ABOUT US
The Trajan Publishing Corporation (Trajan) can trace its roots back to 1963 – nearly six decades – when one of its flagship publications was first issued.
On June 3, 1963, numismatic icon Chet Krause, a long-time resident of Iola, Wisc. (and likely its best-known citizen), launched what was then known as Canada Coin News. The publication’s first editor was Cale Jarvis, who would later write a numismatic column for The Globe and Mail.
In his opening editorial of Canada Coin News (Vol. 1, No. 1), Jarvis said the publication would strive “to be all things” to Canadian numismatics.
OUR ONGOING MISSION
Today, The Trajan Publishing Corporation continues to fulfill Jarvis’ promise to provide “on-the-spot reports of major conventions, in depth studies of current trends, mint reports, feature stories, club news and introductions to noteworthy personalities of the hobby.”
Since the beginning, the magazine has published its popular pricing guide, which is now known as Trends (and then as the Standard Price Guide). It’s still updated biweekly with a rotating board of guest editors headed by trusted numismatist Michael Findlay, who’s also the president of the Canadian Association of Numismatic Dealers.
The inaugural 24-page issue of Canada Coin News has since become a collector’s item – not unlike the sought-after coins that continue to drive the magazine’s content. But while it was originally typeset and printed in Wisconsin, its writers resided in Canada. Krause realized in order for the publication to thrive, it needed to operate in its true domain – Canada.
OUR NAME
The company owes its name to the Roman emperor Trajan, who reigned from 98 AD until his
death in 117. During his reign, Trajan was declared optimus princeps (“the best ruler”) by the
Senate and is best remembered for his role as a soldier-emperor who presided over the greatest
military expansion in Roman history. His large-scale public building programs and social
welfare policies also earned him a place among the “Five Good Emperors,” who presided over
eight decades of peace and prosperity in the Mediterranean.
