2023 NATIONAL COIN WEEK LECTURES

National Coin Week was established to encourage the enjoyable hobby of coin collecting through fun activities, contests, quizzes, educational content and more. This year's 100th annual event will take place April 16-22 and feature free, live educational webinars focused on the theme "Our Money, Our Heritage, Our America." All courses start at 5 p.m. MT.

Redefining National Identity: Medals in the United States | April 17

 

Presented by Dr. Jesse Kraft, the Resolute Americana Assistant and Curator of American Numismatics at the American Numismatic Society, where his duties include coins, tokens, medals and paper currencies from all of the Western Hemisphere.

In celebrating the U.S. Centennial, organizations issued medals that helped solidify new concepts of American independence. This trend gained momentum through the turn of the century and into the Colonial Revival period, culminating with the bicentennial of George Washington's birth in 1932. Many ideas Americans now have about national identity were formed in this latter period.

John Lewis: Commemorating an Icon | April 18

 

Presented by Jim Licaretz, who served two stints as Medallic Sculptor at the U.S. Mint, and served as a faculty member at the Fleisher Art Memorial, Philadelphia, Otis School of Art and Design, Los Angeles, and the Academy of Art College, San Francisco. His works are in numerous private collections, as well as the British Museum, The Royal Coin Cabinet, the American Numismatic Society, and the Smithsonian Institute.

John Lewis (1940-2020) was a Civil Rights icon. Licaretz discusses how he created a series of medals honoring Lewis using a sculpture in the round portrait that he modeled in clay. He modified the sculpture and made a series of reliefs by manipulating the scan data in 3-D modeling programs. The final results were then printed with a liquid resin printer, and molded and cast in bonded bronze.

Histories of America in Your Pocket | April 19

 

Presented by Jeanne Stevens-Sollman, a decorated medallist who recently completed two 4-year terms on the Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee. Her accolades include the J. Sanford Saltus Award from the ANS, the Award for Excellence in Medallic Sculpture from the ANA, and the American Medal of the Year from AMSA.

Touching on recent U.S. Mint programs such as American Innovation dollars, America the Beautiful quarters, Code Talker medals, and American Women quarters, Stevens-Sollman covers the rich history behind coins and medals, recognizing that U.S. coinage programs often fill the gap of sharing our country's history.

Coining America: The Role of the CCAC in Recommending Themes and Designs for U.S. Coins & Medals | April 20

 

Presented by Dr. Harcourt Fuller, a Professor of African and African Diaspora History at Georgia State University in Atlanta, who formerly held the position of Research Assistant in the Department of Coins and Medals at the British Museum in London. Dr. Fuller holds a Ph.D. in International History and an MSc (with Merit) in History of International Relations from the London School of Economics.

A discussion of the history and role played by the Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee (CCAC) in advising the Secretary of the Treasury on themes and designs of U.S. coins and medals. Dr. Fuller was appointed to the CCAC in 2021 on the recommendation of the Speaker of the House of Representatives. He will also discuss how he became a numismatist, some of his favorite coins, and how coins and medals play an important role in highlighting the diversity of our rich national history and cultures.

Venerate the Plough | April 21

 

Presented by Neil Musante, the editor of The MCA Advisory, the magazine of the Medal Collectors of America. He is the author of The Medallic Work of John Adams Bolen and the two volume Medallic Washington.

The program presents a survey of some of the earliest medals struck in or for America and how they reflected our values, customs, traditions, beliefs and institutions. Emphasis is given to those medals actually struck in America although several English and French medals are also considered.

Visit https://info.money.org/ncw-webinars-2023 for additional information and to register for any or all of the free National Coin Week webinars. Space is limited. The webinars will be recorded and available for later viewing. For more information on National Coin Week and how to get involved, visit NationalCoinWeek.org.

 

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