seen in a coin store, focusing on Alaska content (Alaskiana?) and early Alaskan imprints.

Dick further exhibited a set of Alaska tokens that he strikes by hand, using gold mined in various parts of the state. I bought a book (of course), Striking Gold in Alaska: Making Tokens from Placer Gold, which Dick published (8th edition) in 2025. The work describes the technology behind the Hanscom "Mint" (he uses a drop press) and catalogs the various tokens he has produced.

Link to the Alaskan Token Collector and Polar Numismatist on Newman Portal:
https://nnp.wustl.edu/library/publisherdetail/523362