ACEF’s 2026 Kreuzer Award Includes Stipends

"The award recognizes numismatists who volunteer their time and resources to combating counterfeit coins and collectibles. Fraudulent coins don't just undermine a marketplace; they devalue our American heritage,” said Chandra Kreuzer Rudd, the daughter of Alan Kreuzer, for whom the annual memorial award is named. Her $50,000 donation in 2017 helped to launch the task force that later became the Anti-Counterfeiting Educational Foundation and her donations since have funded the annual memorial award.

The Alan Kreuzer Memorial Award recognizes the anti-counterfeiting efforts of collectors, dealers, law enforcement agents and others dedicated to protecting the numismatic marketplace. The late Alan “Al” Kreuzer was a Castro Valley, CA, coin dealer who was instrumental in alerting the hobby to help identify counterfeit third-party certification holders and fake insert labels.  

The deadline for nominating a candidate for the 2026 Alan Kreuzer Award is June 1. A nomination form is available on the ACEF website. Nominations may be sent to info@acefonline.org and must include the nominee’s full name, business affiliation and volunteer activity, as well as the nominee’s contact information and, of course, the reason he or she should be considered for the award. The person submitting the nomination should also provide his or her name and contact information.

ACEF provides educational information to the collecting public about counterfeiters who prey on the collecting public. ACEF’s website provides a free directory of more than 200 vetted Trusted Experts. A feature of the directory allows one to locate a knowledgeable and trustworthy dealer within 50 miles of his/her location. During major coins shows ACEF also offers to COPY mark counterfeit coins in compliance with the Hobby Protection Act, in order to identify the fakes and also to make them legal to own.

The Anti-Counterfeiting Educational Foundation, Inc. is funded entirely by donations. Tax-deductible donations may be made to the 501(c)(3) non-profit Anti-Counterfeiting Educational Foundation, Inc.  by using the online donation form on the ACEF website.