Eclectic Pursuits of Iola is an independent consulting service offering clients personalized assistance in the resolution of numismatic editorial issues, publishing project planning and the resolution of related business challenges, drawing upon the career experience of Clifford Mishler, its founder and sole principal, who has been engaged in varied numismatic publishing pursuits for well over 60 years.
Mishler has spent a lifetime deeply engaged in coin collecting community activities, having been introduced to the hobby in 1950 at the age of ten, as an author, editor, publisher, corporate manager and consultant. Having initially pursued filling Whitman blue folders with coins collected from circulation, commencing in 1957 his interests became more specialized and focused, at which time he became engaged in authoring and privately publishing specialized studies in the exonumia field. In 1963 he commenced a 40 year career at Krause Publications as an editor, publisher and corporate manager, culminating with retirement in 2003 following a 12 year tenure in the successive capacities of president and board chairman, subsequent to which he served Whitman Publishing in a consulting capacity as a numismatic development director (2005-11).
A 64 year (2016) life member of the American Numismatic Association, Mishler is a recipient of that organization's Medal of Merit (1983), Farran Zerbe Memorial Distinguished Service Award (1984), Glenn Smedley Memorial Dedicated Services Award (1991), Lifetime Achievement Award (1997), Numismatist of the Year Award (2002) and Hall of Fame recognition (2004). He served on the organization's board of governors (1907-1909) and (2011-13), as president (2009-11), and was re-elected to the board in 2019 for a two year term (2019-2021). He is also a lifetime Fellow of the American Numismatic Society, having served on its council/trustee board from 1997 through 2014. He is a recipient of the Burnett Anderson Memorial Award for Excellence in Numismatic Writing (2005) jointly awarded by the ANA and ANS, with the participation of the Numismatic Literary Guild.
A founding member of the Token and Medal Society, Mishler served that organization as editor of its journal (1964-68) and president (1976-78), and is a two time recipient of its Distinguished Service Award (1966 and 1980). A life member of the Numismatists of Wisconsin, he received that organization's Meritorious Service Award (1972) and served as its president (1974-76). Born and raised in Michigan, he is a charter lifetime member of the Michigan State Numismatic Society. He received a special recognition award for Outstanding Service to MSNS and the hobby of numismatics in Michigan in 2005, and its George Hatie Memorial Award “for service above and beyond” in 2017. He is also a recipient of the "Friendly Prize," an international recognition for lifetime numismatic achievements, awarded by Munzen-Revue in Basel, Switzerland (2001).
A member of the coins and medals advisory panel of the American Revolution Bicentennial Commission (1970-75), he also served as a member of the Annual Assay Commission of the United States Mint (1973) and of the Wisconsin Commemorative Quarter Council (2001-03), He testified before Congress on coinage issues on numerous of occasions over a 30 year period beginning in the miid-1960s. He has also served since 1991 as a member and secretary of the board of the William R. Higgins, Jr. Foundation, which operates as the Higgins Money Museum, featuring the history, notes and artifacts of the National Bank era (1863-1935), located in Okoboji, Iowa. An actively invoilved member of the Ancient Coin Collectors Guild since its founding in 2004, Mishler has served on its board as president-elect since 2018, and as its treasurer starting in 2020.
Outside the hobby community, Mishler was a member of the board of directors of the First State Bank of Iola (1972-83), the Scandinavia Telephone Company (1982-2000), and was co-founder of the Iola Old Car Show (1972), serving that body as its unofficial executive director (1976-84) and as an ex-officio director (1985-2019), and subsequently in an advisory capacity. He also served as chairman of the fundraising drive to establish and build the Iola-Scandinavia Community Fitness and Aquatic Center (1999-2001), and is a long time member of the Iola Lions Club, which recognized him with the presentation of a Melvin Jones Fellow Award (1996) for service to the club and community, and as club Lion of the Year for 2009. Recipient of the Iola-Scandinavia Chamber of Commerce’s 2012 Outstanding Citizen Award, Mishler is a long time member of the Iola Historical Society, which he has been serving as president since 2011.
Clifford Mishler maintains his office at 105 North Main Street, Iola, WI 54945. His office phone number is 715-445-5050 and the facsimile communication number is 715-445-3030. His home phone number is 715-256-1112. His personal e-mail address is; mish@EclecticPursuitsIola.com