Are you an ancient and rare coins enthusiast? Do you also enjoy coin-related negotiations on Pawn Stars? If so, David Vagi must be one of your fave experts on the show.
The good-looking appraiser and ancient coin expert has made several cameo appearances on Pawn Stars, and his expertise is nothing short of amazing.
So, just who is David Vagi on Pawn Stars? What does he do aside from his TV gig? Read on to find out!
David Vagi Is A Lifelong Numismatic
David’s professional and academic background is as impressive as his appraisal skills on Pawn Stars. Since 1985 he has studied Roman and Greek coins and boasts of being a lifelong learner of history and ancient coins in particular.
One of his earliest gigs was as a staff writer for Coin World. He later moved on to work as a numismatist for auction houses such as Spink America, Christie’s R.M. Smythe, and Superior Stamp and Coin, among others.
Vagi later started his own auction house, Delphi International Ancient Arts, in 1996, which he ran until 2008 before joining the Numismatic Guaranty Company.
Vagi Has Written Widely
David is a prolific writer and publisher as part of his numismatic career. He has written for major publications, including World Coin News, Coin World, Numismatic News, and The Celator, The Numismatist, among others.
He is also a regular contributor to NGC Ancients, NGC’s award-winning eNewsletter. In particular, the publication has bagged an ANA Health Literary Award and an ANA Presidential Award, thanks to Vagi’s research and writing work.
That’s not all. For the love of the coin collection and appraisal hobby, Vagi penned a book, Coinage and History of the Roman Empire. The 1,294-page tome earned an NLG award as the best book of the year. The author also received an award from the Professional Numismatists Guild and the International Association of Professional Numismatists.
To date, collectors of ancient Roman coins use Vagi’s book as an important reference. In addition to his own book, the historian has also contributed to more than five other numismatic books.
Another cool aspect of David’s writing career is the fact that he is a novelist and screenwriter who creates pieces of fictional historical, fantasy and drama work.
David Vagi Is Among the Most Influential People in Numismatics
It shouldn’t come as a surprise that Coin World named David Vagi among the 100 Most Influential People in Numismatics, a title he truly deserves.
Not only is he a life member of the American Numismatic Association, but he is also a key instructor at the organization’s summer seminar, where he teaches an array of courses on ancient coinage. As part of his participation in the numismatic community, Vagi has life membership in the American Numismatic Society, where he is also a fellow.
Today, Vagi is the Numismatic Guaranty Corporation’s Ancient Director and Finalizer. As part of his current role, David has proven to be a thought leader in evaluation and authentication. For example, he was at the forefront of the authentication and evaluation of the Ideas of March coin, also known as the EID MAR or the Denarius of Brutus coin.
The EID MAR is a version of the coin issued by Marcus Junius Brutus between 43 and 42 BC in celebration of the assassination of Julius Caesar in 44 BC. Marcus Junius Brutus was among Caesar’s most well-known assassinators.
The historical coin sold for close to $4.2 million, making it the most expensive ancient coin sold at auction.
Most recently, the American Numismatic Association selected Vagi as the Numismatist of the Year (2021), a highly coveted award.
Considering his impressive professional background, Pawn Stars is definitely lucky to have a coin appraiser as prolific and well-accomplished as David Vagi!
