If it’s Thursday it must be Philadelphia

Good morning from the Pennsylvania Convention Center in beautiful downtown Philadelphia where the American Numismatic Association World’s Fair of Money is being held. I made to Philly last night after closing shop and will be spending the day here. Tomorrow morning I will be attending the Board of Governors meeting as Chair or the Technology Committee and then will head back to the D.C. area.

First on the agenda this morning is the e-Learning Platform Presentations. For those who do not know, the ANA is looking to expand its educational mission by offering courses online, something that has been on my agenda for many years.

It is an open session in Room 122A of the Convention Center. While it might not be the most exciting of the sessions, it is important to the future of the ANA. The presenter will be Blackboard, D2L, and eINNOV8. I have heard and used Blackboard when I was an adjunct professor with the University of Maryland System. For me, it will be interesting to see what has changed. The others I have never heard of until this exercise. Seeing how they differentiate themselves will makes it interesting.

For the rest of the day, I will be live Tweeting @coinsblog from the Convention Center. I will try to post a summary tonight. Stay tuned!

Weekly World Numismatic News for August 12, 2018

All the news that fits, we print!

Trying to keep up with the news in the numismatic community has been like trying to keep up with the news in Washington. This week it was coming in fast. The bottom line is that next week is the American Numismatic Association’s World’s Fair of Money in Philadelphia.

Based on some of the press releases, here are some of the highlights for those who will be in attendance:

  • The ANA Museum Showcase will feature the finest known 1792 Half Disme, formerly owned by the first United States Mint Director David Rittenhouse and other rarities.
  • PCGS will display the “The J&L 144 Complete Set,” the All-Time Finest set of classic commemorative coins in the PCGS Set Registry
  • The Numismatic Crime Information Center will offer a one-day training class on “Numismatic Crime Investigations” for local, state and federal law enforcement officers.
  • PCGS will also display one of the 1787 gold Brasher Doubloons and seven of the finest known 1780s New York colonial era copper coins in an educational exhibit.
  • The U.S. Mint will display three 1933 Saint Gaudens Double Eagle gold coins including a previously undisclosed specimen that was voluntarily and unconditionally given over to the government by a private citizen who requested to remain anonymous.
  • The finest known 1794 Flowing Hair silver dollar, graded PCGS MS63+ CAC, will be displayed at the Tangible Investments booth.
  • ICTA’s Anti-Counterfeiting Task Force will exhibit a five-case display of counterfeit coins, precious metals bars, and grading holders on special loan from the Cherry Hill, N.J., office of Department of Homeland Security. These items were confiscated during their investigation of Jonathan A. Kirschner, who pleaded guilty impersonating a federal agent while selling counterfeit coins and bars and unlawfully importing counterfeit coins and bars into the United States.
  • The ANA, Numismatic Literary Guild, and others will be presenting their annual awards during the week.

In other words, it will be a jam-packed week for the numismatic junkie.

Too bad the show cannot be live-streamed for those of us who either cannot attend or will only be able to attend for a short period of time.

I will attend the World’s Fair of Money on Thursday and will leave after the ANA Board Meeting on Friday morning. More on this later.

And now the news…

 August 1, 2018

A gold coin from the time of Andronicus II and Andronicus III Paleologus (14th century) has been discovered during archaeological excavations at the Rusokastro Fortress site on Bulgaria’s southern Black Sea coast, the Regional Historical Museum in Bourgas said. → Read more at sofiaglobe.com


 August 3, 2018

Tiny hands fly up, waving pastel green play money in the air as children offer up bids with high-pitched, eager squeals. “I have $6!” → Read more at houstonchronicle.com


 August 5, 2018

Gold nugget discovery deemed museum quality DALLAS – An enormous, 40-ounce gold nugget, nicknamed “Lightning Bolt” for its jolting, bright yellow glow and rarity beyond any diamond found on Earth, could take top lot honors in in Heritage Auctions’ Nature & Science Auction Aug. → Read more at antiquetrader.com


