Exhibitors Honored at Philadelphia World’s Fair of Money

Sep 4, 2018 | ANA, News

The American Numismatic Association (ANA) presented 55 competitive exhibit awards at the 2018 World’s Fair of Money in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Winners were announced at the exhibit awards presentation and reception on Aug. 17, and at the awards banquet that evening.

Thirty-eight exhibitors of all experience levels, showing 51 exhibits, competed in this year’s program. There were also two non-competitive exhibitors showing two additional exhibits.

Michael Shutterly received the Howland Wood Memorial Award for Best-in-Show for his exhibit “Golden Portraits of Byzantium – Every Picture Tells a Story.” The Radford Stearns Memorial Award for Excellence in Exhibiting, presented to the first and second runners-up, was awarded, respectively, to David Menchell for “Medals of the United States Assay Commission 1860 – 1977,” and to Michael Shutterly for “Remember the Ladies – The Empresses of Rome’s Severan Dynasty, 193-235.”

The ANA also presented competitive exhibit awards for young numismatists (YNs) age 17 and younger. The Charles H. Wolfe Sr. Memorial Award for the YN Best-of-Show exhibit was presented to Abigail Zechman for “A View of Hobo Nickel Carving Step-by-Step.”

The Thos. H. Law Award for the best exhibit by a first-time exhibitor also went to Ms. Zechman for the same exhibit.

The Rodger E. Hershey Memorial People’s Choice Award, selected by convention attendees, was also won by David Menchell for his exhibit of Assay Commission medals.

Michael Shutterly also received the Women in Numismatics award for his exhibit “Remember the Ladies: The Empresses of Rome’s Severan Dynasty, 193-235.”

V. Kurt Bellman received the Derek Pobjoy Award for Best Exhibit of Modern Circulating Commemorative Coins for his exhibit “The Beginning of U.S. Nickel Coinage – A Local Story.”

Mr. Shuttterly also received the Ira & Larry Goldberg Award for the best exhibit of “Coins that Made History” for “Watch Your Head! Helmets From the Iron Age to the Space Age.”
Robert F. Fritsch received the Joseph E. Boling Award for Judging Excellence.

2018 Class Exhibit Awards:

Class 1: United States Coins, Lelan G. Rogers Memorial. All United States coins and patterns and all coinage or trade tokens used in pre-Federal America, except gold.

• First place: Carl Waltz, Jr., for “Striking Difference.”
• Second place: J. Sebelist for “Capped Bust Half Dollars Lettered Edge (1807-1836).”
• Third place: Hills Howard IV for “The Transcontinental Quarter.”

Class 2: United States Fiscal Paper, Sidney W. Smith/William Donlon Memorial. All paper money and bonds issued by the United States government, including military currency; pre-U.S. colonial, Continental, and Confederate paper money and bonds; state and private banknotes and bonds; scrip; college currency; and stock certificates. Essays, proofs, and souvenir cards of such items may also be shown.

• First place: Dan Freeland for “Selected Michigan Nationals From Charter 8723.”
• Second place: Thomas C. Tullis for “Where is that BANK?”
• Third place: Carl Waltz, Jr. for “The 1918 Two-Dollar Battleship Note.”

Class 3: Medals, Orders, Decorations and Badges; Burton Saxton/George Bauer Memorial. Medallic items not used as a medium of exchange, or not having trade value, including orders and decorations, convention badges, and badges issued by fraternal orders or other organizations. Excluded are Masonic pennies and tokens included in classes 5-8.

• First place: David Menchell for “Medals of the United States Assay Commission 1860 -1977.”
• Second place: Bryce Doxzon for “THEY ALSO RAN – Select 19th Century Political Medals of Defeated Presidential Candidates.”
• Third place: Gamal Amer for “A Short Story of a Portrait Medal of J-F Champollion.”

Class 4: Modern U.S. Coins and Modern Medals, John R. Eshbach Memorial. Coins and medallic (non-denominated) material issued 1960 and later, including philatelic numismatic covers.

• First place: Simcha Laib Kuritzky, for “Chaim Gross’ Ten Commandments Sculpture Medals.”
• Second place: Joseph Schultz for “The New Look of Marvel Superheroes on Coins.”
• Third place: no exhibit

Class 5: Tokens, B.P. Wright Memorial. Items, including encased postage, issued as a medium of exchange for goods and services or for advertising purposes, but excluding American colonial items included in class 1. Includes Masonic pennies and substances used in lieu of metal.

