At the National Coin & Bullion Association (NCBA) annual dinner in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on Wednesday, August 26, 2026, Liberty Coin Service (LCS) Communications Officer Patrick A. Heller was not only honored for the third consecutive year with the Legislative Champion Award, it was revealed by NCBA Executive Director David Crenshaw that the award has now been named the Patrick A. Heller Legislative Champion Award. This year’s award recognized his contributions in successful legislative efforts in Alaska, Colorado, Maryland, Nebraska, New York, and Virginia.
Said LCS’s Heller, “Since leading the successful effort for the state of Michigan to enact a precious metals bullion and coin sales tax exemption in 1999, I have met with state government administrators and legislators, testified before legislative committees, or contributed documents in efforts to gain, expand, or retain similar or related exemptions in Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Colorado, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Minnesota, Mississippi, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. Most state government officials didn’t realize that adopting such exemptions created so many in-state jobs, new in-state businesses, higher industry sales, and more in-state trade shows with greater attendance for the coin dealer and hospitality industries that overall tax collections increased by more than the tax expenditure of the exemptions. My background as a CPA helped me present this information in an easy to understand manner. While I am honored by this award, I must recognize the dealers and collectors in each of these states that stepped up as local advocates for these exemptions and to the extraordinary staff at Liberty Coin Service who enabled me to donate my services to work on these campaigns.”
Since coming to Liberty Coin Service in 1981, Heller has now been recognized with more than 20 national awards from multiple organizations, including the American Numismatic Association Harry Forman National Coin Dealer of the Year in 2012, and numerous state and local honors.
The National Coin & Bullion Association, founded in 1983, is a trade association for the numismatic and precious metals bullion communities, serving as the industry’s watchdog to maintain a favorable legislative and regulatory climate at the federal, state, and local government levels. Patrick A. Heller previously served on NCBA’s board of directors for 20 years, 17 years as its treasurer, and is the current volunteer NCBA Industry Affairs Advisor.
Frequently honored Liberty Coin Service, established in 1971, is Michigan’s largest rare coin and precious metals dealership. Liberty Coins, as it is known locally, has been located in Lansing’s Frandor Shopping Center since 1975.
