Coins We Love: DLRC Welcomes the New PNG President

The news has hit the numismatic press that I (John Brush) was elected as the President of the Professional Numismatists Guild (PNG). I’m here to confirm the rumors are true! The PNG Board recently convened at the Central States Show to convey this great, if unexpected honor, on me. I’m immensely grateful to be elected to this post, and to be honest, seeing my name and photo pop up on a few numismatic websites is equal parts humbling and surreal.

For those of you unfamiliar with the PNG, it is THE association of coin dealers. Officially founded in 1955 as an invitation-only group of dealers who were considered the crème de la crème of the numismatic industry, the organization was essentially a credit bureau for dealer-to-dealer transactions. It quickly evolved into a professional guild in which the world’s leading dealers were invited to join after a strict membership application process. The PNG mission is simple but spot on: “Ensuring integrity, instilling confidence, and promoting professionalism for the benefit of all numismatic collectors and professionals.” Their motto, “Knowledge, Integrity, Responsibility” succinctly summarizes the goals of the professionals involved.

What does the organization do?

It supports the ecosystem of coin dealers throughout the world and upholds its members to a strict adherence of ethical standards. Joining is certainly not easy, but once admitted, it is a welcoming group that promotes the highest level of integrity within the hobby. The organization hosts coin shows, private dealer-only trading days, promotes education within the hobby, and guides the NexGen outreach program for future coin dealers. While it’s an organization that stays under the radar by design, its loss would create a massive vacuum within the industry. Historically, the organization has been involved in MANY activities. In fact, in reading up on the history of the organization, I learned the PNG hosted a Dealer Day at ANA Shows for over 50 years until rather recently. During the ANA shows of the 1950s, the PNG basically underwrote the ANA Conventions as the organization was losing so much money that the only way the show could go on was with the financial support of the PNG and its membership. The organization has been the cornerstone of much of the history of the ANA since the 1950s, and I hope that it can continue to flourish in relationships that support the greater good of professional numismatics everywhere.

I’ll go as far as to say that if you’re dealing with someone who is not a member of the PNG, it’s a fair question to ask, “Why not?” As for me, I want DLRC to be held to the highest standard. That’s why we are members, and I’m incredibly honored to serve for the next two years as President of the organization. I hope to honor the position well.

You can read the PNG Press Release on John's election HERE!

DLRC Update: Coins are coming out of our wheat ears! We’ve had package after package arrive in the office this week and we are having the most fun sorting through these groups of coins. The variety of quality and value varies from raw flying eagle cents, worth about $10, to Proof Saints that you can see below. There’s a smorgasbord of activity and numismatic fun, and the action has been great. This has been a welcome event because we still have three weeks before our next major coin show (Baltimore!). Between now and then, we have brief visits to the PAN show and Cincinnati, where Jack can pick up collections or consignments if you’re so inclined!

Thanks again for reading this week’s Coins We Love! We’ll be back next week with even more!

Numismatically Yours,

John Brush and Your Friends at DLRC

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