ANA Convention – Denver, Colorado – August 1-5, 2017
Thank you, 2017 Denver World’s Fair of Money Participants and the ANA Headquarters “Golden Day” (50th Anniversary) Celebration in Colorado Springs
Report by John and Nancy Wilson, ANA National Volunteers, Ocala, Fla.
The ANA World’s Fair of Money (WFM) 126th Anniversary Convention was held at the Colorado Convention Center, in Denver, Aug. 1-5. The last ANA WFM held in Denver was in 2006, and that convention had no official auction and was held in the very back of the convention center. This year’s event was held in the front of the convention center on the second floor, and had two auctions, run by Heritage Auctions and Stacks-Bowers Galleries. Both of these auctions had thousands of lots which realized tens of millions of dollars in sales, with many excellent prices.
The convention had over 500 bourse tables and special features, which included:
- 21 club tables,
- Eight government agencies (which feature the annual World Mint Passport),
- The U.S. Mint (with a special set of coins which drew large crowds trying to purchase them) and the Bureau of Engraving and Printing – BEP (with their special drawing for the spider press prints),
- The U.S. Postal Service and FEDEX,
- A fantastic ANA Museum Showcase and ANA Kids Zone – Treasure Trivia area,
- Dozens of competitive collector exhibits (kudos to Robert Rhue for winning the Howland Wood Memorial Best-in-Show award with his exhibit titled, “The Colored-Seal Notes of Colonial Georgia”),
- Daily Money Talks educational programs,
- An ANA District Representatives meeting,
- An author’s table,
- Coin Collecting 101 classes,
- A Maynard Sundman/Littleton Coin Co. Lecture Series, ANA Legacy Series and reception featuring Barbara Gregory interviewing Tom and Ken Hallenbeck,
- A Scout Merit Badge Clinic,
- ANA official supplier, Whitman Publishing,
- ANA official grading services NGC & PMG, along with many more grading services and numismatic publications including Numismatic News and Coin World,
- Several off-site dinners and meetings by different coin clubs and organizations including PNG, NLG (the NLG Bash – congratulations to Bank Note Reporter and Coins Magazine Editor Robert Van Ryzin for being awarded the NLG CLEMY Award), CONECA, TAMS and others,
- A well-prepared official program, ANA official medals and ANACS provided cloth bags for everyone who attended the convention,
- The Elongated Collectors (TEC) rolling machine and club table featuring special elongated coins made for this convention,
- Concession stands which were kept very busy,
- A Friday night ANA Awards Banquet, which was very nice, and the silent auction at the banquet, which was very successful.
- A special thanks to prominent numismatist Michael “Miles” Standish who had his head shaved by special guest Rick Harrison of Pawn Stars to raise money for the ANA and the Standish Foundation for Child & Family Centered Healthcare, a nonprofit devoted to helping sick children.
Admission is charged for both of the ANA annual coin conventions for non-ANA members. Once again, the Board and staff came up with a slabbed silver medal for new members (while supplies last). If you don’t belong, please visit www.money.org and join the Association. Join, not just for a possible slabbed medal you may get, but for the many educational opportunities the ANA will have available to you as a member.
From our perspective, the convention was well attended and most of the dealers we talked to had an excellent convention. This is also a great location for a coin show. The immediate area of the convention center has many excellent hotels, restaurants and reasonable rates for parking.
It takes many months to prepare for a convention of this magnitude. We want to thank the following for tireless and dedicated service for this WFM: Former ANA Convention Manager Rhonda Scurek, Exposition Manager Sam Joseph, along with their entire staff, Executive Director Kim Kiick and her staff, President Jeff Garrett and the Board; and especially Host Chair Steve D’Ippolito, and Honorary Host Chair Gerome Walton and their committee. Thanks to the Colorado Springs Numismatic Society for hosting the event. Thanks again to everyone, and anyone we missed, for their work to make this a very successful WFM in Denver.
We would be remiss if we didn’t mention the Sunday, Aug. 6, Golden Day – 50th Anniversary of ANA headquarters dedication in Colorado Springs. We took the bus that was arranged by ANA for a modest fee to headquarters on Sunday morning. It has been quite a while since we were at headquarters, and we were very pleased with the way the exhibits were presented.
