Professional Coin Grading Service (PSGS, www.PCGS.com) is partnering with the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame (www.HoopHall.com) on a 2020 basketball commemorative coin program.
The planned $5 denomination gold, $1 silver and 50-cent clad legal tender coins to be struck by the United States Mint will honor the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame’s 60th anniversary. PCGS will be creating customized designs for encapsulation inserts in conjunction with the Springfield, Mass.-based museum.
"We are extremely proud to be the Exclusive Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Coin Grading and Authentication Partner," said PCGS President Brett Charville. "This is a distinct privilege and one we look forward to maintaining for years to come."
According to the Mint, the dome-shaped coins will be curved to resemble a basketball. The obverse will feature three basketball players — a woman and two men, one of which is a Paralympian in a wheelchair — and all are laying up the same basketball.
The reverse depicts a ball going into a hoop.
Sales from the Basketball Hall of Fame’s official anniversary coin — which launches next spring — could provide significant fundraising opportunities for the Hall. The Mint’s program calls for the production of up to 50,000 gold coins, 400,000 silver coins and 750,000 clad coins.
"It is an honor for Collectors Universe to work with the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame on this 2020 commemorative coin project," stated Collectors Universe CEO Joe Orlando. "Not only do we believe this specially designed coin will appeal to the numismatic and sports collector communities alike domestically, the worldwide popularity of the sport opens the door to international opportunities. In addition to creating customized designs to enhance the presentation of these coins, we intend on using the power of our leading PCGS and PSA (Professional Sports Authenticator www.PSAcard.com) brands to help broaden the appeal of these collector items."
Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame President and CEO John Doleva added:
"The funds generated will allow us to bolster our educational programs and ever-growing portfolio of events nationwide."
The Hall of Fame is authorized to receive surcharges from the sale of the coins in the amount of $35 per gold coin, $10 per silver and $5 per clad.
About Professional Coin Grading Service
Professional Coin Grading Service (PCGS) represents the industry standard in third-party certification. Since 1986, PCGS has examined and certified over 42 million coins, medals and tokens with a combined value of over $35.8 billion. For more information about PCGS products and services, including how to submit your coins for authentication and grading, visit www.PCGS.com or call PCGS Customer Service at (800) 447-8848.
About the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame
Located in Springfield, Massachusetts, the city where basketball was born, the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame is an independent non-profit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to promoting, preserving and celebrating the game of basketball at every level — men and women, amateur and professional players, coaches and contributors, both domestically and internationally. The Hall of Fame museum is home to more than 400 inductees and over 40,000 square feet of basketball history. Nearly 200,000 people visit the Hall of Fame museum each year to learn about the game, experience the interactive exhibits and test their skills on the Jerry Colangelo "Court of Dreams." Best known for its annual marquee Enshrinement Ceremony honoring the game’s elite, the Hall of Fame also operates over 70 high school and collegiate competitions annually throughout the country and abroad. For more information on the Basketball Hall of Fame organization, its museum and events, visit www.hoophall.com, follow @hoophall or call 1-877-4HOOPLA.
