Classical Commemorative Marks 50 Year Anniversary

In honor of its 50th anniversary, Classical Numismatic Group (CNG) commissioned commemorative 1-ounce medals in silver and brass. Struck by the Shenyang Mint, the oldest continuously operating mint in China, the limited-edition medals feature a triple portrait of the firm’s founders, Victor England and Eric McFadden, and its current owner and managing director, Michael Gasvoda. In a nod to CNG’s focus on ancient and world coins, the obverse design echoes the triple-portrait coins issued by Triumvirs of the Roman Republic and a Napoleonic-era medal depicting the rulers of Prussia, Russia, and Austria. The reverse bears a stylized number 50 and a repeating pattern of CNG’s palmette logo. “Turning 50 is indeed a worthwhile celebration that few numismatic firms have achieved,” says Gasvoda. “The past 50 years have been an incredible journey. Equally important, the future of CNG looks very bright.”

Classical Numismatic Group

CNG began in the spring of 1975 when University of Denver graduate Victor England founded his rare coin business. Initially named Victor England Ltd., the company focused on ancient, medieval, and world coinage. In 1990 England joined with Eric McFadden, who had studied classics at Oxford University and had served as president of the Oxford Numismatic Society, to establish Classical Numismatic Group, which continued to expand for the next two and a half decades to become the premier ancient, world, and British coin firm in the United States. In 2018 England and McFadden sold CNG to Mike Gasvoda. Four years later, CNG won the Numismatic Literary Guild’s award for the “Best Auction Catalog of World Coins.”