Recipients recognized at Anaheim World’s Fair of Money Awards Banquet
The recipients of the American Numismatic Association (ANA) 2016 Elvira Clain-Stefanelli Memorial Award, Farran Zerbe Memorial Award, Harry J. Forman Dealer of the Year Award, Lifetime Achievement Award, Numismatist of the Year Award, and the Burnett Anderson Memorial Award will be formally recognized at the upcoming World’s Fair of Money, which takes place August 12 at 7 p.m. at the Hilton Anaheim in the California D Ballroom.
Banquet registration closes Wednesday, July 27. Tickets will not be available at the show.
Elvira Clain-Stefanelli Memorial Award
Mary Counts Burleson, president of Whitman Publishing, LLC, will receive the Elvira Clain-Stefanelli Memorial Award for Achievement in Numismatics. Established in 2013, the award recognizes women who have made significant contributions in numismatic research, leadership, or mentoring. Under Burleson’s guidance, Whitman has published well over 400 new titles, and standard references such as the Guide Book of United States Coins have been continually updated. She has been a familiar face at regional and national conventions for many years and has worked tirelessly with the ANA, the U.S. Mint and various clubs, organizations, writers and researchers for the expansion and advancement of numismatics.
The Farran Zerbe Memorial Award
The Farran Zerbe Memorial Award, the Association’s highest honor, is given in recognition of numerous years of outstanding, dedicated service to numismatics. The 2016 honorees are Mark and Myrna Lighterman.
Mark is an active leader in the numismatic community and was a founding member of the Combined Organizations of Numismatic Error Collectors of America (CONECA). He is a past president and current treasurer of the Tokens and Medals Society (TAMS) and has been a supporter and mentor to young numismatists for the last decade. For many years, Myrna Lighterman was a shining light for the ANA and the hobby. She worked tirelessly as a volunteer and was an integral part of the coin collecting community for over 40 years. Myrna was a collector, exhibitor, speaker, coin club officer, author and numismatic researcher. Her work with numismatic youth has helped to ensure the hobby is passed on to future generations.
Harry J. Forman Dealer of the Year Award
David Sundman, president of Littleton Coin Company in Littleton, NH, will be awarded the American Numismatic Association’s Harry J. Forman Dealer of the Year Award. The award honors a professional numismatist who shows uncommon dedication to strengthening the hobby and the Association and displays exemplary ethical standards as a numismatic dealer.
Sundman also will be recognized during the Legacy Series on Wednesday, August 10. The event will honor and celebrate David, who has significantly impacted the numismatic community through his vision, leadership, and trend-setting within the hobby.
Lifetime Achievement Award
Anthony Swiatek will receive the ANA’s Lifetime Achievement Award. This award is presented to an individual, family, firm or judicial entity that has made outstanding contributions to organized numismatics. Swiatek started out his career as an educator in the New York City school system. Holding bachelor’s and master’s degrees from City College of New York–earned while working days and attending classes at night–Swiatek entered what he thought would be his first and only profession. Anthony is also an accomplished lecturer, author, and a strong supporter of young numismatists.
Numismatist of the Year Award
John Kraljevich will be awarded the Numismatist of the Year Award. The award honors an individual within the numismatic community who has demonstrated long-term leadership in the field and to the Association. John’s impressive record of achievements, his writing and research skills, integrity, and professionalism continue to raise standards in numismatics.
Today, John’s advice on authenticity, appraisal and historical context on a wide variety of early American and exonumic issues is in high demand from collectors and advanced professionals alike. His counsel has been sought by institutions such as the Smithsonian Institution, Colonial Williamsburg, the Massachusetts Historical Society, Monticello, and many others.
Burnett Anderson Memorial Award
Scott A. Travers will receive the Burnett Anderson Memorial Award for Excellence in Numismatic Writing. The award is presented annually to a journalist, author or researcher in recognition of his or her career contributions to numismatics. First conferred posthumously in 1999 on its namesake–a newsman’s journalist–the award is sponsored by Krause Publications, and the winner is selected in a cooperative process by the American Numismatic Association, the American Numismatic Society (ANS), and the Numismatic Literary Guild (NLG).
Scott is a rare-coin dealer and former ANA vice president (1997-99), he has authored seven bestselling books on coins, including The Insider’s Guide to U.S. Coin Values; The Coin Collector’s Survival Manual; One-Minute Coin Expert; How to Make Money in Coins Right Now; and The Investor’s Guide to Coin Trading. Scott also has served as a coin valuation consultant to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and has gained a reputation as a forceful consumer advocate for the coin-buying public.