• First place: Michael Hicks for “A Selection of Coal Mining Scrip – A Miner’s Wages in Tokens.”
• Second place: David Gottfried for “Introduction to Hard Times Tokens (1832-1844) and the Tokens of Dr. Lewis Feuchtwanger.”
• Third place: no exhibit

Class 6: Casino Chips and Gaming Tokens, Archie A. Black Award. Items of all types and materials used as gaming pieces, including traditional and non-traditional tokens and other money substitutes, and including tokens used in military clubs.

• First place: Gerald Birl for “A Study of Selected Slot Machine Tokens used in Atlantic City Casinos from 1978-2005.”
• Second place: no exhibit
• Third place: no exhibit

Class 7: Engraved Coins, Love Token Society Award. Numismatic items that have been converted into jewelry, amulets, or decorative objects. Examples are love tokens, hobo nickels, and “pop-out” coins.

• First place: Abigail Zechman for “A View of Hobo Nickel Carving Step-by-Step.”
• Second place: Judy Schwan, for “The Baghdad Shilling.”
• Third place: no exhibit

Class 8: Elongated Coins, Dottie Dow Memorial. Souvenirs created using an elongating machine, whether the underlying piece is a coin, token, medal, or blank planchet.

• First place: Cindy Calhoun for “The Making of an Elongated Coin: Much More Than Just a Squished Penny!”
• Second place: Terri Ventresca for “Meet the Rollers: Makers of Coins Any Way They Like Them.”
• Third place: Simcha Laib Kuritzky for “Feline Elongated Type Set.”

Class 9: Coins Issued Prior to 1500 A.D., Dr. Charles W. Crowe Memorial. Coins, including gold, issued by any government before 1500 A.D.

• First place: Michael Shutterly for “Remember the Ladies – The Empresses of Rome’s Severan Dynasty, 193-235.”
• Second place: no exhibit
• Third place: no exhibit

Class 10: Regional U.S. Numismatics, William C. Henderson/Fred Cihon Memorial. Numismatic material of any type specific to a particular region of the United States, such as the locale where the exhibit is being presented.

• First place: Paul Hybert for “Assayed at the Mint – 200 years ago in a building not far, far away…”
• Second place: V. Kurt Bellman for “The Beginning of U.S. Nickel Coinage – A Local Story.”
• Third place: no exhibit

Class 11: Numismatics of the Americas, Henry Christensen/John Jay Pittman Sr. Memorial. Numismatic material of any type issued or used in the Western Hemisphere outside the United States.

• First place: Carlos Paiz for “Medallic, Coinage and Paper Money Issues of Mexico’s First Empire Under Agustin Iturbide 1822 – 1823 and Their Ties to Central America.”
• Second place: Nancy Wilson for “Guatemala 5 Pesos Issue, 1895 – 1915.”
• Third place: Fred Schwan for “Newfoundland Trench Art.”

Class 12: Numismatics of Europe, John S. Davenport Memorial. Numismatic material of any type issued or used in Europe, including Russia east to the Urals.

• First place: no award
• Second place: no award
• Third place: Erica Schultz for “Introduction to the 19th Century United Kingdom Penny.”

Class 13: Numismatics of Africa and the Middle East, Menachem Chaim and Simcha Tova Mizel Memorial. Numismatic material of any type issued or used on the continent of Africa and in the Middle East (from Turkey east through Iran and south to Aden).

• First place: Simcha Laib Kuritzky for “The Roaring Lion of Megiddo.”
• Second place: Matthew Campbell for “A Middle East Tribute to Apollo – Fujairah and Yemen’s coins honoring America’s space program.”
• Third place: Gerald Grzenda for “Coinage of the German Colonies.”

Class 14: Numismatics of Asia and the Pacific, William B. Warden Jr. Memorial. All numismatic material issued or used in Asia east of the Urals and Iran, and in the southeast Asian, Australasian, and Pacific islands (excluding Hawaii under the U.S.).

• First place: Sunil Richardson for “Coinage of the ideal Indian princely state – Travancore.”
• Second place: Simcha Laib Kuritzky for “Expo ’70 Fair in Osaka, Japan: Progress and Harmony for Mankind.”
• Third place: no exhibit

Class 15: Gold Coins, Gaston DiBello/Melvin and Leona Kohl Memorial. Gold coins of any provenance and era.

