Tulsa, Oklahoma rare coin dealer John Highfill, founder of the National Silver Dollar Roundtable and author of a landmark 1,200-page reference book, The Comprehensive U.S. Silver Dollar Encyclopedia, passed away on June 15, 2025. He was 82.
"My heart is broken, and I am leaning on the love and strength of those around me. I am so deeply grateful for the prayers and kind thoughts that already have been shared," wrote his wife, Marlene, in a message to friends and numismatic colleagues.
Highfill established the Oklahoma Coin Exchange in 1976. He founded the National Silver Dollar Round Table in 1982, became a member of the prestigious Professional Numismatists Guild (PNG) in 1986, and published his silver dollar reference book in 1992.
A 2019 story in the Greysheet newsletter stated: "John Highfill is known as a silver dollar guru."
"The PNG extends its heartfelt condolences to John’s family and many friends. Throughout his long career, he always helped advance the hobby and was humble and kind to everyone," stated PNG Executive Director and Greysheet Publisher John Feigenbaum.
A member of more than two dozen local, regional, and national numismatic organizations, Highfill served on the American Numismatic Association Board of Governors and was a founding member of the Industry Council for Tangible Assets, now known as the National Coin & Bullion Association. Over the years, he presented more than 100 educational seminars at conventions across the country.
In 2021, the Central States Numismatic Society honored him with its Q. David Bowers Award to recognize his accomplishments and contributions to the hobby.
Before becoming a coin dealer, Highfill was a record company executive.
After service in the United States Air Force, Highfill worked with well-known entertainers, such as Elvis Presley, Karen Carpenter, and Kenny Rogers. He was promoted to Vice President of ABC Records soon after protecting a young Donny Osmond from thousands of exuberant fans at a planned appearance in Las Vegas. Highfill obtained an armored car to safely get Osmond out of the area.
R.I.P. and may your loved ones and friends who knew you, always remember you, “as a nice guy”! Ironically,’this video interview of John Highfill, concludes by asking John, how he wants to be remembered. This is at 1:07:15. Entire video 1:08:35 and goes over his life from grade school, beginning collecting after a school assignment on developing a hobby, starting with $.01 collection using his $.05/week allowance, with many interesting details and mentions of lots of names over his dealing years, that many may be familiar with. He was, “The King” of Silver Dollars and sounds like he handled and… Read more »
Mr. Highfill sounded exactly like my father-in-law in the interview.
Cali,
Thanks for digging up that great video. I really enjoyed it. I would say Mr. Highfill had a great run. The greatest gifts to receive in life are beautiful coins, great music, and athletic ability. He was blessed.
Cheers
Great run, and legendary he was. Some great runs are cut short, and you wonder what could’ve been. But either way, never forgotten…
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/9T_PK1AeJ9U
Rick,
Thanks for that great clip.
Each day is a gift.
Cheers Bro
Good to hear and glad you enjoyed it E1!
The Los Angeles Lakers’ sale for $10.0 Billion did Not benefit coin collectors. For coin investors it was just what the doctor ordered. The Lakers have now been sold to the majority owner of Guggenheim Partners CEO Mark Walter. This follows the sale of the Boston Celtics for $6.1 Billion to William Chisum, the co-founder and managing partner of STG Partners, LLC. Both the Celtics purchase for $6.1 Billion and followed by $10.0 Billion for the Lakers were the highest paid for a sports franchise in North America. The $10.0 Billion paid for the Lakers makes them the most valuable… Read more »
And Jerry Buss was a major coin and stamp collector… INVE$TOR, had the 1913 Liberty for awhile made beacoup bucks. Indeed, I was going to put a group together to buy the Lakers. Wall Street has been snapping up,assets, deconstructing and raiding them for,years. Sports teams are glory items for them IMHO PCGS has loosened up since going ‘private’ while jacking up rates. cAC a rising star till a wall St. guy buys it and cannibalism continues…. funny the Mint originally helped and supported collectors, now middlemen and apparently Gazillinaires. General Mills,owned Bowers and Ruddy back in 5he day, long… Read more »
Does that mean LeBron will stop flopping on the court?
