Jim Halperin Receives Professional Numismatists Guild’s Highest Honor

Heritage Auctions Co-Chairman Jim Halperin received the Abe Kosoff Founders Award, the Professional Numismatists Guild's highest award at PNG's annual membership dinner April 23.

The Kosoff Award is given annually to a PNG member-dealer who has, in the past year, "made a significant contribution to the Guild or to the numismatic fraternity in general."

The award is named after Kosoff, PNG's Founding President who spearheaded the launch of the organization and served as its first President in 1954.

"Jim's visionary leadership has propelled Heritage to the pinnacle of the auction world but most of his contributions have hugely benefited all areas of the collecting industry by promoting higher levels of transparency, education and integrity that makes it safer for connoisseurs to engage in areas that interest them," says Heritage CEO and Co-Chairman Steve Ivy. "The hundreds of world-renowned experts at Heritage that he currently inspires pale when compared to the thousands of others he has tutored, encouraged, employed, mentored, supported and influenced over his decades in numismatics."

A PNG member for 35 years, Halperin teamed with Co-Chairman and CEO Steve Ivy formed what is now Heritage Auctions, the world's leading auctioneer of coins, currency and several other categories. He is acknowledged as a pioneer in the standardization of coins with the creation of NCI, the Numismatic Certification Institute, the first privately owned collectibles grading service.

The Kosoff Award was among the honors announced and presented at the PNG Day activities prior to the 2025 Central States Numismatic Society Convention in Schaumburg, Illinois.

The Professional Numismatists Guild is a nonprofit organization composed of many of the top rare coin and paper money dealers in the United States and four other countries. PNG member-dealers must adhere to a strict Code of Ethics in the buying and selling of numismatic merchandise.