A testimonial to the strength of Professional Numismatists Guild’s "Promoting Numismatic Growth" internship project, Numismatic Guaranty Corporation (NGC) has hired Christopher Salladin.
The 22-year-old from Fernandina, Florida was hired by NGC only a few weeks into his initial PNG internship rotation.
"When NGC offered me a full-time position grading I couldn’t even comprehend it. It was even harder for me to think I’d be sitting in the same room with industry leaders every day," Salladin said.
The intern project has five PNG member-dealer companies mentoring: Harlan J. Berk, Ltd. in Chicago, Illinois; Dillon Gage in Dallas, Texas; Heritage Auctions in Dallas, Texas; Numismatic Guaranty Corporation in Sarasota, Florida; and Stack’s Bowers Galleries in Irvine, California.
NGC is "proud to be partnering with the Professional Numismatists Guild in their Promoting Numismatic Growth initiative," said NGC President Rick Montgomery. "After several weeks in our grading departments, it became clear that he [Salladin] was a young numismatist with a very keen eye."
Montgomery said that Salladin had a strong appreciation for modern Chinese coins and that he showed sharp grading acumen for modern US coins.
"We could not be more pleased that he has joined the NGC grading team and we look forward to a long and thriving relationship," emphasized Montgomery.
The PNG internship project is designed to provide education, training and mentoring for the next generation of coin and banknote dealers. Each successful applicant has the opportunity for a series of four, three-month-long salaried internships.
"One of the first reactions I had to the program was that the age range was so broad. I had no idea the PNG would choose someone as young as me when the oldest to be considered is 32. This experience has been the perfect opportunity for me, and if it weren’t for my Dad telling me, ‘Just go for it’, I wouldn’t have," Salladin stated.
Carol Raia, Administrator of the PNG Promoting Numismatic Growth program, said that four other young adults are currently in the mentoring program or soon will be starting their internship rotations, and that more applications are encouraged and being accepted.
"The early success of this new mentoring program is exciting," Raia said. "We already now have two former PNG interns working as full-time, professional numismatists.
In addition to Salladin’s hire, this past March, Zeke Wischer, 22, of Abilene, Kansas was hired as a cataloger at Heritage Auctions. Wischer had started his PNG internship program a month earlier.
Information about the PNG intern program and how to apply is available online at www.PNGdealers.org under the "Promoting Numismatic Growth" navigation links near the top of the page.
For more information about Numismatic Guaranty Corporation, visit the company’s website at www.NGCcoin.com.
