ANA 2026: 1933 Double Eagles, Shipwreck Gold & $70M
The 2026 ANA World’s Fair of Money brought together one of the most remarkable combinations of coins, artifacts, auctions, and collectors seen at a U.S. numismatic convention in years.
More than 6,300 collectors, dealers, professionals, and families attended the five-day event at Pittsburgh’s David L. Lawrence Convention Center. The American Numismatic Association held the show from August 25 through August 29.
The sold-out bourse included 489 booths and more than 1,430 rare coin and paper money dealers, according to the ANA. Meanwhile, educational programs, major auctions, and museum-quality exhibits filled the convention schedule.
However, one display stood above the rest.
On August 28, the United States Mint placed all 11 government-owned 1933 Saint-Gaudens Double Eagles together for the first time. The historic one-day exhibit turned one of America’s most famous coin stories into a centerpiece of the Pittsburgh convention.
Altogether, exhibits at the World’s Fair of Money contained more than $100 million in coins, paper money, and historic artifacts.
A Packed Bourse Opens in Pittsburgh
ANA President Mark Lighterman described the World’s Fair of Money as an annual gathering that connects longtime collectors, families, historians, dealers, and newcomers.
United States Mint Director Paul Hollis joined ANA officials for the opening ceremonies and ribbon cutting on Tuesday, August 25. Hollis remained highly visible throughout the convention. He met collectors, participated in signing sessions, discussed Mint programs, and later joined programming for young collectors.
During the opening ceremony, Lighterman presented Hollis with an ANA Presidential Award. The ANA also presented Host Chair Thomas Uram with the Goodfellow Award. In addition, the Pennsylvania Association of Numismatists received the Louis S. Werner Host Club Award.
The ribbon cutting officially opened the bourse floor to the public.
ANA Education Extends Beyond the Bourse
Education remained a major part of the convention.
Before the show opened, the ANA conducted two technical seminars on August 23 and 24.
The first, Counterfeit Detection of U.S. Coins, gave students direct exposure to deceptive Chinese-made counterfeits of U.S. colonial issues, coins, tokens, bullion pieces, and bars. The course focused on material that collectors and dealers currently encounter in the marketplace.
The second seminar, Intermediate Grading of U.S. Coins, used individual and group exercises to teach current grading concepts. Students also examined how professional grading philosophies have evolved.
Once the convention began, attendees could choose from eight Money Talks presentations. The ANA also presented the Maynard Sundman/Littleton Coin Company Lecture Series, sponsored by Littleton Coin Company.
This year’s four Sundman lectures explored the theme “Striking Independence: 250 Years of American Numismatics.” The program examined how coins and currency have reflected the American experience from 1776 forward. The ANA reported attendance of 116 for the series.
GreatCollections Brings Registry Coins and Spectacular Errors
GreatCollections, the ANA’s Official Auctioneer, brought two very different collections to Pittsburgh.
The first was the All-Time #1 Silver Commemorative Set of 144 Coins Graded by PCGS with CAC Approval. ANA member and longtime supporter Mike Fuljenz assembled the collection over approximately 20 years.
GreatCollections also displayed the Palos Verdes Collection of Error Coins. Every coin in the collection carries a 1972 date. Yet the errors cover an extraordinary range. They include double strikes, off-metal strikes, wrong planchets, off-center strikes, and dramatic die-cap errors.
All 11 Government-Owned 1933 Double Eagles Together at Last
For many attendees, Friday delivered the defining moment of the convention.
On August 28, the U.S. Mint displayed all 11 of the 1933 Double Eagles in government custody together for the first time.
The Philadelphia Mint struck 445,500 Double Eagles dated 1933. However, the coins never entered normal circulation as legal tender. The government later melted almost the entire issue after federal gold policy changed during the Great Depression. The history of the surviving pieces eventually produced decades of investigations, seizures, litigation, and numismatic intrigue.
Today, a single privately owned 1933 Double Eagle exists with government authorization for private ownership. The 11 coins shown in Pittsburgh remain federal property.
The Mint’s Pittsburgh display therefore represented a historic gathering that collectors could not previously have seen.
The Mint also presented The Extraordinary Case of the 1933 Double Eagle $20 Gold Coins during the convention.
