Gene Hessler to Receive the Farran Zerbe Award

Gene Hessler is the 2008 recipient of the American Numismatic Association’s highest honor, the Farran Zerbe Memorial Award for Distinguished Service. He will be presented the accolade Aug. 2 during the Awards Banquet at the World’s Fair of Money® in Baltimore. Hessler, of Cincinnati, Ohio, is best known in the numismatic world as a paper money expert, who coined the term “syngraphics.”

He is the author of The Comprehensive Catalog of United States Paper Money, which garnered the Nathan Gold Memorial Award and the Robert Friedberg Award; An Illustrated History of U.S. Loans, 1775-1898; U.S. Essay, Proof & Specimen Notes; The Engraver’s Line: An Encyclopedia of Paper Money and Postage Stamp Art; and The International Engraver’s Line. A prolific writer for numismatic periodicals, he edits Paper Money, the Society of Paper Money Collectors’ journal.

From 1967-77, Hessler served as curator of the Chase Manhattan Bank Money Museum in New York’s Rockefeller Center. He also became the first full-time curator of the Mercantile Money Museum in St. Louis, where he worked from 1986-88.

An active advocate for the hobby, Hessler has been an expert source of numismatic information for publications including Time, Newsweek and the Encyclopedia Britannica; appeared on radio and TV shows such as “The Today Show,” “Wonderama,” “Voice of America” and “What’s My Line?.” His scripts for “Money Talks,” a daily National Public Radio broadcast, earned him a Peabody Broadcasting Award nomination in 1993. (more…)

(Dallas, Texas) – An unprecedented “lot” will be offered in conjunction with the official auction of the American Numismatic Association World’s Fair of Money® convention in Baltimore: lunch with Heritage Auction Galleries Co-Chairman, best-selling author and acclaimed numismatic authority, Jim Halperin.

All proceeds from the winning bid, including the buyer’s premium, will be donated to the ANA’s education programs for improving numismatic resources on the ANA web site, including the successful Coins in the Classroom project that is used by teachers nationwide.

The winning bidder will have a one-on-one lunch with Halperin at a mutually convenient time and place.

“The rarity of this offering cannot really be overstated. I don’t recall ever in our 21 years working together of having lunch one-on-one with Jim,” quipped Heritage President Greg Rohan.

The lunch date lot will be offered during Heritage’s Platinum Night sale, Wednesday evening, July 30, 2008, in the Baltimore Convention Center. Bids will be accepted in person and online at www.HA.com.

The first bid already has been received. Numismatic author and former ANA Vice President, Scott A. Travers of New York City, has opened the bidding at $1,500. Travers suggested the fund-raising auction after exchanging e-mails with Halperin about a recent charity auction involving a lunch date with renowned investor Warren Buffett, a subject of personal interest to Halperin. (more…)

The American Numismatic Association’s 2008 World’s Fair of Money® will give visitors a chance to see millions of dollars in rare coins, learn from the world’s top numismatists, and explore the history of Baltimore. The event, held July 30 to August 3 at the Baltimore Convention Center, will feature over 1,100 dealers and numismatic vendors, world-class exhibits, 15 mints from five continents and a variety of educational presentations for every age and level of interest.

“Money is history you can hold in your hands,” said ANA President Barry Stuppler. “We’ll have thousands of collectors and dealers from around the country buying and selling items ranging in value from a few cents each to $1 million. You can see everything from a half cent to a $100,000 bill, and it’s free.”

United States Mint Director Edmund Moy will unveil a new, pure gold coin – the much- anticipated 2009-dated Ultra High Relief Double Eagle – immediately after opening ceremonies on July 30. It’s a modern, 24-karat version of what many call the most beautiful American coin ever created, the famous Augustus Saint-Gaudens double eagle.

Exhibits promise to be a main attraction. The Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History will display “Historic Rarities: Early United States Proof Coins,” a special exhibit showcasing extraordinary objects from the National Numismatic Collection. It includes two unique coins – a pattern 1860 Paquet reverse double eagle and a new variety of proof 1818 silver half dollar. (more…)

(Baltimore, Maryland) — This year’s annual PNG Day conducted by the Professional Numismatists Guild in conjunction with the American Numismatic Association World’s Fair of Money® convention will be Tuesday, July 29, 2008, in Hall A of the Baltimore Convention Center from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Collectors are cordially invited to attend; however, an invitation is required for admission.

“Invitations to attend the PNG Day are available free from participating PNG member-dealers as well as from PNG headquarters,” said Robert Brueggeman, PNG Executive Director. A directory of members is available at the PNG’s web site (www.PNGdealers.com) or you can contact the PNG office.”

More than 60 PNG member-dealers will have booths, prominently designated with PNG banners, for buying and selling numismatic merchandise at the Baltimore PNG Day show.

“To showcase our membership to the collecting pubic, PNG has made arrangements with the ANA and the Central States Numismatic Society to hold two PNG Days each year in conjunction with those organizations’ annual conventions. This gives collectors an opportunity to meet many of the experienced, trustworthy PNG dealers at a less frantic pace than often found during large shows,” explained PNG President Gary Adkins. (more…)

The American Numismatic Association Board of Governors has voted unanimously to acknowledge that the “Lamp of Knowledge” is and remains the official seal of the Association.

The vote, taken during a conference call on June 2, authorizes the use of the Lamp of Knowledge on certificates, awards, the ANA Federal Charter, Bylaws and Code of Ethics documents. The ANA will continue its use of the current ANA logo for marketing purposes until a new logo is selected by the membership and confirmed by the Board. The current logo, created around the Peace Dollar, has been in use since 2003.

ANA President Barry Stuppler, who has championed the creation of a new logo, announced plans last winter to ask five accomplished medallic artists to develop designs for a new logo. Those designs, which were submitted in April, were to be displayed on the ANA website and published in The Numismatist. Members would then vote on their favorite designs.

“We received some beautiful artwork,” Stuppler said. “However, the designs we received would be difficult to use in a variety of ways as required for a logo. As a result, we have decided to seek additional input from artists from a variety of disciplines.”

Stuppler said that once artists have been identified and additional submissions received, the membership would be asked to provide input.

“We want to be sure that we make the right decision in selecting a logo for this Association and that the voices of our membership are heard,” Stuppler said. Stuppler emphasized that no operating funds will be utilized to develop or implement a new logo. “We will need to raise about $62,000, and no new logo will be implemented until those funds are in hand.” He added that the fundraising effort has been seeded with a $2,000 anonymous donation.

Stuppler said the decision to use the Lamp of Knowledge as the official seal recognizes the desire of many members to utilize the time-honored symbol. “It’s an important icon to so many of our members,” he said. “I think that placing the old logo on official medals, awards and documents is a vital step in responding to the wishes of the membership.”

The Lamp of Knowledge was adopted for use by the ANA from the University of Michigan seal. According to an article by ANA Historian Q. David Bowers in the June issue of The Numismatist, it appeared in the ANA magazine as early as 1908.