The following is a Press Release from PCGS, announcing that coin designer Justin Kunz will be featured in the grading company’s Signature Labels series. Kunze is the designer of the common Obverse of the Basketball Hall of Fame commemoratives.
(Santa Ana, California – August 14, 2020) – Coin designer Justin Kunz is autographing Professional Coin Grading Service (www.PCGS.com) labels being paired with 2020 Basketball Hall of Fame commemorative coins. Kunz designed the common obverse of the 2020 commemorative coins honoring the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Massachusetts. The 2020 Basketball Hall of Fame commemorative coins include a clad half dollar, silver dollar, and gold $5 coin.
These special PCGS labels are part of a larger, exclusive partnership PCGS has as the official coin authenticator and grader for the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
“PCGS is excited to have Kunz onboard signing labels for the Basketball Hall of Fame coins, as this renowned artist is one of the premier coin designers of our time,” remarked PCGS President Brett Charville.
“Kunz is one of the most pivotal and important designers currently serving the United States Mint. Getting to know him this past year has been a genuine pleasure. The opportunity to pair his autograph with the Basketball Hall of Fame coins – themselves unique collectibles with their curved planchets and outstanding designs – is truly a once-in-a-lifetime deal,” stated Charville.
The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame PCGS labels signed by Justin Kunz are being paired with the following coins:
- 2020 Proof & Uncirculated Basketball Hall of Fame Clad Half Dollar
- 2020 Proof & Uncirculated Basketball Hall of Fame Silver Dollar
- 2020 Proof & Uncirculated Basketball Hall of Fame Gold $5 Coin
Kunz, a professor at the University of Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah, has a varied artistic background that, in addition to numismatics, includes credits with Disney, LEGO, and Upper Deck. His journey in numismatic arts began in 2003 when he joined the United States Mint Artistic Infusion Program (AIP) at the age of 29.
His artistic portfolio of United States Mint circulating and commemorative United States coins is diverse. Among his many credits are the 2009 Abraham Lincoln Commemorative Dollar obverse, 2015 High-Relief Gold Coin and Silver Medal obverses, 2017 American Liberty High-Relief 24-Karat Gold Coin and Silver Medal obverses, the obverse of every American Innovation $1 Coin to be issued from 2018 through 2032, and the reverse of the 2020 America The Beautiful Quarters Weir Farm National Historic Site issue also featuring the first-ever V75 Privy Mark. Furthermore, Kunz has designed many other circulating and non-circulating United States coins and medals and is among today’s foremost numismatic artists.
Kunz says he is thrilled for the opportunity to sign labels for PCGS. “Signing PCGS labels for Basketball Hall of Fame coins represents a cool nexus point of sports, coins, and other collectibles.” The husband and father of four also remarked that he had a little help in designing the obverse of the Basketball Hall of Fame coins. “My 15-year-old son, Caleb, loves basketball, and I actually consulted with him on the design a bit – he should definitely get some of the credit.”
Collectors who submit their Basketball Hall of Fame coins to PCGS for encapsulation will also receive a limited-edition orange PCGS storage box. For more information about the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame labels, limited-edition orange box, and other exclusive PCGS Basketball Hall of Fame coin offers, visit www.PCGS.com/HOF.
About Professional Coin Grading Service
Professional Coin Grading Service (PCGS) is a third-party coin and banknote grading company that was launched in 1986. Over nearly 35 years, PCGS has examined and certified some 44.3 million U.S. and world coins, medals, and tokens with a combined value of more than $41.8 billion. For more information about PCGS products and services, including how to submit your coins for authentication and grading, please visit www.PCGS.com or call PCGS Customer Service at (800) 447-8848.