ACEF is boosting its 2026 Alan Kreuzer Award, adding cash stipends of $1,500 to $2,000 to accompany the annual award’s traditional 3-inch bronze medal.
Named in memory of the late Alan "Al" Kreuzer, the annual award recognizes collectors, dealers, law enforcement agents, and others who volunteer their time and resources to combat counterfeit coins and collectibles and help protect the numismatic marketplace.
"The award recognizes numismatists who volunteer their time and resources to combating counterfeit coins and collectibles. Fraudulent coins don’t just undermine a marketplace; they devalue our American heritage," said Chandra Kreuzer Rudd, Alan Kreuzer’s daughter. Her $50,000 donation in 2017 helped launch the task force that later became the Anti-Counterfeiting Educational Foundation, and her subsequent contributions have funded the annual memorial award.
Kreuzer was a coin dealer in Castro Valley, California, who helped alert the hobby to counterfeit third-party certification holders and fake insert labels. The memorial award created in his name recognizes the work of those continuing that fight.
The deadline for 2026 nominations is June 1. A nomination form is available on the ACEF website, and submissions may be sent to info@acefonline.org. Nominations must include the nominee’s full name, business affiliation, volunteer activity, contact information, and an explanation of why the individual should be considered. The person making the nomination must also provide his or her own name and contact information.
ACEF provides educational information to collectors about counterfeiters who target the hobby. Its website includes a free directory of more than 200 vetted Trusted Experts, with a search feature that helps users locate a knowledgeable and trustworthy dealer within 50 miles of their location.
During major coin shows, ACEF also offers to COPY mark counterfeit coins in compliance with the Hobby Protection Act, helping identify the fakes and make them legal to own.
The Anti-Counterfeiting Educational Foundation is funded entirely by donations. Tax-deductible contributions may be made to the 501(c)(3) nonprofit through the online donation form on the ACEF website.