 August 6, 2018

It has been revealed that Lord Ian Stewartby, who resided near Biggar and died in March at the age of 82, left £1.8m worth of his nationally-renowned collection of ancient coins to Glasgow University’s Hunterian Museum. → Read more at carlukegazette.co.uk


 August 7, 2018

It was originally worth five shillings but Australia’s rarest coin, believed to be discovered in a bushranger’s hoard, is on the market and expected to fetch more than $500,000. For the third time in its history, the “Hannibal Head” holey dollar, discovered in Tasmania in 1881, and presented to the Governor of Van Diemen’s Land, Sir John Henry Lefroy, is being sold by Melbourne coin house Coinworks. → Read more at thenewdaily.com.au


 August 9, 2018

More than nine months after they stopped being legal tender, about 169m round £1 coins are outstanding. → Read more at bbc.com

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Weekly World Numismatic Newsletter for July 15, 2018

Image of some of the casts donated to the ANA Money Museum by Genna Goodacre
(Image courtesy of the Colorado Springs Independent)

With a lot of the international news focused on the finding of ancient coins buried in old ruins, the story that caught my eye came out of Colorado Springs.

Glenna Goodacre, the designer of the Sacagawea Dollar and a graduate of Colorado College in Colorado Springs, donated several items relating to the design of the dollar coin to the American Numismatic Association Money Museum.

Donations include several plaster and bronze casts of the coin that were used to test the design and show the relief of the coin. There is also a plaster cast with an alternate version without her baby, Jean Baptiste Charbonneau, on her back.

News of the donation was published on Friday, July 13, 2018. According to the article, ANA communications coordinator Amanda Miller said that there were no immediate plans to display these items.

Following a significant donation, the ANA will issue a press release. When they do, it would be nice to read that some of these items would be on display at the World’s Fair of Money next month in Philadelphia.

And now the news…

 July 9, 2018

An uninhabited island off the coast of Arnhem Land may be the discovery place of a medieval African coin, which, if confirmed, would be among the oldest foreign artefacts ever found in Australia. → Read more at abc.net.au


 July 12, 2018

The Money Museum, the local, official museum of the American Numismatic Association, recently announced an exciting new donation to its collection. Sculptor and Colorado College graduate Glenna Goodacre has given the museum a selection of items related to the Sacagawea dollar, for which she designed the obverse (the face side). → Read more at csindy.com


 July 13, 2018

The tenacity of amateur archaeologists and historians searching on a remote island off the coast of the Northern Territories in Australia seems to have finally paid off. The team has found a small coin that apparently comes from a medieval African city. → Read more at ancient-origins.net


 July 13, 2018

The banknotes highlight Nelson Mandela’s historical journey, from the rolling hills of the Eastern Cape to the Union Buildings. More than 400 million banknotes and coins bearing the face of South Africa’s first president in the era of democracy, the late Nelson Mandela, are being released to commemorate his centenary. → Read more at citizen.co.za


 July 15, 2018

A Virginia Beach coin dealer recently spent $2.64 million on a rare coin from 1834. He and his business partner are collecting coins from 1792 to present day. → Read more at pilotonline.com


 July 15, 2018

The Bank of Jamaica (BOJ) has named GraceKennedy Payment Services Ltd (GKPS) as an official coin collection agent in the national coin redemption drive.According to the BOJ, following efforts to identify agents to widen its coin redemption drive, it… → Read more at jamaica-gleaner.com

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SCAM NOTICE: Philadelphia World’s Fair of Money Hotels

Normally, I do not directly publish news items but this is important for the entire community.
Did you receive an email or call trying to sell you a Philadelphia World’s Fair of Money hotel room?
The ANA did not authorize this.

It has come to our attention that a third-party booking company inaccurately representing itself as our hotel vendor is contacting ANA members, dealers and exhibitors, offering to book you a hotel room at the ANA World’s Fair of Money; some even provide a promotion code or will misrepresent that they are calling from the hotel.

