Coin Worlds Most Influential People in Numismatics Survey 1 1

[RWB]

Coin World magazine is having a survey of the most influential living people in numismatics. Here is a link for those who want to participate. There are no awards or prizes -- not even an extra plate of steamed shrimp at an ANA convention.

https://survey.alchemer.com/s3/5958295/Coin-Worlds-Most-Influential-People-in-Numismatics

The list includes familiar and unfamiliar names, so follow the directions.

[VKurtB]

1 minute ago, RWB said:

Coin World magazine is having a survey of the most influential living people in numismatics. Here is a link for those who want to participate. There are no awards or prizes -- not even an extra plate of steamed shrimp at an ANA convention.

https://survey.alchemer.com/s3/5958295/Coin-Worlds-Most-Influential-People-in-Numismatics

The list includes familiar and unfamiliar names, so follow the directions.

Is Ratzie33 on it?

[RWB]

3 minutes ago, VKurtB said:

Is Ratzie33 on it?

Possibly on a different list....

[brg5658]

...how on earth did John Kraljevich and Eric P. Newman not make the list but others like Bruce Morelan, Laura Sperber, Rick Tomaska, et al. did?  

Bizarre list of potential persons.

EDIT:  I don't see anywhere that it says the list is only persons who are living...but, if that's the case, I guess Eric Newman is out, but still - no John Kraljevich but hucksters like Rick Tomaska?  Gross.

Edited October 26, 2020 by brg5658

[Henri Charriere]

19 minutes ago, VKurtB said:

Is Ratzie33 on it?

If Ratzie33 is Harvey Stack's User Name, the answer is, Yes!

[World Colonial]

Seems to be a US centric survey.  I don't recognize any name from anywhere else.  Apparently, no one from anywhere else is worthy to make the list.

Second observation, a few seem to be included simply because they have a large wallet.  I'd be interested to know the criteria and how the people on this list meet it.

As an example, John Albanese founded both NGC and CAC.  TPG and CAC are more connected to the financial side of "collecting" but undoubtedly, he has had an impact on how coins are bought and sold.

[brg5658]

Just now, World Colonial said:

Seems to be a US centric survey.  I don't recognize any name from anywhere else.  Apparently, no one from anywhere else is worthy to make the list.

Second observation, a few seem to be included simply because they have a large wallet.  I'd be interested to know the criteria and how the people on this list meet it.

As an example, John Albanese founded both NGC and CAC.  TPG and CAC are more connected to the financial side of "collecting" but undoubtedly, he has had an impact on how coins are bought and sold.

Richard Lobel is in the UK.  There are a few others not USA.

[VKurtB]

One can always quibble about people on and off such lists, but Newman seems a particularly glaring omission. I have no particular problem with any of those on the list being there.

[RWB]

2 hours ago, brg5658 said:

...how on earth did John Kraljevich and Eric P. Newman not make the list but others like Bruce Morelan, Laura Sperber, Rick Tomaska, et al. did?  

Bizarre list of potential persons.

EDIT:  I don't see anywhere that it says the list is only persons who are living...but, if that's the case, I guess Eric Newman is out, but still - no John Kraljevich but hucksters like Rick Tomaska?  Gross.

John K should definitely be on the list! Heck, I'll gladly split whatever votes I get with John!

Edited October 26, 2020 by RWB

[RWB]

Note: If you want your vote to have greater influence, select only a few names.

[Insider]

5 hours ago, VKurtB said:

One can always quibble about people on and off such lists, but Newman seems a particularly glaring omission. I have no particular problem with any of those on the list being there.

I think everyone listed has left a mark.  There are tons of folks not on the list so it appears you must be living.  IMO, collectors w/deep wallets are very influential however I won't vote for them because they are not in the same category as a Bass who left a legacy of research.  Same goes for most of the influential dealers except in cases like Hall, JA, JD, etc.  Much of this will come down to a popularity contest.  For me, just being on the list was a surprise as I was purposely left out of the ANA's Centennial Edition.  BTW, I included myself with all my other picks.   

[Insider]

2 hours ago, RWB said:

John K should definitely be on the list! Heck, I'll gladly split whatever votes I get with John!

They should have allowed a few write in picks. 

[GoldFinger1969]

I voted for every name I know/recognize, which was only about 15 names.  I suspect that if I collected longer and/or was more into the gossip and business end, I'd have known another 15-20 names. 

[RWB]

Here are some picks to choose from....

Edited October 27, 2020 by RWB

[VKurtB]

Rick Tomaska should be on the list, if only for his book on the Cameo Proofs of 1950-1970. It belongs on the shelf right next to Roger’s on the 1936-42 proofs. Ricky T “sold out” and did the TV thing. That doesn’t destroy the legacy of his book.

[GoldFinger1969]

Kurt, I believe RT was on the list.

Edited October 27, 2020 by GoldFinger1969

[physics-fan3.14]

I'll be honest, I consider myself to be a fairly knowledgeable collector. 

There were quite a few names on that list that I'd never heard of. 

And, there were quite a few names on that list who were only there because they were rich. 

They aren't influential. 

Influential people are people who've reshaped what we know or understand, how we think about a significant portion of the hobby, how we approach our knowledge. 

Many of us could argue John Albanese to be one of the most influential people alive in our hobby (started PCGS... started NGC... started CAC....) Do his successors (David Hall, Mark Salzburg, etc) deserve to be on this list? I'd argue no. 

But, you have to think that Tom Delorey, Skip Fazzari, and others around that time built the foundation that he erected his empire on.

RWB almost single-handedly changed the way we view numismatic research, and has helped pioneer an original-source-document approach to modern research. (You'd have to include Tompkins, Augsberger, and a few others in that discussion). I'd argue these are as influential as many of the others on this list (and, as mentioned, omissions such as Kraljevich are awful). 

