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By DANIELLE CAPALBO

Villager Staff Writer


WILTON -- After 32 years of handling historical artifacts, John Reznikoff, president of University Archives in Westport, defers to David Conway when it comes to appraising coins.

Conway speaks the speak, Reznikoff said. He walks the walk. In five months as a freelance consultant, Conway has proven himself a "bright, industrious" colleague with a handle on the rules that takes decades to learn.

And he's 18 years old.

"I introduced myself to him because of his age," said Reznikoff. "He reminded me of myself as a teenager."

Conway is the young, bright-eyed CEO of CoolCashCoins, a coin-appraisal business he launched as a sophomore at Wilton High School. That's what caught Reznikoff's attention. It also caught the attention of The National Federation of Independent Business Young Entrepreneur Foundation, which awarded Conway a highly-competitive, $5,000 scholarship last month.

Out of 4,300 students, Conway was among the top-five.

"To me, the scholarship means that it's possible to accomplish something like this, even in high school," Conway said. "I've been recognized before, but this is the first big thing."

As part of the honor, Conway also had the chance to meet State Rep. Jim Himes, D-4, in the Congressman's Washington office.

Having just graduated from WHS, Conway is bound for George Washington University and said the money will fund his business studies. He hopes to eventually run a hedge fund, he said, and subscribes to the philosophy that good business contributes to society and runs ethically and honestly. Also, the more experience, the better.

To that end, he and some friends just launched a consulting firm called CKC Capital Securities, designed to help companies cater their marketing to students, he said. Then there's CoolCashCoins -- his labor of love. In a matter of years, Conway has provided unbiased appraisals to several thousand clients. As important as the business itself, Conway said he invests his profits in stocks, options and commodities, honing his financial know-how.

"I've always been intrigued by money," he said, holding a framed $100 bill. It was printed in 1929 -- the year the bottom fell out from Wall Street -- and remains, decades later, preserved in what collectors call "uncirculated condition." Estimated at a couple times its printed worth, the bill is just a fraction of Conway's collection. He wouldn't divulge its size or value.

"I like it because of the historical value of the pieces -- when you hold one, it's like you're holding history," he said.

Conway's knack for business was borne from lemonade stands in grade school, he said. Meanwhile, he became passionately interested in collecting currencies in seventh or eighth grade. He merged those interests when he realized how many people inherited individual coins or collections with no idea of their worth. He once priced someone's currencies at more than $50,000.

"They weren't expecting it," he said. "They were thrilled."

Moreover, he knew people were seeking the sort of unbiased appraisals they couldn't find at a pawn shop, where their items could ultimately be purchased. Conway's trick is that he doesn't seek to buy from his clients, he said, except in rare circumstances.

His expertise is the result of years of proverbial homework: he attends about a dozen coin shows annually, reads plenty of books and, most importantly, racks up experience scrutinizing rare pieces.

Still, he said, "It's only money," and balances work with fiction writing, skiing and tennis.

"You can't let it consume you," he said. "Especially when the market goes down."

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