Several food venues were set up including a fantastic cake that resembled the ANA headquarters. A food vendor truck provided sliders and fries, along with ice cream floats. We had Hall of Fame inductee Raymond W. Dillard prepare rolled coins (1967 and 2017 half dollars) commemorating the event.
Considering how tired the ANA staff had to be, everyone was smiling and thanking all who attended for supporting the ANA. Many of them returned to the convention center on Monday to help break down the just-completed WFM convention. It was a grand celebration that we think everyone who attended (probably 150 or more) enjoyed immensely. Thanks to ANA for setting up this event for the membership.
ANA Convention – Philadelphia, Pennsylvania – August 14-18, 2018
Report by the ANA.
Nearly 10,000 Attend Philadelphia World’s Fair of Money®
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 complete press release is available on the ANA website or from pr@money.org.
Report by John and Nancy Wilson, ANA National Volunteers, Ocala, Fla.
Thank You ANA WFOM Philadelphia 2018
The ANA World’s Fair of Money® (WFOM) was held for the eighth time in the “city of brotherly love,” Philadelphia, Pa., Aug. 14-18 in the Pennsylvania Convention Center. This had to be one of the busiest ANA conventions we have attended in many years. Even with the admission charge to enter the show, traffic was almost continuous once the doors opened until they closed on Saturday. Unlike past shows, many of the dealers stayed close to the end of the convention. If we wrote about all of the highlights, we would have to get some publisher to write the book, so we will only cover some of them.
First and foremost, thanks to the ANA for arranging this very successful show for its members, dealers and visitors – of which there were many. Everyone connected with this show, including those listed below, deserves a huge thank you for their work and dedication in making this such a successful convention.
- ANA President Gary Adkins and his Board,
- Executive Director Kim Kiick and her staff,
- Convention Director Jennifer Ackerman and her crew,
- Host Chair Edward Hammond and his committee and volunteer workforce,
- Host Club the Pennsylvania Association of Numismatists (PAN),
- The ANA National Volunteers.
Whenever a convention has a 96-page show guide, you know that a lot has to be going on. WFOM is probably the only coin convention you will ever attend where you have many conflicts, and cannot do everything you might want to do. Such was the case with us, and we missed meetings and other show events that we wanted to attend. This convention probably covered every word in the dictionary from A to Z, in everything that was being held in conjunction with the show.
Registration ran smoothly and though the lines were long at times, the ANA staff worked hard to get visitors into the show as quickly as possible. Many people forget that as an ANA member you get free admission to the show. You can also enter the show a half hour before the general public. Working the ANA future convention table close to the entrance, several people joined the Association just for that reason.
As for the highlights, here are a few:
- Excellent convention center with many nearby hotels,
- Outstanding advertising and media coverage,
- Exceptional public attendance,
- Large and diversified bourse,
- Top-notch security,
- Huge and successful auctions by Stacks-Bowers and Heritage Auctions,
- Generous title sponsors and patrons – which help pay for the convention,
- All the major grading services including NGC & PMG, which are the official ANA coin and paper money grading services,
- Special elongated coins made for the convention including a booth which rolled out your coins,
- Literature dealers including the ANA official service Whitman Publishing Company,
- U.S. Mint and Bureau of Engraving and Printing (including the Spider Press) participation along with several world mints,
- World-class ANA Museum Showcase with 1913 Liberty Head nickel, a Nova Constellatio Quint and other rarities,
- Outstanding competitive exhibits,
- Scout seminars, a Kids Zone with a treasure hunt,
- Numismatic publication booths,
- ANA coin club tables including their educational programs and dinners and other events,
- Interesting Money Talks presentations,
- A very nice ANA awards banquet and silent auction, along with many things to do for the family in downtown Philadelphia.
Congratulations to ANA Farran Zerbe Memorial Award winner Cindy Wibker and Lifetime Achievement Award winner Mark Lighterman. Prue Fitts was the recipient of the Elvira Clain-Stefanelli Memorial Award for Achievement in Numismatics.
Thanks to the ANA Board, along with the Association staff, the host club and their committee, and the ANA volunteers for hosting or helping to make this convention such a successful show. Just about every dealer we spoke to had a very successful show.
ANA Convention – Chicago, Illinois – August 13-17, 2019
Report by the ANA.