• First place: Michael Shutterly for “Golden Portraits of Byzantium – Every Picture Tells a Story.”
• Second place: no exhibit
• Third place: no exhibit

Class 16: Numismatic Errors and Error Varieties, Numismatic Error Collectors Award. Any numismatic material mis-struck or misprinted by the producer, including varieties caused by die or plate deterioration or damage. Items mutilated or altered after production are excluded.

• First place: Hayden Howard for “My Favorite Numismatic Errors on Lincoln Cents.”
• Second place: Randy Jones for “ERROR: CIRCULATION NOT FOUND.”
• Third place: no exhibit

Class 17: Numismatic Literature, Aaron Feldman Memorial. Printed and manuscript (published or unpublished) literature dealing with any numismatic subject.

• First place: Carl Waltz, Jr. for “Publications by Charles T. Steigerwalt.”
• Second place: Michael Shutterly for “Buy the Books for the Coin.”
• Third place: Darryl Gomez, for “Special Medals for U.S. Government Agencies.”

Class 18: General, Specialized, and Topical, Robert Hendershott Memorial. Numismatic material not covered in other classes or covered by more than one class. Includes wooden money, political buttons and insignia, and other exonumia, as well as media of exchange used in carrying out purchases and business transactions by primitive people and later by others as they progressed from barter to coins, or other items generally accepted as primitive or odd and curious currencies. Also includes exhibits showing material linked by design, such as elephants or bridges, or by theme, such as a world’s fair.

• First place: Jim Kolmus for “Theodore Roosevelt: His Life and His Influence on Numismatics.”
• Second place: Michael Shutterly for “Watch Your Head! Helmets From the Iron Age to the Space Age.”
• Third place: Ernie Nagy for “Numismatic Prelude to the 13th Amendment.”

Class 19: Convention Theme, Clifford Mishler Award. Numismatic items of any type that, together with the exhibit text, illustrate the announced theme for the convention at which the exhibit is shown. The 2018 convention theme is ““Fugios to Franklins—The Influence of Poor Richard.”

• First place: Jeffrey Rosinia for “The Philadelphia Story of the Franklin Half Dollar.”
• Second place: no exhibit
• Third place: no exhibit

Class 20: U.S. Commemorative Coinage, Society for U.S. Commemorative Coins Award. Material of any type or period related to United States commemorative coinage and to the events being commemorated.

• First place: V. Kurt Bellman for “The California Pacific Exhibition of 1935 and 1936, its Commemorative Halves, and its Exonumia.”
• Second place: no exhibit
• Third place: no exhibit

Class 21: Emeritus, Barry Stuppler Award. Exhibits by individuals not otherwise eligible to exhibit competitively, or exhibits that have won best-of-show or twice won in class competition at the World’s Fair of Money^®. Any other exhibit may also be entered at the exhibitor’s option. The winner of this class does not advance to best-of-show judging.

• First place: Brett Irick for “Pedigree Lost and Found: The Stories of two Canadian Victorian Ten Cent Coins.”

2018 Young Numismatist Exhibit Awards

Class Y1: United States Coins, Edgerton-Lenker Memorial.

• First place: Hills Howard IV for “The Transcontinental Quarter.”
• Second place: no exhibit
• Third place: no exhibit

Class Y2: World Coins, James L. Betton Memorial.

• First place: Erica Schultz for “Introduction to the 19th Century United Kingdom Penny”
• Second place: Kelly Barker for “Treasures of the Sea.”
• Third place: no exhibit

Class Y3: Paper Money, Kagin Family Award.

• No exhibits this year

Class Y4: Israeli or Judaic, J.J. Van Grover Memorial.

• No exhibits this year

Class Y5: Medals and Tokens, Charles “Cheech” Litman Memorial.

• First place: Abigail Zechman for “A View of Hobo Nickel Carving Step-by-Step.”
• Second place: Joseph Schultz for “The New Look of Marvel Superheroes on Coins.”
• Third Place: no exhibit

Class Y6: Medieval and Ancient, Charles H. Wolfe Sr. Memorial.

• No exhibits this year.

Class Y7: Errors and Varieties, Alan Herbert Memorial.

• First place: Hayden Howard for “My Favorite Numismatic Errors on Lincoln Cents.”
• Second place: no exhibit
• Third place: no exhibit

The American Numismatic Association is a congressionally chartered nonprofit educational organization dedicated to encouraging people to study and collect money and related items. The ANA helps its 25,000 members and the public discover and explore the world of money through its vast array of educational and outreach programs, as well as its museum, library, publications, conventions and seminars. For more information call 719-632-2646 or visit www.money.org.

