Alberto Lozano Villegas
His numismatic specialty was the collecting of coins, medals and banknotes from Colombia, his collection was very important and in the contests he obtained prizes and special mentions. Alberto planted the seed of the research and thanks to his wise tutelage, great collectors were formed, his generosity and detachment allowed many to learn from his pieces.
He was born in Pereira, Colombia. He dedicated himself to jewelry, a profession that in the 50s led him to have contact with old coins and this sparked his interest in numismatics, an activity that his wife, Doña Carmenza de Lozano, knew how to understand and support. Alberto Lozano Villegas is remembered as an enthusiastic leader, thanks to him and a group of friends, on October 30, 1958 the “Numismatic Club of Bogotá” was created, whose meetings were held at his “Val” jewelry store, located in the Carrera 8va between streets 17 and 18 in downtown Bogotá. He was president of the Numismatic Club of Bogotá until it was dissolved and later "Colombian Numismatics" was formed in 1968, where he held the position of Director and in 1997, he was re-appointed director with the now legally established "Colombian Numismatic Foundation" known as Numiscol. Lozano Villegas was the coordinator and manager of different exhibitions and numismatic contests in Colombia, standing out in 1980 with the traveling exhibition that, together with the Banco de la República, he carried out in the different cities of the country on the occasion of the bicentennial of the death of the liberator. His numismatic specialty was the collecting of coins, medals and banknotes from Colombia, his collection was very important and, in the contests, he obtained prizes and special mentions. Alberto planted the seed of the research and thanks to his wise tutelage, great collectors were formed, his generosity and detachment allowed many to learn from his pieces.
Fernando Barriga Del Diestro
His numismatic activities began in the 70s as a member of the organization "Colombian Numismatics", later he was the founder of the "Colombian Numismatic Foundation" where he held the positions of Secretary and President of the "Emeritus Council of Founders", the latter was later assigned of the death of Alberto Lozano Villegas.
He was born in Bogotá, Colombia, on February 18, 1930. In 1956 he graduated as a Civil Engineer with a specialization in calculation and design of concrete structures. His numismatic activities began in the 70’s as a member of the organization "Colombian Numismatics", later he was founder of the "Colombian Numismatic Foundation" where he held the positions of Secretary and President of the "Emeritus Council of Founders", the latter was assigned to him after the death of Alberto Lozano Villegas. Fernando Barriga Del Diestro is also recognized for his contributions to other institutions such as: founder of the Colombian Association of Arms Collectors, member of the Bolivarian Society of Colombia and full member of the Colombian Academy of History. As a historian, he published numismatic articles for the Colombian Academy of History. Among his most relevant texts, he wrote the work "Finances in Independence", which can be seen in two volumes that summarize the activity and influence of numismatics on the country's economic evolution. He also united history and numismatics by preparing articles that were published in the bulletin of the Colombian Numismatic Foundation. His main collecting interest focused on Colombian bonds, vouchers, and notes. The last years of his life he dedicated to work as a Civil Engineer, in the restoration and recovery of historical monuments in the country. They asked for his help to intervene in: The Cathedral of Bogotá, the House of the Colombian Academy of History, Puente del Común and Mompox buildings, on the banks of the Magdalena river, a colonial town. Before passing away, he was writing a new work that would follow on from the aforementioned "Finances in Independence", this one still remains unfinished and without an official title. Its culmination is under the responsibility of the Colombian Numismatics Foundation.
Gilberto Páez Amaya
Páez Amaya was an active participant in all the exhibitions, competitions and auctions carried out by Numiscol in its different historical stages. His interest in collecting is oriented to Colombian coins and banknotes.
He was born on September 22, 1938. His profession is Accountant and it can be highlighted that he has an introverted personality, which reveals very few details about his life. Same as Fernando Barriga del Diestro, he began his numismatic activity in the 70s and in 1997 together with Jorge Becerra León, Alberto Lozano Villegas and the aforementioned Fernando Barriga del Diestro, he was a founding member of the "Colombian Numismatic Foundation", executing the Treasurer's work. Páez Amaya was an active participant in all the exhibitions, competitions and auctions carried out by Numiscol in its different historical stages. His interest in collecting is oriented to Colombian coins and banknotes. He currently sits on the founder’s council from where he contributes to the activities of the Colombian Numismatics Foundation and holds the position of treasurer in the “Emeritus Council”.
Jorge Becerra León
His numismatic activities began in the 70s as a member of the organization "Colombian Numismatics", later he was the founder of the "Colombian Numismatic Foundation" where he held the positions of Secretary and President of the "Emeritus Council of Founders", the latter was later assigned of the death of Alberto Lozano Villegas.
He was born on April 23, 1943, in Bucaramanga, Colombia. His passion for collecting began with philately and he kept collecting stamps until 1964, when his father gave him some coins that allowed him to start numismatics. He graduated as an Industrial Engineer with specialization in the Automotive Industry; profession that has worked from 1968 to the present. He has been a participant and collaborator since the first numismatic exhibition in Colombia was held, attending all numismatic activities such as exhibitions, conferences and competitions. In 1965 he joined the "Numismatic Club of Bogotá" and in 1997 became a founding member of the "Colombian Numismatic Foundation", in the latter he has performed multiple tasks ranging from the organization of 18 auctions, to the management of the numismatic bulletin, Numiscol's main dissemination body. In 1988, he began with what would become another of the most relevant aspects of his life: his vocation as a lecturer. His first numismatic presentation was titled: "Evolution and History of the Currency" which was held at the Luis Ángel Arango library, which gave him the opportunity to travel, collaborate with numismatic clubs as an international guest, and establish strong ties of friendship with merchants and collectors from different countries. Jorge Becerra León is a man who has positioned himself prominently in society for his knowledge: The National Museum, the 20 de Julio Museum, the Bogota Mint and the Museum of the Faculty of Law of the National University have requested his help in the classification of numismatic pieces. Currently, Becerra León is a member of the council of founders of the "Colombian Numismatic Foundation", where he continues to direct the Numismatic Bulletin, for which he also writes current articles. He is the organizer of numismatic auctions, is a lecturer and advisor to museums, banks and individuals.