It is always good to put a name to a business and tell something about our history and our policies. To that end we are Richard and Alicia Gatto, and we live in Orlando, Florida, U.S.A. where I am retired from the Government and my wife works at the Post Office, as well as running the banknote business. With my help of course. Other then dealing with banknotes I have also worked with computers when the Army used the old mainframes, been in Personnel, Finance and ran an Officer's Club for about six months. As a civilian with the Army I worked in, first Manpower, then in the Drug and Alcohol Policy Branch for USAREUR. Yes! I was the one who sent out those hated messages for Drug Testing during the late 70's in Germany. After our return to the U.S. I worked in the Contracts Section at the Naval Air Warfare Center here in Orlando where I was heavily involved in purchasing computers and other equipment needed to develop training aids for the Navy. Remember the $500 hammer, and the coffee maker which would withstand a plane crash? They were not any of my contracts, but they were contracted by our Department.

Our story in Numismatics starts some 35 years ago when I was stationed with the Army in Heidelberg, Germany. One year I decided to set up a table at the Old Heidelberg Coin Show and sell off some of the various coins I had picked up during my travels. After that I was hooked and soon began setting up at the local coin shows in Southern Germany expanding to shows in Switzerland, and the Netherlands. In 1980 I began to become interested in foreign banknotes when I learned that the challenge was not finding notes, but finding notes in higher grades. Returning to the U.S. in 1983 and establishing our home in Florida we continued the business, but limiting our interests to foreign banknotes and collecting German coins.



Other then dealing and collecting foreign banknotes I am also the webmaster for the Latin American Paper Money Society (LANSA) of which I have received an Honorary Membership for my poor efforts. If you have any interest in Latin American Notes I suggest you visit the website at www.lansa.bz. They have a lot of interesting articles and a membership directory.

That about does it other then we have a lovely daughter who is finally working and attending college. We are hoping that someday she will take over the business, but that will be her choice. We also have two of the most loveable dogs. One is a Boxer mix named Teddy Bear (Bear) who is very protective of us and the other is Lily, a Siberian Huskey, with a personality all her own. Both are just as gentle as can be. My only real complaint is that Lily has developed a taste for coffee. In the morning I often forget and leave my cup next to the chair only to find it empty when I come back. That and the fact that she sleeps in my chair at night. We actually believe that she is the reincarnation of a Queen, or some other royalty. Perhaps the Queen of Shiba? Last year I found that she would not eat. I tried everything and finally took her to the Vet. After considerable testing, and expense we finally decided that she was taking my wife's comments that she was getting fat seriously and she decided to go on a diet. The dog that is, not my wife.