Modern Coin Mart

An Online Coin and Bullion Dealer Based in Pinehurst, North Carolina

Modern Coin Mart (MCM) is a US dealer in precious metals and collectible coins, founded in 2004 by John Maben, a professional numismatist with more than three decades in the trade. The business began in Lakewood Ranch, Florida, as an extension of his existing firm, John Maben Rare Coins, Inc., and was an early entrant in the online retail of modern coins and bullion, with its website trading since at least 2006. MCM operates from Pinehurst, North Carolina, at premises shared with Pinehurst Coin Exchange, and sits within the A-Mark Precious Metals group following a series of acquisitions completed in 2025.

The range covers gold, silver, platinum, and palladium bullion alongside numismatic and commemorative coins, sourced from sovereign mints worldwide. MCM built its name on modern US Mint releases and graded coins, and that numismatic emphasis still shapes the catalogue, which pairs gold coins and silver coins from mints around the world with standard bullion bars. The site also carries an extensive FAQ and resource centre aimed at both collectors and bullion investors.

MCM is a PCGS Authorized Dealer, and its team includes members of the American Numismatic Association and the Professional Numismatists Guild. Beyond its own storefront at moderncoinmart.com, the company sells through PinehurstCoins.com, eBay, and Walmart.com, and operates sub-brands including T&S Coin and Agoro, a New Zealand Mint brand.

From a Florida Startup to the A-Mark Group

John Maben founded Modern Coin Mart in 2004 in Lakewood Ranch, Florida, building on John Maben Rare Coins, Inc., the rare coin business he already ran. Maben had spent over thirty years as a professional numismatist before launching MCM, and he positioned the new venture as an e-commerce operation at a time when the online coin market was still taking shape. The website has been trading since at least June 2006, and the company built its early reputation on modern US Mint releases, bullion, and graded coins.

On 4 May 2015, MCM was sold to Asset Marketing Services LLC (AMS), a Minnesota-based multichannel direct marketer that also owned GovMint.com, First Federal Coin, and New York Mint. The deal made MCM the fourth numismatic company in the AMS stable, where it continued as a standalone subsidiary while Maben moved into a consulting role.

In 2024, Pinehurst Coin Exchange, Inc. bought MCM from AMS for $5.5 million, acquiring the brand name, intellectual property, a customer database of around 400,000 accounts, and $3 million of inventory. Pinehurst, founded by US Army veteran Vince Wade, had independently built a customer base of nearly 300,000 before the deal, and MCM's operations moved to Pinehurst's premises at 5 Trotter Hills Circle in Pinehurst, North Carolina. The two businesses have shared an address and a combined eBay presence since the acquisition.

The Pinehurst deal also set MCM's path into a larger precious metals group. A-Mark Precious Metals, a NASDAQ-listed precious metals trading company, had made an initial strategic investment in Pinehurst in 2019 and raised its stake from 10 percent to 49 percent in August 2021. On 28 February 2025, A-Mark closed the acquisition of the remaining 51 percent of Pinehurst for $6.5 million in cash, with up to $5.3 million in further performance-based consideration, bringing MCM fully within the A-Mark group of bullion and numismatic businesses.