NNP

Kenneth L(uster) Hallenbeck

Biography

ANA President (b. 10/20/1931 L2024)

                Born in Ann Arbor, Michigan. He received an A.B. from the University of Michigan in 1955. Married June Eugenia Miekka July 2, 1955. They have four children including Tom, a coin dealer. Employed with Lincoln National Life Insurance Company in Fort Wayne, Indiana, from 1957 to 1977.

                He served on the Assay Commission for 1974. He served as curator of the ANA museum for four years beginning in 1977. Since then he has operated the Ken Hallenbeck Coin Gallery Inc. in Colorado Springs.

                He was a charter member and past president of the Old Fort Coin Club. He is a past president of the Indiana State Numismatic Association 1965 to 1967, the Society of Ration Token Collectors, Colorado Springs Coin Club, Colorado Springs Numismatic Society and the Colorado-Wyoming Numismatic Association. Member of the Masons and a Shriner.

                He was elected to the ANA board of governors in 1971. He resigned from the board in 1977 to fill a staff position as assistant to the executive director and curator of the ANA museum. Later he served as vice president 1987 to 1989 and 46^th ANA President 1989 to 1991.      

                He returned to the ANA as acting executive director on August 13, 2007, to replace Christopher Chipoletti. He was succeeded in 2008 by Larry Shepherd.

                He has received the ANA Goodfellow Award (1984), Medal of Merit (1996), Glenn Smedley Memorial Award (1991), Exemplary Service Award (1998), Lifetime Achievement Award (2008), and Farran Zerbe Award (1999). He was named a Numismatic News Numismatic Ambassador in 1993.

                Hallenbeck is an authority on counterstamped coins. He contributed articles on counterstamped coins to The Numismatist, Coin World, Numismatic Scrapbook Magazine and others. In 1991 he claims the world's largest collection of credit cards. He also collects odd and curious money.

In 2024, the Hallenbeck family was on the Coin World list of 100 Most Influential People in Numismatics.

bio by correspondence, 1991; bio: NN/WWH 12/11/73; WWA 94