James Halperin Receives Professional Numismatists Guild's Highest Award

The Professional Numismatists Guild (PNG, www.PNGdealers.org) has given its highest honor, the Abe Kosoff Founders Award, to James Halperin, co-founder of Heritage Auctions. The award was presented during the Guild’s annual membership dinner on April 23, 2025, at the Central States Numismatic Society Convention in Schaumburg, Illinois.

The Kosoff Award is given to a PNG member-dealer who has shown steadfast dedication to the entire numismatic community and who has made a significant contribution to the Guild or to the numismatic fraternity. The award is named after PNG’s Founding President, who spearheaded the organization's launch and served as its first President in 1954.

Halperin became a coin dealer as a teenager. In 1982, he partnered with Steve Ivy (PNG President from 2003 to 2005) to form what is now Heritage Auctions, the world’s largest rare coin and collectibles auction firm. In 1984, Halperin became a leading pioneer in standardized coin grading with the creation of NCI, the Numismatic Certification Institute, the first privately owned collectibles grading service. He has been a member of PNG for 35 years.

These are the other PNG award winners who were honored at the dinner:

Sol Kaplan Award: Presented to Kenneth Mullins for his efforts and contributions in combatting crimes against the numismatic community. A former New York City Police officer, Mullins recently retired after years as an owner and partner at Positive Protection, Inc., a firm that provided security assistance to coin show organizers and dealers nationwide. The Kaplan Award is named after a former PNG President whose work led to the apprehension of several people suspected of committing numismatic-related crimes.

Robert Friedberg Award: Presented to numismatic researcher and PNG member John W. Dannreuther for his latest reference book, United States Proof Coins Volume II: Nickel. The Friedberg Award is named in honor of a publisher and author of numismatic reference books and is only given by PNG when there is deemed to be a worthy recipient.

Harvey G. Stack Lifetime Achievement Award: Presented to Dean Oakes and Greg Roberts for their years of extraordinary service to the numismatic community. Oakes is a long-time paper money dealer, researcher, and award-winning reference book author. Roberts is Chief Executive Officer of A-Mark Precious Metals and Spectrum Group International. This award for a lifetime of extraordinary devotion to the hobby or profession of numismatics is named after a former PNG President and influential dealer.

Significant Contribution Award: Presented to David Crenshaw, executive director of the National Coin & Bullion Association. The award recognizes years of dedication and significant, beneficial contributions to numismatics.

Art Kagin Ambassador Award: Presented to former American Numismatic Association President Robert Campbell, owner of All About Coins, Inc., for distinguished service as an advocate of numismatic goodwill. This award is named after a former PNG President and nationally known dealer who provided outstanding service as an advocate of numismatic goodwill.

Distinguished Service Award: Presented to Wayde Milas, president of RARCOA (Rare Coin Company of America), for 10 years of distinguished service as a member of the PNG Board of Directors.

A new award category was added this year to recognize up-and-coming young professionals who participated in the PNG nexGen mentoring program.

nexGen Future Numismatist Award: Presented to Frank Sawin, a business major at Bentley University who works at Northeastern Numismatics and plans to become a full-time coin dealer after graduating college.

During the awards dinner, PNG officials saluted four dealers for 50 years of membership in the organization: Jack Beymer, Dieter Gorny, Malcolm Varner, and Fred Weinberg.

The Professional Numismatists Guild is a nonprofit organization composed of many of the top rare coin and paper money dealers in the United States and four other countries. PNG member-dealers must adhere to a strict Code of Ethics (www.PNGdealers.org/ethics) when buying and selling numismatic merchandise.

For additional information about PNG, visit online at www.PNGdealers.org or call (951) 587-8300.