American Numismatic Association Donates $55,000 to Fight Counterfeiting

Aug 30, 2018 | ANA, News

The American Numismatic Association (ANA) has reaffirmed its commitment to supporting efforts to fight coin and bullion counterfeiting with a $55,000 contribution to the Anti-Counterfeiting Educational Foundation (ACEF), the non-profit organization that receives contributions to fund the work of the Industry Council for Tangible Assets’ Anti-Counterfeiting Task Force (ACTF). The donation was made during the August 18 ANA board of governors meeting at the Philadelphia World’s Fair of Money®.

ANA President Gary Adkins (right) pledges a $50,000 donation from the national hobby organization to ICTA Executive Director Kathy McFadden and Greg Allen, chair of the Anti-Counterfeiting Task Force.

“Counterfeiting is a serious problem that poses a threat to the entire numismatic marketplace,” says ANA President Gary Adkins. “The issue is urgent, and the ANA is pleased to continue its support of ACTF’s efforts to assist law enforcement in quickly identifying counterfeit coins.”

The combined efforts of the American Numismatic Association, Professional Numismatists Guild (PNG) and Industry Council for Tangible Assets (ICTA) led to the formation of the ACTF. Since its inception in January 2017, ACTF has provided education, expertise and other resources to law enforcement to assist in curtailing the manufacture, importation, marketing and sale of counterfeit coins, related fakes of precious metals products, and counterfeit packaging. Key accomplishments have included:

• Inducing the U.S. Customs & Border Protection Service and Homeland Security to value counterfeits at market value rather than face value in assessment of potential victim harm, leading to more investigations and awareness of the extent of coin counterfeiting.
• Successfully connecting law enforcement agencies within the federal government to facilitate their working together on cases involving counterfeit coins, bars and packaging.
• Assisting law enforcement in more than a dozen cases, one in particular which would have flooded the U.S. market with counterfeits valued at more than $48 million.
• Persuading the U.S. Customs & Border Protection Service to increase the number of coin packages inspected, resulting in thousands of counterfeit coins and bullion bars being seized before they enter the country.
• Creating a volunteer nationwide network of more than 90 numismatic experts to support federal, state and local law enforcement agents, allowing them to move quickly in the investigation of cases.
• Working with the U.S. Customs & Border Protection and Secret Service to determine the most effective and efficient means of providing training to agents in the field, nationwide.

According to ICTA Executive Director Kathy McFadden, counterfeiting isn’t new to numismatics. “What is new are the quality and quantity of counterfeits entering the United States and other countries around the world,” she says. “The fact that Great Britain demonetized its one-pound coin less than two years ago and replaced it with a coin containing highly sophisticated anti-counterfeiting technology serves as a prime example of the reality we face.”

“During the last 18 months, we have discovered that products minted by the United States Mint as well as those produced by many sovereign mints and private mints have been counterfeited,” says ICTA Director of Anti-Counterfeiting Beth Deisher. “We have further discovered that packaging, grading services slabs, and certificates of authenticity are also being counterfeited.”

“Education, training and research are key components in mobilizing law enforcement to act against counterfeiting,” says Deisher, who coordinates the work of the 44-member ACTF. “ANA’s funding support comes at a pivotal time in the task force’s development of educational materials for law enforcement as well as for dealers and collectors. It allows us to move forward with producing high-quality media to educate and assist those on the front lines of the battle against counterfeit coins and other numismatic collectibles.”

ANA President Adkins agrees that education is key. “Thanks to the leadership of Kathy McFadden and Beth Deisher, ACTF continues to make significant inroads in thwarting the import of counterfeits. The numismatic community has benefitted greatly from the work of the task force.”

The $55,000 contribution from the American Numismatic Association is from the Numismatic Guaranty Corporation board designated fund ($50,000) and the David L. and Kathy Ganz endowment restricted fund ($5,000). Both funds are earmarked for educational programs.

Nearly 10,000 Attend Philadelphia World’s Fair of Money®

Aug 29, 2018 | ANA, News

Philadelphia’s reputation as the “City of Brotherly Love” was unmistakable at the 2018 World’s Fair of Money®. The American Numismatic Association-sponsored event welcomed 9,939 people at the Pennsylvania Convention Center, Aug. 14-18, and by all accounts the show was one of the most successful in recent memory.