ANA is not utilizing any housing service vendors for the Philadelphia World’s Fair of Money. Nor has the ANA shared your email with anyone.

Room reservations for the Philadelphia World’s Fair of Money should be made directly with the Philadelphia Marriot Downtown (the show’s host hotel) either by phone – 1-888-236-2427 (mention ANA World’s Fair of Money to secure the group rate) – or via our website at www.money.org/worldsfairofmoney/lodging. Should you want to stay elsewhere, we strongly recommend calling the hotel directly or using a reputable online service such as Hotels.com or Expedia.com.

If you provide your credit card information to any of these unauthorized vendors, your card may be charged but you may not have a reservation when you arrive in Philadelphia. Unfortunately, this is a well-known scam perpetuated on unsuspecting conventioneers across the country.

If you have any questions about the World’s Fair of Money hotel block, or general questions about the show, please contact Jennifer Ackerman at ackerman@money.org, Christie Cooper at ccooper@money.org, or call the ANA Convention team at 1-888-448-3262. Complete information about the show is also available online at www.worldsfairofmoney.com.

ANA: January is National Hobby Month

Did you know that January is National Hobby Month?

Letter from the ANA received in February.

After reading that, you are now saying, “But Scott, it’s February!”

Yes, but I did not know that January is National Hobby Month until I received a letter in the mail from the American Numismatic Association informing me of this fact.

The ANA, like other non-profit organizations, periodically send out what I like to call “beg letters” to members and those who have previously donated in order to solicit donations. There is nothing wrong with these letters. In fact, when I can I do respond to the organizations I regularly contribute to including the ANA.

What is unusual about this letter is that across the top, it tells me that January is National Hobby Month after being sent and received in February.

Since this came on a Friday and it was not opened until after hours, I have not attempted to contact the ANA to ask about this letter. However, if the ANA wants to tell me that January is National Hobby Month, maybe they should do it in January.

Weekly Numismatic World News for August 6, 2017

I guess things went well at the American Numismatic Association World’s Fair of Money. There seems to have been a little reaction on social media and some input from the regular numismatic media, but for the most part, I am going to have to wait until my coin club meeting on Tuesday to speak with those who attended.

A recent purchase of six Canadian Tokens

My week has not been without the ability to acquire numismatic items. While rummaging through an estate sale I found some Canadian tokens. Since I own a copy of the Breton book, Illustrated History of Coins and Tokens Relating to Canada, this will give me a chance to look into the few token I was able to buy at a very inexpensive price. Who knows, maybe this will spark another collection interest!

Finally, I want to wish my brother Joel a Happy Birthday. I cannot believe the old man is 53!

July 31, 2017

As far back as he can remember, he has collected coins. As a young boy, he tagged along with his father to coin club meetings and exhibitions, gaining an interest in Canadian pennies and U.S. cents. "I don't remember not collecting," said Hallenbeck, who owns Hallenbeck Coin Gallery at 711 N. → Read more at gazette.com


July 31, 2017

OSKALOOSA — Jerry Jenkins, a former Oskaloosa resident who now lives in Texas, recently mailed two old coins to the Oskaloosa Herald. Jenkins said he wanted the coins to be donated to Nelson Pioneer Farm and Museum as part of Mahaska County history. → Read more at oskaloosa.com


July 31, 2017

BENGALURU: Investors and history lovers made a beeline this weekend for Nanyadarshini 2017. This was the first edition of the annual numismatics exhibition post-demonetisation by the Karnataka Numismatic Society at Shikshakara Bhawan on Kempegowda Road in the city. → Read more at economictimes.indiatimes.com


August 1, 2017

In 2013, David McCarthy spotted a rare coin in an auction catalog and immediately had a hunch it was the first coin minted by the fledgling United States of America in 1783. Not the first run of coins, mind you, but the very first one. → Read more at npr.org


