Spencer Kinkelaar, a 16-year old honour roll student from Morrow, Ohio, was recently named this year’s Professional Numismatists Guild (PNG) Young Numismatist Scholarship recipient.
Kinkelaar, who enjoys collecting Franklin half dollars and silver American Eagle coins, will receive airfare and tuition for the weeklong session of the 2016 American Numismatic Association (ANA) Summer Seminar. He’s one of a triplet of boys and credits his father with sparking a numismatic interest in all three throughout their childhood.
“As a young child, I was always interested in numismatics. At a young age, my father showed me his collection, which he started as a child,” Kinkelaar wrote in his application essay.
Last summer, while he and his family were preparing to move from Philadelphia to the Cincinnati area, he rediscovered his old coin collection in the closet.
“Remembering my past, I began to review my collection, excitedly noting my old pastime. I began to research collecting again and went to the bank to search half dollar rolls. Shortly afterwards, I joined the ANA as a YN [Young Numismatist],” he wrote.
He was “quite surprised” when PNG notified him about the scholarship award: “It was quite exciting that the PNG thought I’d be a good candidate to come out to Colorado Springs to learn about numismatics.”
On the other hand, his father, Mark, said it wasn’t much of a shock.
“He’s quite competitive and I was pleased to learn about it. I think he’ll enjoy it. It’s the kind of experience a young man needs,” he said, adding he appreciates the opportunity offered by PNG’s scholarship . “It’s a wonderful learning opportunity.”
For more information, visit PNGdealers.org.