5 named Numismatic Ambassadors

Five numismatic hobby leaders were named Numismatic Ambassadors at a Krause Publications Ambassador Breakfast held Aug. 9 at the American Numismatic Association World’s Fair of Money in Philadelphia.

Numismatic News Editor Dave Harper presented the awards to Francis Loo, Oded Paz, Sanford Pearl and Carl Schwenker. David Sear was unable to attend.

The Numismatic Ambassador award, first given in 1974, is presented annually to top numismatic leaders voted upon by current Ambassadors.

Francis Loo Honolulu, Hawaii
Francis Loo has served on the board or been president of both the Hawaii State Numismatic Association and Honolulu Coin Club and is a member of the American Numismatic Association and the Society of Paper Money Collectors. He has served as bourse chairman at numerous shows and taken part in speaker’s bureaus and educational forums. Loo teaches classes on how to start coin collecting and coin
grading.
“He spreads the aloha spirit with his tireless efforts to recruit new members to the ANA and Hawaii associations,” a nominator wrote. “At a recent show on Oahu, he donated a coin for every Boy and Girl Scout who showed up. Francis’ philosophy of numismatics has always been to educate collectors so they can enjoy numismatics as a hobby and make wise transactions that are fair to the buyer and seller. He is known for his diligence to resolve problems, generosity in giving up his free time and vast knowledge of our hobby.”

This book is perfect for the active collector of U.S. coins and currency, beginner or advanced.

Oded Paz Arco, Idaho
Studying his father’s collection while growing up in Israel fostered Oded Paz’s interest in coins. Now living in the U.S., his collecting interests include coins from unrecognized states, elongated coins, medals, tokens and world coins.
Paz is the founder and president of the Unrecognized States Numismatic Society and president of The Elongated Collectors. He is the past president of California Association of Token Collectors and the Glendale Coin Club. A member of the American Numismatic Association, he is assistant national coordinator for the District Representative program. He is a board member of the American Israel Numismatic Association and a charter member of the Encased Collectors International and Every Country Collectors.
He has given numerous presentations to coin clubs, as well as the Maynard Sundman Littleton Coin Co. Lecture Series in conjunction with the 2008 World’s Fair of Money. Paz has earned a 2009 People’s Choice Exhibit Award at the ANA World’s Fair of Money and two Best of Show Awards at the Golden State (Calif.) Coin Show. He is an active recruiter for the Young Numismatists, a participant in National Coin Week and an ANA certified exhibit judge.

Sanford Pearl Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.
Sandford L. Pearl is a Life Member of the American Numismatic Association. He is a member of the Florida United Numismatists, Michigan State Numismatic Society and Palm Beach County Coin Club, where he served as director. He regularly sets up displays for his local county library’s Coin Week.
Pearl has written numerous Palm Beach Coin Club newsletter articles and provides reports on regional and national shows and was a past Club Member of the Year. He is treasurer of the Original Hobo Nickel Society and has represented the Society at the FUN Show and on occasion at ANA World’s Fair of Money and National Money Shows. An ANA National Volunteer, Pearl assists in a variety of assignments during the ANA World’s Fair of Money and National Money Shows.

Carl Schwenker Houston, Texas
Carl Schwenker is best known for his personal campaign to revive and improve the Greater Houston Coin Club and its annual Money Show of the Southwest. He is director of GHCC and co-chairman of the show. Carl works to provide club activities that are safe, educational alternatives for children. He has also served as chairman of the ANA Finance Committee and the ANA Convention and Dealer Relations Committee. He has exhibited parts of his collection in national, regional and local shows and written opinion pieces in the numismatic press. He holds memberships in the American Numismatic Association, Florida United Numismatists, Central States Numismatic Society, Texas Numismatic Association, Greater Houston Coin Club, Bellaire Coin Club and the Silver Dollar Round Table. Schwenker has been awarded the ANA’s Glenn B. Smedley Award for volunteer contributions and the ANA Presidential Award.

David Sear Los Angeles, Calif.
David Sear’s expertise in Greek, Roman and Byzantine numismatics has transpired into published works used by collectors, numismatists and scholars worldwide. Among his reference titles are Roman Coins and their Values, Greek Coins I and II, Roman Coins Vols. I-IV, Roman Silver Coins Vols. I-IV, Greek Imperial and Byzantine Coins. He is the recipient of an American Numismatic Association Presidential Award, the Lhotka Memorial Prize from the Royal Numismatic Society, two International Association of Professional Numismatists Book Prizes, and a Numismatic Literature Guild Award for a column published in The Numismatist. He is a member of the ANA, RNS, IAPN, American Numismatic Society and Ancient Coin Collectors Guild. Sear, who is also a dealer, has been serving the hobby for almost six decades.