“Philadelphia, birthplace of our Constitution and coinage, lived up to all expectations,” says ANA President Gary Adkins. “We had record crowds. The bourse and auctions were very lively, and the many seminars, talks and meetings held during the convention were extremely well attended. I think you can safely say the City of Brotherly Love proved a great backdrop for what might well have been our best World’s Fair of Money in the last few years.”

The event featured displays by government and private mints from around the world; expansive educational forums led by notable speakers sharing their numismatic expertise; exhibits of rare treasures from private collectors and the American Numismatic Association’s Money Museum; hundreds of dealers buying and selling coins, currency and related items in all price ranges; and major auctions by Heritage Auctions and Stack’s Bowers Galleries.

The show created an international buzz with the sale of the finest-known example of the 1913 Liberty Head nickel, which was conducted by Stack’s Bowers Galleries before a standing-room only crowd for $4.56 million – becoming one of the five most valuable coins sold at auction. The Proof 66 specimen is one of five known pieces, all of which were struck without authorization at the Philadelphia Mint. Of the other four known examples, one was on display in the show’s Museum Showcase from the ANA’s Edward C. Rochette Money Museum in Colorado Springs, Colo.

A recently discovered fourth example of an 1854-S Coronet “No Motto” gold $5 (half eagle) realized $2.16 million during a Heritage Auctions session. The piece reportedly was in the possession of an unnamed New England collector whose numismatic acquaintances believed the coin had to be counterfeit because of the rarity of genuine examples. Numismatic Guaranty Corp., the ANA’s official grading service, certified the find as genuine and graded it Extremely Fine-45.

The United States Mint displayed three 1933 double eagle $20 gold coins. The display featured two of the ten pieces recovered by the government in 2004, which were the subject of 11 years of litigation. Also on display was a previously undisclosed specimen that was voluntarily surrendered to the government by a private citizen. The only 1933-dated double eagles to leave the Mint lawfully are two specimens provided to the Smithsonian Institution for preservation in the National Numismatic Collection.

The Museum Showcase spotlighted several spectacular specimens, including an 1861 Confederate half dollar, historical documents signed by Presidents George Washington and Thomas Jefferson, and one of two known 1861-P Paquet double eagles. The Collector Exhibits area, always popular with show attendees, featured 53 competitive and non-competitive numismatic displays. “We’re thankful to the U.S. Mint, the Bureau of Engraving and Printing, and those collectors who shared their rare and historic numismatic treasures by displaying these items at the World’s Fair of Money,” says Adkins. “The exhibits always are a huge draw and collectors and the public alike love them.”

ANA President Adkins officiated at the ribbon-cutting ceremony on Tuesday morning, Aug. 14, and welcomed special guests U.S. Mint Director David Ryder and Bureau of Engraving and Printing Director Leonard Olijar. Opening day festivities were made even more memorable by a kick-off event that evening at the Museum of the American Revolution, which welcomed a crowd of more than 300. “The kick-off celebration at the museum set the tone for the entire week,” says ANA Executive Director Kim Kiick. “It was a stellar event and the amazing immersive experiences were enjoyed by all.”

Attendance at the show was strongest on Saturday, Aug. 5, when 1,955 people turned out for free family day admission. Hundreds of young people converged on the Kids Zone, where they could see their faces on a $100,000 bill, design their own coin or note, make an elongated coin, spin a wheel for a chance to win numismatic prizes or grab some high-flying bucks inside the “Cash Tornado.” ANA Education Director Rod Gillis reported that nearly 200 kids participated in the Treasure Trivia game as they explored the bourse floor in search of answers to trivia questions. “Coin Collecting 101,” a free class for those interested in numismatics, attracted dozens of attendees, as did Gillis’ “Money Talks” presentation, “Strategies to Dispose of Your Collection.”

Complete Attendance Totals for the 2018 World’s Fair of Money

• Total attendance: 9,939
• General public: 4,742
• ANA members: 3,743
• Table-holders/dealers: 1,373
• Staff, volunteers and pages: 81

Total daily attendance

• Tuesday: 3,259 (returning visitors such as table-holders, staff, volunteers and weekly pass holders are counted in first-day attendance only)
• Wednesday: 1,444
• Thursday: 1,640
• Friday: 1,641
• Saturday: 1,955

The 2019 World’s Fair of Money will be held in Rosemont, Ill. (Chicago), Aug. 13-17, at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center.