August 1, 2017

WASHINGTON (AP) — Old inns along the Revolutionary War trails boast of George Washington sleeping there. But coin experts say they have found the first silver piece minted by the United States — one likely held by the most en vogue of Founding Fathers, Alexander Hamilton. → Read more at seattletimes.com


August 1, 2017

A picturesque stretch of land in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula is set to grace a special quarter the United States Mint unveils for 2018. The Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore is among the places featuring on the reverse side for the America the Beautiful Quarters program, officials announced Wednesday at the American Numismatics Association’s World’s Fair of Money. → Read more at detroitnews.com


August 2, 2017

The design for a coin representing Voyageurs National Park was unveiled this week along with the designs for four other national sites to be included in the United States Mint multi-year "America the Beautiful Quarters" program. → Read more at ifallsjournal.com


August 3, 2017

The Royal Mint is celebrating Prince Philip‘s retirement the same way they celebrate, well, all big royal milestones: with a new coin. The Queen‘s 96-year-old husband retired from official duties on Wednesday, after 64 years of service on behalf of the royal family. → Read more at people.com


August 3, 2017

ULAN BATOR, Aug. 3 (Xinhua) — The Central Bank of Mongolia has issued a commemorative coin dedicated to the Gobi brown bear which is on the verge of extinction. The coin made of pure silver has the shape of a circle with a diameter of 38.61 mm and a price of 300,000 togrog (122 U.S. dollars). → Read more at news.xinhuanet.com


August 3, 2017

Recently in The Hill, we heard former Reps. Jim Kolbe (R-Ariz.) and Tim Penny (D-Minn.) promote currency reforms as a way to save taxpayers money. Unfortunately, their proposed solution, The Currency Optimization, Innovation, and National Savings (COINS) Act of 2017, misses the mark completely and would move the country in exactly the wrong direction. → Read more at thehill.com

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Why isn’t the World’s Fair of Money being live streamed?

Ribbon cutting at the opening of the 2017 ANA World’s Fair of Money.
(L-R) Acting Director of the U.S. Mint Dave Motl, Director of the Bureau of Engraving and Printing Len Olijar, (HELP I FORGOT HIS NAME), ANA President-Elect Gary Adkins, current ANA President Jeff Garrett

Since the World’s Fair of Money has opened let me get into my annual rant:

Why isn’t the show broadcast for those of us who cannot attend?

Once again, work obligations have prevented me from traveling to attend the World’s Fair of Money. Unfortunately, it has been a few years since I was able to attend. I want to go. I want to be there. But since I am not a dealer, Real Life becomes a deterrent.

Since the American Numismatic Association Technology Committee was formed and I was asked to be a member, I have been calling for some way to bring parts of the show to the public that cannot attend.

It is not like there is a big technological barrier anymore!

Twitter has the capability to allow for streaming but I have been told that there are some technical issues that make streaming for a long time a little difficult. Minimally, a standard smartphone could be used to stream videos.

Instagram videos have a one-minute time limit that could also be used those quick hit items.

YouTube has a streaming service but there is a question about accessibility. Google makes YouTube unlimited streaming available through YouTube Red service, their paid service. There is a way to add shorter streaming content on YouTube but it is not as easy.

But if you want easy, there is always Facebook!

The easiest way to stream video on Facebook is the open the Facebook app on your favorite smart phone, go to your timeline, the press the button that says “Live” where it allows you to send an update. The app lets you adjust the camera before you press the button to go live!

Someone does not have to hold a camera. There are adapters for any smart phone that will allow one to attach the camera to a tripod.

For a little more money, a used 720p high definition camera could be purchased, interfaced with a computer, and the video streamed to both Facebook and Twitter. There is switcher-like software that will take the audio and video from the camera and broadcast it using both sites.

Someone could have broadcast the opening ceremonies.

There could be on the bourse floor interviews including at the Whitman booth where famous numismatic authors will be there for autographs.

The U.S. Mint has introduced the 225th Anniversary Enhanced Uncirculated Set. A camera could be brought to their booth to show the set.

Every Money Talks presentation can be live streamed.

