Ohio teen wins PNG scholarship

This article was originally printed in the latest issue of Numismatic News.
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A northern Ohio teenager who discovered the joys of numismatics three years ago from his father’s long-ago coin collection is the recipient of the Professional Numismatists Guild’s 2010 Young Numismatist scholarship.

Michael Pedro, 17, of Waterville, Ohio, will receive airfare and tuition from PNG to attend one of the week-long American Numismatic Association Summer Seminar sessions in Colorado Springs, Colo.

A member of the Toledo Glass Center Coin Club, he will be a senior this fall at Anthony Wayne High School in Whitehouse, Ohio, and plans to attend Ohio State University to major in business.

Pedro began collecting coins in 2007 with the help of his father, Tim Pedro. He said that his father and a member of the local coin club, George Schlumbohm, encouraged him to apply for the YN scholarship, and his mother, Karen Pedro, was helpful in proofreading the essay he submitted.

In his scholarship application to PNG, he wrote: “... during my freshman year of high school, I read an article in the local newspaper regarding coin collecting ... I showed my dad the article and asked him if he collected coins when he was younger. He said he did and we went up to our attic and found three big boxes full of coins ranging from Matron Head pennies to Morgan dollars ... My dad’s coin collection sparked my interest to start my own collection and also has given us an opportunity to spend quality time together.”

According to his father, those boxes had been unopened in the attic for about 15 years until they were brought down for Michael and his three brothers to examine.

Michael said he enjoys collecting Indian Head and Lincoln/Wheat cents, and is looking forward to attending the ANA Summer Seminar classes.

“I’d like to improve my coin collecting skills and learn how to grade,” he said. “I’m excited about meeting other collectors and learning from them.”

“This is the sixth year the PNG has awarded a YN scholarship for the ANA Summer Seminar,” said Robert Brueggeman, executive director of the Professional Numismatists Guild.

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