Many of the people on this list are dealers.... how influential are they in changing the hobby? In that they publicize and advertise, and help shape demand as such, I suppose they are influential. But do they really belong on a list like this? Adkins, Rinkor, Tomaska.... they've each tried to drive demand for their segment. Is that enough to earn the top spots? 

Edited October 27, 2020 by physics-fan3.14

[VKurtB]

4 minutes ago, GoldFinger1969 said:

Kurt, I believe RT was on the list.

Yes, but someone had suggested he was not worthy. I find that a little weird. If we’re talking only recent actions, the analysis changes. 

Edited October 27, 2020 by VKurtB

[World Colonial]

2 minutes ago, physics-fan3.14 said:

I'll be honest, I consider myself to be a fairly knowledgeable collector. 

There were quite a few names on that list that I'd never heard of. 

And, there were quite a few names on that list who were only there because they were rich. 

They aren't influential. 

Influential people are people who've reshaped what we know or understand, how we think about a significant portion of the hobby, how we approach our knowledge. 

Many of us could argue John Albanese to be one of the most influential people alive in our hobby (started PCGS... started NGC... started CAC....)

But, you have to think that Tom Delorey, Skip Fazzari, and others around that time built the foundation that he erected his empire on.

RWB almost single-handedly changed the way we view numismatic research, and has helped pioneer an original-source-document approach to modern research. (You'd have to include Tompkins, Augsberger, and a few others in that discussion). I'd argue these are as influential as many of the others on this list (and, as mentioned, omissions such as Kraljevich are awful). 

Many of the people on this list are dealers.... how influential are they in changing the hobby? In that they publicize and advertise, and help shape demand as such, I suppose they are influential. But do they really belong on a list like this? Adkins, Rinkor, Tomaska.... they've each tried to drive demand for their segment. Is that enough to earn the top spots? 

Agree, decades from now, many on this list will be completely forgotten.

[VKurtB]

I just did a count and I have had personal one-on-one conversations with 72 of those people listed, all of them live and in person.

Edited October 27, 2020 by VKurtB

[physics-fan3.14]

5 minutes ago, World Colonial said:

Agree, decades from now, many on this list will be completely forgotten.

Today, many on this have already been completely forgotten. 

I might find this list more useful if there was a tooltip that popped up for each person briefly explaining what they did or why they were important. 

As I've mentioned, well over half the names on this list I've never heard of before. 

(And I'll add... D-ick Osburne should be on this list.. he's done more for Seated coinage than anyone else)

Edited October 27, 2020 by physics-fan3.14

[GoldFinger1969]

2 minutes ago, VKurtB said:

I just did a count and I have had personal one-on-one conversations with 72 of those people listed, all of them live and in person.

Wow.......

[World Colonial]

3 minutes ago, VKurtB said:

I just did a count and I have had personal one-on-one conversations with 72 of those people listed, all of them live and in person.

Yes, but that's because you are active in a way which is only representative of a low fraction of the collector base.  I don't collect US anymore which is probably why I don't recognize many names.  I didn't perform a count but it's probably somewhere around half I never heard their name.

[physics-fan3.14]

4 minutes ago, GoldFinger1969 said:

Wow.......

I mean, I've had conversations with 72 people at coins shows as well. 

That doesn't mean they're influential or anything important. 

Shoot, you go to a decent sized show and you'll talk to a hundred dealers at least - and many of the people on this list are prominent dealers. 

[VKurtB]

31 minutes ago, physics-fan3.14 said:

I mean, I've had conversations with 72 people at coins shows as well. 

That doesn't mean they're influential or anything important. 

Shoot, you go to a decent sized show and you'll talk to a hundred dealers at least - and many of the people on this list are prominent dealers. 

Okay then, not a single one was at a bourse table. Not one.

[Cat Bath]

Lots of collectors on there but no Eliasberg.

Very strange list

[GoldFinger1969]

3 minutes ago, Cat Bath said:

Lots of collectors on there but no Eliasberg. Very strange list

Some more of the big collectors should have been cited.  But Eilasberg is dead so why would he be on it ?

Was the head of HA there ?

Edited October 27, 2020 by GoldFinger1969

[Cat Bath]

13 minutes ago, GoldFinger1969 said:

Some more of the big collectors should have been cited.  But Eilasberg is dead so why would he be on it ?

Was the head of HA there ?

"As part of our 60

^th anniversary celebration, Coin World is compiling a list of the most influential people in numismatics over the past 60 years. Cast your votes for who you think should make the list by selecting from the nominees below. Select as many nominees as you wish."

I missed the alive part but should have caught on by the list.

Edited October 27, 2020 by Cat Bath

[brg5658]

8 hours ago, Cat Bath said:

I missed the alive part but should have caught on by the list.

It doesn't say anywhere that it is a list of living persons.  I think it is a disservice to not include people like Eric P. Newman if the years the list covers is really supposed to be 1960-2020.

 

8 hours ago, GoldFinger1969 said:

Was the head of HA there ?

Jim Halperin and Steve Ivy are both on the list.

[GoldFinger1969]

12 minutes ago, brg5658 said:

Jim Halperin and Steve Ivy are both on the list.

Thanks, I had forgotten their names. 

We are still EARLY in the transition to online and digital -- just think how much more popular/used social media is today vs. 5 or 10 years ago -- and over time we should see growth in online users for GC, HA, Stacks, etc

Most collectors are probably not that familiar with them -- I myself just bought from non-Ebay sources only in the last year or so -- so their usage should increase over time.

Edited October 27, 2020 by GoldFinger1969