Award ceremonies could also be live streamed!

For those of us who cannot attend, having access to video of the show may not be as good as being there but is a darn good substitute.

And the best thing about these videos is that they can live on forever! The broadcasts on Facebook and Twitter will remain on those sites for those who cannot watch live. The videos can be captured and posted on YouTube.

Basically, it is requesting that the ANA being accessible to everyone. It is the ANA being the numismatic resource.

Videos can be sponsored.

[FADE FROM BLACK] “We are here on the bourse floor with Joe Dealer to talk about the show.” But what you did not see is that Joe Dealer donated money to the ANA for that access. Remember, the ANA is a not for profit organization and needs the funds to do this.

Larger corporate sponsors could participate.

It is not like some of them are video streaming virgins. Both Heritage and Stacks-Bowers will be live streaming their auctions at the show. This is not the first time either company has provided these types of auctions.

Live streaming can benefit everyone. The ability to introduce more people to the hobby is invaluable. You can promote the ANA, dealers, and the hobby. If you like what you see, come join us. The more people who become interested can become members.

Image downloaded from @BEP on Twitter.

New ANA President and Board

The American Numismatic Association announced today that Gary Adkins will be the associations 60th President. Gary will take office during the World’s Fair of Money.

Adkins won with 62-percent of the vote.

Don Kagin, who ran unopposed, will be the next Vice President.

With seven available position for the Board of Governors and eight candidates, only Adam Crum was not elected. Crum was a newcomer to the ANA election process and was one of my choices for that reason. He needs to stay engaged and try again in the future. The ANA needs new people and new perspectives.

The election for ANA President was really the only consequential race and I am pleased with the outcome. I wish the new leadership luck and will support them in whatever way I can.

By the way, I think that at least one of the Board of Governors will reach his term limit of five terms for the next election cycle. I hope that this may convince more people to run for the Board of Governors during the next election in 2019. If not, run anyway. The ANA needs new voices and new ideas from all members of the hobby!

ANA Election: VOTE!

Earlier this week I received the ballot information for the election of the American Numismatic Association Board of Governors. There are two candidates for president, one for vice president, and eight for Governors which seven will be selected.

As some of you who are ANA member began to receive your ballots, I have received many emails asking who I support. Since the slate is smaller this year, there is not a big choice. But as a preliminary answer, I have expressed my preference for one of the candidates not be elected as ANA President. I continue to stand by that assessment. Even if Gary Adkins was running unopposed, there would be no issue with supporting his candidacy.

There is also no problem with Don Kagin becoming Vice President. I believe Kagin is the first person who has a Ph.D. in numismatics, is a successful dealer, and I believe is someone good for the ANA.

As for the Board of Governors, only seven of the eight will be elected to the Board. The anti-incumbent sentiment in me says that I should support all those running for the first time: Adam J. Crum, Brian Hendelson, John W. Highfill, and Thomas J. Uram. After reading their statements and watching the candidate forum video, all four will do well.

That means one of the four incumbents have to go. Trying to decide between Steve Ellsworth, Greg Lyon, Paul Montgomery, and Ralph W. Ross is not as easy as I initially thought it would be. I know where I am leaning and why, but I want to take some time to consider my position. I will make my decision sometime the beginning of June.

Until then, you may want to spend the hour-and-forty-seven minutes and watch the candidates forum:

Arguing about the ANA’s future

During my nearly 11 years of writing this blog, there has been criticism and compliments of the work done by the American Numismatic Association, its Board of Governors, and its staff. The organization has come a long way during that time and yet has had a lot of bad missteps over the years.

Any organization is not perfect as long as imperfect humans are part of its governance. Humans are imperfect beings and subject to imperfect thoughts, reasoning, and emotions. Emotional responses are human’s greatest strength while being their greatest weakness. Even when humans claim they have a dispassionate response there is a twinge of emotion associated with the final result. For a real-world example of the problems making these types of decision, “Who Gets What” by Kenneth R. Feinberg makes for interesting reading. Feinberg was the appointed Special Master of the 9/11 Victims Fund where his job was to try to dispassionately determine who gets what compensation, or anything at all.

