Numismatics, the hobby of coin collecting, has been around for thousands of years. Throughout history, the intrinsic value of gold and silver has been recognized by people of wealth and affluence, as well as people who purely enjoy the thrill of the hunt, finding a rare date, a rare coin or the penny that will fill the last slot in a collection book. Pentwater, MI native, Patrick Mullen was one of those people. In 2008, after a successful career as a television media executive, Mullen's love for coins led to Pat and his wife, Kathy, opening Mullen Coins, which quickly developed into a national and international business of buying and selling coins as well as appraising high-end collections.

Several years into the business, Mullen was contacted by fellow West Michigan numismatist, Benjamin Soldaat, about some coins Mullen had for sale. The pair struck up a business relationship that would grow, leading to Soldaat eventually buying the business from Mullen in 2020. He then changed the company name to Grand Rapids Coins.

Once Soldaat took control, the business continued soaring to new levels, fueled by the grip of the global COVID-19 Pandemic. The lock-downs caused by the pandemic lead to many people trying to pass their time in isolation by starting new or revisiting old hobbies. With the company exclusively online, Ben found himself dealing with a deluge of public interest, from buying and selling mass amounts of rare coins, to helping those interested in investing in gold, silver and platinum bullion, to evaluating countless collections.

By mid 2021, Soldaat realized that, with the increased business, the need for help was imminent. During a random conversation with a fellow parent at his child's school, he learned that a woman by the name of Emily Hughes shared an interest for coins, precious metals, and jewelry. With the uptick in estate appraisals and Emily's knowledge of the jewelry industry, Ben asked Emily to do some consulting work. Emily, who had put herself through college working in retail jewelry, agreed to sign on with Grand Rapids Coins. Working a few hours a week quickly turned into a full-time position. Soldaat recognized Hughes' strong work ethic, business savvy, and customer relationship skills and offered her an opportunity to buy into the business. Soon after a solid partnership was formed.

Hughes quickly identified there was a desperate need for women leaders in the precious metal and numismatic industry. Coin shows and retail stops were a family affair, and Hughes was routinely overlooked by retailers who erroneously assumed her husband Rich was the purchaser. Hughes knew she could do better. The partners met and agreed Soldaat would continue to use his extensive knowledge in numismatics to evaluate collections while Hughes took the reins as company president to focus on national growth. Our goal is to provide a competitive two-way market for buyers and sellers. Grand Rapids Coins is proud to be one of the few large-scale women owned and operated businesses in the industry.

Whether you are coming to Grand Rapids Coins to sell an estate collection, to buy a collector coin, or to invest in precious metals, you can expect fair value, honesty and integrity from each and everyone of us at Grand Rapids Coins. Our clients deserve nothing less.

We invite you to check out the extensive inventory found on our website, and, if you don't see it here, please reach out to one of our knowledgeable staff.

We stake our reputation for honesty and integrity on our ability to offer you the very best deal.

Emily Hughes, President of Grand Rapids Coins

Grand Rapids Coins
Member: BBB, ANA, PCGS, NGC, CAC, Central States Numismatics Society