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BREAKING NEWS: Michael S. Gasvoda Purchases Classical Numismatic Group

Michael S. Gasvoda Purchases Classical Numismatic Group

LANCASTER, PA–Classical Numismatic Group, Inc. of Lancaster, Pennsylvania and London, England, is pleased to announce that longtime ancient coin collector and hobby leader Michael “Mike” S. Gasvoda has purchased the assets of the company from the current partnership of Victor England and Eric J. McFadden. England and McFadden will continue as Senior Directors for the new company, with Gasvoda taking on a supervisory role as Managing Director of the firm, which will be renamed Classical Numismatic Group, LLC.

The official transition will take place on November 1st, 2018, but other than the change of ownership, all other facets of the operation will continue as usual. The firm’s entire staff will continue at the company’s offices in Lancaster and London. Formed in 1990, CNG is a leading dealer in ancient, medieval, world, and British coinages. The company’s coin shop, book offerings, and current auctions are all available on their website at www.cngcoins.com.

Gasvoda, a coin collector since childhood, is well known in the hobby, both for his connoisseurship as a collector, and for his educational outreach. A former Trustee and First Vice President for the American Numismatic Society (ANS) in New York City, Gasvoda has been active with both the ANS and the American Numismatic Association (ANA), as well as the Chicago Coin Club and Tucson Coin Club. He has lectured and exhibited parts of his collection over the years at such venues as the Chicago International Coin Fair, the ANA’s World’s Fair of Money, and the ANA Summer Seminar. He also wrote numerous articles for The Celator magazine, and is a frequent contributor to The Numismatist.

“I am tremendously pleased that Mike has agreed to take on the responsibility for CNG’s future. The most difficult transition for a coin firm is the first change of ownership, from the founders to the next generation, and we think Mike is the perfect person to handle this challenge,” McFadden stated. “He has just the right combination of talents – not only is he a highly successful businessman, but he has a great enthusiasm and an exceptional breadth of numismatic knowledge. Most importantly, Mike shares our commitments to conduct the business according to the highest standards of integrity and scholarship, while providing support for numismatic research and education. And of course he also has some new ideas for the future. I cannot imagine a better successor. Victor and I are now looking forward to working with Mike for many years to come, as together we continue to build relationships with old friends and new.”

Gasvoda, who had owned and operated a business of similar size to CNG, had retired early in life after selling the business to his employees through an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP). “I wanted to do something else from a business standpoint, and found the ideal opportunity to combine a hobby I love with the business knowledge I have gained from over thirty years managing a similarly sized business,” Gasvoda said.

“I feel the structure of CNG is unique in this field. Their dedication to cataloging, research, and education are unequaled – either here or abroad. I see it as a distinct privilege to be able to work with such an incredibly respected firm. Importantly, both Victor and Eric have agreed to stay involved with the company into the foreseeable future. Their extensive knowledge and experience will continue to be a large part of the CNG operation,” Gasvoda noted.

“This is a unique opportunity for all of us involved. I am stepping in to run the day-to-day operations while we hire and train new staff members. This allows Victor and Eric to do what they do best, and enjoy most – buy and sell coins. We have removed the uncertainty of the future of CNG while growing our strength in the market. We are not only adding staff, but also keeping Victor and Eric involved. This is a wonderful outcome for both the employees and CNG’s customer base. The future looks very bright.”

A resident of Indiana, Gasvoda’s collecting interests have included Roman Imperatorial and early Imperial (the “Twelve Caesars”), the Greek coinage of Magna Graecia and Sicily, Renaissance medals, and US large cents.

How does one get a hater to stop hating?

I can be reached at evillageprowler@gmail.com

Comments

  • EVillageProwlerEVillageProwler Posts: 5,859 ✭✭✭✭✭

    This now makes me understand some other event that happened a couple of days ago at the WFoM: I was talking to VE about stuff, and I mentioned something about my future coin-related plan to him and he did not respond exactly as I had expected. But now his response makes more sense to me.

    Sorry to be cryptic but I cannot give more detail.

    How does one get a hater to stop hating?

    I can be reached at evillageprowler@gmail.com

  • coinkatcoinkat Posts: 22,721 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Surprising development... At least to those of us in the upper deck.

    Experience the World through Numismatics...it's more than you can imagine.

  • SmEagle1795SmEagle1795 Posts: 2,135 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Congratulations to CNG and to Mike! I can't imagine a better successor. It's wonderful to know that it will continue to be managed by passionate and talented numismatic hands, and that Victor and Eric will stay on board. With this and the recent hiring of David Michaels, CNG has firmly set itself to continue to be a top-tier auction house and dealer.

    Learn about our world's shared history told through the first millennium of coinage: Colosseo Collection
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