The Professional Numismatists Guild announced six 2026 PNG nexGen scholarships on April 7, 2026. The organization issued the news from Murietta, California. With support from eBay and the National Silver Dollar Roundtable, PNG will send six rising young numismatists to a week-long session of the American Numismatic Association’s 2026 Summer Seminar in Colorado.
Just as important, the annual scholarship program supports education, professional development, and integrity across the numismatic community. That mission sits at the center of PNG’s nexGen initiative.
PNG expands its investment in the next generation
PNG launched the nexGen program in 2023. Since then, the program has helped future coin dealers by connecting interested young adults with mentors. It also uses PNG resources to build relationships with numismatic organizations around the world.
This year, PNG increased the number of scholarships it awarded. eBay funded five scholarships, and the National Silver Dollar Roundtable funded one. PNG Executive Director John Feigenbaum said that increase reflects a shared commitment to elevate and expand the field of numismatics. He also said the six recipients show real passion for the hobby and business, and PNG takes pride in supporting their ambitions.
Luci Yang, Senior Director and General Manager of U.S. Collectibles at eBay, said eBay has long served coin collectors and dealers with a vast range of inventory from across history and around the world. She added that eBay wants to support a new generation that not only continues the tradition of coin dealing, but also drives innovation in the future of numismatics.
James Sego, who serves as both a National Silver Dollar Roundtable board member and PNG president, said the scholarship reflects NSDR’s ongoing commitment to education, professional development, and integrity in numismatics. He said NSDR continues to foster excellence and advance the study and appreciation of the field through support for emerging professionals and for programs such as the ANA Summer Seminar scholarship.
ANA Summer Seminar dates and scholarship coverage
This year’s ANA Summer Seminar sessions will take place on the campus of Colorado College, near ANA headquarters in Colorado Springs, Colorado. The two sessions will run June 21-26 and June 28-July 3.
The scholarships will cover airfare, tuition for one of the week-long sessions, meals, and dormitory accommodations.
Meet the six 2026 scholarship recipients
Rene Alvarenga, 22, Dallas, Texas
Rene Alvarenga began collecting Wheat Cents that he found in change at a sandwich shop his parents owned in California. Later, he worked at coin companies in Florida and California. Today, he works as a Junior Numismatist at Heritage Auctions in Dallas.
At the 2026 ANA Summer Seminar, Alvarenga wants to deepen his understanding of collecting and investing in silver dollars. That goal fits his current work, because his primary duties at Heritage involve grading and sorting bulk silver dollars for sale to clients.
He also brings personal experience to the subject, because he already collects silver dollars and focuses on toned examples.
In addition, Alvarenga wants to strengthen his ability to detect artificial toning and doctored surfaces. He said that knowledge will help him sharpen his grading skills and avoid buying problem coins.
Jacob Nathaniel Gonzalez, 20, Weslaco, Texas
Jacob Nathaniel Gonzalez entered numismatics after he found his grandmother’s old leather pouch filled with older U.S. coins that carried designs he did not recognize.
That discovery sparked his curiosity. It also drove his growing involvement in the field.
Gonzalez graduated from the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley with a degree in Criminal Justice and Legal Studies. He has also worked as a coin dealer, and he plans to attend law school.
At Summer Seminar, Gonzalez wants to sharpen his grading and authentication skills for both U.S. and world coins. He specifically looks forward to courses on that subject taught by Bill Shamhart and Andrew Chipman.
Benjamin Alexander Kagay, 18, Katy, Texas
Benjamin Alexander Kagay began his numismatic journey in 2020. That year, his uncle took him to his first coin show in Houston. At that show, his uncle bought him two items that left a strong impression: an 1883 No Cents “Racketeer” Nickel and a Confederate States of America $10 banknote.
Kagay studies at the University of Oklahoma. This summer, he will work at U.S. Coins and Jewelry in Houston. He also received the National Silver Dollar Roundtable scholarship.
At the ANA Summer Seminar, Kagay plans to take the class “A Study in the Grading of U.S. and World Coins.” He said he wants to build on his grading skills so he can better appreciate the coins he collects.
Sego added another important detail. He said Kagay regularly deals in silver dollars and recently presented the exhibit “Sub-1 Million Minted Morgan Dollars” at the Houston Money Show.
David Vitaly Khaskin, 24, Austin, Texas
David Vitaly Khaskin graduated from the University of Florida. He traces his start in numismatics to age six, when his grandfather gave him a Wheat Cent album. That moment, he said, hooked him forever.
Khaskin now plans to take the Counterfeit Detection of United States Coins course at the ANA Summer Seminar.
Marc Vazsonyi, 22, Lexington, Kentucky
Marc Vazsonyi started collecting Wheat Cents at about age seven. Their design caught his attention. So did the challenge of finding different dates and mints.
His grandmother also shaped his early collecting path. During visits to Switzerland, she showed him old silver and gold coins. As a result, Vazsonyi gained exposure to world coins very early in life, and that experience pushed his interest even further.
Vazsonyi will graduate from the University of Kentucky in May with a degree in Mathematical Economics. During college, he interned with former PNG President Jeff Garrett at Mid-American Rare Coin Galleries in Lexington, Kentucky.
At the ANA Summer Seminar, Vazsonyi hopes to deepen his knowledge of ancient coins through a course taught by Classical Numismatic Group’s Dave Michaels.
Jessica Evabella Withersfield, 20, Grand Rapids, Michigan
Jessica Evabella Withersfield began collecting when she was young. More recently, she reignited that interest after she started working at Grand Rapids Coins.
Withersfield said she most wants to learn more about being a dealer and about becoming a great one. She added that she loves acquiring knowledge, and she sees numismatics as a vast field with endless room to learn.
Her Summer Seminar course wish list includes Grading U.S. Coins 1; Counterstamps: coins that tell their own story; Auction World 101: An Insider Perspective; How to sell coins on eBay live, Whatnot, Instagram; Counterfeit Detection of U.S. Coins; Advanced Coin Dealing; and a beginner coin dealing course.
She also singled out one class as her favorite. Withersfield said “Making Money The Medieval Way” stands out most, because she does blacksmithing and would find the experience of making her own coin both interesting and familiar.
Why this scholarship matters
The 2026 PNG nexGen scholarships do more than fund travel and tuition. They create a direct path into the profession for serious young numismatists. They also reinforce the values that support a healthy market: education, mentorship, professional development, and integrity.
That combination makes the program important not only for the six recipients, but also for the broader numismatic community.
For more information about the Professional Numismatists Guild, visit PNGdealers.org or call (951) 587-8300. To Learn about the PNG nexGen mentorship program, visit PNGdealers.org/png-nexgen. And finally for information about the annual ANA Summer Seminar, visit money.org/summer-seminar.
