From August 6 to 10, the Chicago suburb of Rosemont became a hot spot for the collector community. Over 9,000 budding and experienced numismatists flocked to the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center to attend the American Numismatic Association’s (ANA) 2024 World’s Fair of Money. One of the most popular and well-attended coin conventions in the nation, the World’s Fair of Money set the bar sky high this year. Rosemont was the place to be with 1,359 dealers and 15 mints from around the world, astonishing rarities, magnificent displays, educational programming, auction lot viewings, social events, and more.
Prior to the convention, August 4-5, the ANA hosted the seminar “Counterfeit Detection: Classic Fakes & Chinese-Made Counterfeits” taught by Brian Silliman and Keith Moon. This class included examination of hundreds of numismatic counterfeit examples for collectors to learn how to detect and avoid highly deceptive fakes on the market.
On August 5, the ANA Dealer Day hosted 155 booths for dealers to preview and trade the best inventory available immediately prior to the 2024 World’s Fair of Money.
During the convention, the 505-table show floor was filled with collectors and dealers.
“The World’s Fair of Money is more than just an event; it’s an immersive and engaging experience that remains unmatched in the hobby community,” said ANA President Tom Uram. “I got such a kick out of walking the floor, meeting with the hardworking clubs, and sharing my passion with so many amazing individuals.”
For the second year in a row, United States Mint Director Ventris C. Gibson participated in the official ribbon-cutting ceremony on August 6 alongside ANA representatives. Director Gibson was also a constant fixture at the Mint’s booth, where she signed official mint products and shared information about upcoming products and programs. During the show’s opening ceremony, ANA President Uram bestowed the Goodfellow Award upon Host Chair Dale Lukanich. This year, Len Augsburger was recognized as the honorary host chair. Additionally, the Chicago Coin Club was recognized with the Louis S. Werner Host Club Award.
Learning opportunities were abundant and well-attended during the show, including an offering of 15 Money Talks presentations and the Maynard Sundman/Littleton Coin Company Lecture Series. Money Talks topics included mythical creatures on coins, hobby trends, German hyperinflation notes, and more. The Maynard Sundman/Littleton Coin Company Lecture Series focused on the theme, “A Century of Change: 1924 to 2024,” and attracted more than 100 attendees throughout the day. Collector Kirk Van Brunt also hosted a live NumismaTalks on Diocletian, available online for viewers who could not attend the World’s Fair of Money in person.
Making its first appearance at the 2024 World’s Fair of Money, Ernie’s Treasure Treehouse (formerly the Kid’s Zone) had 271 young collectors lining up throughout the week to enjoy arcade-style activities. The ANA’s Treasure Trivia game, available to young children to learn about numismatics and earn prizes as they explore the bourse floor for answers, welcomed 120 participants. The Young Collectors Corner held Saturday morning offered valuable beginner information about coin collecting to 27 kids, with a surprise visit from U.S. Mint Director Ventris Gibson.
As an added bonus, Benjamin Franklin, Abraham Lincoln, and George Washington impersonators strolled the show floor, entertaining attendees with their hobby and history know-how.
The show floor featured one-of-a-kind exhibits. GreatCollections, the ANA’s Official Auctioneer, displayed the Specimen-66 1794 Flowing Hair silver dollar—which it purchased for $12 million in 2022—at its table. Researchers and numismatic experts believe this was the first silver dollar ever minted at the U.S. Mint. This piece is now in private hands, giving collectors a once-in-a-lifetime chance to view this stunning rarity.
At booth 134, the Tyrants of the Nile exhibit commanded attention. Billionaire Collector Dan O’Dowd’s display debuted at the World’s Fair of Money and highlighted over 350 rare Egyptian treasures. One of the most notable coins in the collection was a c. 361-250 BCE stater of Nectanebo II. It’s one of the only known Egyptian coins to feature hieroglyphic script.
The Collector Exhibits area featured over 60 competitive displays covering every conceivable numismatic interest. Professional numismatist Mark Ferguson presented a Marquee Exhibit (noncompetitive) on the world’s most famous coin—the 1804 dollar. With over 30 years of research, the exhibit was a collection of exceptionally rare numismatic literature, memorabilia, and original works for art (c. 1887) associated with the 1804 dollar.
