Michael "Miles" Standish

Last updated
Michael "Miles" Standish
Michael "Miles" Standish - 2019.jpg
Born(1964-11-13)November 13, 1964
Kalamazoo, Michigan
DiedJuly 11, 2023(2023-07-11) (aged 58)
Occupation(s)Author, Vice President of NGC, Rare Coin Expert - Numismatist - (Coin Authenticator and Grader)
EmployerNGC (Numismatic Guaranty Corporation)
SpouseAndrea Mangione Standish
AwardsU.S. Mint Director's Coin of Excellence

Michael "Miles" Standish (November 13, 1964 - July 11, 2023) was an American businessman, author, rare coin expert, sports memorabilia expert and philanthropist. He was a co-founder of Collectors Universe and served as vice president of the Numismatic Guaranty Corporation (NGC). [1]

Contents

Early life and education

Born in Kalamazoo, Michigan, on November 13, 1964, Standish became interested in numismatics at a young age. He was a 1983 graduate of Portage Central High School in Portage, Michigan, where he lettered in football and was a disc jockey at the school radio station. [2] Standish first became involved in selling coins at the age of 17, when he set up a table at the National Silver Dollar Show (1982) in Houston, Texas.[ citation needed ]

Career

Standish began his career in the coin industry as he traveled to regional and local coin shows. He was hired by ANACS, America's oldest grading service, to be a grader in 1984. [3] While at ANACS, Standish began to write a monthly column called "Under the Loupe", which was published in Coin World from 1984 until 1988.

Standish left ANACS in 1985 and went to work for Michael G. DeFalco, a dealer specializing in silver dollars, toned coins, [4] and commemoratives. [5] He also worked for Wayne Miller and Steve Contursi, where he served as a coin buyer. It was at about this time that Standish got the nickname “Miles”, a humorous reference to Myles Standish, the Plymouth Colony captain. Standish credited the origin of the nickname to then American Numismatic Association President Florence M. Schook. [6]

In January 1987, Standish joined PCGS and was the first full-time coin grader in the company’s history. [3] He became part owner in the company in 1995. In 2004 Standish received notoriety for the detection of an impostor coin. "Someone had taken a 1945 cent (which was made of copper alloy) and altered the '5' in the date to resemble a '3.' Expert authenticator Miles Standish...needed only seconds to spot the alteration and pass the news along to the coin's now crestfallen owner. Instead of being rare and worth a small fortune, the coin was just an ordinary cent." [7] Standish also spoke out about a rare dime-penny that was discovered in 2000. [8]

In 2005, Standish left PCGS to become vice chairman and chief numismatist of ANACS. [9] Standish left ANACS in September 2006 and returned to PCGS, where he served as vice president.

In 2015, Standish joined NGC and served as their vice president.

Numismatics

Standish was one of American numismatics' most recognized graders and authenticators of coins.[ citation needed ] He was the first full-time coin grader at Professional Coin Grading Service. In the course of his career, Standish graded between 1,000,000 and 2,000,000 coins, including a number of significant rarities, such as the 1913 Liberty nickels and all of the 1804 dollars. [3]

While with PCGS, Standish developed a number of marketing innovations, including PCGS’ bulk submission and First Strike programs, the company’s signature series of PCGS inserts which include autographs of notable figures such as Presidents George H. Bush and Gerald Ford, U.S. Mint Directors Donna Pope, Jay W. Johnson, and Philip Diehl, Edmund Moy, Chief Engraver John Mercanti, General Tommy Franks and Hall of Fame baseball player Nolan Ryan.

