The American Numismatic Association’s 2019 literary awards – recognizing articles published in the 2018 volume of its official magazine, The Numismatist – were presented on August 15 at the ANA World’s Fair of Money® in Chicago. The Numismatist was launched by ANA founder and first editor Dr. George F. Heath in 1888, and this year marks its 132nd volume.
2019 Adult Numismatist Literary Award Winners
The Heath Literary Award acknowledges outstanding articles published in the preceding 12 months.
- First place went to Erik Goldstein and David McCarthy for “The Myth of the Continental Dollar, Parts I and II” (January and July 2018), in which they examined the circumstantial story surrounding this popular issue.
- John Frost earned second place ($100 and an engraved bronze medal) for his feature article, “Reimagining the Barbers” (August 2018), in which he discussed new photographs and information regarding father-and-son mint engravers William and Charles Barber.
- David Schenkman received third place (an engraved bronze medal) for “James Murdock Jr.: Ohio Die-Sinker” (May 2018), which told of the many storecards, trade tokens and medals issued by this entrepreneurial 19th-century businessman.
The Wayte and Olga Raymond Memorial Literary Award, endowed in 1978 by the late John J. Ford Jr., is presented for articles that display original and comprehensive research in U.S. numismatics.
- The study by Goldstein and McCarthy (January and July 2018) received first place ($400), and Frost’s August 2018 work earned second place ($200).
- Jim Neiswinter garnered third place for “Smith of Ann Street” (April 2018), in which he described a 19th-century New York engraver who skillfully altered 1793-94 large cents that later became highly collectable.
Funded by an anonymous donor, the Catherine Sheehan Literary Award for U.S. Paper Money Studies included $50 for first place.
- Heinz Tschachler took the top prize for “George Washington: Gallant Revolutionary” (February 2018), in which he spotlighted antebellum bank notes that portrayed the Founding Father as a “gentleman warrior.”
- Second place (certificate) went to Todd Sciore for “Moore Money: A Glasshouse, a Bank and a Scandal” (December 2018), which explained how a scrip-issuing New Jersey glassmaking company became the target of blackmailers.
- Third place (certificate) was awarded to Angel O. Navrro-Zayas for “Spanish Colonial Paper Money in Puerto Rico and New Orleans” (October 2018), which explored Puerto Rico’s 1776 emergency notes and a related discrepancy in a well-known numismatic reference.
Introduced this year, the Prue and Arthur Fitts Literary Award for Ancient and Medieval Coinage Studies recognizes literary excellence in those fields.
- First place ($250) was presented to John Nebel for “Tetradrachm Envy” (August 2018), in which he recounted college students’ reactions to viewing beautiful Ancient Greek coinage.
- Michael Shutterly received second place (certificate) for “Remember the Ladies” (October 2018), which considered coins of Rome’s Severan Dynasty empresses.
- This year’s third place recipient was Mike Gasvoda for “Naxos and the Aitna Master” (June 2018), which celebrated an ancient engraver and his tetradrachm.
All feature articles published in The Numismatist automatically are considered for the Heath Literary Award; likewise, all qualifying articles are evaluated for the Raymond, Sheehan and Fitts awards. For information about submitting manuscripts for review and possible publication, email Editor-in-Chief Barbara Gregory.
2019 Young Numismatist Literary Award Winners
The ANA also presents annual awards to encourage young writers and ensure a corps of future numismatic authors and researchers. The Young Numismatist Literary Award categories are named in honor of Whitman authors dedicated to educating the next generation of numismatists. YN Literary Awards were announced at the ANA’s Summer Seminar in June.
First place in each category received a $500 cash prize, plus a $500 voucher to help build a personal library of numismatic books produced by Whitman Publishing. Second place received a $200 book voucher and third place received a $100 book voucher. The prizes were provided by Whitman Publishing.
The Bill Fivaz Young Numismatist Literary Award recognizes numismatist writers for ages 8 to 12. First place this year was Emilia Jasek for “Animals on Ancient Coins.” Second place was Matthew Daum with “The Sinking of the SS Republic” and the third place recipient was Nikhita Rath with “Coins of Queen Elizabeth II.”
The Q. David Bowers Young Numismatist Literary Award honors numismatist writers that are aged 13 to 17. This year’s first place recipient was Benjamin Mous for “A New Libya, A New Currency: The Effect of the Libyan Revolution on the Currency of Libya.” Alexandre Bojko placed second with “Cherrypicking Die Varieties,” and Ryan Hartley took third with his paper on “The Fabled Gold of Dahlonega: History and Collecting.”
The Kenneth E. Bressett Young Numismatist Literary Award is given to writers between the ages of 18 and 22. This year, first place was won by Aaron Kogon for “Greek Letter Forms on Judean Coins.” In second place was Chanan Oshry for his work “The United States Coinage Acts and How They Have Played a Crucial Role in the Development and Sustainability of the Country’s Economy.” Third place was received by Joshua Smith for “Pismo Clam Money Script of 1933: Theories on Origin, Adoption and Association with California’s Socio-Cultural Environment.”
For more information about the American Numismatic Association, visit their website.
There, you can also find more details on the Literary Awards and submission criteria.
At the World’s Fair of Money®, the American Numismatic Association also honoured several numismatists.
