NumismaTalks: ANA eLearning Academy Webinars

When Money Fails: Uncommon and Unique Numismatics During German Hyperinflation in the 20th Century
May 22, 2025, 12pm MT

This presentation is a high-level overview of German hyperinflation in the Weimar Republic with a focus on the local notes and coins that emerged surrounding the collapse of the national monetary system. The objective of this presentation is to understand the lasting impact of German hyperinflation which marked a unique chapter for numismatics.

The following topics will be discussed: 1910-1914 Value of the Reichsmark, 1918-1922 Inflation Rising, 1922-1924 Peak of Hyperinflation, and conclude with a high-level overview of the 1924 Rentenmark conversion. It wraps up with the discontinuation of the different monies that embodied a unique chapter in numismatic history. Examples of the local community notes and coins made from clay, leather, silk, aluminum, linen, etc. will be presented and the connection each material had to its community will be discussed.

Alexander Blough started collecting in 1998, has been an adult member of the ANA since 2013, and pursued his Master's in European History with a focus on Numismatics where he wrote his Master's Thesis on "The Socioeconomic Impacts and Importance of Inflation and Hyperinflation in Europe During The Early 20th Century."

Medieval Masterpieces: Eight Salutes to Mary
June 12, 2025, 12pm MT

A little over 2,000 years ago an angel delivered to a young Middle Eastern woman a message that would change the world. This event was commemorated centuries later with a beautiful series of coins that, together, represent the height of late Medieval art.

After exploring the background of these coins we will closely examine images of them to find out all the messages they were meant to convey.

Michael T. Shutterly is a recovering lawyer who formerly worked in the financial services world, specializing in consumer protection and the prevention of money laundering and terrorist financing. He is now a coin collector, exhibitor, writer and presenter, specializing in Byzantine, early Medieval and Roman Republican coinage, with a side interest in Hungarian hyperinflation currency. An ANA Life member, he is also a member of more than a dozen national, regional and local coin clubs, several of which for some reason allow him to serve as an officer or director. He received a BA in Physiological Psychology from the University of Pennsylvania and a JD from Boston University.