2018 ANA AWARD WINNERS ANNOUNCED

Every year, the ANA recognizes members who go above and beyond with their service and dedication in numismatics. Awards are given to those who display a passion for the hobby, a willingness to expand it and a pride in being involved.

The Adna G. Wilde Jr. Memorial Award for Exemplary Service honors an ANA member who dedicates their time and resources to strengthen the hobby and further the educational mission of the ANA, and sets an example for others to follow.

This year, the award will be presented to ANA life member John D. Nebel of Boulder, Colorado. He will be honored during the ANA World's Fair of Money in Philadelphia at the ANA Member and Awards Celebration on Thursday, August 16.

Nebel joined the ANA in 1989. He customized the ANA's member database and in 1995, registered and purchased the ANA's signature money.org. domain name. Since 2015, he has served the American Numismatic Society in New York City as a life fellow and trustee.

Since 2014, Nebel has authored biannual articles for The Numismatist about his passion, ancient coins. His immersion in numismatics has led him to study classic literature, learn to decipher Attic Greek (the language of ancient Athens), and make friends in the Classics Department at the University of Colorado. Nebel manages to devote many hours to numismatics and the intense study it demands and always welcomes opportunities to support the ANA and its educational programs.

The Medal of Merit honors individuals who have dedicated numerous years of service to the Association and promotion of the hobby. The 2018 recipients will be recognized at the ANA World's Fair of Money in Philadelphia, to be held August 14-18.

ANA Treasurer Larry Baber has spent 25 years volunteering at the ANA's annual conventions. Since 1977, he has dedicated his talents to judging exhibits at ANA conventions, even serving as chief judge in 1994-95. Baber has held various offices in clubs throughout the United States, including the San Diego Numismatic Society, Maui Coin Club, California State Numismatic Association and Hawaii State Numismatic Association. He also serves as a public speaker, presenting talks at local, state and national meetings and conventions, and has earned numerous accolades for his own exhibits.

Longtime ANA Summer Seminar instructor and Early American coinage expert, John Kraljevich Jr. is the second recipient. When he was just 16, he received the ANA's Outstanding Young Numismatist of the Year award. He has served as secretary of the Colonial Coin Collectors Club (1994-96), vice president of the Medal Collectors of America (2003-06) and secretary of the Early American Coppers (2008-12). An ANA member since 2008, Kraljevich volunteers as an exhibit judge, has authored numerous award-winning articles and contributed content to more than a dozen books and auction catalogues.

Numismatic Art Award for Excellence in Medallic Sculpture recognizes an individual whose imaginative compositions transcend circulating coins.

The recipient this year is Carsten Theumer, from Zeitz, Germany. From 1977-82, he studied sculpture with Bernd Göbel at the Giebichenstein Art Academy, where he currently works as an artist and teacher. Known for his mastery of the small form and his bronze sculptures, his work has been featured in solo and group exhibitions worldwide and is part of many museum collections, including the British Museum in London and institutions in Pernik, Bulgaria; Edinburgh, Scotland; and Dresden, Munich, Stuttgart, Nuremberg and Berlin, Germany. His best-known coin design is the 10-euro commemorative coin produced to honor the 200th anniversary of Friedrich Schiller's death in 2005.

Harry J. Forman Dealer of the Year honors a professional numismatist who shows uncommon dedication to strengthening the hobby and the ANA, and displays exemplary ethical standards as a numismatic dealer.

This year, the award was presented to Larry L. Lee by former ANA President and good friend Jeff Garrett in May. Lee began his hobby when he was a teenager by collecting silver pieces he came across. After reading an issue of Coin World magazine, he found people looking to purchase specimens made of the disappearing medal. After he sold his first piece, he was hooked. In 1972, Lee joined the ANA as a life member and is also a member of the Professional Numismatists Guild and was certified by Accredited Precious Metals Dealers in 2015. At an April 25, 2013 Heritage Auctions sale, Lee purchased a 1913 Liberty Head nickel previously owned by the late collector/dealer George O. Walton. He is also the owner of the 1861 Paquet reverse double eagle, of which only two are known to exist.

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