About Rare Collectibles TV
About Us
Your collection is what matters most. It is with this core belief in mind that Rare Collectibles TV was founded in 2014. Based in California, our team works tirelessly with our numismatic network in order to ensure that you receive only the highest caliber coins, regardless of your location. Our passion for numismatics goes beyond supplying you with high quality, valuable coins. We also understand that every collection weaves a unique story to tell, which is why we are dedicated to providing you with all educational information that relates to your collection.
Rick’s U.S. Coin Show
Rick’s U.S. Coin Show, hosted by Rick Tomaska, Jack McNamara, and James Gerstel, was created to offer you the finest handpicked coins while informing you about everything numismatic. Rick, Jack, and James work around the clock to put these entertaining and educational presentations together for you. Afterall, they believe that the best client is one who is an expert themselves.
Our Hosts
Rick Tomaska
After graduating from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 1973, I made it my goal to carve my name eternally into the numismatic community. My first milestone in accomplishing this goal was the establishment of my flagship business called R & I Coins, which began operating in 1981.
Ten years later, in 1991, I published the book which gave me my reputation as the “Cameo King.” This book, called Cameo and Brilliant Proof Coinage of the 1950 to 1970 Era, eventually led to the creation of the Cameo, Deep Cameo, and Ultra Cameo designations awarded by NGC and PCGS. Six years after that, I published my second book, The Complete Guide to Franklin Half Dollars, which birthed the Full Bell Line standard for Franklin Half Dollars.
In 2014, I became a founding member of Rare Collectibles TV where I created Rick’s U.S. Coin Show. My goal this time was to provide both beginner and expert numismatists with beautiful, high quality coins as well as valuable knowledge, statistics, and history regarding their prized collections. Now with 38 years of experience, I finally feel comfortable saying that I’ve made my mark on the numismatic community.
Jack McNamara
My first memories of numismatics were as a seven year old boy in New Jersey, playing Lincoln Cent bingo with my grandfather Howie. During our games of bingo, Grandpa Howie would tell me stories about my great-great grandfather who was a renowned coin salesman in the 1800s.
After graduating from Rutgers University in 1996, I was forced to choose between my two passions: music and numismatics. Thinking back to my treasured memories with my grandfather, and my family’s long history of numismatic tradition, the choice became easy. I was soon offered a position at the legendary Stack’s auction house in New York City. In no time, my passion for numismatics drove me to become one of the top coin buyers in the country.
In 2014, I partnered with Rick Tomaska, and together we founded Rare Collectibles TV. As Senior Coin Buyer of RCTV, I spend most of my time hunting down great deals on valuable coins as well as personally inspecting each and every one to make sure that they meet my high standards. When I’m not inspecting coins, I dedicate my time to creating educational television presentations, with the goal of passing down Grandpa Howie’s numismatic passion to the next generation.
James Gerstel
With over forty years of experience in the coin business, I have gained a deep understanding & appreciation for the history of numismatics. It all started with my family’s jewelry and coin business, where my first experiences were sourcing raw jewels and precious metals. I used this experience to start a career in trading gold and silver, and eventually this led me to working with the U.S. Mint, and international governments as well.
Over the years, I’ve had the pleasure of developing over 100 individual coin collections for Panda America. In just the last 15 years I’ve bought, sold, and traded over 200 millions dollars of coins and precious metals.
In 2004, I began my television career as Art & Coin Television’s treasure hunter. My television experience paved the way for me to collaborate with Rick Tomaska and Jack McNamara on Rick’s U.S. Coin Show at Rare Collectibles TV. My decades of dedication to the field of numismatics has given me a deep understanding of coins and helped me develop an expansive network of dealers. My goal is to get the best deals on rare coins possible and pass all of the benefits directly to you.