Passed away on Saturday, Dec. 1 , at age 80, after 2 recent strokes. He was PNG Executive Director for over 17 years and was a close personal friend of Abe Kosoff, who founded the PNG. Paul was an expert and dealer in exonumia, before it became fashionable. He was previously part owner of the Long Beach Coin Show, having purchased it with Ron Gillio from Sam Lopresto. He leaves his wife Glenda, a son and a daughter.

I was real sorry to hear the sad news. I knew him for many years, although just from attending shows and an occasional phone call. We actually incorporated a business with Roy Van Ormer many years ago, but never did anything with it. Somewhere around here I think I still have the stock certificate.

I first met Paul Koppenhaver in the 1970s when he operated the Coin Haven, a dealership in Van Nuys in the valley across the mountains from Los Angeles. His wife, Glenda, assisted. Paul dealt in many things, and once advertised that he specialized in Charlotte, Dahlonega, and Carson City gold coins, United States type coins, medals, tokens, United States currency, sutler scrip and Western Americana.

By mail order he conducted sales, particularly rich in token and medals -- I don’t recall a great deal in terms of branch mint gold, for example. Over a long period of years he had many important Civil War tokens, Hard Times tokens and other items, and I made frequent purchases from him. Later he was named as executive director of the Professional Numismatists Guild. With the aid of Glenda, he arranged for convention set ups, dealt with the American Numismatic Association, sold bourse tables, processed membership applications, facilitated arbitrations, and did just about everything else.

When I was president of the ANA 1983-1985 I worked with him on many occasions on convention planning. Always he was responsive and energetic with the PNG position well thought-out and presented. In the mid 1990s he exited the position. I recall there was some sort of disagreement about compensation. Later, Bob Bruggeman took the post, a fine choice as Bob had long experience in conventions, dealing with dealers, and setting up security arrangements. Bob is in that post today.

In 1989 the American Numismatic Association awarded its Medal of Merit to him. Paul was always rather quiet, did not boast of his accomplishments, and often to learn if he had a particularly choice or rare token or medal I had to question him. Others probably would have approached me with a sales talk! He was highly admired in his time, not only by his numismatic customers, but also by members of the Professional Numismatists Guild as he guided it through one of the periods of its greatest growth. He will be missed by all who knew him.