The American Numismatic Association’s (ANA) National Money Show in Ft. Lauderdale was grand.

More than 6,100 people came through the doors of the Broward County Convention Center in three days, and more than 175 new ANA members signed up at the show.

“The show was wonderful,” says ANA President Robert Campbell. “It was one of the best ANA spring conventions we have had.”

To promote the show, Campbell intentionally spent one of three, 1914-D Lincoln cents put into circulation in the Ft. Lauderdale area. Rewards of $100 each were offered for the return of the coins to the convention.

The “coin drop,” part of an extensive newspaper, television and radio advertising campaign and accompanying media blitz, was orchestrated by the ANA and Minkus & Dunne Communications. The results were apparent in the nearly continuous lines at registration throughout the three days of the show.

Hosted by the Fort Lauderdale Coin Club, the show had 12 sponsors who contributed a record $53,000, including five title sponsors: eBay, Inc.; H.E. Harris & Company; National Gold Exchange; Numismatic Guaranty Corporation (NGC); and Superior of Beverly Hills. 

Superior also served as ANA’s auctioneer for the National Money Show, realizing a National Money Show auction record with gross sales of $4.45 million. Lisa Parker, president of Superior says, “We were delighted to participate again with the ANA and are thrilled by the record-setting auction we had.”

The ANA YN Treasure Trivia Game, in which school-age children scour the bourse floor seeking answers to the questions provided by the ANA Education Department while collecting scarce coins and other numismatic items, drew more than 400 participants. Jenny Rudewicz of Coral Springs, Florida, won a 1741 Spanish 8 reales in the drawing held for those completing the trivia quiz. Gabrielle Shaiman of Hallandale, Florida, found the double-clipped error Massachusetts quarter donated by NGC.

For the first time, the United States Mint held a “Kid’s Conference” for 4th-, 5th- and 6th graders, as well as Boy and Girl Scouts, offering them a variety of interactive lessons and thought-provoking games utilizing the Mint’s educational web site (www.usmint.gov/kids). Hundreds of school-age children participated in the Mint’s program, organized by R.W. Walker Browner of the Mint, and publicized by local committee member Del Austin.

The show featured more than 20 hours of free educational programming with Numismatic Theatre presentations that covered a wide range of topics from on-line collecting and the pitfalls of buying coins on the Internet to treasure coins and the coinage of Cuba. Following his presentation, “Counterfeit Detection: U.S. Gold,” Brian Silliman of the ANA’s Authentication Bureau (ANAAB) conducted a free, hands-on session. Silliman also conducted a three-day coin grading seminar before the show opened. Finally, Boy and Girl Scout badge workshops generated more than 350 participants.

Two exhibits attracted a great deal of attention throughout the show. One was the ANA’s display of its two United States $100,000 bank notes (the highest-denomination paper money ever produced by the Treasury Department); and Series 1934 $10,000; $5,000; $1,000; and $500 bank notes from the Association’s Money Museum collection. The other exhibit that drew people to the show was Boca Raton, Florida, numismatic dealer William Youngerman’s 60-case exhibit of Florida’s history in currency that included 1,000 colorful bank notes and scrip, and more than 500 historic Florida tokens and medals. 

Robert M. Hawes of South Daytona, Florida, received both the Best-in-Show Exhibit Award and the People’s Choice Award for his display entitled “A Numismatic Trip through History.” The first runner-up award was presented to Mark Rabinowitz of Melbourne Beach, and Radford Stearns of Lilburn, Georgia, received the second runner-up award. The ANA presented its first National Coin Week Exhibit Award to Clayton O. Grant of Ft. Pierce.

At opening ceremonies on Friday, March 3, General Chairman Donald W. Goebel Jr. received the ANA Goodfellow Award in recognition of all the work he and his committee did in support of the show. Denny Thostenson, Fort Lauderdale Coin Club president, accepted the Louis S. Werner Host Club Award; and E.O. Smith, honorary general chairman, received a special certificate of appreciation for his efforts to bring the ANA show to the South Florida city.