NUMISMATIC LITERATURE AWARDS AT THE 2013 CHICAGO ANA

The American Numismatic Association presented 53 competitive exhibit awards at the 2013 World's Fair of Money in Rosemont, Ill. Winners were announced at the exhibit awards presentation and reception Aug 16 and at the awards banquet that evening.

Thirty-eight exhibitors of all ages and experience levels, showing 49 exhibits, competed in this year's program. There were also two non-competitive exhibitors showing two additional exhibits.

Lawrence Sekulich received the Howland Wood Memorial Award for Best-in-Show for his exhibit, "Hwenne Gold Was Smite in Coign."

Class 17: Numismatic Literature, Aaron Feldman Memorial. Printed and manuscript (published or unpublished) literature dealing with any numismatic subject.

First place: Jerry Fochtman, for "Dr. Daniel W. Valentine: Profile of a Numismatic Pioneer."

Second place: Mark Wieclaw, for "Roman Coins and Their Values: The Evolution of the Most Used Reference on Ancient Roman Coins."

Third place: no exhibit

The ANA's 2013 literary awards -- recognizing articles published in the 2012 volume of the ANA's official magazine, The Numismatist -- were presented on Aug. 15 at the ANA World's Fair of Money in Rosemont, Ill. The Numismatist was first published by ANA founder and inaugural editor Dr. George F. Heath in 1888 and this year celebrates its 125th anniversary.

The Heath Literary Award, introduced in 1949, acknowledges outstanding articles published in the preceding year. First place went to Q. David Bowers for his March 2012 article, "Era of Secrecy," which focused on the U.S. Mint’s practice of striking special coins for collectors in the late 1800s. Bowers received $250, a silver medal and a certificate. Bowers generously donated his $250 prize money to the ANA’s Dwight N. Manley Numismatic Library.

Nancy Oliver and Richard Kelly, co-authors of the magazine’s monthly “Numismatic Chronicles” column, took second place ($100, a bronze medal, and a certificate) for their article "On the Wrong Track” (September 2012), describing a daring 1877 train robbery in which the perpetrators got away with thousands of double eagles. Bibliophile David F. Fanning received third place (a bronze medal and a certificate) for "Top 10 American Numismatic Books of the 19th Century" (February 2012), which exemplified how classic references continue to inform today’s collectors.

The Wayte and Olga Raymond ¬Memorial Literary Award, endowed by the late John J. Ford Jr., is presented for articles in The Numismatist that display original and comprehensive research in U.S. numismatics. Mark Fox for "In Search of Machin’s Mill’s" (December 2012) received first-place honors ($400 and a certificate), and David E. Schenkman was awarded second place ($200 and a certificate) for "The Numismatic Legacy of S.D. Childs" (October 2012).

Funded by an anonymous donor, the Catherine Sheehan Literary Award for U.S. Paper Money Studies was presented to two authors. First place ($50 and a certificate) went to P. Scott Rubin for "New Jersey Currency of 1776" (July 2012), which considered Revolution-era notes and a historic hoard. Gerome Walton received second-place honors (certificate) for "Nebraska’s Smallest National Bank Town" (August 2012), in which he explained how surviving $10 and $20 notes tell the story of tiny St. James, Nebraska.

Additional coverage of awards can be found in the September issue of The Numismatist --page 74.

Bradley S. Karoleff is the 2013 recipient of the American Numismatic Association Harry J. Forman Dealer of the Year Award, an award that was presented Aug. 13 at the World's Fair of Money Kick-Off event.

The award is presented annually to an ANA-member dealer who shows uncommon dedication to strengthening the hobby and the Association. The award is named in honor of the late Harry J. Forman, a Philadelphia coin dealer, author and ANA life member.

A prolific writer, Karoleff is a contributor to several publications, including: “A Guide Book of United States Coins” and “Handbook of United States Coins,” commonly known as the Red Book and Blue Book; Coin World; The Numismatist; he was co-author of the John Reich Collectors Society book: “Early Quarter Dollars of the United States Mint 1796-1838”; and he is the longtime editor of the John Reich Journal, which is the official publication of the John Reich Collectors Society.

Thank you, Wendell! This award comes on my fiftieth anniversary of joining ANA (# 44246, Don Scherer) and just before my 40th anniversary as Life Member #1973. ANA membership is a delightful contrast with an English organization I joined in 1967 which defined Life Membership as “seven years or DEATH, whichever comes first !!!” I got to know ANA in the early 1950s, reading The Numismatist in the Reference Room in the new Miami Public Library, which also had shelves of CIRCULATING coin books, a rare situation for the time.

I think it is great that the firm with which I am associated, HARLAN J. BERK LTD. of Chicago, has already had two Numismatists of the Year: founder Harlan J. Berk and my good friend and recent NEWLYWED Tom DeLorey!!! We are the only numismatic firm that can claim this achievement!

Discussing this award with my colleague Barbara Gregory, I said that to me, numismatics is a very human thing! Money and value are certainly involved, and the collector has yet to be born who doesn’t gloat, if only in secret, over the growing value of his or her collection! Certified grading and “Slabbing” have reduced Numismatics for some of us to “two letters and two numbers on two pieces of plastic,” but it is vastly MORE!! Numismatics is as wide as the world, and NUMISMATIST should be a title of honor!

Going beyond the value, history and lore of coins is the reward of personal interaction with a cavalcade of friends and mentors past and present. Coming immediately to mind is my wonderful wife of 36 years, Pat. Dealers and co-workers, I was privileged to know were Abe Kosoff, William Fox Steinberg, Paul Kagin, Harvey and Larry Stack, John J. Ford Jr., Carl Carlson, Bob Archer; writers and publishers, Dr. John S. Davenport, COIN WORLD’S Margo Russell, Jay Guren, Russ Rulau, Beth Deisher, COINage Jim Miller, Lee Martin, Ed Reiter. ANA: Virginia Culver, Col. Grover C. Criswell, Virgil Hancock; ANS, Ute Wartenberg-Kagan; many friends in NLG, MCA, SIN, the New York Numismatic Club. My thanks go to all and hundreds more that I wish time would permit me to mention by Name!

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