These thoughts came to mind in a recent exchange between two members of the numismatic community over the upcoming ANA Board of Governors election. Published in Numismatic News in “Letters to the Editor” on April 4, 2017 (see the last letter on the page), Ronald Brown appears to make a case for a stronger line between the Professional Numismatic Guild and the ANA by being more of an advocate for the collector/hobbyist. In short, he advocates that if a dealer wants to serve on the ANA Board of Governors there be a sharper division between their business interests and the interests of the ANA.

In the third-from-the-end paragraph, Brown writes, “In my opinion, any person running for office in the ANA must pledge their allegiance to the ANA and void any other membership activity that has the appearance of conflict of interest.” This becomes a line of contention between Mr. Brown and Cliff Mishler, a former member of the Board of Governors and ANA past president.

In Mishler’s response (posted on April 23, 2017) he rightly notes that many ANA members, including those who serve of the Board of Governors are not members of one organization and that this should not disqualify someone from serving. I believe that Mishler is a member of the Royal Canadian Numismatic Association (RCNA), as I am. Like the ANA, the RCNA welcomes all members from around the world. They support numismatics of all types but their members concentrate on Canadian numismatics like the ANA concentrates on United States numismatics.

Should being an RCNA member disqualify either of us to serve on the ANA Board of Governors? It would if we were to follow Mr. Brown’s standards.

This question can be asked of anyone who is a member of any organization that may not be an ANA member or whose mission is somewhat different from the ANA and would prevent members of specialty organizations who could bring a different perspective from serving. It will do nothing to resolve the issue appears to have with dealers dominating the ANA.

A statement that appeared to irk Mishler was when Brown followed up separation suggestion with, “Additionally, stakeholders of coin businesses should put their business holdings into blind trusts for the duration that they hold office in the ANA, to again avoid the appearance of a conflict of interest.”

When I first read the statement, I rolled my eyes and wondered who would comment. Mishler, who can come off as a gruff and cranky old man but is really a sweetheart, appeared to have a button pushed and responded in a way consistent with our politically charged environment. Of course, this did not sit well with Brown and he responded.

Both have overstated good points from their perspective but neither addresses the issues in a manner that would let both sides think about why there is a problem.

From a collector’s point of view, the ANA appears to be run with the agenda to do more to protect the dealer than the collector. When there is an issue in the collector community, policies appear to favor the high-value collector. Since most of the members who run for the Board of Governors seem to be either these high-end dealers or collectors, it appears that these dealers and collectors do not understand most of the rank-and-file members. It looks like an exclusive club that regular members can join but are not allowed into the inner circle.

From a dealer’s point of view, many have been members of the ANA for quite some time. They may have started as a vest pocket dealer or behind the counter in another shop, but they grew up in this industry. These dealers have seen the pains the ANA and the hobby has experienced and seen how bad decisions have hurt everyone over time. In the process, they have cultivated good and profitable businesses understanding what the collector wants. After all this hard work, they are not going to give up the businesses that provide their livings because a “junk-box picker” thinks we don’t understand.

NOTE: I am not calling Ronald Brown a “junk-box picker.” I am using it as emphasis based on a conversation I had with a friend about the series of letters.

As always, reality is somewhere in the middle.

I do believe that the policies are a little slanted to the dealer, but not in the extreme Brown and others correspondents claim. Part of the problem is that more members of the ANA Board of Governors, presidents, and vice presidents come from the ranks of dealers, even though recent past presidents Mishler and Walt Ostromecki are not dealers. I believe that four of the nine elected members of the Board of Governors, including President Jeff Garrett and Vice President Gary Adkins, are dealers.

Why is it a problem that dealer have influence on the ANA Board of Governors?

