VIRTUAL BIDDING

Auction Houses Blend Live and Online Platforms for Today's Buyer

-  JOSHUA MCMORROW-HERNANDEZ , ANTHONY SWIATEK

The auction scene in 21st-century numismatics is not on the carpeted floor of a hotel or convention center room, but in coffee shops, office cubicles and backyard patios. It’s a time and place where even the most storied rarities are not sold with the flick of a paddle or thumbing of the nose, but with click of the “ENTER” button or tap of a phone screen. It’s not for everyone. Anyone so inclined can step into an auction held in conjunction with any major coin show and still find a busy lot-viewing room or bustling live floor. But attending the landmark auctions of today no longer requires someone to buy an expensive plane ticket, put up in a hotel and then hustle into an auction room. Some wouldn’t have it any other way. Others would.

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