A Brief History of the ANA
Until the 1850s, Americans who collected coins were few in number and largely isolated from one another. As interest in the hobby grew over the next few decades, various individuals published periodicals that sought to provide a forum for the sharing of numismatic information. One of these publications was The Numismatist, launched in 1888 by a physician in Monroe, Michigan, named George F. Heath. A collector and small-time dealer in coins, Heath combined short articles with news items and advertisements of his duplicate coins for sale.

In 1891, Heath posed to his readers the question, "What is the matter with having an American Numismatic Association?" He went on to say, "There is nothing like the alliance of kindred pursuits to stimulate growth and interest." In answer to his inquiry, four individuals met with Dr. Heath in Chicago that fall, and the American Numismatic Association was born.

My name is Giordano and I am a coin collector from Brazil. First of all, congratulations for the excellent work with The E-Sylum. I always start my week reading your words. Interesting biography of Don Bailey and United States Mexican Numismatic Association.

I collect U.S. coins. At least I am trying. There are no specialized dealers around here. Most American dealers don't send coins abroad. When they do, shipment expenses are prohibitive. So why not a Brazil American Numismatic Association? It would be great! But we need good dealers. Coin World, E-Sylum and the Newman Numismatic Portal are great tools. But it's frustrating if there are no coins to buy.