ANA,
PNG Get Summons at FUN By Numismatic News
January 17, 2008
Court
summonses were served to Barry Stuppler, president of the
American Numismatic Association, and Gary Adkins, president
of the Professional Numismatists Guild, Jan. 10 on the floor
of the Florida United Numismatists convention in Orlando.
The summonses spring from a lawsuit filed
by National Numismatic Certification LLC; ASA Accugrade, Inc.;
PCI Coin Grading, Inc.; Sovereign Entities Grading Service,
Inc.; Treasure Gallery, Inc., and Centsles, Inc., against
the two numismatic groups and against eBay claiming defamation
and interfering with business.
The suit was filed in United States District
Court for the Middle District of Florida.
Adkins commented that he referred the court
papers to the PNG attorney, Armen Vartian, for response.
Stuppler said he referred the summons to ANA
legal counsel Ron Sirna.
The new lawsuit became a hot topic of discussion
at an ANA public forum on a number of matters that ran for
nearly two hours Jan. 12.
Sirna said the "group (that filed) was
very angry eBay has adopted a policy that coins graded by
these companies can't be listed as certified." He noted
that the attorney representing the companies was the same
one who had sued ANA before on behalf of Accugrade.
The ANA, PNG and eBay have 20 days to file
their responses.