Kolbe & Fanning Numismatic Booksellers is the largest and longest currently active rare numismatic literature firm in the world. Established in 1967 by George F. Kolbe, our first mail-bid sale was held in 1976 and today we average four mail-bid or public auction sales per year. 

Kolbe & Fanning Numismatic Booksellers LLC is a licensed auctioneer corporation by the State of Ohio Department of Agriculture (license 2025000025) and is bonded as required by law in favor of the State of Ohio. We are a member of the International Association of Professional Numismatists and the Independent Online Booksellers Association.

Maria Fanning uses her design and photography skills to create our print catalogues, as well as managing our retail stock, accounts payable and packing. She is also the editor of the Numismatic Bibliomania Society's quarterly journal The Asylum, for which she has won several American Numismatic Association Barbara J. Gregory Outstanding Specialty Publication awards. She is licensed by the State of Ohio Department of Agriculture (license 2024000216) as an auctioneer, and is bonded as required by law in favor of the State of Ohio.

Our founder, George Kolbe, is a life member of the American Numismatic Association and a member of several other numismatic organizations. A founder of the Numismatic Bibliomania Society and the Attinelli Fellowship, he has been honored with election to the Rittenhouse Society and has been named a Fellow of the American Numismatic Society. Kolbe is the author of The Reference Library of a Numismatic Bookseller and numerous articles on numismatic literature. He retired in 2023.

While public auctions and mail-bid sales are an important part of our business, we also actively buy and sell rare numismatic literature. Our stock of rare numismatic books is among the largest in the world and we are always pleased to receive serious want lists.