Coins 'N Things

Coins 'N Things (CNT Inc.)

Company type	Private
Industry	Precious metals wholesale
Founded	1973
Founder	Louis Oliari
Headquarters	Bridgewater, Massachusetts , United States
Key people	Mark Oliari (founder)
Number of employees	50 (2011)

Coins 'N Things, operating under the name CNT Inc., is a family-owned private enterprise headquartered in Bridgewater, Massachusetts. Established in 1973 initially as a retail coin store, it has transformed into the foremost wholesale gold supplier within the United States.

History

The origin of Coins 'N Things traces back to Louis Oliari, an engineer with a passion for coin collecting. His son, Mark, became involved at an early stage and eventually committed full-time after completing high school, prompting Louis to leave his corporate career to join him.

The business broadened its scope to include wholesale precious metals trading, catering to investors, jewelers, and manufacturers alike. While Louis favored maintaining retail operations, Mark prioritized expanding the wholesale division. By 2002, Coins 'N Things had earned authorization from the United States Mint as one of just 11 worldwide distributors of American Eagle silver bullion coins, a status requiring a substantial retail presence and a net worth exceeding $5 million.

After Louis passed away in 2008, Mark decided to cease retail activities and concentrate exclusively on precious metals trading. Leveraging a line of credit from Wells Fargo, the company expanded into large-scale government contracts. In 2010, Coins 'N Things received authorization to sell gold directly to the U.S. federal government.

By the fiscal year 2011, it had become the largest supplier of precious metals to the U.S. government, with gold sales accounting for approximately half of $3.8 billion in contracts awarded by the United States Mint. That same year, it ranked 39th among the top 100 federal contractors nationwide, securing $1.89 billion solely from the Treasury Department—its major client—thereby establishing itself as the leading gold vendor across the country.

Revenue

With a workforce of around 50 employees, including founder Mark Oliari, his wife Patty, and their three children, the company operates without external investors. As of 2011, annual revenue was estimated at $6.5 billion. Although net income figures are not publicly available, Oliari disclosed that the firm retains roughly 0.25% of transaction values from private clients and slightly less on government sales. The gold supply is sourced from producers in both the U.S. and Canada, with nearly 40% originating from a refinery owned by the Canadian government.