RIP MILES STANDISH
wondercoin
Posts: 17,133 ✭✭✭✭✭
I met Miles for the first time around late 1997 when I asked for a meeting with him and Rick Montgomery at PCGS to discuss my idea of bulk grading silver Mint State “modern” Roosevelt dimes for the PCGS collection I was building. I “pitched” submitting large quantities of handpicked coins of all the different dated Roosies in my series in my quest to “bulk” grade one or two MS67’s of each date (there was no full band designation at the time). I just needed them to approve granting me a minimum grade of MS65 or MS66 on the coins depending upon the date.
After they stop laughing at me (as bulk grading at that time was reserved for mostly Morgan Dollars, Walkers and select classic gold coins), they approved my request and Rick told me to work directly with Miles on my project. This started my roughly seventeen year business relationship with Miles where he graciously taught me more about the “coin business” than anyone on this planet.
Miles was truly available to share his time and knowledge nearly 24/7 virtually every day of every year! He personally grew my business with PCGS over the years by at least 20x! He had a great sense of humor, as sharp a business mind as anyone, and was one of the greatest professional graders to ever grade coins at both PCGS and NGC. His speed and accuracy of his coin grading was simply incredible.
Miles, along with his lovely wife, Andrea, created the Standish Foundation For Children and was a great philanthropist for the past many decades. A read of his “wiki” page only begins to tell the story of this great man. He was a dear friend to many, many people.
I developed a personal friendship with Miles over the years and got to enjoy special times with him in Hawaii, at his home in Austin, TX and even at a Championship playoff game in Chicago watching his beloved Cubs. We had recently spoken about planning a trip together to an elephant sanctuary in Thailand. I wish I had spent more time with him over the past few years.
Thank you Miles for all the time you dedicated to me, for all of your help over the past couple decades and your friendship. I will miss you greatly pal!
Mitch
Comments
Thanks for this, I'm shocked and saddened. I didn't know he passed, do you have an obit on him?
:'(
"Jesus died for you and for me, Thank you,Jesus"!!!
--- If it should happen I die and leave this world and you want to remember me. Please only remember my opening Sig Line.Gone way too young- my heart and prayers go out to his family and friends- we had many good chats about coins and other things!
Fun memory.......Pawn Stars’ Rick Harrison Helps “Shave Miles” Event Raise $10,000 For ANA and Sick Children
https://news.coinsblog.ws/2017/08/04/pawn-stars-rick-harrison-helps-shave-miles-event-raise-10000-for-ana-and-sick-children/
Rest in Peace
@wondercoin I'm very sorry for your loss.
My condolences to his family and friends.
Donato
Donato's Complete US Type Set ---- Donato's Dansco 7070 Modified Type Set ---- Donato's Basic U.S. Coin Design Set
Successful transactions: Shrub68 (Jim), MWallace (Mike)
my condolences to his family and friends, rip
Very sad to hear the news. Condolences to his family and friends.
Collector
Over 100 Positive BST transactions buying and selling with 57 members and counting!
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Wow, I am in shock!! He wasn’t very old!!
WAAAYYY too many of us leaving too soon!!
Condolences to his family and friends and may he Rest In Peace. :'(
Sometimes, it’s better to be LUCKY than good. 🍀 🍺👍
My Full Walker Registry Set (1916-1947):
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Oh my
A true legend. Such an amazing volume of numismatic knowledge and a wonderful legacy for so many collectors. I never met him but I feel as though I know a bit about him from following his work.
Thoughts to those who knew him personally and ofcourse his family. Thanks 🙏
🎶 shout shout, let it all out 🎶
Damn. He worked for me at ANACS. He was so young then.
:'(
This is terribly sad, shocking news.
My condolences go out to all of Miles' loved ones and friends.
Mark Feld* of Heritage Auctions*Unless otherwise noted, my posts here represent my personal opinions.
Truly sad news.
It's interesting, as we age we are surrounded by wedding invitations.
Next are high school graduation and then college graduation invitations.
The sad reality is later in life we are more and more reading or hearing about
people we know who have passed away.
The circle of life I suppose.