The ANA’s own Money Museum Showcase highlighted two extraordinarily rare experimental-finish Saint-Gaudens Double Eagles (gold $20), a unique complete U.S. denomination Proof set of 1868 coins struck in aluminum (an extremely rare and expensive metal at the time), and obsolete bank notes from the Bank of the United States.
ANA Event Auctioneer Partners Stack’s Bowers Galleries and Heritage Auctions held lot viewing during the show, with their official sales taking place the following week.
World Coin News presented its Coin of the Year (COTY) awards ceremony on Thursday, August 8. Sponsored by the ANA and The Journal of East Asian Numismatics, this annual competition recognizes outstanding coin designs from around the world. The United States won the top prize for its American Liberty High Relief $100 gold coin. The World Money Fair generously sponsored a celebration reception following the event.
Dr. George F. Heath Society members were treated to a private tour of the Tyrants of the Nile exhibit with ANA Executive Director Kim Kiick, Ira Goldberg, and Vera Luikan. To learn more about becoming a Heath Society member and participating in future exclusive events, visit money.org/heath-society.
For the fourth year in a row, the ANA offered livestreams on its Facebook page so those at home could get a taste of the action. Events included the opening ceremonies; the ANA’s Cash Cube; tours of the Museum Showcase with ANA Curator Doug Mudd and Tyrants of the Nile exhibit with numismatist Ira Goldberg; a special look at the 1794 Flowing Hair dollar with GreatCollections President Ian Russell; and a talk at the Künker Auctions booth about the most expensive German coin sold at auction. Visit money.org/worlds-fair-of-money-social to view the videos and photos from the show.
Two popular collectibles made a huge impression on show attendees. Minted Assets gave away 200 free commemorative coins each day of the show at its table. This popular promotion had collectors lining up to get their hands on one. China’s ANA Show Pandas made their return to the 2024 World’s Fair of Money. Available exclusively from GovMint, these popular commemoratives with a one-year-only design feature landmarks or elements from the convention’s host city and always sell out fast.
ANA member awards and exhibit recognitions were held on Thursday and Friday, where members and member clubs accepted longevity membership pins, and numerous ANA authors received literary awards for exemplary articles that appeared in The Numismatist.
Many deserving members received service awards and notable accolades during the banquet, including Dwight N. Manley (Chester L. Krause Memorial Distinguished Service Award), Bob Campbell (Lifetime Achievement Award), and Nancy Wilson (Elvira Clain-Stefanelli Memorial Award for Achievement in Numismatics). Top exhibit prizes-—the Charles H. Wolfe Sr. Memorial Award for YN Best-of-Show Exhibit; the Radford Stearns Memorial Award for Achievement in Exhibiting; and the Howland Wood Memorial Award for Best-of-Show Exhibit–also were presented at the event. The Eric P. Newman Numismatic Education Society was recognized with this year’s Philanthropy Award for its commitment to cultivating numismatic research and its generous financial support to the ANA’s educational programs.
The next ANA convention is the 2025 National Money Show, to be held February 27-March 1 at the Cobb Galleria Centre in Atlanta, Georgia. Visit nationalmoneyshow.com for up-to-date information about this event.
Thank You Sponsors
Organizations contributing to the success of the convention include Corporate Sponsors: GreatCollections Coin Auctions, Numismatic Conservation Services (NCS), Numismatic Guaranty Company (NGC), Paper Money Guaranty (PMG), Certified Collectibles Group, and Whitman Brands; ANA Event Auctioneer Partners: Heritage Auctions and
Stack’s Bowers Galleries; Title Sponsors: GovMint, Legend Numismatics, Anthony & Mary Ann Terranova, and Universal Coin & Bullion; and Sponsors: ANACS, Angel Dee’s, Coleman Foster, Coin of the Year, Germania Mint, Greysheet, Kedezie Koins, Kevin Lipton Rare Coins, Minshull Trading, Minted Assets, Northern Illinois Coin & Stamp, The Perth Mint, Professional Numismatists Guild, Swissmint, Thomas J. Uram, U.S. Coins and World Money Fair.
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