Gold Standard

Michael Joyce is thinking about lending money, but he doesn't own a bank.

Joyce and his wife, Denise, are the owners of Gulfcoast Coin & Jewelry in Fort Myers. They've been in business for 38 years and do about $50 million in sales annually from their four locations in the area, mainly from buying and selling rare coins, gold and silver.

But like everyone else, Joyce has seen banks pull back since the downturn. He thinks he can fill a void. “The coin shops will be the new bankers,” he says. “We're about as close to banking as there is today.”