Bar Cent –

A token that was struck in this country shortly after the War of Independence, it is so called because it carries a series of bars on the reverse side. On the obverse of the coin is the lettering "U.S.A." in script, without any further design or date.

A common joke (and truth) in the industry is how much coin dealers like to eat. We are no exception. Here at Northeast we enjoy a monthly free lunch day courtesy of Tom. Each month a different employee gets to pick the location we eat. This month Christy, our shipping manager, picked Indian food from Monsoon in Acton, MA (www.monsoonbistro.com). If Chris looks perplexed in the photo below, it's because he is perplexed. Not a connoisseur of Indian food, Chris was completely clueless as to what he actually ordered and is opening one of the cups of food with much trepidation.

We also recently had our company Christmas party at arguably one of the finest restaurants in MetroWest Boston. You'll find a photo below of everyone from the company including Tom's wife, Nancy, enjoying a wonderful meal at 80 Thoreau here in Concord (www.80thoreau.com). Great food and great company.

Don’t ever let it be said that Tom Caldwell isn’t a stand up kind of guy.  We are not talking just about Tom being a man of his word, but also about the merits of working at a stand up desk.  A couple of years ago Tom heard about the advantages of standing rather than sitting.  Studies have clearly shown there are health benefits of sitting less. Among these benefits are decreases in obesity as well as a decrease in the risks of cardiovascular disease, some types of cancer, and diabetes.  After learning this, Tom ordered a stand up desk in early 2014 and has not looked back.

It is a fact that most office workers spend close to six hours a day sitting at their desks. Coin dealers are no exception, whether it’s in the office or at a coin show.  Many office workers today get the majority of their exercise during the work day going outside for a smoke break, taking bathroom breaks, or going to the lunch room. Tom has always been fairly active, whether it’s biking, swimming, or running.  But as a professional numismatist, it can be quite a challenge not only maintaining any sort of exercise regimen but also avoiding sitting on your butt all day.

This changed when Tom’s new stand up desk arrived.  He now spends no more than two to three hours during the work day sitting, and that’s only when it’s absolutely necessary. Meeting with clients, figuring deals, grading, and other similar tasks certainly require at least some chair time.

Against his staff’s objections, an image has been posted of Tom’s office including his stand up desk. He insists there is organization in the chaos that you see.  Actually, one additional benefit to a stand up desk is now Tom can use his chair for storage. If you have any questions for Tom about his stand up desk experience (or about his organizational skills), he can be reached at tom@northeastcoin.com.