The gremlins would not let me post the last sentence ^.
Scott Bessent, Secretary of the Treasury, will Not be far behind…
No doubt a profit angle. Would love to see how POTUS friends etc., did w the Market’s April crash and the rebirth, did folks know the plan, a few weeks of stiff tariffs , hmmmm, nah changed my mind. Munchkin? someone made a ton shorting..maybe never with this crew…..
When Musk(a rumor) called out the Treasury payout fraud by the Billions, he was shoved aside by Bessent, Physically and Administratively. Bad deal.
Bessent says he’s for me and my blue collar, we’ll see.
Wall St… The Globalist, Grifting, Oligarch Enemy within. I digress.
Now that that’s out of the way, I’ve got a side-eye on Ai, Robotics, and Nuclear Energy stocks lol.
You and me both, Rick. Any pull back in prices, I buy!
E1,
“ I’m still toiling over the 1965 Kennedy Business Strike. I am bound and determined to get a good one.”
It looks like you’re well on your way, that’s a nice one, both actually. Keep us posted on your next moves/progress bud.
It’s hard for me to see a copper edge on the 40% coins, mostly grey color.
I like the year as well, not many around like you said. Forgotten & mysterious.
I’ll bet there are millions tucked away as junk 40%. Some abroad? Anyway…
On the business strike vs SMS set coins.
Besides the nice looking sharp, ding free finish on the SMS’s, I’ve noticed that the rim face on the SMS coins are more squared off, as opposed to a more rounded looking rim face on the business coins. Can you confirm or deny when you look at your examples of each type? What else makes the SMS’s stand out?..
I’ve got only 3 1965 Kennedy coins. One circulated ‘junk’, and two ‘collectables’.
Fall colors, with some nice Frost nearby, makes an interesting combo…
Rick, The 1965 SMS Kennedy I posted earlier is a low grade non cameo coin. The coin was sold to me as a business strike coin. It was not until I compared the two coins with my digital scope that it became obvious the surface finish of the fields were entirely different. The SMS being very smooth and the business strike being grainy and rough. The SMS coin is struck much better too. Also, from the edge view, the planchet looks to be 90% silver with no copper interface. The SMS coin will go into my junk box of experience… Read more »
Interesting way to sell off plain SMS coins, maybe they’re cheaper than the business coins in Gem, especially if the guy bought a cheap batch of sets? The coin on the right is nice looking for being low grade. Maybe they could develop the “Rictus Scale”, as opposed to the “Full Beak” designation from MAC lol. The entire Eagle’s head being fully struck on business strikes is very scarce imo. Either way, you know how to find the quality coins. I’m waiting for the E1 – “Kennedy Regular Strike – A Cherry Pickers Guide”, for the enthusiasts out there, no… Read more »
Rick,
“Full Beak” – had no idea.
Thanks
Yup – FSBK.
I think the completeness of the Rictus may take it a step further.
Cheers
Meet the New Boss, Same as the Old Boss…
Nice work, BossMan
Thanks for the Guidance Bro.
FSBK
Back at ya…
1964 MS64 that has a deep, nice reverse strike, and his beady little eye pops. In hand, you can see the depth with my Carson Magnifier(thanks for the tip)..
You can’t see it in this pic, but the Rictus is there.
Now I’m looking at the eye, mouth & beak. See what you’ve done to me!?
https://www.greatcollections.com/Coin/1798367/1964-Kennedy-Half-Dollar-PCGS-MS-64-Toned#gallery-3
Well, 1964s are gaining popularity in higher grades. I have 2 rolls of $20:Face 1964 still shotgun wrapped from the Cleveland Fed. So many projects and potential…. Strong eye and face on that eagle !
JQC,
I’ve had a number of those Kennedy Shot Gun Rolls in my day. I sent the best of them to PCGS back in the early 90’s. I still have most of them. A number of double and triple die “D” mint coins too. There was a time when I started to think these two slabs wouldn’t be worth anything and now it’s a different story. Prices are on the move finally. Once toxic waste, no longer so. Funny how that happens.
