Cristiano Bierrenbach promoted to Vice President of International Numismatics at Heritage

Heritage Auction Galleries (HA.com) has announced the promotion of Cristiano Bierrenbach to the position of Vice President of International Numismatics.

“In the short time Cris has been with Heritage, he has become instrumental to the impressive growth enjoyed by our World Coin category,” said Greg Rohan, President of Heritage Auctions. “Cris will continue to drive our World Coin category growth here in the U.S. while working to expand our role into a leadership position in markets abroad.”

Bierrenbach started at Heritage in January 2008 and his impact on the business was almost immediate. That same year, the NYINC auction totaled $4.3 million. Within one year, at the January 2009 NYINC show, the auction total had almost doubled to $7.2 million. By January of this year, 2010, the NYINC auction total was more than $11.5 million.

“Besides driving the amazing growth of the category overall at Heritage, Cris also started monthly World Coin Internet Auctions at Heritage,” said Rohan, “which have performed very well. He also has increased house purchases, brokered the successful auction partnership with the Chicago International Coin Fair and increased the number of floor sessions in the NYINC auction from three to four.”

“”I’ve been a coin guy most of my life and absolutely love what I do,” said Bierrenbach, “this makes my job a whole lot of fun. I’m also incredibly lucky to be working alongside Warren Tucker, who besides of being a walking numismatic encyclopedia, has become a close friend.”

Besides overseeing Heritage’s multiple live and Internet world coin auctions, Bierrenbach’s duties include working with collectors and dealers on strategies for marketing their numismatic holdings, overseeing production of catalogs, including description of world coin lots, photography and provenance, managing the customer client database, working with potential bidders, advising them on upcoming sales, evaluating and estimating world coin collections, buying, selling and brokering world coins and collections by private treaty, promoting growth strategies and fomenting new venues and channels for consignments and marketing Heritage in international markets.

“My main job, as I see it, is to keep great coins flowing through the system,” said Bierrenbach. “I strongly believe that Heritage has the best product in our industry and truly enjoy guiding our consignors through the auction process to help them realize top dollar for their treasures. Happy and satisfied clients are really our ultimate objective.”

David Michaels appointed Director of Classical Coins at Heritage Auction Galleries

Heritage Auction Galleries (HA.com) has announced the appointment of David Michaels to the position of Director of Classical Coins. He will be based at the company’s Beverly Hills showroom.

“We’re thrilled to have David as part of the Heritage team,” said Cristiano Bierrenbach, Vice President of International Numismatics at Heritage. “He brings almost a quarter century of experience in Classical numismatics. With a world renowned specialist such as David we feel that our team is complete and are certain that Heritage will soon occupy the same leadership position in Ancient Coins that it already does in World and U.S. Coins and Currency.”

A Los Angeles native, David’s 24+ years of Classical numismatic experience includes a specialty in Roman Imperial coinage, with an extensive background in Greek, Byzantine, Dark Age and Medieval coins as well.

“An early viewing of the movie ‘Cleopatra’ when I was 7 kindled my lifelong fascination with the ancient world,” David said. “For me it’s as much about the history behind a coin as it is about the coin itself. I very much look forward to applying that passion on behalf of Heritage clients.”

He attended College of the Desert in the mid 1970s, majoring in Journalism. A visit to Italy in the early 1980s, where he purchased a battered Roman bronze coin in a Florence gift shop, soon launched a new hobby and, ultimately, a new career path. He started a vest-pocket dealership, Palladium Numismatics, to help finance his coin collecting habit before an interview with the renowned numismatist and author David R. Sear in 1990 convinced him that ancient coins could be more than a sideline. He soon made numismatics his full time job.

David’s profile in the world of ancient coins steadily rose over the next few years. In 1998, Michaels accepted a position as Sales Director of Classical Numismatic Group. In 2001 he moved to Freeman & Sear, where he remained Sales Director, and later as Vice President, until May of 2010.

David is also a respected lecturer and author. He has published several articles on ancient coinage, both by himself and with well-known Greek coin expert Catherine Lorber.

“Joining the Heritage team is the culmination of my life in numismatics,” David said. “Heritage is the preeminent numismatic auction firm in the world and I am excited to see them turn their focus to the world of ancient coins. With the resources and talent of Heritage, I have no doubt we will soon be in a dominant position in the field of classical numismatics.”

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