ANA Convention - Baltimore, Maryland
July 30 - August 3, 2008
Several PNNA members
attended the Baltimore anniversary convention and had a good time, learned a few
things, participated in important meetings, and maybe even made some new
acquisitions or some important sales! The convention was generally successful,
with good (but not overwhelming) bourse activity, a record auction with proceeds
exceeding $40 million, and many other activities, such as educational programs
and exhibits. According to a report in Numismatic News, dealers gave
mixed assessments of the show. "Nobody seemed to have had a bad show, but nobody
claimed it was the best show ever, either." Traffic on the bourse floor was
moderate by ANA convention standards, and public attendance was good, but less
than for the highly successful 2003 Baltimore convention. High gas prices no
doubt contributed to a drop-off in public attendance.
Your editor, Eric
Holcomb, participated in the collector exhibits with an exhibit of Medallic Art
Company medals commemorating the Apollo space program, and also judged a
different class of medals and decorations, which was highlighted by an excellent
exhibit of original Ferris Wheel medals, and by an excellent exhibit of Olympic
participation medals (OPM's). (The first Ferris Wheel was built for the 1893
Columbian Exposition in Chicago, and OPM's are awarded to athletes and certain
other participants at both the Summer and Winter Olympic Games.) There were also
a number of "marquee" exhibits, including an amazing exhibit of early U.S. proof
coins from the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History. Eric is the
exhibit chairman for the upcoming ANA National Money Show™ in Portland in March
2009, and encourages collectors to prepare exhibits for that show.
Eric also participated
in the ANA Club Representative Program breakfast on Saturday morning. (Eric is
editor of MintMark, the quarterly club rep program newsletter.) The
ANA board of governors recognizes the importance of the club rep program, and is
trying to strengthen the program and improve communications with numismatic
clubs and collectors.
See the official
ANA website, www.money.org, for additional
information and press releases regarding the Baltimore convention and future ANA conventions.
See report from previous 2003 convention in Baltimore.
