Life Goes on.....

Amidst all the activity and excitement of the coin business, life often interjects itself.  Last week a close personal friend of mine passed away at the very young age of 68.  Charles (Charlie) O. Browne was a long-time friend and associate and many cliché's are often bandied about when someone passes, but Charlie was truly a gentleman and a scholar.  He had one of the best eyes in the coin business. He and I, along with two other world-class graders, taught the Advanced Grading and Problem Coins class at the ANA Summer Seminar for the last many years.  Going back more than a decade, we both handled a prominent rare coin trading fund and had the privilege of handling many of the world-class rarities in the U.S. coin arena.  A renaissance man, Charlie could carry on a discussion in a multitude of subjects with authority.  Over the decades we interspersed many of those discussions over great dinners and not a few adult beverages!   The shock of the loss is still with me and it's difficult to imagine a coin show without Charlie where we often shared bourse tables and hotel rooms.  He will be missed by many, especially those he tutored and the hundreds of people he helped maximize their bottom line with that incredible eye of his.  He overcame incredible personal challenges with an incessant optimism and crisp smile that was truly inspiring.  I will miss him greatly and it will take a long time for the hole to heal.  Rest in peace, my friend....