2026 NBS GENERAL MEETING REPORT

Charity Auction Raises Funds for NBS

The annual NBS book sale, held Friday, August 28, at the ANA convention in Pittsburgh, once again delivered healthy support to the NBS treasury. Top honors went to a beautifully bound copy of the 1900 DeKnight work on U.S. paper money, lot 16, which sold for $450. Other notable volumes included the Stack's limited edition of The Connecticut Copper Coinage, 1785-1788, lot 36, which drew a high bid of $425 on a $200 estimate. A plated Woodward sale, lot 44, the 1886 Twining catalog, attracted a bid of $425. The Philadelphia Numismatic Society c. 1860 volume on American store cards, lot 13, an exceptionally rare publication, sold for $375.

The unaudited final total for the sale, which was called by David Fanning, was $5,030. David further prepared the sale catalog. Messrs. Tom Harrison and Jeff Dickerson provided yeoman support in transporting lots from the bourse to the meeting room, setting up the sale and delivering lots to winning bidders. Dan Hamelberg's traditional role as "Vanna" was filled in his absence by Mr. Harrison. Many thanks to those who donated literature and equal thanks to those participated in the sale. As usual, the bid book will preserved in the NBS archives, which are maintained by Joel Orosz.

NBS Presents the George F. Kolbe Award and the Annual Literary Awards

The NBS presented its annual literary awards at the ANA convention in Pittsburgh on Friday, August 28. The Joel Orosz award, for the best article in 2025, was won by Roger W. Burdette for "Early Attempts to Preserve U.S. Mint History," which appeared in the Summer 2025 Asylum. This article explored the Mint's earliest attempts to organize its vast store of documentation, which later was transferred to the National Archives. The Jack Collins award, for best first-time author, went to Bill Hyder, for "Elder's 1908 ANA Dinner Invitation," which was published in the Autumn 2025 Asylum. Hyder described his discovery of this ephemera in the ANA collection and the subsequent acquisition of his own example.

The George Frederick Kolbe Award for Lifetime Achievement in Numismatic Literature is presented infrequently and only with careful deliberation of the NBS Board. This year we are presenting the honor to Joel Orosz. Joel is a four-time winner of the Numismatic Literary Guild Book of the Year award, a longtime contributor to both the Asylum and E-Sylum, and for many years held forth as The Numismatic Bookie in the pages of Coin World. Joel specializes in the study of antebellum numismatics and has a gift for placing numismatic literature within the broader scope of American history. Moreover, he does so with incisive wit and golden tongue, as in his Numismatic Shammies series, which artfully (and hilariously) exposed the lack of critical thought occasionally encountered in the advertising of numismatic materials.

Previous awardees are George Kolbe and John Adams (2010), Al Hoch (2011), Dan Hamelberg (2013), Wayne Homren (2015), Charles Ricard (2019), and Charles Davis (2022), who famously donned the topcoat of Thomas W. Streeter upon the occasion of his award presentation. Congratulations, Joel!

Tom Harrison and David Fanning

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