The following is a Press Release from Numismatic Guaranty Company (NGC) announcing that David W. Lange has posthumously been award the Professional Numismatic Guild’s Kagin Ambassador Award. The award recognizes “distinguished service as an advocate of numismatic goodwill.” Lange passed on January 16, 2023.
The Professional Numismatists Guild has awarded its 2023 Art Kagin Ambassador Award to David W. Lange, who served as Research Director for nearly three decades at Numismatic Guaranty Company (NGC). Lange, a prolific author and one of the world’s top coin experts, passed away in January.
The PNG, a nonprofit trade association of the country’s top rare coin and paper money dealers, honors outstanding achievements in the numismatic hobby every year. This year, winners were announced at an April 26 event associated with the Central States Numismatic Society convention, which was held in the Chicago area.
Lange received the 2023 Art Kagin Ambassador Award, which recognizes “distinguished service as an advocate of numismatic goodwill.” It is named after Arthur Kagin, who helped found the PNG in 1955 and served as President from 1963 to 1964. PNG has helped create a more vibrant numismatic marketplace, and its members adhere to PNG’s strict code of ethics in buying and selling.
Lange received many awards in his career, including the American Numismatic Association’s Lifetime Achievement Award in 2009 and the Numismatist of the Year honor in 2017, as well as the Numismatic Literary Guild’s prestigious Clemy Award in 2018. In 2021, Coin World named him one of the 60 most influential people in numismatics since 1960.
At NGC, Lange contributed to the success of the NGC Registry and the NGC VarietyPlus variety attribution program. He wrote the USA Coin Album article for the ANA’s monthly magazine, The Numismatist. His books include “The Complete Guide to Buffalo Nickels” (1992), “The Complete Guide to Mercury Dimes” (1993), “The Complete Guide to Lincoln Cents” (1996), “History of the United States Mint and Its Coinage” (2005), and the “NGC Grading Guide for Modern U.S. Coins,” which he co-authored with NGC President Rick Montgomery (2004).
Lange was a former president of the Pacific Coast Numismatic Society, the California State Numismatic Association, and the New Jersey Numismatic Society. He passed away at the age of 64 on January 16, 2023, after a battle with cancer.