An internationally recognized expert on the history of United States paper money, he currently serves as President of the Professional Currency Dealers Association, an organization of which he is a charter member. He is also a member or life member of the American Numismatic Association, the Professional Numismatists Guild, the American Numismatic Society, the Society of Paper Money Collectors, and the International Bank Note Society. He has been a certified ANA exhibit judge since 1967 in the categories of U.S. and Obsolete Currency and U.S. Coins, and in 1979 won the PNG's prestigious Sol Kaplan Award for outstanding service to numismatics.

He received a B.A. degree in U.S. History from Southern Illinois University and studied law at Northwestern University and the John Marshall Law School. His professional career began in 1968 after being a collector and part-time dealer since 1954. He has been a long-time contributor to many standard reference books including the Guide Book of United States Coins by Yeoman, the Standard Catalog of National Bank Notes by Hickman and Oates, the Standard Handbook of Modern United States Paper Money by O'Donnell, and United States Paper Money Records by Gengerke.