In 2011, for his service to numismatics and to the U.S. Mint, Standish was awarded the “Director’s Coin for Excellence” [10] [11] by the director of the United States Mint, Edmund Moy. [12]

Sports collectibles

Standish served as Vice President of Professional Sports Authenticator (PSA) and launched PSA/DNA First autograph Sammy Sosa- authentication from 1996-2001. During that time, Standish authenticated a number of high-profile sports items including Mark McGwire’s 70th home run ball [13] and Henry Aaron’s 715th home run bat and ball. [14] In 2014, Standish merged his passion for sports and numismatics by offering a series of limited edition PCGS-graded coin inserts, featuring the signatures of members of the National Baseball Hall of Fame. [15]

Author

In 2014, Standish authored Morgan Dollar: America's Love Affair with a Legendary Coin. [16] [17] [18] [19] [20] It was recognized as a Best Specialized book in the 2015 Annual NLG (Numismatic Literary Guild) Writers' Awards. [21] In 2012, he co-authored "American Silver Eagles: A Guide to the U.S. Bullion Coin Program" with former Chief Engraver of the U.S. Mint, John Mercanti. [22] [23] [24]

From 1984 to 1988, Standish wrote a monthly column titled "Under the Loupe" for Coin World . [25]

Personal life

Standish was a participant in a non-profit organization that works with hospitals and healthcare providers to instill family and child friendly healthcare practices around the world. Standish’s wife Andrea Mangione Standish is the founder and president.[ citation needed ]

Among many other awards and accomplishments, Standish was awarded the honor of The Commission of Kentucky Colonel. This is the highest title of honor bestowed by the Governor of Kentucky, and a recognition of an individual’s noteworthy accomplishments and outstanding service to the community, state, and nation. Standish was among many other notable Kentucky Colonels, including Colonel Harlan Sanders, President Ronald Reagan, Winston Churchill, John Lennon, Donald Trump Jr., Betty White, Paul McCarthy, Ansel Adams, Muhammad Ali, Arthur Ashe, Mario Andretti, and Pope Benedict XVI, to name a few. [26]

Philanthropy

Standish was very active in philanthropic activities, from doing fun events like "Shave Miles" where he will allow celebrities and others to shave his head to raise money for the Standish Foundation for Child & Family Centered Healthcare [27] and the American Numismatic Association. [28]

Standish also established a quarter-million-dollar trust fund to benefit education and sports programs at his Alma Mater, Portage Central High School. [29]

Death

Standish died by suicide on July 11, 2023, in Austin, Texas. [30]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coin collecting</span> Collection of minted legal tender

Coin collecting is the collecting of coins or other forms of minted legal tender. Coins of interest to collectors include beautiful, rare, and historically significant pieces. Collectors may be interested, for example, in complete sets of a particular design or denomination, coins that were in circulation for only a brief time, or coins with errors. Coin collecting can be differentiated from numismatics, in that the latter is the systematic study of currency as a whole, though the two disciplines are closely interlinked.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1943 steel cent</span> U.S. currency

1943 steel cents are U.S. one-cent coins that were struck in steel due to wartime shortages of copper. The Philadelphia, Denver, and San Francisco mints each produced these 1943 Lincoln cents. The unique composition of the coin has led to various nicknames, such as wartime cent, steel war penny, zinc cent and steelie. The 1943 steel cent features the same Victor David Brenner design for the Lincoln cent which had been in use since 1909.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coin grading</span> Process of determining a collectible coins visual state

Coin grading is the process of determining the grade or condition of a coin, one of the key factors in determining its collectible value. A coin's grade is generally determined by six criteria: strike, preservation, luster, color, attractiveness, and occasionally the country/state in which it was minted. Several grading systems have been developed. Certification services professionally grade coins for tiered fees.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1955 doubled die cent</span> U.S. minting error

The 1955 doubled die cent is a die variety that occurred during production of the one cent coin at the United States Mint in 1955.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eisenhower Centennial silver dollar</span> US collectible coin

The Eisenhower Commemorative silver dollar is a United States commemorative coin minted in 1990 to celebrate the 100th Anniversary of the birth of General/President Dwight D. Eisenhower. This coin is not to be confused with the Eisenhower dollar or the Eisenhower Presidential dollar which were regular issue American coins.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Professional Coin Grading Service</span> American coin grading organization

Professional Coin Grading Service (PCGS) is an American third-party coin grading, authentication, attribution, and encapsulation service founded in 1985. The intent of its seven founding dealers, including the firm's former president David Hall, was to standardize grading. The firm has divisions in Europe and Asia, and is owned by parent company Collectors Universe. PCGS has graded over 42.5 million coins, medals, and tokens valued at over $36 billion.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Numismatic Guaranty Company</span> American coin certification organization

