Have you checked your portfolio of rare coins lately? Richard Baggfollows the field closely, because he is immersed in this esoteric endeavor.

In an era of Fidelity, Putnam and Charles Schwab, the Newburyport expert and consultant isdeeply involved in a science - and investment field - almost as old as the republic itself.

"Many people start as coin collections, with pennies, nickels and dimes as youngsters," saidBagg, who has close to four decades of experience.

"I continued my interest over the years and have been a rare coin specialist to investmentprofessionals, financial planners and actual investors."

Bagg, a native of western Massachusetts, earned a doctorate in psychology from the University ofNew Hampshire.

But he gravitated to coin collecting and consulting, which has emerged as an investment againstinflation and falling stock markets.

One of his specialties is appraising collections for estates, museums, libraries and historicalinstitutions such as the Historical Society of Old Newbury.

Another area of his expertise is auction. He is a past auction director for one of the foremostauction firms in the business, Bowers and Merena.

During his time there, he acquired consignments for more than 150 auctions, and played a role inthe offering of collections from such institutions as the New York Public Library and Johns HopkinsUniversity.

"A lot goes into coin collecting, including knowledge of history and an awareness of themarket," said Bagg, who travels frequently to appraise and/or plan sales of collections.

"I have participated in the production of 150 coin auctions for more than 10,000 clients," theTemple Street resident said.

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