Justin Roth was in high school when he was introduced to error and variety coins.
At that moment, he said he was instantly hooked.
Roth operates Green River Bullion and Coins on Flaming Gorge Way and says Green River has been a very welcoming place for his business since it opened in August 2020.
Roth’s storefront at 132 E. Flaming Gorge Way, which opened Feb. 6, has become a hub for people interested in bullion, precious metals, currency, and collectable coins.
Roth credits Joe Coggon, who now works with him at the business, with introducing him to the coins. Error coins are minted with defects and not normally meant to enter monetary circulation as a result.
“Some of them are extremely rare and can bring thousands of dollars while others are more common and sell for significantly less,” he said.
A decade ago, Roth was introduced to coin dealers he would end up working with at trade shows and their shops, giving him the opportunity to learn the business. About five years later, Roth decided he wanted to open his own shop.
“I have been working my tail off for the last 5 years figuring out exactly what I needed to do,” Roth said. “A key factor to having a successful coin store is having reasonable overhead costs.”
Roth and his wife Mariah moved from Tillamook, Oregon, coming to Green River to work in education. Roth’s background was originally in law enforcement before working as a substitute teacher and selling coins at gun shows throughout the state.
“It became clear to me after doing my second show locally at the fairgrounds in Rock Springs that there was a definite need and a want for a coin store here in the area,” he said. “The closest stores are about three hours away in any direction with a few of them being in Salt Lake City, Utah. I have been told by many of my customers that they did not feel safe traveling to (Salt Lake City) to buy precious metals.”
Shortly after seeking a storefront, Roth found a vacant space at the GT Machine building and was able to move in.
Roth said opening his business in Green River has been a great experience thus far. He said he receives one new customer each day and looks forward to serving his customers for the next 30-40 years.
“It has been a great experience so far and we have an amazing community here,” he said.
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