Our Story
Jefferson Coin has grown a lot since its humble beginnings as Jefferson Coin Shop. In 1962, Mac Luck opened the shop in downtown Charlottesville for his father, J. Malcolm Luck, who was retiring after many years as Director of Alumni at the University of Virginia. What started as a father-and-son hobby built around a love of coin collecting became a shop that served collectors of every age and level, from beginners to advanced numismatists and bullion investors.
In 1979 Jim Luck became involved in the business after attending many coin shows with his father, Mac Luck. Still as a father & son venture, moving down a generation, the shop started to transform from a hobby into a full-fledged business operation.
Silver and Gold prices started moving up in 1979. Jefferson Coin Shop started buying Gold & Silver bullion, Coins, Scrap Gold Jewelry and Sterling Silver. As the infamous Hunt Brothers made their attempt to corner the world silver markets, prices soared and business was very brisk. Yes, we were around in 1980 when Silver was $50 and Gold over $800! In today’s dollars, that works out to Silver at $2,328 and Gold at a staggering $19,300!
Jefferson Coin Shop made its first move in the mid 1980’s. The move was certainly more symbolic than anything else – it was a whopping 25 feet across the foyer of our office building! In our new larger office, we continued to buy coin collections and precious metals. Jim persevered in increasing sales and expanded Jefferson Coin Shop’s reach by attending coin shows up and down the East Coast.
In the 1990’s the torch was passed to Jim Luck and his wife, Kara. Mac Luck passed away in 1997 never realizing how the internet and the falling Dollar would affect the small business he started in 1962 as a hobby to share with his father and his son.
Still providing collectible coins and investments, in 2005 Jefferson Coin Shop opened a new headquarters on the other side of Charlottesville, on Route 29 North. We persevered through the crash of 2008 and brokered Gold and Silver to new highs in 2011.
2012 marked our 50th anniversary. We felt as though we were just reaching our full stride, and were committed to taking our love of the business, our expertise and our great local reputation to the next level. We dropped the word “Shop” locally, becoming known simply as ‘Jefferson Coin’. Next, we went national with our completely rebuilt website. As part of that move, we rebranded our internet division as JCSGOLD. At the heart of this new brand is the JCS for Jefferson Coin Shop, just as the small father & son hobby shop started in 1962 will always be at the heart of everything we do.
In the Summer of 2014, we made another big move…literally. After several months of renovation, we relocated our headquarters just 5 minutes South on Route 29 in Charlottesville. This move marked a massive step forward for us. We’re more centrally located and have lots more room to bring you more of everything you’ve already come to expect from us over the course of our last 60+ years in business and more.
After a decade of growth, we realized that our once-new location no longer met our evolving needs. To better serve our customers, we relocated across Route 29 to a prime corner location featuring double the showroom space, abundant natural lighting, and expanded parking. This move marks a significant milestone for us, providing greater visibility, enhanced accessibility, and room for future expansion. We are excited to welcome you to our new headquarters at 255 Albemarle Square, Charlottesville, Virginia.
In Charlottesville, Jefferson Coin is known as the place to buy and sell gold, silver, and coins. As concerns about inflation and government debt grow, more people are discovering the lasting value of gold and silver. We’re here to help newcomers get started with precious metals, and to share our passion and our collection with seasoned collectors across the country through JCSGOLD.com.
Our goal is to become known nationwide as “America’s Local Coin Shop.” We want to build lasting relationships with our customers and welcome them into our family business. Whether you’re standing at our counter in Charlottesville, Virginia, or browsing online from Anchorage, Alaska, we want you to feel the same personal service. You won’t find high-pressure sales here. We believe gold and silver sell themselves, and we’re simply here to help.
Here’s to our rich history and our bright future!