The IMEX 2023 Leadership Team
International Money Exposition, LLC has a seasoned and experienced professional numismatic team. We hope host a money and coin show that welcomes more people and commerce than anywhere else. Meet our team of experts now.
Col. Steven Ellsworth – Managing Partner
Col. Steven Ellsworth
Managing PartnerCol. Steven Ellsworth (ret.) started his first retail coin business at the age of 15 and had three locations by the age of 19. He then took on a general partner to enlist as a private in the US Army, eventually rising to the rank of colonel. His responsibilities included commanding the Army Special Forces (Green Berets) and serving as Special Assistant to the Army’s Chief of Staff and the overseas Joint Service Command.
Col. Ellsworth holds diplomas from the following:
– National War College
– Army War College
– National Defense University
– Command and General Staff College
Master in Business Administration
Certificate in International Business
Bachelor of Science in Management
Bachelor of Arts in Applied Politics
Col. Ellsworth is the past president of the Virginia Numismatic Association (VNA) and the immediate past president of the American Numismatic Association (ANA). The association has been around for over 134 years and is the biggest collecting group in the world. It is a United States Congress-chartered organization. Col. Ellsworth also holds lifetime memberships in over 25 American numismatic clubs.
Col. Ellsworth is the author of numerous published articles on numismatics and security and has been a contributor to the Red Book for over 20 years. He has also taught graduate courses at the ANA Summer Seminar at Colorado College in Colorado Springs, CO.
Recently, Col. Ellsworth was the principal force behind the Tennessee Coin, Currency, and Bullion Coalition, which aims to enact tax reform by eliminating the sales tax on coins, currency, and bullion within the state. It was signed into law in July 2022.
Col. Ellsworth is currently the managing partner of IMEX, which holds an annual convention in October in Nashville, TN. Lastly, he has been the principal of Butternut Coins for over 30 years.
– Gary has been a frequent consultant and contributor to the American Numismatic Association (ANA) since 1970 and is a past president and life member of the organization. With over 26,000 members, ANA is the most prominent coin-collecting association in the world. He spent twelve years on the board of directors.
– Since 1985, he has been a member of the Professional Numismatists Guild (PNG), where he served as a past president. He served on the board of directors for ten years. There are thousands of coin dealers nationally, but only about 300 are PNG members due to strict membership standards. PNG is at the forefront of consumer protection and self-regulation of the industry. Additionally, Gary developed the Collectors Bill of Rights.
– Gary is a member and past chairman of the National Coin and Bullion Association (NCBA). He served as a member of the board of directors for twenty years. The NCBA is an organization that represents dealers and consumers of coins and precious metals in Washington, DC, and all fifty states.
– Since the 1970s, he has been a major contributor to the pricing offered in The Guidebook of United States Coins by R.S. Yeoman, the major reference book for United States coins. This book lists every US coin with technical, grading, and retail pricing information for the market.
– Gary was a guest or interviewed for market and industry insight and opinions by local and national news media.
– He is A+ rated by the Better Business Bureau and Google Search. He is also a contributor to BBB Consumer Protection tips.
Gary has over 55 years of experience buying and selling rare coins, currency, and precious metals. He is a collector at heart, with a firm understanding of the needs of collectors and investors.
He owns and manages his company, Gary Adkins Associates, Inc. He also serves as an advisor and assists in managing other industry-related companies.
He has a diverse business background beyond numismatics, including real estate, land development, automotive engineering, movie production, and bank ownership.
Gary has assisted thousands of serious collectors and investors in assembling collections or portfolios of choice and rare coins, currency, and precious metals. He also assists in evaluating, appraising, and liquidating collections and estates.
He created the Collectors Bill of Rights on behalf of PNG and was awarded one of the organization’s highest honors for that work. This Bill of Rights outlines what consumers should expect from anyone they do business with in numismatics.
He served as a business issues advisor to the Minnesota Legislature and Commerce Department regarding consumer protection and tax issues.