Like anyone else serving on a Board, regardless whether it is a for-profit or non-profit, there will always be an agenda. You will not do anything to hurt your own livelihood nor will you do anything to damage your potential customers. While dealers have ruled the roost, it is difficult to see how everything they have done is bad for the ANA.

Unfortunately, I believe that their views do not consider the ordinary collector or the collector that may be out of the mainstream. I thought Mishler would be more understanding with his noted collection of stickered coins and a former editor at a major numismatic publication. But his response appeared to be more pro-dealer than understanding that there may be a perception of elitism.

Then again, there is the golden rule: He who has the gold, rules! You can see who has the most influence on the organization by those who spend the money for advertising and sponsorships. As we know, this is the way of the world.

The needs of the collector and the dealer can co-exist. While I may never be a customer of a higher-end dealer, I do respect their accomplishments and contributions to the industry. However, there are some who should stop looking down their noses at the junk-box diver or the blogger who will flip through red boxes of 2x2s looking for something new that says “New York.”

As a member of the Technology Committee, I know that there is work being done to try to bridge some of that gap by considering the rank-and-file members. It encourages more involvement to introduce and extend the hobby in a way that some of the older dealers have accepted, regardless of their phobia to technology. Even Mishler, who I heard recently purchased his first cell phone, supports the effort!

Of course, this is not enough but it is a start. Remember, the journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.

There have been a lot of single steps over the last few years and enough movement to show progress. Progress is not full success and there is a lot more to be done. The only way to move forward to be more responsive to the collector is for collectors to become part of the solution. Collectors should be encouraged to run for the Board of Governors. If you cannot run for the Board, try doing something on a volunteer basis. Work to make your local club successful because sometimes, one of the best solutions is to resolve the issues from the bottom up.

Come in with an agenda. Know what you want to see happen. In fact, if I should ever run again for the Board of Governors, here are some of the issues I would like to see addressed:

  1. Diversity. Face it, the vast majority of the ANA’s membership is white, male, and over the age of 50. The only time I have seen a diverse crowd at a show was at a FUN show. By diversity, I am also including women and younger people. The hobby has to start attracting a more diverse membership.
  2. Get Younger. While there are good Young Numismatist programs, they basically end when the YN graduates high school. The hobby needs to think about that gap when the YN drops the hobby for their life and picks it up again when they have their own YN to bring in. This is one area where the perceived elitism of the high-end dealers is hurting the hobby. We should be able to find some way to keep the YN interested all the way through their life without waiting for them to pick up their blue folders again when their kids become interested.
  3. Club Support. Numismatics is a hobby that can be built from the ground up. Part of that growth are the local clubs. More should be done to support local clubs. Ideas include meeting support where clubs that are getting staid can use the help to bring new ideas to their meetings; program support where the ANA can help arrange for speakers or support other programs that a club can use to highlight their meetings; and advertising support to help get the word out locally. There can also be a club program exchange portfolio where materials used by one club can be borrowed by another.
  4. Secondary and more accessible publications. Although I love the Numismatist, there is more information out there that needs to be publicized. For example, there used to be a YN journal. What happened to that? A YN journal needs to be brought back at least quarterly. Another idea is a monthly review of articles that appear in other journals. Nearly every regional and specialty organization has a newsletter, bulletin, or journal. Why not allow them to submit articles to be nationally featured?
  5. More Technology. Last, but not least, leverage the new technology to bring the ANA to the people. This is something I continually bring up with the Technology Committee, but I would like to see convention programs broadcast over the Internet and stored for later viewing. The technology exists to broadcast all of the Money Talks sessions and have it available for whenever someone wants to use it. In fact, those sessions can become part of the club support where instruction is given to the clubs how to use them during a meeting.

I appreciate Ronald Brown’s passion, but I think he needs to be a bit more realistic. This is not the federal government. Dealer’s should not be expected to make the Board of Governors a full-time job without compensation. But he does have a good point about creating more opportunities and adjusting policies for collectors. If he is not a candidate for the Board of Governors this time around, he should consider running in 2019. Maybe I will join him!

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