There is a small nondescript building just one block off Fort Worth’s famous old brick Camp Bowie Blvd. that contains one of the great treasures of Mexican Numismatics. There is no sign out front proclaiming it to be “The Shrine of Mexican Coins”. In fact, if you don’t know it’s there you could drive by without even noticing it. But believe me it is the most important building in Mexican Numismatics today. Why? Because this small building is the realm of today’s King of Mexican Coins. Within its hallowed halls Mike Dunigan holds court over his vast worldwide kingdom. Few of today’s Mexican coin collectors realize just how great this man really is and how important he is to Mexican Numismatics. Let’s try to set the record straight and find out more about The King of Mexican Coins!
Mike loved to take his clients, friends, and later his family to the Baca Ranch. The Baca Ranch had the largest herd of trophy American Elk on the planet and Mike enjoyed letting his guests collect large bull Elk as trophies, or enjoy outdoor baths in the ranch’s natural hot springs. After marring his wonderful wife Nena, Mike and his small family usually spent part of the summer in the beautiful mountains and valleys surrounding the ranch.
It was a real treat and honor just to be asked to go and spend time with Mike at the ranch, for you knew you had made his “A” List.
The young Mike Dunigan grew up in Fort Worth and graduated from high school there. I’m sure there must have been some friction between Mike and his father when he announced he wasn’t interested in joining the family oil business. In fact, Mike once told me the only favorable comment his father ever made about his interest in coins came after Mike showed him a deposit slip for one day’s profit he made during the silver boom.
Another related story told to me by Mike was how his interest in Mexican coins started because of a gift from his grandmother. Today many people don’t realize Mike spent time as an understudy to some of the great old time Mexican coin dealers such as Dr. George Vogt, and others, who will remain unnamed. Even now Mike maintains a close friendship with Dr. George and a few of his old teachers.
It didn’t take long before Mike completely eclipsed his mentors. One of our mutual friends, who has his PhD in psychology, and I have had more than a couple of conversations about Mike’s special gifts. This gentleman once told me that Dunigan has not only a highly elevated IQ, but is one of less than .01% of the world’s population who has “total recall capabilities” for anything he sees. This conversation was stimulated because I told my PhD friend I was amazed that Mike had correctly told me where one of my Cap & Ray 8 Reales had been purchased only days before.
With the gifts of superior intellect, a photographic memory, and some considerable money Mike Dunigan became THE leading coin dealer specializing in Mexican coins during the late 1970s. For a number of years Mike’s base of operations was in the bottom floor of a bank in Abilene Texas. From this bank he soon took control of the Mexican coin business and in August 1977 he published his first of 23 Fixed Price Lists. Dunigan continued publishing FPLs occasionally until November 1992 when he ceased this practice.
Mike entered the coin business just as many of the old timers were making an exit stage left to the pine box. But he had met and knew many of the old time collectors and coin dealers and his stories about them enthralled me during my early collecting years. I would mention someone new I had just discovered in my research and he would proceed to tell me stories about each and everyone one of them. I personally loved these conversations and tall tales.
I finally met Mike personally in 1986 at a coin show in Austin Texas, and for the next decade (1987 to 1997) Dunigan was one of my prime mentors for and about Mexican coins. He gave me one gift that I will cherish forever. One day we were having a lesson and I had a difference of opinion with him about a coin. Mike then made the most profound statement I have encountered about Mexican coins, “Poucher … when are you going to learn to listen to what the coins have to tell you, not something you read in a book?” This is still the single most important lesson I have learned over my collecting life!
While truly famous in Mexican Numismatics Dunigan also deals in other diverse fields of numismatics. I have often wondered if he might not be the anonymous buyer of the US 1933 $20 Gold piece? But I doubt if I will ever know. Mike travels to coin shows far and near, large and small buying coins. Beyond any doubt he can accurately grade any series of US coins as well, or better than any of the third party grading services. His word on Mexican coins is beyond reproach as he has probably seen more Mexican coins than anyone else except Clyde Hubbard. And with his “total recall” he can quote chapter and verse if he has seen a better one.
I hope you can begin to get an overall picture about Mike Dunigan and his prowess in the field of numismatics? He is an expert in all fields of Mexican Numismatics; from the Mexican minors to the capital coins, from the Colonial, War of Independence, Iturbide, Republic, Maximilian, Revolutionary War to the Modern era.
Mike Dunigan has changed over the many years in business, just as his business has drastically changed. Now, just as Hans Schulman once did, Mike conducts the majority of his business in private treaty sales to a large current customer base. However, if you are a serous Mexican Coin Collector … you must meet and deal with The King of Mexican Coins if you ever want to have any hope of completing any collection.
Don’t be shy, next time you see the Mike Dunigan table at some coin show go up and introduce yourself, tell Mike what coins interest you. Then wait to be astounded at what he will show you. And someday you may be invited to visit The King on Birchman Avenue to really be overwhelmed. One last thing; be sure to tell him Ralphie sent you.
[Home] Return to Mexican Coin Magic Home Page