By Charles Morgan for CoinWeek ….
After a long battle with Parkinson’s, Former President of the American Numismatic Association David Ganz passed away at 73. Ganz was an accomplished attorney and devoted public servant, having served terms as the mayor of Fair Lawn, New Jersey.
Ganz’s mark on American numismatics is indelible. In 1967, he joined the American Numismatic Association as a young numismatist. His role within the association grew, as did his career. Lifelong friend Scott Travers said of Ganz, “He was a man who danced between raindrops.” By this, Travers said of Ganz, that he often represented people with different interests and attempted to be carefully nuanced to be helpful and remain on good terms with people on all sides.
Ganz was prolific as a writer. Working with the best editors in the industry, he wrote some of the finest articles to ever appear in The Numismatist, including his lengthy series on the national Bicentennial coin and medal program. His work also appeared in Coin World, CoinAge, and Numismatic News, among others.
After earning a law degree, Ganz served on the ANA’s Legislative Counsel. He served ten years as a Governor and was elected ANA President in 1993. During his tenure, he sold ANACS twice.
Ganz Help Shape America’s Coinage
Ganz had a deep interest in the United States Mint and its coin programs. He served as a member of the 1974 United States Assay Commission, helped draft language of the 1985 Statue of Liberty / Ellis Island Commemorative Coin legislation, served on the Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee, served on the U.S. Mint Review Panel for the 1995-96 Olympic Commemorative Coin Program, and was a proponent for the 50 State Quarters Program.
Ganz was also a founding member of the Industry Council for Tangible Assets and served as Special Counsel of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization’s Money Office. He was a member of numerous numismatic organizations, including the Token and Medal Society, for which he served as President. He was also a member of the PNG and the Numismatic Literary Guild. In 1990, the Guild awarded Ganz its highest honor, the Clemy.