U.S. Mint Acting Chief Counsel Greg Weinman joined numismatic author David Tripp and British rare-coin dealer Stephen Fenton for presentations on Thursday and Friday. Weinman has worked on legal issues involving the coins for decades. Tripp wrote Illegal Tender: Gold, Greed, and the Mystery of the Lost 1933 Double Eagle. Fenton handled the King Farouk specimen that eventually became the only 1933 Double Eagle authorized for private ownership.
The ANA Money Museum Brings History to the Show Floor
The Edward C. Rochette Money Museum Showcase again transformed part of the convention floor into a temporary museum.
The display combined pieces from the ANA collection with important material loaned by private collectors.
Among the exhibits were Promises in Silver: The Changing Face of Indian Peace Medals in the United States, A Liberty for All, Satrapal Coinage of the Achaemenid Persian Empire, and The Forgotten Emergency Money of World War II.
Other highlights included the ANA’s famous Bebee Specimen 1913 Liberty Head Nickel, colonial and early American material tied to the nation’s 250th anniversary, historic documents, and ancient coins.
1,700 Years of Empire in Gold
Next to the Museum Showcase stood another exhibition of remarkable scale.
Tyrants of the Golden Horn presented 224 important coins covering more than 1,700 years of history.
The exhibit represented virtually every Byzantine emperor as well as later Ottoman rulers. Its title refers to the Golden Horn, Istanbul’s historic harbor.
The chronological span stretched from a gold aureus of the Roman Emperor Diocletian struck in A.D. 290 to a Turkish 500 kurush dated 1943.
Jimmy Stewart, World War II, and the Short Snorter Tradition
Another exhibit connected numismatics with aviation and Hollywood history.
The Short Snorter Project displayed banknotes carrying more than 1,300 signatures from World War II-era personalities, including military leaders and other dignitaries.
A major attraction was a rare and possibly unique short snorter signed by actor and World War II combat aviator James “Jimmy” Stewart. Project founder Tom Sparks has said that in more than 20 years of collecting he has never encountered another short snorter bearing Stewart’s signature.
Sparks donated the historic note to the Jimmy Stewart Museum in Indiana, Pennsylvania. The museum’s special The Making of JIMMY exhibition runs through November 15, 2026.
The ‘Ship of Gold’ Returns to the ANA
The wreck of the S.S. Central America added another extraordinary chapter.
The sidewheel steamer sank during a hurricane on September 12, 1857, while carrying California Gold Rush treasure toward the East Coast.
Its loss sent tons of gold to the bottom of the Atlantic. The wreck later became famous as the “Ship of Gold.”
A member exhibit at the World’s Fair of Money presented treasure, artifacts, and scientific discoveries from expeditions to the wreck site. The ANA describes the loss as the greatest lost treasure in U.S. history. The exhibit also explored personal objects and the scientific work involved in recovering and studying material from the ship.
Collector Exhibits Put Research on Display
The Collector Exhibits area contained 58 competitive displays, according to the ANA’s post-show report.
ANA members used the cases to present specialized collections and original research across a wide range of numismatic subjects.
The association presented its principal exhibit awards during the 135th Anniversary Banquet. Alivia Rawson received the Charles H. Wolfe Sr. Memorial Award for YN Best of Show. Michael Shutterly received the Radford Stearns Memorial Award for Excellence in Exhibiting. Michael Kodysz received the Howland Wood Memorial Award for Best-of-Show Exhibit.
Diamond Strategic Metals and Collectibles of Texas, LLC sponsored the 2026 Collector Exhibits.
Major Auctions Push Results Past $70 Million
The World’s Fair of Money also served as the center of an intense late-summer auction calendar.
Stack’s Bowers Galleries and Heritage Auctions conducted lot viewing during the convention for major auctions that followed the show.
Stack’s Bowers organized 23 sessions for its Summer 2026 Global Showcase. Its September 1 Rarities Night session alone realized $26,305,945, including buyer’s premium. The 631-lot session produced several major results and new auction records.
Heritage Auctions followed with its August 31-September 5 ANA U.S. Coins Signature Auction. The sale included the finest of only four privately held examples of the famous Quintuple Stella from the Bob R. Simpson Collection.
Heritage reported $39,918,268 for the U.S. coin auction. Five U.S. coins crossed the seven-figure level during Heritage’s ANA sales.
Meanwhile, ANA Featured Live Auction Sponsor Early Cents Auctions offered Fred Borcherdt’s Hall of Fame Collection of 1793-1814 Cents on Thursday, August 27.
More than 360 lots produced $3,997,512, including buyer’s premium.
