David Vagi is a specialist in ancient Greek and Roman coins who devotes himself equally to academic and commercial pursuits. After studying at the University of Manchester in the U. K. and earning degrees in history and magazine journalism from the University of Missouri at Columbia, Mr. Vagi joined the reporting staff of Coin World newspaper.

He started his professional career with the fine art auctioneer Christie’s in New York City, after which he served as the ancient coin specialist for Superior Galleries in Beverly Hills, California. He returned to New York to serve as vice president of Spink America (the coin division of Christie’s) and in 1996 founded his own company, Delphi International Ancient Art.

In addition to writing columns for three leading coin publications (The Celator, Numismatic News and World Coin News), Mr. Vagi has published several hundred articles and continues to conduct original research. He served as editor of theJournal of the Society for Ancient Numismatics and has written numerous scripts for the National Public Radio program Moneytalks.

Mr. Vagi is a governor of the Classical and Medieval Numismatic Society and is a life member of the American Numismatic Society and the American Numismatic Association. He is a mentor for the ANA’s School of Numismatics and for the last several years has instructed a week-long course on ancient coins at the ANA’s headquarters in Colorado Springs, CO.

Awards Mr. Vagi has received include two Presidential Awards and the Heath Literary Award from the ANA, and two ‘Best Column’ awards from the Numismatic Literary Guild. His book Coinage and History of the Roman Empire earned first place book awards from the International Association of Professional Numismatists, the Professional Numismatists Guild and the NLG. It is the only book to have won all three major numismatic book awards.

After completing his two-volume Coinage and History of the Roman Empire, Mr. Vagi  focused his efforts on building an ancient coin department at the 125-year-old firm R.M. Smythe & Co. in New York City.

Today, in addition to servicing his own clientele through Delphi International Ancient Art, Mr. Vagi is an active consultant to collectors, museums, publishers and auction firms throughout the United States and Europe.