2021 Adult Numismatist Literary Award Winners

The American Numismatic Association’s 2021 literary awards – recognizing articles published in the 2020 volume of its official magazine, The Numismatist – were presented during the Member and Awards Celebration at the Chicago World’s Fair of Money® on Aug. 12. The Numismatist was launched by ANA founder and first editor Dr. George F. Heath in 1888.

The Heath Literary Award, introduced in 1949, acknowledges outstanding articles published in the preceding 12 months.

  • First place went to David W. Lange for “Birth of the Blue Folder” (December 2020). The author will receive $250 and an engraved nickel-silver medal designed in 2013 by artist and ANA member Jamie Franki.
  • David Schenkman earned second place ($100 and an engraved bronze medal) for “America’s First Superstar: The Musical Genius of Patrick Gilmore & His Peace Jubilees” (May 2020).
  • In third place (engraved bronze medal) is Eric Brothers for “More than Pocket Change: Adolph A. Weinman’s Medallic Works” (June 2020).

The Wayte and Olga Raymond Memorial Literary Award, endowed in 1978 by the late John J. Ford Jr., is presented for articles that display original and comprehensive research in U.S. numismatics.

  • William Eckberg received first place ($400 and a certificate) for “The Earliest Hubs of the U.S. Mint” (August 2020).
  • Second place ($200 and certificate) goes to Mitchel Olszak for “Laura Gardin Fraser’s Washington & the Gold $5” (January 2020).
  • Matthew Campbell received third place (certificate) for “Ivah Coles’ Carnegie Hero Medal” (March 2020).

Founded by an anonymous donor, the Catherine Sheehan Literary Award for U.S. Paper Money Studies includes $50 for first place.

  • David Schenkman took the top prize for “From Doty & Bergen to Doty & McFarlan” (February 2020).
  • Second place (certificate) went to the late Gerome Walton for “The Women Behind Nebraska Bank Notes” (August 2020).
  • Michael E. Marotta received third place (certificate) for “Pay Warrants of the Texas Navy” (November 2020).

The Prue and Arthur Fitts Literary Award for Ancient and Medieval Coinage Studies recognizes literary excellence in those fields.

  • Michael T. Shutterly received first place ($250 and a plaque) for “Leaves of Silver: The Art & Artistry of Bracteates” (April 2020).
  • Earning second place (certificate) was Antonino Crisá, Ph.D., for “Ancient Tokens of Sicily” (February 2020).
  • Steve M. Benner received third place (certificate) for “The Year of Six Emperors, Parts 1 & 2” (March-April 2020).

All feature articles published in The Numismatist automatically are considered for the Heath Literary Award; likewise, all qualifying articles are evaluated for the Raymond, Sheehan and Fitts Awards. For information about submitting manuscripts for review and possible publication, email Editor-in-Chief Caleb Noel at cnoel@money.org.

2021 Young Numismatist Literary Award Winners

The 2021 ANA Young Numismatist (YN) Literary Awards were announced Thursday, August 12, at the ANA Member & Awards Celebration at the World’s Fair of Money in Chicago. The three award categories are generously funded by Whitman Publishing and named after authors dedicated to educating the next generation of numismatists.

The Bill Fivaz Young Numismatist Literary Award honors numismatist writers who are aged 8 to 12. This year’s first place recipient was Caleb Meier for “Indian Head cents.” Collin Bube received second place with “What a 12 Year Old’s Coin Collection Looks Like.” In third place was Trevor Martin for “Trevor Martin’s ANA YN Essay.”

The Q. David Bowers Young Numismatist Literary Award honors numismatist writers that are aged 13 to 17. This year’s first place recipient was Christopher Buchanan for “Third Times the Charm.” Paige Price placed second with “Why We Won with West Point,” and Alexandre Bojko took third with his paper “An Analysis of Jacksonian Banking Policies & Politics through the Study of Hard Times Tokens.”

The Kenneth E. Bressett Young Numismatist Literary Award is given to writers between the ages of 18 and 22. This year, first place was won by William Cather for “The Coinage Act of 1783: The Crime of the Century.”

The first-place winners received a $500 cash prize, plus a $500 voucher with which to build a personal library of numismatic books produced by Whitman Publishing. Second- and third-place winners received book vouchers for $200 and $100, respectively. To learn more about this program, visit money.org. Select “Awards” from the “Community” dropdown menu.

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