Three Numismatic Powerhouses Will Receive Major ANA Awards in Pittsburgh
The American Numismatic Association will honor three influential hobby leaders during the 2026 World’s Fair of Money in Pittsburgh.
Abigail Zechman, Bob Jones, and Laura Sperber have each strengthened numismatics in a distinct way. Their work spans youth education, grassroots outreach, club development, and the building of some of the greatest modern coin collections.
Together, the three recipients show how knowledge, mentorship, and integrity can shape the future of coin collecting.
Abigail Zechman Receives Outstanding Adult Advisor Award
Abigail Zechman will receive the ANA’s 2026 Lawrence J. Gentile Sr. Memorial Award for Outstanding Adult Advisor.
The award recognizes an adult leader who recruits young numismatists and helps developing collectors expand their knowledge. The ANA stresses that strong mentors play a critical role in introducing young people to coins and keeping them active in the hobby.
Zechman has made numismatic education a central part of her career.
She serves as a counselor for the ANA’s Young Numismatists of America program. She also works with young collectors during the association’s annual Summer Seminar.
In addition, Zechman serves as the Professional Coin Grading Service program manager for Numismatic Education and Development. That position gives her regular opportunities to introduce children and beginning collectors to coins.
Her service also extends to one of the nation’s largest regional numismatic organizations. Zechman has served on the Florida United Numismatists board and has helped organize FUN coin shows.
Through each role, she has created opportunities for young collectors to ask questions, study coins, and build confidence.
Bob Jones Builds ANA Membership Across Three States
The ANA has also selected Bob Jones as its 2026 Outstanding District Representative.
Jones supports collectors and coin clubs throughout Kentucky, West Virginia, and Tennessee. Over many years, he has served as a district representative, volunteer, and educator.
Moreover, Jones has strengthened local clubs through direct involvement. He promotes educational programs, encourages collectors to join organized numismatics, and helps regional groups connect with the ANA.
His outreach at the Kentucky State Fair produced an especially impressive result. According to the ANA, Jones recruited 73 new members during that event alone.
However, his work does not stop at major public gatherings.
Jones also represents the hobby at coin shows and club meetings. His consistent presence has helped local organizations grow while giving collectors a direct connection to the national association.
As a result, Jones has become a trusted resource across a large, multistate district.
Laura Sperber Named 2026 ANA Dealer of the Year
Laura Sperber will receive the 2026 Harry J. Forman Dealer of the Year Award.
The honor recognizes a professional numismatist who strengthens the hobby, supports the ANA, maintains high ethical standards, and treats customers fairly. Nominees must also have a substantial record of professional service.
Sperber began her full-time professional numismatic career in 1978. Then, in 1986, she co-founded Legend Numismatics. She later helped establish Legend Rare Coin Auctions.
Over the following decades, Sperber developed a reputation for demanding exceptional quality.
She has helped clients assemble many nationally recognized collections. Most notably, she worked on the celebrated Bob R. Simpson Collection, which included extraordinary United States pattern coins and major gold rarities.
Sperber has also helped build an exceptional number of top-ranked PCGS Set Registry collections. Her clients have pursued coins with strong eye appeal, superior technical quality, and long-term numismatic importance.
Furthermore, her influence reaches beyond individual transactions. She has introduced new collectors to high-end numismatics and has consistently argued for stronger standards throughout the rare coin market.
PCGS inducted Sperber into its CoinFacts Coin Dealer Hall of Fame. Its biography credits her with becoming a familiar presence at major American coin shows and building a client list filled with leading PCGS Set Registry participants.
For decades, Sperber has remained one of the rare coin market’s most visible and outspoken figures.
ANA Awards Ceremonies Set for Pittsburgh
The ANA will present the Outstanding Adult Advisor and Outstanding District Representative awards during its Member Awards and Donor Celebration.
The event will take place Thursday, August 27, from 3 to 4:30 p.m. at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center in Pittsburgh.
Meanwhile, Sperber will receive the Harry J. Forman Dealer of the Year Award during the ANA’s 135th Anniversary Awards Banquet. The banquet will run from 7 to 10 p.m. on Friday, August 28, at the Westin Pittsburgh Hotel.
The 2026 World’s Fair of Money will run from August 25 through August 29 at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center. The convention will feature hundreds of dealers, major numismatic exhibits, lectures, educational programs, and collecting opportunities.
Honoring the People Behind the Coins
Great coins often dominate the headlines. However, people ultimately sustain the hobby.
Mentors teach young collectors how to examine their first coins. Volunteers keep local clubs active. Meanwhile, ethical dealers help collectors build meaningful collections over many years.
Zechman, Jones, and Sperber represent each of those essential roles.
Their 2026 ANA awards recognize individual achievements. More importantly, the honors highlight the personal commitment that allows numismatics to grow from one generation to the next.
The American Numismatic Association is a congressionally chartered nonprofit educational organization. It promotes the study and collection of coins and related objects through its museum, library, publications, conventions, webinars, and public outreach programs.
