Born in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Brother of Jack Friedberg. Attended College of the City of New York 1930 to 1932 and Brooklyn College 1933 to 1935. Married Goldye Nessanbaum January 25, 1948. Goldye was working in the stamp department at Gimbels. They had two sons Ira and Arthur L. Friedberg. He served in the Army in Europe during World War II.

In 1931 at the age of 18 he founded the Capitol Coin Company. He established coin departments in major department stores in 38 states. By 1963 he employed 125 people. He was associated with the stamp and coin department of Gimbels after 1947. He founded the Coin & Currency Institute in 1956 and served as its president until his death. One of the things they published was a fixed price list used by Gimbels.

Editor of Paper Money of the United States in 1953. It has been reprinted in several editions. Editor of Appraising and Selling Your Coins in 1960. Author of Gold Coins of the World in 1958 and Coins of the British World in 1962.

He was life member 142 of the ANA and a member of the ANS. He died in a hospital in Hackensack, New Jersey. In 1986 he was inducted into the ANA Numismatic Hall of Fame. In 2014 he was inducted into the SPMC Hall of Fame.

The business continued operation under Goldye, Ira and Arthur. Goldye Friedberg remarried in 1972. She died February 20, 1991, in New Jersey at age 79.

bio: NCAB 50 (photo); NUM 104 May 1991 page 667

obit: NN 7/8/63; NUM 76 Aug 1963 p. 1084; ANAHist 988