Ethan Thomaston beside his favorite display in SCC Photo by: Macall Miller
Story by: Riley Underwood
HOOVER, Ala. — If you have ever needed to buy or sell gold in the Birmingham area, then you have seen Ethan Thomaston. He is the president of Southern Coin Collectibles Inc. (SCC) located on Highway 31 in Hoover, Alabama.
SCC is a family-owned-and-operated coin and paper money dealer. The family has been serving this business to the southeast for over 40 years. “I love that I am able to run a business like this with my family,” said Thomaston. His dad opened up their first store in Homewood 46 years ago. Following in his father’s footsteps, Ethan opened up the Hoover location in 2004. His brother started the third store in Tuscaloosa in 2021.
I love that I am able to run a business like this with my family.
Ethan Thomaston
“SCC has the most competitive two-way buy and sell market for collector coins, gold and silver bullion, and collectible currency in the state,” said Thomaston. They are a certified dealer for Professional Coin Grading Service (PCGS) and Numismatic Guaranty Company (NGC) as well as a member of many national coin organizations.
SCC has the most competitive two-way buy and sell market for collector coins, gold and silver bullion, and collectible currency in the state.
Ethan Thomaston
Ethan’s store is home many unique items, including a Johnson Matthey kilo 32.15oz gold bar valued at $65,000. It is also home to a Johnson Matthey 100oz silver bar valued at $2,700.
SCC has a 1902 Birmingham $10 national banknote at a $350 value. It also has an 1882 $20 Andalusia, Alabama Brown Bank National note. There is only one known of this kind and it is valued at $6,000.
One of the more famous collections SCC has on display for the public to view is the D.B. Cooper ransom money collection. “This collection is definitely my favorite in the whole store,” said Thomaston.
The ransom money is from the first hijacking in the United States and is the only case that was not solved. He used the alias Dan Cooper to hijack a commercial airliner the day before Thanksgiving in 1971.
The suspect demanded $200,000 in $20 notes to be delivered along with three parachutes. The suspect released the hostages on the plane and took off again with the crew and the ransom money. The plane left Seattle-Tacoma heading for Mexico, but had to stop in Reno, Nevada, to refuel only to discover that D.B. Cooper was not on the plane.
Cooper jumped out of the plane with the ransom money and was never seen again. This 1969 $20 federal reserve note is one of only 70 pieces known. It is valued at $25,000.
This story is Ethan’s favorite to tell. If you ever ask him what his favorite part of the store is, that is his first answer.
This collection is definitely my favorite in the whole store.
Ethan Thomaston
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