This presentation will explore the U.S. Mint's role at the Columbian Exposition of 1893, including the coinage and medals produced for the World's Fair, and how its numismatic legacy continues to resonate today.

Robert Penn, a third-generation antique dealer, began his numismatic journey in California during the 1990s. His service in the Air Force took him around the world, allowing him to build a unique collection of exonumia. He is a researcher and specialist in Columbiana and exonumia and has participated in the ANA Collector Competitive Exhibits. Robert is also a proud member of The Medal Collectors of America and a life member of the American Numismatic Association. He is the author of Striking History: The U.S. Mint at the Chicago World's Fair. 

This talk will use coins, tokens, and medals from the speaker’s collection to tell the story of the Suez Canal from 1859 until the current times.

Gamal Amer, Ph. D., is a trained engineer. He has collected coins, bank notes, and medals from an early age. His collecting interests range from all things numismatics to Pennsylvania Dutch folk art. He is a board member of several clubs including the Medal Collectors of America and the Pewter Collectors Club of America. Currently, his numismatic collecting focus is on Maritime medals of the War of 1812, Philadelphia-related numismatics, and Egyptian banknotes. He has published several articles on numismatic subjects including; Egyptian History through Islamic Coins, A Short Story of a Portrait Medal of J-F Champollion: An Example of Egyptian Revival Art Deco, and The Four Dimensions of a Commemorative Medal: The Unveiling of the Washington Memorial in Philadelphia.

From Queen Marie Antoinette in the French Revolution through Emperor Josef II after World War One, the ruling Habsburg Dynasty of Austria was dogged by tragedy, untimely death, and personal misfortune. The Viennese Mint issued six coins from 1997-1999 honoring these unfortunate leaders.

Robert "Bob" Bair has been involved in numismatics since 1956, first as a collector, then as a coin dealer starting in 1987. As a boy growing up in northwestern Wisconsin in the 1950's he began collecting coins that he received from his newspaper route and a lifelong passion was born. Bair holds master's degrees in U.S. History (1970) and Educational Administration (1994)