(L2024)

Born in Detroit, Michigan. Graduate of Wayne State University in 1972. Married Jean Hardwidge October 18, 1986, widowed in 2010. Remarried in 2013.

Employed by Coin World as a proofreader in December 1973. In May 1974 he became assistant editor of the "Collectors' Clearinghouse." On November 1, 1978, he began as an authenticator for the ANA. He identified the Linderman 1804 dollar stolen from Willis DuPont. It was brought to ANACS for certification July 20, 1981. Resigned as ANA senior authenticator April 30, 1984, in protest over the dismissal of another employee. Employed with Walter Perschke 1984 to 1988. He worked for Harlan Berk in Chicago from 1989 until 2010. PNG member after 2004.

DeLorey collected and studied the numismatic products of Thomas Elder. His article, "Thomas L. Elder, A Catalogue of his Tokens and Medals" appeared in The Numismatist in June and July 1980. The article won awards for DeLorey including the Heath Literary Award and Wayte and Olga Raymond Memorial Literary Award in 1981. He received the NLG award for writer of the year in 1978. An article on James Longacre in the October 1985 issue of The Numismatist won for DeLorey another Heath and Raymond literary award. He was named a Numismatic News Numismatic Ambassador in 1999. In 2009 he received the ANA Numismatist of the Year Award. Received Burnett Anderson Memorial Award for Excellence in Numismatic Writingin 2011.

He was editor of the TAMS Journal in 1981. DeLorey was co-editor of Price Guide for the Collector of Modern U. S. Paper Money Errors published by Coin World. He was technical editor for the 1990 edition of The Comprehensive Catalog & Encyclopedia of United States Coins. Popular participant on the CoinNet site.

In 2020 he received the ANA Lifetime Achievement Award.

In 2021 he was on the Coin World list of The Most Influential People in Numismatics 1960-2020. He was returned to the list in 2024.

profile: CW 6/6/1990 interviewed 5/10/91. Email 1/16/2011