Exhibits, Mints & Family-Friendly Attractions Highlight ANA World’s Fair of Money in Milwaukee
Visitors to the American Numismatic Association’s Milwaukee World’s Fair of Money® can learn about rare and beautiful coins, use a mint passport to explore mints and countries across the globe, and see the finest collection of Wisconsin state bank notes ever displayed. The event, held Aug. 8-12 at the Midwest Airlines Center, showcases hundreds of exhibits, 1,100 coin dealers, and many educational activities for all ages and interests.
The convention’s marquee exhibit area promises to be a highlight of the show. More than 1,500 Wisconsin banknotes are being displayed from the collection of celebrated numismatist and publisher Chester L. Krause. The exhibit features notes made from 1836 to 1965, and constitutes the most extensive collection of state bank notes, from any state, ever exhibited at one time. Other marquee exhibits include the Bureau of Engraving & Printing’s
“Billion Dollar Display,” the rare and historically significant English Petition Crown of 1663, the famous 1913 Liberty Head Nickel, a rare Saint-Gaudens Double Eagle exhibit from the Smithsonian Institution, a special display by the U.S. Mint of never-before-seen Sacagawea bullion dollars that rode on the space shuttle in 2000, and an exhibit by Odyssey Marine from the SS Republic shipwreck.
The always-popular collector exhibit area showcases the collections, research and creativity of hobbyists across the country. Competitive exhibits are being judged in 26 different numismatic classes, including a new “Convention Theme” class for this year’s theme, “Collecting Coins Captures Time: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow.” Entered exhibits include “United States Space Exploration: Mercury Through Apollo Missions,” “Remembering Old Milwaukee” and “Creating Modern Israel.”
The World’s Fair of Money includes a Mint Promenade presenting 19 mints from four continents. Visitors can purchase a World Mint Passport from the ANA booth to explore the area and collect coins from around the world. The Royal Canadian Mint is displaying the world’s largest bullion coin (100 kg, or 220 pounds) at its Mint Promenade table. Other featured mints include the British Royal Mint, the Royal Australian Mint, Monnaie de Paris and Banco de México. Visitors can learn more about mints by attending “World Mint Theatre” presentations on Aug. 8 and 9.
The Maynard Sundman/Littleton Coin Company Lecture Series on Thursday, Aug. 9, presents noted numismatic experts discussing a variety of scholarly topics. Numismatic Theatre, held throughout the show, gives numismatists the chance to discuss their research and ideas in lecture format. Pre-convention and professional development courses are available at the show, as well as free Coin Collecting Basics workshops on Aug. 10 and 12 (pre-registration required). Other activities include Treasure Trivia, a game where young visitors can test their numismatic knowledge and win a prize, and coin collecting workshops for Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts at noon on Aug. 11 (pre-registration required).
Heritage Auction Galleries is the official auction company for the World’s Fair of Money and will conduct a live auction as well as Internet and Mail Bid Auction. Lot viewings are scheduled Aug. 5-10.
For more information about the Milwaukee World’s Fair of Money, call 719-482-9857, email convention@money.org, or visit www.money.org (select “World’s Fair of Money” from the “Featured Links” tab).
Clifford Mishler is serving as the event’s General Chairman, Chester L. Krause is the Honorary Chairman and Joseph Boling is Chief Exhibit Judge. The Milwaukee Numismatic Society, Numismatists of Wisconsin and the South Shore Coin Club are the event’s host clubs. Heritage Auction Galleries is the official auction company.
The 2007 World’s Fair of Money® is free and the show is open to the public from 10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday and from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday. The collector exhibit area may be viewed Thursday through Sunday as early as 9 a.m.
Originally Release Date: July 12, 2007
ANA Contacts: Phone: 719-482-9864
Email: pr@money.org