I hope you’ve enjoyed “The Who.” I’m always taking requests.
Cheers
The one on the right looks extremely nice! Care to give it a grade guess?
Well Dave, E1 said that the one on the right is from the Special Mint Set? and it sure does look nice compared to his business strike on the left.
Ok, first thing’s first – click his image – then right click – open in new tab – click & zoom – finger zoom my monitor like a phone…
Not too much trouble there. No Cameo, and a very nice coin.
PCGS: SP67+
NGC: MS68★
Just a guess
Now that platinum prices have hit a five-year high above $1,300, I hope the US Mint will resume production of the 1 oz. American Platinum Eagle bullion coins and issue the 2025 $100 APE. The 1 oz. APE bullion coin was not produced in 2024, and here we are half way through the year and no 2025 release as yet.
Cali posted concerning the 1795 Draped Bust Small Eagle (AU-58): “my guess is that REB should be able to swing a deal for $89,700-$92,040“.
A bottom-line deal can be had at the upper end of that range – $16+k under the eBay price and $2+k under the shop price. The PGCS price guide lists $72.5k/$82.5k for the AU-55 and $110K for the MS-60. So, the price is not a steal but apparently fair. I might plan a praline trip to The Holy City for an in-person check out.
So, coin gallery, deal or no deal? Worth it or not?
Did you make an offer? I’m not following what “the shop price” means. They have an “eBay shop”, yet no Brick & Mortar address is listed at their bay store? 92-93k is on par with my 90k suggestion if that’s where you’re at? Keep the reverse planchet flaw(the leaf) as a last ditch negotiating tool to go lower?.. In person is best if they have a shop, or a table at a coin show. This is a big deal dude, and a lot of moola too. It may be hard to let go once you have it in hand. It’s… Read more »
Rick:
The brick-and-mortar (by appointment only): https://charlestonrarecoins.com/1795-5-small-eagle-draped-bust-half-eagle-pcgs-au58-193976394.html.
I did make an offer. Bottom-line is $92k with no additional play available. I’ll likely wait for the failure in my SB offers on the coin ($25k each) before making a trip to see it live.
I’m also dazzled by the 1926 Sesqui (MS-66+): https://charlestonrarecoins.com/sesquicentennial-1926-2-50-gold-commemorative-pcgs-ms66-226023035.html High, HIGH end but lovely to my eyes. I tried but failed to find it in the PGCS auction files. I freely admit that I’m incompetent with technology.
P.S. – I spoke with the proprietor of the shop for maybe an hour. I again gained a wealth of knowledge. He seemed to think that AI grading is coming in the near future to numismatics, with precision grades on a 100 scale and/or with decimal pinpoint grades in tenths or hundredths.
FOUND THE SESQUI! SB sold it in November 2024 for $7800.
That is dazzling, I wasn’t aware of that gold coin. Will you buy it?
Nice work with the search for the 1795. It’s the best one yet, and not messed with. Very ‘original’ coin, and there’s really not that many out there.
I’m pulling for you!
So, what do you think of the Sesqui being sold for the same price as the 11/24 action price? Curious ….
A bidding war gone bad for the buyer, a mistake, both?
I don’t know, it only takes two bidders to let things spiral…
Maybe the buyer cut his loss and sold it to the Charleston shop for cheap? You might need to see what the shop has to say about that one.
He’s selling that same exact dazzling coin that had sold for $7800 on 11/26/24 at SBG. Stack’s pics & his pics = Same coin. So he bought the coin 7 months ago, and now PCGS no longer recognizes their holder cert. He has a pic posted of the invalid TrueView Cert, but not a pick of the slab that SBG had posted. It’s not unusual that a seller/proxy will bid on his own coin, as I suspect that he did at SBG. It’s also not unusual for the cert to be nulled/voided for one reason or another(reholder, etc). Someone knows… Read more »
Stack’s auction last Nov. Same coin that he’s now selling…
https://auctions.stacksbowers.com/lots/view/3-1DXHC8/1926-sesquicentennial-of-american-independence-quarter-eagle-ms-66-pcgs