Wherever I was heading for the next coin fair, whether it was Hong Kong, New York, London or Munich, one thing was certain: I would find Muriel Eymery there. She would beam at me and start telling me excitedly about the latest developments at whatever company she was working for. Muriel was a happy constant in my numismatic life. She was always there, ready to make contacts and spark connections. If there were an award for the largest numismatic network, Muriel would definitely have been nominated for it. She knew everyone and she was active on all social media channels, where she posted constantly.
I remember all too well how surprised I was when I first met her. She proved all of my preconceptions wrong. A pretty, bubbly Frenchwoman, confidently navigating the male-dominated world of coin trading, whose English was as good as her French, who every now and again would throw on her stylish leather jacket and head outside to treat herself to a little break, cigarette in hand. These smoking breaks probably accelerated her death. She died last week after a difficult battle with lung cancer, with her sister Carol by her side.
A Career in Numismatics, Starting at the Monnaie de Paris
Muriel Eymery didn’t have any kind of family background in numismatics that might have prompted her to pursue it. She studied at Université Paris Dauphine, the John Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies and Baruch College, which prides itself on having 110 languages and 168 nationalities among its student body. Muriel must have loved this cosmopolitan environment! She loved different cultures, moved expertly between three continents – and by the time she completed her studies, she also had master’s degrees in Finance and International Public Policies. She soon gained a great deal of practical experience too.
The first steps of her career led her into the world of major multinational corporations. She worked for the World Bank, the Traveler’s Group and the insurance company AIG. Then, Monnaie de Paris advertised a management position in exports, a business that was slowly beginning to boom again after the long slump of the 1980s and 1990s. Thanks to her command of two languages, Muriel Eymery got the job. And so it was in 2003, while she worked for the Monnaie de Paris as a liaison to the international coin trade, that she began to build up her numismatic network.
PCGS
In 2007, Muriel started working at PCGS, the American grading company, which at the time was attempting to boost European and Asian business. As part of her role as Vice President of International Business Development, Muriel attended coin fairs big and small, spoke to countless collectors and dealers, persuaded and pioneered, and had a significant part to play in the fact that PCGS now has successful branches in Paris, Hong Kong and Shanghai.
Spink
In 2016, Muriel changed employers for the last time. She took on the role of Global Head of Coins & Medals at Spink in London. Once again, she was able to do what she did – and loved – best: building up a network. She managed to revive the old connection between Spink and Japanese coin dealership Taisei, which led to the two businesses holding joint auctions in Tokyo. She was immensely proud of having successfully established Spink as a sponsor of the Numismatic Gallery at the British Museum. It was she who set up the connection with NGC, which today has its London offices in the Spink building.
Muriel developed ideas, brought people together and yet was underestimated by many, a common experience for attractive women in numismatics.
ANA
Muriel Eymery had a vision she was working towards. She loved the colourful, international, friendly and ever-exciting world of numismatics, and she also wanted to share her passion with others. She always understood that numismatics offers a fantastic opportunity to explore beyond the borders of one’s own country, to broaden one’s horizons. That’s why, when she held the role of Governor of the ANA in 2019 and 2021, she brought these ideas to the collectors’ association, thereby boosting its interest in international numismatics.
Now, the coin trade has lost her charming voice. Muriel seemed to be made of life itself. I will never forget her spontaneity, her sometimes slightly mad ideas, the ease with which she juggled her many duties. Nothing she did looked like work, even the most difficult tasks.
I can still clearly remember one of my meetings with Muriel at Spink: I hadn’t booked an appointment; I had stopped by more or less by chance to do some research for an article on the coin trade in London. I met her in the lift and she immediately took over my day. She took me around the whole building, introducing me to every single employee. Finally, she showed me the auction hall and got me to perform a mock auction at the auctioneer’s podium. By the end, we were both bent double with laughter!
That’s how I knew Muriel: radiant, laughing, full of joie de vivre. She was an incredibly strong woman who, as her sister tells us, maintained her positive outlook on life until the end.
Muriel, we will greatly miss your joyful laugh!