The 2008 CNA Convention will take place this week starting on Thursday the 17th and running through Sunday the 21st.

The annual event will take place at the  Crowne Plaza Hotel 101 Lyon Street, Ottawa, Ontario K1R 5T9

Ian Bennett, Master of the Royal Canadian Mint will be attending the opening of the bourse at 10:00 on Friday morning. He will then remain at the Mint’s booth for a signature period, during which he will gladly sign the Mint’s centennial book, the Annual Report or any other item you may wish to bring or purchase locally. The Royal Canadian Mint will also be exhibiting its $1 Million Dollar Gold Coin.

The Canadian Numismatic Company has been appointed as the Official Convention Auctioneer for the 2008 Ottawa CNA Convention. Catalogues are available throught their website at: www.cpnum.qc.ca. The auctions will fgeature a wide range of rare and collectible Canadian coins and currency, and will be held in three sessions.

There is also an educational Symposium to be held on Thursday the 17th as follows:
9:30 – 10:30 The Canadian Numismatic Bibliography: by Paul Petch  Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow…
10:30 – 11:30 Early tokens of a Town in East Kootenay by  Ron Greene
11:30 – 12:30 Collecting Newfoundland Decimals  by Phil Carrigan
1:30 – 2:30 Pritchard & Andrews, Ottawa Token by  Scott Douglas & Chris Faulkner
2:30 – 3:30 1859 Wide 9 Over 8 Cents  by Rob Turner
3:30 – 4:30 Recent Collector Coin Counterfeits by Henry Nienhuis
4:30 – 5:30 Commemorative Silver Dollars by Michael Turini 

Biographies of the presenters

Michael Walsh - the Canadian Coinoisseur, the current President of the C.N.A. and a prominent dealer and auctioneer. He served as last year’s Educational Chairman.
Paul Petch, FCNA - Contributed two chapters to the first CNA Numismatic Correspondence Course and served as a speaker at several of the Numismatic Classroom Courses held at Humber College. He was The CN Journal editor in 2003 and 2004 and chaired the 2004 Convention in Toronto. Since that time he was the copy editor for both the second CNA Numismatic Correspondence Course and the Canadian Numismatic Bibliography. In addition to bringing the Bibliography to its final printed form, he has been actively working towards a digital computer-based format. Paul is a member of the executive for both the Ontario Numismatic Association and the Medallic Art Society of Canada.
Ron Greene - For almost forty years Ron has been an active researcher and writer of British Columbia and Canada’s numismatic history, publishing many articles and a book. He is a past President of the Canadian Numismatic Research Society, Past President of the Canadian Paper Money Society. A recipient of the Royal Canadian Mint Medal for Numismatic Education in 1991 and the J. Douglas Ferguson Award in 1986. Apart from numismatics Ron has served as chairman of the Victoria’s Heritage Advisory Committee, President of the Victoria Civic Heritage Trust and Chairman of the Maritime Museum of B.C. Foundation. He won the Heritage Canada Regional Award of Honour in 1982.
Phil Carrigan - a life member of the ANA and CNA, member of the ANS, president of the Barber Coin Collector’s Society and a member of many speciality collector groups. His current collecting interests lie in the US Barber and Bust half dime series, and in decimal coinage and colonial tokens of Canada and the Maritime provinces. He has an extensive library with particular emphasis on references with significant Canadian content. He is a longtime member and former director of the Numismatic Bibliomania Society.
Chris Faulkner, FCNRS - a collector of Canadian colonial tokens and of Ottawa tokens and medals for almost fifty years. He has published a number of articles on both of these series. He is a member of the Canadian Numismatic Association, a Fellow of the Canadian Numismatic Research Society, The Numismatic Bibliomania Society, and the Colonial Coin Collectors Club among other numismatic organizations.
Scott Douglas - a member of the Canadian Numismatic Research Society, Scott has written numerous articles on numismatics that have been published in various club journals and newsletters. Scott is a Charter member of the South Wellington Coin Society serving as the Society’s first President and currently as Vice President, archivist and club historian. He is a past President and Vice President of the Buffalo Numismatic Association. He is also currently the Vice President of the London Numismatic Society and is Vice President and Secretary/Treasurer of the Canadian Association of Token Collectors.
Rob Turner - specializes in Canadian, Newfoundland, and Maritime bronze coinage, along with their varieties. He recently completed a mint state set of Victorian cents, including all of the obverse portraits for each year. Rob has published two books. The first, “The 1858 Cents of Provincial Canada”, provided an in depth history, as well as detailed descriptions of the die varieties, of the 1858 cent. The second volume under the same title covered similar ground for the 1859 wide 9 over 8 cents.
Henry Nienhuis - a long time collector of Canadian Decimal and Error coinage, author of numismatic articles and regular contributor to The CN Journal. Henry is currently C.N.A. Educational Chairman, Associate Editor of The CN Journal and President of the Canadian Error and Varieties Numismatic Association.
Michael S. Turrini, FCNA - an active collector and numismatist for over 40 years. He is well known throughout the United States as a promoter of youth involvement in numismatics and is an active member of over 75 coin clubs. He is the Western United States Regional Director for the C.N.A., past Director and Regional Coordinator of the A.N.A. and life member of the O.N.A. Michael is the recipient of the Fellow of the C.N.A., the A.N.A. Presidential Award (twice), the A.N.A. Medal of Merit among many other honours.