Really sorry to read this. My sympathy for all friends and family. :'(
I am a newer collector (started April 2020), and I primarily focus on U.S. Half Cents and Type Coins. Early copper is my favorite.
My thoughts and prayers are with Miles family and friends. A real loss to the hobby.
Just returned from spreading my Mom's ashes in Kansas. Very sad news which will extend my grieving process.
RIP, Miles.
Tim
Very sorry to hear of this.
A terrible loss for the coin community.
Very sad news. I never had the opportunity to get to know him, but I know how influential he was in the hobby. My condolences to friends, family, and colleagues.
Keeper of the VAM Catalog • Professional Coin Imaging • Prime Number Set • World Coins in Early America • British Trade Dollars • Variety Attribution
Condolences to his family and friends.
So sorry for your loss wondercoin. Clearly another legend in numismatics has left us.
RIP
Thank you GoBust/divecchia, but my loss is literally a drop in the bucket compared to the loss suffered by his incredibly special wife Andrea, his nephew he cared so much about, and the rest of his entire family. He was a very special and gifted man, who left us way too early.
Wondercoin
Although I have never met MIles, everyone who has had the opportunity to know him has expressed similarly positive experiences..A true legend in the hobby, he will be missed. Thoghts and prayers to his family and friends.
Mark
Another legend, lost. Sympathy to the loved ones he leaves behind.
RIP Miles
always it seems the good die young :'(
Mike
My Indians
Dansco Set
RIP MILES,,,,
I talked with him a few times on bulk submissions.
How old was Miles?
Sad news indeed!!!!!!!!!! :'(
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_"Miles"_Standish
One of the good guys for sure. So sorry to hear this.
RIP Miles. In his honor I'm proud to have just won this one recently,
Paper money eventually returns to its intrinsic value. Zero. Voltaire. Ebay coinbowlllc
I’m sorry. I didn’t know Miles but may he RIP.
I am in shock! He was a great guy!
Sad. People like Miles always made me think that there's still hope for this world.
Pete
Very sad news. Way too young.
RIP Miles. My condolences to your family
“We are only their care-takers,” he posed, “if we take good care of them, then centuries from now they may still be here … ”
Todd - BHNC #242
Very sad news for the hobby. Condolences to his family and friends.
Very sad news indeed. RIP Miles.
LIBERTY SEATED DIMES WITH MAJOR VARIETIES CIRCULATION STRIKES (1837-1891) digital album
Damn shame. Seems like a few of these threads lately, sad and kind of depressing. Prayers to his family and friends.
I couldn't believe what I was reading earlier this morning when I started seeing several Instagram posts about Miles. I really thought it was a joke when I saw the first post about it and then I started seeing several more posts. He was one of the best in the industry, and will be missed by many. Condolences to all friends and family.
I will wear a yellow ribbon at the Fun show to honor my dear friend. and remember to donate The Miles Standish foundation for children if you want to help. I’m devastated. Kathleen Long
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Bronze Associate member
This is just shocking. RIP Miles.
Coin Rarities Online
This is very sad news. My deepest condolences to his family and friends.
An authorized PCGS dealer, and a contributor to the Red Book.
Condolences to family and friends. RickO
I feel blessed to have worked with Miles on many unique things regarding his custom memes he would send me and I would design for him - in addition to many amazing, custom CoinClocks that he asked me to make for many of his influential friends such as: John Mercanti, Joel Iskowitz, Edmund Moy, Charlie Duke and Jeff Garrett. So sorry to Andy too! His Legacy will undoubtedly be Very Long Lasting! RIP Miles! I will close with what Miles told me was one of his favorite memes I designed for him...
ttt........in case anyone missed this sad news.
I'm sorry to hear this.
My YouTube Channel
I'm sorry to hear this.
Condolences to his friends and family as well as the many in the hobby who will miss him.
Sorry to hear this today.
Very sad news. My condolences to his friends and family.
Sorry to hear this, my condolences to his family RIP my friend he will be missed on and off this board.
Hoard the keys.
OK, everybody is thinking it,,,,,,,, Miles was 59 years old so what happened?
Did he have an accident,,,,,, health problems?
Some will probably say it is wrong for me to ask but there are a lot of people here who cared about him so I feel it is only natural to wonder what happened.