Douglas Winter was born in New York City. He became interested in coins at an early age. By the time he was 13, Winter was a fixture at East coast coin conventions where he could exhibit his collection, and buy and sell coins. After graduating from college, Winter went to work for Steve Ivy Rare Coins in 1982. He served as Director of Research for this company, and was responsible for writing many of its auction catalogs, fixed-price lists, and promotional material. In 1985, Winter established his own firm, Douglas Winter Consulting (renamed Douglas Winter Numismatics in 1992), specializing in rare and choice American gold and silver coins struck in the 18th and 19th centuries. Today, Winter is regarded as one of the leading experts in the field of United States gold coins. In addition to buying and selling coins to other dealers and collectors, Winter's professional activities have included research and writing. He has now written reference books on branch mint gold coinage (Carson City, Charlotte, Dahlonega, and New Orleans), and books on Type One, Type Two, and Type Three double eagles. Douglas Winter is a member of all leading numismatic organizations, including the PNG (Pro- fessional Numismatists Guild). Along with his wife, Irma Kane Winter, and their dog, Earl Winter, he enjoys the beautiful summers and fall in Portland, Oregon, and spends the rainy winters in sunny Long Beach, California.