ANA’s Atlanta show is another great event!
The American Numismatic Association’s (ANA) World’s Fair of Money® 2001 in Atlanta was a great show from beginning to end.
More than 12,000 people came through the doors of the Cobb Galleria Centre between August 8 and 12, with the ANA giving out ten thousand 50 State Quarter maps provided by Littleton Coin Company. More than 220 new members signed up at the convention, and the ANA sold out of its World Mints Passport, which offered convention attendees the opportunity to collect coins from 20 mints at the show.
Dealers were active throughout the convention, as people bought and sold coins, paper money, tokens and medals. ANA Library and Museum Services staffs, assisted by interns Cameron Kiefer and Kieran O’Connor, were busy with author signings, reference help and authentication services. ANA intern Randy’L Teton, the model for the Sacagawea golden dollar, welcomed visitors to the show and posed for photographs.
An extensive newspaper, television and radio advertising and publicity campaign, orchestrated by the ANA and Minkus & Dunne Communications of Chicago, drew tremendous attention from the media. News stories appeared on ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC network television stations, with two reporting live from the convention. Several radio interviews were aired, and numerous feature stories were published in the Atlanta Journal Constitution and Marrietta Journal.
Much of the news attention was focused on the United States Bureau of Engraving and Printing’s $1 Billion Exhibit that featured $100,000 bills, and the California Gold Marketing Group’s “Ship of Gold,” which featured California Gold Rush treasure recovered from the 1857 wreck of the S.S. Central America.
The U.S. Mint’s new director, Henrietta Holsman Fore, visited the show. Former Director Jay Johnson attended as well, serving as the master of ceremonies at the ANA Awards and Installation Banquet on Saturday, August 11.
Convention general chairman Bill Fivaz received the Good Fellowship Award at the opening ceremonies, and Lester Davis was recognized as honorary general chairman. The show was hosted by the Georgia Numismatic Association and the Metropolitan Coin Club of Atlanta, which was made a life member of the ANA.
Heritage Numismatic Auctions, Inc. conducted the six-session ANA sale, which realized nearly $10 million. Among the nearly 3,900 lots offered, a 1932-D Washington quarter, graded Mint State-66 by the Professional Coin Grading Service, sold for $89,125.
The ANA Education Department presented more than 50 hours of free programming, with Education Chairman Lenny Vaccaro, designer of the convention medal, and Atlanta artist Tom Wood producing and printing the program for the show’s Numismatic Theatre.
More than 750 young collectors, age 6-18, participated in the popular “Treasure Trivia Game,” with each player receiving a Sacagawea $1 coin, Buffalo nickel, Indian Head cent, a copy of A Guide to United States Coins and a book on coin collecting from Littleton Coin Company. Winner of the grand prize in the Treasure Trivia drawing, a Spanish pillar dollar, was Andre Airich of Boswell, Georgia.
Young Numismatist (YN) Chairman Bob Hartje’s numismatic programs for children proved very popular; and Scout Chairman Phil Davis conducted collecting workshops for more than 175 Boy and Girl Scouts. James Hunt of Chula Vista, California, and Dr. Thomas Fitzgerald of Glendora, California, won the of ANA World’s Series of Numismatics, while junior members Jon Sullivan of Centerville, Tennessee, and Sam Krupa, Mawahawkin, New Jersey, won the YN World Series.
Twenty-two sponsors and more than 150 patrons contributed nearly $100,000 to support the ANA convention. The six Title Sponsors – Delaware Valley Rare Coin Co., H.E. Harris & Co., Heritage Auctions, Krause Publications, Numismatic Guaranty Corporation and Yahoo! Auctions – each donated $10,000. With contributions of $1,000 to $6,500, the 17 Secondary Sponsors included National Gold Exchange, Anthony Terranova, Coinland.com, Tangible Asset Galleries, Ronald J. Gillio / Long Beach Coin & Collectibles Expo, California Gold Marketing Group, Spectrum Numismatics, J.J. Teaparty; American Heritage Minting, Austrian Mint, Corrosion-Free Coin Supply LLC, The Franklin Mint; Kevin Lipton Rare Coins, Lee Minshull Rare Coins, Seabury & Smith, Texas Numismatic Investments, and Fred Weinberg & Co. The Professional Numismatists Guild (PNG) sponsored the Abe Kosoff/PNG Young Numismatists Awards Breakfast on Saturday, August 11, with Coinland.com sponsoring the YN auction.
At the show’s opening, ANA Executive Director Edward C. Rochette read a letter of welcome from Georgia Governor Roy E. Barnes. State Representative Charlie Smith – an ANA member for more than 35 years and one of three legislators instrumental is removing the state’s sales tax on bullion and numismatic material – participated in the ribbon cutting. Harry J. Forman received the ANA’s highest honor, the Farran Zerbe Memorial Award for Distinguished Service, at the convention banquet on Saturday evening, where Moe Weinschel received the ANA Exemplary Service Award, Kenneth E. Bressett and Arthur M. Fitts III received the ANA’s Lifetime Achievement Award, John M. Mercanti received theNumismatic Art Award for Excellence in Medallic Sculpture and Eric P. Newman received the Burnett Anderson Award for Excellence in Numismatic Writing. Also at the banquet, Robert H. Lloyd was recognized for his 75 years of membership in the ANA.
The ANA presented 74 competitive exhibit awards to more than 70 individuals of all ages and experience levels, who mounted almost 100 displays at the convention. The Charles H. Wolfe Sr. Award for YN Best-in-Show Exhibit was presented to Vanashree Samant for her exhibit “Cryptic Symbols: Interpretation of the Punchmarks on Ancient Indian Coins.” At the banquet, the World Champion Numismatic Exhibitor and winner of the Howland Wood Memorial Award for Best-in-Show Exhibit was Thos. H. Law for “104 Rare English Gold Coins, 1344-1839.” The Rodger E. Hershey Memorial People’s Choice Exhibit Award, selected by those attending the show, was given to young collector Clark Hodges for “Bunny Coins.”
At the conclusion of the banquet, the ANA’s new Board of Governors was installed by Numismatic News editor David Harper. Stepping down from the Board were President H. Robert Campbell and Governors Thomas Hallenbeck, Alan Herbert and Anthony Swiatek (who also is a past president). Each received the Association’s Glenn Smedley Memorial Award in recognition of their service.
Originally Release Date: August 29, 2001
ANA Contacts: Phone: 719-482-9872
Email: pr@money.org