Bio 
General:
• B.S. degree in Mechanical Engineering, University of Colorado, 1982.
• Studied computer graphics and art extensively.
• Wrote digital sculpting computer software to create medals and tokens.
• Acquired a non-functioning surplus Denver Mint coin press and restored it to operating condition in 2007.
• Currently performing the entire minting process single-handedly, including: initial concept; design; 3-D digital sculpting; die engraving; die finishing; blanking, coin press maintenance and setup; stamping of tokens and medals; and post-strike finishing (patina, etc.). The main emphasis of these activities is the design, sculpting, and engraving aspects.
Publicly-displayed works (some recent highlights):
• United States Naval Academy Museum: A 2013 Battle of Lake Erie bicentennial medal set (permanent collection).
• General Commerce: New York and Rhode Island state quarters (legal tender, minted 2001 by US Mint).
• Belleview Arts Museum: 2012 “Love Me [legal] Tender” invitational exhibition – selected state quarter works.
• Coin Show Displays (various): Numerous tokens and medals from several private collections.
Other design submissions and awards:
• Six designs in a national open design competition for the US Mint’s 1993 WWII commemorative coins.
• Apollo Astronaut designs for the new small-size “golden” dollar coin. The designs were featured on the front page of Coin World on two separate occasions (March 30, 1998 and April 13, 1998 issues).
• Presentation at the Dollar Coin Advisory Committee meeting in Philadelphia in 1999. The purpose of the meeting was to decide what woman to portray on the new small-size “golden” dollar. The proposal for Bessie Coleman was tied for second place in the committee’s voting behind Sacagawea.
• Unsolicited works accepted into the limited invitational design competition for the Sacagawea dollar (one of only two unsolicited submissions that were actually accepted).
• Flying Eagle design which was one of seven official US Mint finalists for the Sacagawea dollar reverse.
• Six designs for the Capitol Visitor’s Center commemorative coins in the US Mint’s limited invitational design competition.
• Invited by the US Mint to submit designs for all five of the 2001 state quarters. The New York and Rhode Island designs won the competition, and they were used on the actual coins.
• The Rhode Island state quarter design was named the best “trade” (circulating) coin in the world by an international panel of judges for World Coin News’ 2001 COTY (Coin of the Year) awards. This was the first state quarter to receive such an award.
• Winner of the design contest sponsored by the state of Maine, which attracted about 200 entries. The US Mint’s final Maine quarter design was based upon this concept.
• One of 13 finalists in the Wisconsin state quarter design contest, out of 5700 entrants.
• One of 10 finalists in the Florida state quarter design contest, out of 5000 submissions.
• One of 20 finalists in the California state quarter design contest, out of 8000 submissions.
• A design honoring the 10th Mountain Division was submitted to Colorado and was the basis for one of the five finalists for the state quarter.
• Submitted state quarter designs directly to the following states: Michigan; Texas; Iowa; Kansas; Minnesota; Oregon; and Nevada.
• Designed the 2004, 2005, and 2006 Gold Pass ski medals for Colorado Ski Country USA.
• Designed a 2006 annual TAMS (Token and Medal Society) medal that was chosen as the winner of their contest and was used for the medal.
• Designed a 2006 annual IASAC (International Society of Silver Art Collectors) medal that was chosen as the winner of their contest and was used for the medal.
Statement
Take a piece of raw metal and turn it into a medal. From a distant point of view, that is what I do, alone.
The entire process is something that I own. From initial concept to finished product, I get to do it all: design, sculpting, engraving, machining, blanking, striking, and final finishes (patina).
Operating a mint single-handedly has significant challenges, and with that comes great opportunities.
It takes an artist, a mechanic, and an engineer, of which I am all three, split in two, and combined in one.
I focus on items of a monetary nature. What is “money? Why is it valuable? Who gets to issue it?
What benefits does the issuing entity receive for doing so? What makes an item collectable?
The coins and tokens I produce challenge those concepts in various ways.
Gallery
