As a boy growing up in Hazleton, Pennsylvania,Joseph Esposito discovered his love ofnumismatics at Gimbels department store."In the early 1960s, my father took me tothe Philadelphia location, and I purchased my firstcollectable coin-a badly worn 1825 large cent."

The duo also made pilgrimages to the local hobbyshop in Hazleton, where the young collector purchaseduncirculated half dimes from 1850 and1861, which he describes as his first truly importantpieces. "These coins cost me $33.50 at the time,but to me they are priceless."

As a teenager, Esposito pored over issues of Coin World and considered A Guide Book of UnitedStates Coins (the "Red Book") to be his "secularBible." "Fifty years later, I still enjoy what thesepublications have to offer," he says.

After earning a bachelor's degree in historyfrom The Pennsylvania State University (Phi BetaKappa), he went on to attain master's degreesfrom five schools: The Pennsylvania State University,George Mason University, Georgetown University,the University of Pennsylvania, and theUniversity of Virginia.

Esposito spent most of his career in governmentand politics. "I served in three presidential administrations,most recently as deputy under secretaryfor international affairs at the U.S. Department ofEducation." In this position, he focused on establishingbilateral relationships with countries suchas Ireland, Chile and China, noting that "It was agreat pleasure to be actively engaged with theUnited States' return to UNESCO in 2004." Healso served as the international narcotics coordinatorat the U.S. Agency for International Developmentfor 11 years, working closely on Asian developmentissues.

Esposito left the government in 2005 and worksas an adjunct professor of history at Northern VirginiaCommunity College. A seasoned writer, hecurrently is penning Dinner in Camelot, a bookabout an evening that President and Mrs. Kennedyhosted for 49 Nobel Prize winners and other Americanintellectuals at the White House in April 1962.

The self-proclaimed "inveterate collector"has always viewed numismatics as a hobby andnever considers the investment opportunity of aparticular piece. "I love that it provides a vehiclefor learning and an opportunity for fellowship."He is a member of numerous clubs, includingthe Medal Collectors of America, theColonial Coin Collectors Club and the VirginiaNumismatic Association.

After decades of collecting U.S. coins, includingan almost-complete set of Morgan dollars ("alas,without the 1895," he notes), Esposito shifted hisfocus to colonial coppers and medals. "I'm particularlyfond of 18th-century Betts specimens andWashington medals of 1889," he says. "I considerthem to be miniature works of art with great storiesto tell about different eras and personalities."

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