Numismatic Guaranty Company (NGC) is an international third-party coin grading and certification service based in Sarasota, Florida. It has certified more than 60 million coins. NGC certification consists of authentication, grading, attribution, and encapsulation in clear plastic holders. NGC is a subsidiary of Certified Collectibles Group (CCG), which owns six collectible certification services and is in turn owned by Blackstone, a multibillion-dollar New York City hedge fund.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1913 Liberty Head nickel</span> Rare United States coin

The 1913 Liberty Head nickel is an American five-cent piece which was produced in extremely limited quantities unauthorized by the United States Mint, making it one of the best-known and most coveted rarities in American numismatics. In 1972, one specimen of the five cent coin became the first coin to sell for over US$100,000; in 1996, another specimen became the first to sell for over US$1 million. A specimen was sold for US$3 million in a 2004 private sale, then resold for US$3.7 million at a public auction in 2010.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1792 half disme</span> American silver coin

The 1792 half disme is an American silver coin with a face value of five cents which was minted in 1792. Although it is subject to debate as to whether this was intended to be circulating coinage or instead an experimental issue, President George Washington referred to it as "a small beginning" and many of the coins eventually were released into circulation. It is widely considered the first United States coinage struck under authority of the Coinage Act of 1792.

First strike is a marketing term used by third party coin grading services which refers to coins which were struck first by a mint. The U.S. Mint maintains that there is no widely accepted and standardized numismatic industry definition of First Strike coins. Several coin grading companies have decided that a "first strike" coin is one that shipped from the mint in the first month of the new minting.

Third-party grading (TPG) refers to coin grading & banknote grading authentication, attribution, and encapsulation by independent certification services.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fugio cent</span> First official circulation coin of the United States

The Fugio cent, also known as the Franklin cent, is the first official circulation coin of the United States. Consisting of 0.36 oz (10 g) of copper and minted dated 1787, by some accounts it was designed by Benjamin Franklin. Its design is very similar to Franklin's 1776 Continental Currency dollar coin that was produced in pattern pieces as potential Continental currency but was never circulated.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Classic Head quarter eagle</span> American gold coin

The Classic Head $2.50 gold coin is an American coin, also called a quarter eagle, minted from 1834 to 1839. It features Liberty on the obverse and an eagle on the reverse.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kenneth Bressett</span> American numismatist

Kenneth Edward Bressett is an American numismatist. He has actively promoted the study and hobby of numismatics for nearly 75 years. His published works on the subject cover a wide range of topics and extend from short articles to standard reference books on such diverse areas as ancient coins, paper money, British coins and United States coins.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sheldon coin grading scale</span> 70-point coin grading scale

The Sheldon Coin Grading Scale is a 70-point coin grading scale used in the numismatic assessment of a coin's quality. The American Numismatic Association based its Official ANA Grading Standards in large part on the Sheldon scale. The scale was created by William Herbert Sheldon.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">David J. Ryder</span> American government official (born 1955)

David J. Ryder is an American government official. He was the Director of the United States Mint from 1992 to 1993, and returned to the position from 2018 to 2021.

Flowing Hair coinage was issued in the United States between 1793 and 1795. The design was used for the first half dime, half dollar, dollar, and the first two large cents.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Union (United States coin)</span> Proposed US$100 coin

The Union was a proposed $100 coin of the United States dollar. It was canceled before any pattern coins could be minted.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coin slab</span> A type of sealed coin holder

Coin slab is a type of holder for a coin. Slabbed coins are typically from one of the coin grading companies. The practice of sending coins to third-party grading companies and then "slabbing" them began in 1986.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1893-S Morgan dollar</span> Key date in the Morgan dollar series

The 1893-S Morgan dollar is a United States dollar coin struck in 1893 at the San Francisco Mint. It is the lowest mintage business strike Morgan dollar in the series. The 1893-S is considered to be a key date in the Morgan dollar series: examples of the coin in both mint state and in circulated condition are valuable.