Among the highlights was a 1793 S-1 R4 Chain AMERI. Cent graded PCGS AU55. According to the ANA, it ranks as the finest example of this rare die state outside the American Numismatic Society collection.
Those three auction events alone accounted for more than $70 million in reported prices realized.
Building the Next Generation of Collectors
The ANA also devoted significant floor space and programming to younger collectors.
Ernie’s Treasure Treehouse, sponsored by Kevin Lipton Rare Coins, attracted 196 young collectors during the week. Participants took part in arcade-style activities built around numismatics.
Meanwhile, 115 children participated in Treasure Trivia. The program sent them across the bourse floor to find answers, learn about coins, and earn prizes.
The Young Collectors Corner took place Saturday morning. ANA Education Director Christian Strayhorn provided introductory information about collecting, while U.S. Mint Director Paul Hollis made a surprise appearance.
Historic reenactors portraying Abraham Lincoln and George Washington also circulated through the convention. They mixed American history with numismatics while interacting with attendees.
ANA Thanks Its Supporters
The ANA’s YES! — You’re an Exceptional Supporter — event recognized donors who have supported the association and its programs.
The Tuesday evening event took place at the Senator John Heinz History Center. Guests enjoyed catered food, entertainment, time with fellow collectors, and access to the museum.
China Wins Its First Coin of the Year
World Coin News presented the 2026 Coin of the Year awards on Thursday, August 27.
China’s silver 10 yuan Chinese Dragon captured the overall Coin of the Year honor. The coin also won the Best Crown Coin category.
Most significantly, the victory marked China’s first overall Coin of the Year award. The Shenzhen Guobao Mint produced the coin on behalf of the People’s Bank of China.
ANA Launches ‘Worth Its Weight’ Podcast
The Edward C. Rochette Money Museum used the convention to launch a new podcast.
Worth Its Weight debuted Thursday, August 27, with a live recording from the bourse floor.
The first program brought together Jeff Garrett, Dennis Tucker, John Kraljevich, Douglas Mudd, and Tyler Rossi for a discussion about coins, collecting, research, and the future of numismatics.
The ANA now releases Worth Its Weight episodes twice each week across major podcast platforms.
Minted Assets Giveaway Honors Joel Iskowitz
Collectors also lined up for special convention issues.
Minted Assets distributed 250 free copper commemorative coins each day at its tables.
The 2026 piece was the third issue in the series. Artist Joel Iskowitz designed it before his death earlier this year. Iskowitz died on April 23, 2026, at age 79. The ANA convention issue became one of his final numismatic projects.
China’s ANA Show Pandas also returned to the World’s Fair of Money. Available exclusively through GOVMINT, the convention collectibles use a one-year design tied to landmarks or other elements associated with the host city.
ANA Honors Numismatic Achievement
Thursday afternoon’s Member Awards Celebration recognized ANA members, clubs, and writers.
Members and clubs received longevity pins. In addition, ANA authors accepted literary awards for articles published in The Numismatist during 2025.
The association presented many of its most prestigious honors during the 135th Anniversary Banquet.
Anthony Terranova received the Chester L. Krause Memorial Distinguished Service Award. Bill Fivaz received the Lifetime Achievement Award. Beth Deisher received the Elvira Clain-Stefanelli Memorial Award for Achievement in Numismatics. Laura Sperber received the Harry J. Forman Dealer of the Year Award.
Jeff Garrett received the Numismatist of the Year Award.
Jim Halperin and Andrew Shiva received the Philanthropy Award for their work expanding ANA membership, promoting planned giving, and strengthening the association’s educational outreach.
From Pittsburgh to Virginia Beach
With the Pittsburgh convention complete, the ANA now turns toward its next national gathering.
The 2027 National Money Show will take place March 4-6, 2027, in Virginia Beach, Virginia.
After that, the World’s Fair of Money returns to the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont, Illinois, from August 10-14, 2027.
For collectors who attended Pittsburgh, however, the 2026 convention will be difficult to duplicate.
In five days, attendees could stand inches from all 11 government-owned 1933 Double Eagles, see treasure recovered from the bottom of the Atlantic, examine 1,700 years of imperial gold, study some of the hobby’s finest commemoratives and mint errors, and watch more than $70 million in major auction activity gather around a single convention.
That combination made the 2026 ANA World’s Fair of Money much more than another stop on the coin-show calendar. It became a snapshot of just how broad, and how historically rich modern numismatics can be.
