Len Roosmalen

Len has been a collector for 50 years and a full-time coin dealer in the Madison area for the past 26 years. Len is known nationally and has purchased and helped assemble some of the finest collections of U.S. coins.

In addition to rare U.S. coins, Len has particularly excelled in his service to the error coin collecting community. Len served on the board of directors of the national club, The National Error Coin Collectors of America which later became the Combined Organizations of Error Collectors of America (CONECA) from 1980 through 1987, and again from 1990 through 1994. Over a period of 12 years, from 1981 to 1993, he conducted 76 CONECA mail bid auctions of approximately 600 lots each. As a tireless recruiter, Len won the Kenny Knapp award several times for enticing at least 25 new members to join. In 1987 and 1990, Len presided over the club's annual celebration as Errorama chairman. For his service to CONECA, he twice received the Lyndon King Award, which recognizes the individual who has done more for the club than anyone else in the previous 12 months. Len was an enthusiastic exhibitor of error coins for many years. He won five consecutive 1st place awards in the Errors division at the ANA convention from 1977 to 1981, and exhibited at numerous other shows.

Len assisted several other organizations over the years. He received the ANA's Glenn Smedley Award in 1992, which recognizes individuals who have devoted their efforts to the betterment of the association. He served as President of Midwest Error Coin Collectors. He is a Life Member of the American Nuismatic Association, CONECA, and Numismatists of Wisconsin (NOW), and a past board member of NOW. He was given an Honorary Life Membership in the Madison, Wisconsin Coin Club, and was the chairman of both the spring and fall Madison coin shows most years in the 1980's and 1990's.

Until recently Len owned Len's Coins and Stamps, a retail coin store in Madison. Every two months over a period of 14 years he mailed out an error coin auction catalog with some of the most unusual errors to be seen anywhere. In 2003 he sold the business to James Essence, but still remains associated with the business (now called "Jim's Coins") in an advisory capacity passing on his knowledge, humor, and kind spirit to future generations of numismatists.