References

  1. ↑ Standish, Michael. "Miles Standish Joins NGC". NGC.com. Collector's Universe. Retrieved 2016-01-30.
  2. ↑ "Standish Donates $250,000 To Portage Central High School". coinnews.net. CoinNews Media Group LLC. Retrieved 11 May 2022.
  3. 1 2 3 Standish, Michael. "About the Author". American Silver Eagles: A Guide to the U.S. Bullion Coin Program. Whitman Publishing, LLC.
  4. ↑ "Aurora Borealis Collection Showcase Image Gallery". pcgs.com. Collectors Universe. Retrieved 12 May 2022.
  5. ↑ "Miles Standish Begins Next Chapter, Resigns From NGC". coinnews.net. CoinNews Media Group LLC. Retrieved 12 May 2022.
  6. ↑ "Miles Standish Begins Next Chapter, Resigns From NGC". coinnews.net. CoinNews Media Group LLC. Retrieved 9 May 2022.
  7. ↑ Travers, Scott A. (2007-01-01). One-Minute Coin Expert. Random House Information Group. ISBN   9780375720406.
  8. ↑ "It's a Penny! No, It's a Dime! Either Way, It's Worth More Than 11 Cents". Los Angeles Times. Associated Press. 2000-09-01. ISSN   0458-3035 . Retrieved 2016-01-21.
  9. ↑ "Standish returns to ANACS | Numismatic News". www.numismaticnews.net. Retrieved 2016-01-21.
  10. ↑ "Moy awards Director". www.numismaticnews.net. Retrieved 2016-01-21.
  11. ↑ Service, Professional Coin Grading. "Director's Coin for Excellence Medal Awarded to PCGS' Miles Standish". Coin News. Retrieved 2016-01-21.
  12. ↑ "U.S. Mint Director Awards 'Coin for Excellence' to PCGS' Miles Standish". pcgs.com. Collector's Universe. Retrieved 2013-03-28.
  13. ↑ Paisner, Daniel. The Ball: Mark McGwire's Home Run Ball and the Marketing of the American Dream. Viking Adult.
  14. ↑ "PCGS Board of Experts". pcgs.com. Collector's Universe. Retrieved 2013-03-27.
  15. ↑ "Coins Now a Source for Baseball HOF Autographs". www.sportscollectorsdigest.com. Retrieved 2016-01-21.
  16. ↑ Standish, Michael (June 24, 2014). Morgan Dollar: America's Love Affair With a Legendary Coin, Featuring the Coins of the Coronet Collection. ISBN   978-0794839536.
  17. ↑ "New Miles Standish Book Dishes on the Morgan Dollar". May 6, 2014.
  18. ↑ "Morgan Dollar: America's Love Affair With a Legendary Coin by Michael "Miles" Standish - The Coin Show". The Coin Show. Archived from the original on 2016-01-27. Retrieved 2016-01-21.
  19. ↑ Noble, Barnes &. "Morgan Dollar: America's Love Affair with a Legendary Coin". Barnes & Noble. Retrieved 2016-01-21.
  20. ↑ "Whitman Releases New Morgan Dollar Book by Miles Standish". www.coinsweekly.com. Retrieved 2016-01-21.
  21. ↑ "Results of Annual Writers' Competition for 2015 « Numismatic Literary Guild". www.nlgonline.org.
  22. ↑ Reagan, Michael. "The Birth of the American Silver Eagle". whitman.com. Whitman Publishing, LLC. Archived from the original on 2012-12-07. Retrieved 2013-03-27.
  23. ↑ "Mercanti co-authors American Eagle dollar book". www.coinworld.com. Retrieved 2016-01-21.
  24. ↑ "New American Silver Eagle Book". www.coinsweekly.com. Retrieved 2016-01-21.
  25. ↑ "Coin World Magazine". Under the Loupe. Amos Press. Retrieved 2013-03-28.
  26. ↑ "Kentucky Colonels". Kentucky Colonels.
  27. ↑ "Standish Foundation for Children | Transforming Children's Healthcare Experiences". standishfoundation.org.
  28. ↑ "Coin Collecting & Numismatics | American Numismatic Association". www.money.org.
  29. ↑ "Rare Coin Expert Miles Standish Donates Quarter-Million Dollars to His High School". September 2, 2019.
  30. ↑ Gibbs, William T. "Miles Standish, author and numismatist, dies at 58". Coin World.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.