ICTA forms anti-fake force

Beth Deisher

The Industry Council for Tangible Assets board of directors approved at its Jan. 4 board meeting the formation of an Anti-Counterfeiting Task Force committee to mobilize law enforcement resources to protect the integrity of U.S. coinage by educating officials on the economic impact and growing threat counterfeit circulating, collectible and bullion coins pose to the collecting community as well as the public at large.

The board also approved the hiring of Beth Deisher as director of anti-counterfeiting. The committee and Deisher’s salary will be financed by donations to a separate, dedicated fund.

Deisher was editor of Coin World for 27 years and has remained active in numismatics through writing and presenting educational forums since her retirement in 2012.

The Anti-Counterfeiting Task Force (ACTF) was formally established Jan. 6 during a meeting in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., attended and fully supported by numismatic community leaders and associations that attended an Aug. 8, 2016, summit to assess the harmful effects of counterfeit coins entering U.S. markets from China, Russia and Eastern European countries, and the need for action to address the problem.

“ICTA stepped forward to launch the task force and provide management oversight because it allows the quickest path forward to get the task force up and running,” said ICTA Chairman Philip N. Diehl.

For information about donating to support the work of the task force, contact Deisher by phone at 567-202-1795 or by email at beth.deisher@ictaonline.org. Make checks payable to ICTA Anti-Counterfeiting, P.O. Box 237, Dacula, GA 30019.