Numismatics is the study or collection of currency, including coins, tokens, paper money, medals and related objects.
The American Numismatic Association (ANA) is an organization founded in 1891 by Dr. George Francis Heath. Located in Colorado Springs, Colorado, it was formed to advance the knowledge of numismatics along educational, historical, and scientific lines, as well as to enhance interest in the hobby.
The Numismatist is the monthly publication of the American Numismatic Association. The Numismatist contains articles written on such topics as coins, tokens, medals, paper money, and stock certificates. All members of the American Numismatic Association receive the publication as part of their membership benefits.
The United States Bicentennial coinage is a set of circulating commemorative coins, consisting of a quarter, half dollar and dollar struck by the United States Mint in 1975 and 1976. Regardless of when struck, each coin bears the double date 1776–1976 on the normal obverses for the Washington quarter, Kennedy half dollar and Eisenhower dollar. No coins dated 1975 of any of the three denominations were minted.
Quentin David Bowers is an American numismatist, author, and columnist. Beginning in 1952, Bowers’s contributions to numismatics have continued uninterrupted and unabated to the present day. He has been involved in the selling of rare coins since 1953 when he was a teenager.
The ANA Distinguished Service Award is the highest honor conferred by the American Numismatic Association. The award was formerly named after Farran Zerbe, a one-time president of the American Numismatic Association. It is given in recognition of numerous years of outstanding, dedicated service to numismatics. The criteria for the nominee should be that the individual is considered someone who has rendered numerous years of outstanding service to the ANA as well as the field of numismatics. An additional qualification is that the nominee should be a former Medal of Merit and Glenn Smedley Memorial Award recipient. The award is limited only to members of the ANA. In 2021, the ANA Board of Governors voted to change its name to the ANA Distinguished Service Award.
Edward C. Rochette devoted nearly all of his adult life in service to the American Numismatic Association. His first exposure to the ANA was as an editor of The Numismatist from 1966 to 1972. From 1966-86 he served as executive vice president. In 1987 he was elected to the ANA Board of Governors, and would serve as its president from 1991 to 1993. He returned to a staff position in 1998 and served as the executive director at the turn of the century.
Joseph Farran Zerbe, usually called Farran Zerbe, was an American coin collector and dealer who was the president of the American Numismatic Association (ANA) in 1908 and 1909. He served as chief numismatist, responsible for selling government coins, at the World's Fairs in St. Louis (1904), at Portland (1905) and at San Francisco (1915).
Kenneth Luster Hallenbeck is a former president of the American Numismatic Association. He has served with the ANA for 58 years. In recognition of his service and dedication to numismatics, he has received various honours from the ANA. He is the recipient of the Glenn Smedley Memorial Award, the Medal of Merit, the Exemplary Service Award, and the 1999 Farran Zerbe Memorial Award for distinguished service.
Kenneth Edward Bressett is an American numismatist. He has actively promoted the study and hobby of numismatics for over 50 years. His published works on the subject cover a wide range of topics and extend from short articles to standard reference books on such diverse areas as ancient coins, paper money, British coins and United States coins.
Michael R. Fuljenz is a numismatist, author, and businessman. He is currently the president of Universal Coin & Bullion, a precious metals trading company located in Beaumont, Texas.
Rare Coin Wholesalers is a rare-coin company that specializes in United States rare coins. Located in Irvine, California, Rare Coin Wholesalers buys, sells, appraises and trades rare coins and precious metals. Originally established as a S.L. Contursi company in 1990, the owners have bought and sold over two billion dollars' worth of rare coins.
The United States Assay Commission was an agency of the United States government from 1792 to 1980. Its function was to supervise the annual testing of the gold, silver, and base metal coins produced by the United States Mint to ensure that they met specifications. Although some members were designated by statute, for the most part the commission, which was freshly appointed each year, consisted of prominent Americans, including numismatists. Appointment to the Assay Commission was eagerly sought after, in part because commissioners received a commemorative medal. These medals, different each year, are extremely rare, with the exception of the 1977 issue, which was sold to the general public.
The Lewis and Clark Exposition Gold dollar is a commemorative coin that was struck in 1904 and 1905 as part of the United States government's participation in the Lewis and Clark Centennial Exposition, held in the latter year in Portland, Oregon. Designed by United States Bureau of the Mint Chief Engraver Charles E. Barber, the coin did not sell well and less than a tenth of the authorized mintage of 250,000 was issued.
The Louisiana Purchase Exposition gold dollar is a commemorative coin issue dated 1903. Struck in two varieties, the coins were designed by United States Bureau of the Mint Chief Engraver Charles E. Barber. The pieces were issued to commemorate the Louisiana Purchase Exposition held in 1904 in St. Louis; one variety depicted former president Thomas Jefferson, and the other, the recently assassinated president William McKinley. Although not the first American commemorative coins, they were the first in gold.
Chester Lee Krause was an American author, numismatist, and businessman best known as the founder of Krause Publications in the 1950s.
Benjamin Maximillian Mehl, usually known as B. Max Mehl, was an American dealer in coins, selling them for over half a century. The most prominent dealer in the United States, through much of the first half of the 20th century, he is credited with helping to expand the appeal of coin collecting from a hobby for the wealthy to one enjoyed by many.
Clifford Leslie Mishler is an American author and numismatist. He has served as president of the American Numismatic Association.
Scott A. Travers is an American numismatist and author. Travers is considered to be a prominent consumer advocate for coin collectors, informing the public about common and potential scams.
