The Professional Numismatists Guild (PNG) allows convicted felons to be members! This is a matter of public record. This fact has even been published in the book “Rare Coins, Rare People” by Leon Hendrickson, the founder/part-owner of SilverTowne L.P. rare coins & precious metals private Mint/foundry in Winchester, Indiana since the 1950s & founder/part-owner of cable television coin shopping show “The Coin Vault” since 1988. His son David Hendrickson is also part-owner of both businesses. Both men are members of PNG & both are convicted felons due to crimes related to their numismatic businesses. When PNG found out about this public record conviction of both men in a Federal Court case, it changed its by-laws which did not allow convicted felons to allow these two men (and others) to continue being PNG-member coin & precious metals dealers (the Hendrickson’s are major financial backers of PNG). One of the top-recognized U.S. numismatists, Laura Sperber of Legend Rare Coins & Auctions in New Jersey has written publicly about this unethical situation with PNG & she refuses to be a PNG member due to their hypocrisy in this matter. Ironically, as she has pointed out, the PNG logo has their motto as “Knowledge. Integrity. Responsibility.” Draw your own conclusions about this situation & check out the public record or just contact the PNG at their e-mail address or phone number listed in this CoinNews.net article.

-NumisDudeTX