Congratulations to PNG award winners

Convention plans always have their moments of excitement where I wonder what I was thinking of when they were made.

Last night was one of those challenges.

I did not have much time between my plane touching down at the Philadelphia airport at 4:15 p.m. and the official 6 p.m. start of the Professional Numismatists Guild annual awards banquet at Davio’s Northern Italian Steakhouse.

Fortunately for me there is often a little give in this type of social/award event’s timetable.

It would have been a shame had I not been present to see Kevin Lipton receive the PNG Lifetime Achievement Award.

The Sol Kaplan Award went to Chicago dealers Harlan J. Berk and Dennis J. Forgue for assisting the Polish Museum of America regain 300 documents stolen from it.

Former ANA President Barry Stuppler earned the PNG Significant Contribution Award for that and other roles, including the presidency of the California Coin and Bullion Merchants Association and the Gold & Silver Political Action Committee.

The Abe Kosoff Founders Award was given to John Albanese, founder of Numismatic Guaranty Corporation and Certified Acceptance Corporation. He also played a role in founding the Professional Coin Grading Service.

Anthony Swiatek was the winner of the Robert Friedberg Award for an outstanding book or other literature for Encyclopedia of the Commemorative Coins of the United States.

The late Edward Milas of RARCOA, who died, Dec. 17, 2011, was recognized posthumously with the Art Kagin Ambassador Award.

For the award recipients, being honored by their peers in this way is truly meaningful. I am glad as editor of Numismatic News that I can witness it and add a little bit of luster to their trophies by reporting the honors to readers.

Buzz blogger Dave Harper is editor of the weekly newspaper "Numismatic News."