The Benson Collection's Bio
Born in Norwich, Connecticut, I was introduced to the world of coin collecting through my father and my grandfather. I recall my early years rummaging through their cigar box collection of coins at every opportunity and the sense of curiosity and wonderment that overwhelmed me. When I was 10-years-old, my father bought me a 1966 Special US Mint Set—that’s when the collector bug really bit me—finally I had my own coins. Through the years that followed, through varying career paths that took me around the globe: a US Marine Corp Musician, a Loan Officer, a Personnel Manager, a Software and Database Developer, and an IT Director, I would stow away coins of interest, admittedly, not knowing much about what I was keeping.
It wasn’t until I retired from the workforce that I began to fill the void of knowledge of the coin world and what I had collected through the years. Thanks to the internet, I was able to build a knowledge base which has served me well. In 2023, I decided to diversify a portion my retirement portfolio in precious metals—bullion and investment-grade coins—and that’s when the NGC became a big part of my coin collecting endeavors. Through the tools and knowledge offered on the NGC site, I was able to (finally) complete several coin sets I had been working on for some time, 11 of which are currently ranked #1 in the NGC Registry. Additionally, I’ve been inspired to collect other coin sets of interest and I look forward to a continued partnership, of sorts, with the NGC.