Peter Tompa summarizes the first round of releases of information under the FOIA lawsuit launched by ACCG, IAPN and PNG.

The State Department has made its initial disclosures in response to the Freedom of Information Act lawsuit brought by the ACCG, the International Association of Professional Numismatists and the Professional Numismatists Guild. By our count, in that initial disclosure, the State Department released 34 documents in full, 15 in redacted form and has withheld 21 documents. Six documents have also been held for further consultation with another agency before possible release.

The State Department produced several documents that are already publicly available, including the Cyprus MOU and information already up on the State Department Cultural Property Protection web site. Nonetheless, the State Department did also release some relevant documents. These included an “action memo” evidencing the decision to impose import restrictions on ancient coins of Cypriot type. While it is heavily redacted, it does suggest that the decision was approved by the proper decision making authority, Assistant Secretary Dina Powell.

That said, given the redactions, it remains unclear whether or not Ms. Powell was fully briefed about CPAC’s recommendations on extending import restrictions to ancient coins of Cypriot types. While the CPAC report was also produced, it was only produced in heavily redacted form. As a result, it is impossible to ascertain whether CPAC’s recommendations were made known to the decision maker or not. (more…)

COLORADO SPRINGS – The American Numismatic Association has signed a definitive agreement for Bowers and Merena Auctions to act as the official auctioneer for the two 2009 ANA shows, the Los Angeles World’s Fair of Money® and the Portland National Money Show™, Executive Director Larry Shepherd announced today. Details of the agreement include sales incentives as well as a guarantee to sign up 2,000 new ANA members.

In consideration for the exclusive right to conduct the auctions and be designated as the official auctioneer, Bowers and Merena, which was selected by the ANA Board of Governors in March, has agreed to pay the ANA a base fee for both shows, plus two percent of the total sale price for all auction sales over $20 million (for Los Angeles) and $12 million (for Portland). In addition, Teletrade, an affiliate company of Bowers and Merena, will conduct a sanctioned Internet auction immediately preceding each convention.

Bowers and Merena has also guaranteed that it will sign up 2,000 new members to join the ANA from Sept. 1, 2008, through Dec. 31, 2009.

We are very pleased with this contract because it provides incentives for both parties to work together to ensure that the auctions are as successful as possible,” said Shepherd. “In addition, we are extraordinarily pleased with Bowers and Merena’s commitment to help the Association build its membership.”

“This is an exceptional opportunity for Bowers and Merena to further secure our leadership role in this industry, and most certainly is a win-win for both parties involved,” said Greg Roberts, Chief Executive Officer for Escala Group, Inc., parent company of Bowers and Merena Auctions. “We appreciate the confidence that the ANA has placed in Bowers and Merena to conduct successful auctions at their shows and to help build the quality membership of their organization.” (more…)

(Fallbrook, California) – The Professional Numismatists Guild will continue its year-long series of PNG Share the Knowledge educational seminars at major numismatic conventions in June and August. Programs will be conducted by PNG member-dealers at the Whitman Baltimore Coin and Currency Convention, June 6; the American Numismatic Association World’s Fair of Money® in Baltimore, August 1 and 2; and at the Whitman Coin and Collectibles Atlanta Expo, August 22, 2008.

A complimentary light lunch will be available for audience members at each seminar. The seminars are free and open to collectors and dealers as a way for some of the hobby’s top experts to share their knowledge.

PNG Immediate Past President Jeff Garrett of Lexington, Kentucky will present a program about “United States Gold Coins and The Smithsonian Collection” at Noon on Friday, June 6, in room 303 of the Baltimore Convention Center.

“While doing research for the book, Encyclopedia of United States Gold Coins, I had the opportunity to study one of the greatest collections of gold coins ever assembled. During my seminar I’ll discuss the history of the collection, the museum and many of the incredible highlights that make the National Numismatic Collection one of the finest in the world,” said Garrett.

Two PNG seminars will be presented at the ANA convention starting with Donald Kagin, Ph.D. of Tiburon, California who will discuss “Pioneer Gold Pattern Coinage” at 11 a.m. Friday, August 1, in room 319 of the Baltimore Convention Center.

“It’s the story of our nation’s first entrepreneurs who created and made impressions from coinage dies primarily in contemplation of making coins from the gold in our country’s first three gold rushes. There were more than 30 different companies, but 11 of them never made gold coins,” Kagin said.

The second PNG seminar at the ANA’s annual summer convention will be presented by PNG President Gary Adkins of Edina, Minnesota, “Collectors Are From Venus, Dealers Are From Mars!,” at Noon, Saturday, August 2, also in room 319 of the Baltimore Convention Center.

Adkins will discuss expectations on both sides of the bourse table when attending a coin show, including preparation before the show; travel and security; show hours and management; dealer and collector etiquette; buying and selling; expectations of the transaction; and enjoying the experiences of a coin show. (more…)

(Fallbrook, California) – An Atlanta area high school freshman, Dustin Reynolds, 15, is this year’s winner of the Professional Numismatist Guild’s (PNG) Young Numismatist Scholarship. The PNG scholarship covers tuition for a one-week session at the American Numismatic Association (ANA) annual Summer Seminar, airfare, meals and six nights of dormitory accommodations on the campus of Colorado College, site of the ANA headquarters.

“I was pretty excited,” said Reynolds, recalling his reaction when he was informed of the scholarship.

Dustin began collecting coins at the age of 13. At that time he was intrigued by Morgan dollars.

“The dollars had belonged to my grandfather and I always enjoyed looking at them. I bought a ‘Red Book’ (A Guide Book of United States Coins) at Barnes & Noble. My Father (Ed Reynolds) and I would visit local flea markets to buy coins. In July of 2006 my Mom and I attended a coin show in Dalton (Georgia). The show exposed me to coins at a whole new level, and I was very intrigued with the dealers that I met at the show. Now I’m also selling coins, and I really like it,” Reynolds explained.

He had a bourse table at a recent Georgia Numismatic Association show in Dalton.

“I’m balancing between being a collector and a dealer. I want to be a professional numismatist (for my career).”

Reynolds enjoys collecting varieties of early date large cents, such as the 1806/7 overdate, and says his favorite area of numismatics is “everything Seated.” He would like to enroll in the counterfeit detection class at this year’s ANA Summer Seminar. (more…)

The American Numismatic Association will offer a variety of classes, workshops and seminars, catering to all ages and interests, before and during the Baltimore World’s Fair of Money®, July 30 to Aug. 3.

Educational programs begin with a variety of pre-convention seminars on July 28-29, and continue throughout the show.

Technical Series

The Technical Series courses teach hobbyists essential skills that will allow them to evaluate and authenticate coins with confidence. The following two-day courses will be presented from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. July 28-29:

• Forensic Numismatics: Detecting Counterfeit and Altered U.S. Coins
• Fundamentals of Grading U.S. Coins
Cost for Technical Series seminars is $345 for ANA members; there is a $50 life member discount and a $50 early registration discount (before July 1). Cost is $445 for all others.

Collector Series

Collector Series courses give hobbyists a well-rounded introduction to a specific area of the hobby.

• Advanced Morgan Dollar Study, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. July 28-29
• Numismatics of Colonial America, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Aug. 1
• Overview of Post-Civil War Tokens, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Aug. 1
“Advanced Morgan Dollar Study” costs $145 for ANA members. There is a $10 life member discount and a $20 early registration discount (before July 1). Cost for all others is $245.
“Numismatics of Colonial America” and “Overview of Post-Civil War Tokens” each cost $98 for ANA members; there is an additional $10 life member discount and a $10 early registration discount (before July 1). Cost for all others is $198. (more…)