SCHENKMAN TO RECEIVE 2013 FARRAN ZERBE AWARD

Noted token expert David E. Schenkman is the 2013 recipient of the American Numismatic Association's Farran Zerbe Memorial Award. The Association's most prestigious award is given in recognition of numerous years of outstanding, dedicated service to numismatics. He will be presented with the award at the World's Fair of Money during the ANA banquet from Aug. 16 at the Hyatt Regency O’Hare.

Schenkman has shared his knowledge of tokens with collectors since his first article was published in the early 1960s. His eight books are each considered a standard reference. He has been a columnist and contributing editor for The Numismatist for many years, and he received ANA Heath Literary Awards in 1994 and 2013.

“I got absorbed in numismatics at a young age, and I’m still very absorbed today,” Schenkman said. “It’s like I tell people when I teach classes: It’s not having something, it’s finding it. No matter what a numismatist collects, there’s always a goal. And once that goal is reached, you need another goal.”

He edited the Token and Medal Society publications for 27 years, the Civil War Token Society journal for five years, and he served as president of both clubs. Schenkman also is a member of the American Vecturist Association, National Scrip Collectors Association and Numismatic Literary Guild.

In addition to teaching ANA Summer Seminar students about U.S. tokens and Civil War-era numismatics for 18 years, Schenkman has presented many talks at the Association's conventions. He has prepared competitive exhibits at state, regional and national shows, taking home a number of awards. He received the ANA Glenn Smedley Memorial Award in 2003 and Medal of Merit in 2007. He received the ANA Lifetime Achievement Award during the 2012 World’s Fair of Money.

Schenkman is currently working on two books. One is a catalog on obsolete paper notes related to the mining industry. The other is the second edition of his book “Virginia Tokens,” which was originally published in 1980. Schenkman notes that the second edition will nearly double the size of the original publication with new material.

“You can’t learn it all, you can’t know it all. There are always new collector paths to go down,” Schenkman said. “I’ve collected a lot of different things. There’s just no end to the way you can approach numismatics.”

See the August issue of The Numismatist for a feature story on Schenkman and his many numismatic achievements.

Wayne Homren, Editor

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