Collectors Converge on Chicago World’s Fair of Money®
Collector activity energizes show; dealers delighted The Chicago suburb of Rosemont again proved to be a popular site for the World’s Fair of Money, with many hobbyists lauding the show as the best in recent memory. The American Numismatic Association (ANA) sponsored the convention – considered the most important numismatic event of the year – at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center, Aug. 13-17.
“Rosemont exceeded all expectations thanks in part to the tremendous support provided by the Chicago Coin Club and its volunteers,” said newly installed ANA President Steven Ellsworth. “It was plain to see that hobbyists are again collecting in a serious way. Numerous dealers noted they had more activity and sales than ever.”
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 collections and the ANA’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.
“It was one of the busiest shows I’ve ever had,” said Charmy Harker, also known as The Penny Lady. “I was thrilled with the number of collectors who were actively seeking pieces for their collections. I didn’t hear a single person say they had a bad show.”
“Collectors who attended the show took full advantage of a sold-out bourse,” said ANA Conventions Director Jennifer Ackerman. “The buzz on the floor was energizing.”
During the show’s opening ceremonies on Tuesday, Aug. 13, ANA President Gary Adkins welcomed special guests United States Mint Director David Ryder and Bureau of Engraving and Printing Director Leonard Olijar, each of whom addressed the large crowd waiting to enter the bourse floor. Opening festivities were made even more memorable by a flag procession, representing the eight countries with mints at the show. “It was great to see such a large representation of world mints,” said Ellsworth.
See the full ANA press release (PDF).
Report by John and Nancy Wilson, ANA National Volunteers, Ocala, Fla.
Thank You ANA WFOM Chicago/Rosemont 2019
The ANA World’s Fair of Money® (WFOM) was held for the 14th time in Chicago, Ill., Aug. 13-17. The actual site was the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont, Ill., which is very close to Chicago O’Hare International airport. We have been writing about major conventions for a long time, and this one had to be near the top of all that we have ever attended. In grading terms this was an “MS 70” convention, drawing in 7,000 visitors, including ANA staff, volunteers and exhibitors. At least 1,000 dealers were registered (including early birds), and 1,000 tables were set up in the very large convention center.
When the doors opened on Tuesday, several hundred people were waiting in line to get into the show. The registration lines were also very busy. After the doors opened, public traffic was busy for the entire run of the convention. If you attend any ANA convention for two days, it pays to be an ANA member, and the cost for adults is only $28 for a digital membership. A lot of the people waiting in line could have entered the convention a half hour early as a benefit of ANA membership. Everyone who registered received the official 88-page show guide, along with a cloth bag sponsored by eBay and CDN Publishing.
A big thanks to:
- ANA staff headed by Executive Director Kim Kiick, along with Convention Director Jennifer Ackerman.
- The ANA Board of Governors and President Gary Adkins.
- The Chicago Coin Club, celebrating its 100th anniversary, along with Host Chair Richard Lipman and his hard-working committee, and
- The ANA national volunteers who work in various areas of the show supplementing the ANA staff in key locations.
The ANA held its 128th anniversary banquet, silent auction and officer installation on Friday night. Awards were also presented and included:
- The Lifetime Achievement Award went to longtime literature dealer George F. Kolbe, who received the award from ANA Executive Director Kim Kiick.
- The Farran Zerbe Memorial Award was presented to Thomas G. Hallenbeck. It was presented by Michael Fuljenz who sponsors the award.
- Arthur M. Fitts III was inducted into the ANA Hall of Fame.
The new ANA board of Governors was sworn in by H. Robert Campbell (at lectern). From left (in photo below): Michael Ellis (partially obstructed), Muriel Eymery, Mary Lynn Garrett, Greg Lyon, Clifford Mishler, Paul Montgomery, Shanna Schmidt, Dr. Ralph Ross and Colonel Steven K. Ellsworth (61st President of the ANA).
It has been proven over the years that the Rosemont site is a great venue for the ANA. The Donald E. Stephens Convention Center is a world-class building with many nearby hotels, restaurants and reasonable parking one block away. The show also had great promotion and once again thank you Donn Pearlman for all he does to get the word out in the local media.
Thanks again to everyone involved for helping to make this convention very successful. Just about every dealer we spoke to said they had a very successful show, or one of the best they ever had. We look forward to future ANA conventions.