NumismaTalks: ANA eLearning Academy Webinars

Israel Commemorative Coins by Series
July 25, 12pm MT

Israel has issued over 600 commemorative coin types, so collecting them can seem daunting. Breaking them down by series makes it easier to collect, either by specializing in certain series or creating a type set across all series. However, few catalogs organize the coins this way.

ANA Medal of Merit and Glenn Smedley Award winner Simcha Kuritzky has given numerous presentations nationally, online, and to local clubs. As president of the American Israel Numismatic Association, he is currently updating their Israel coin catalog, including some innovative ways of arranging the listings.

LIVE from the World's Fair of Money® – Silver Coinage of the Tetrarchy: All Hail the Argenteus!
August 8, 12pm MT

Diocletian is famous for many accomplishments, one of which was the creation of the Tetrarchy. Another was the resurrection of high quality silver coins in the form of the Argenteus. Why? What was the emperor thinking? This presentation explores this question and examines the history and purpose behind the coin. The Argenteus was not only a surprising pivot back to the silver coinage of old, but it signaled an interesting shift in the art and portraiture of Roman coins. For the collector, though, the Argenteus presents a confusing array of types, mints, and rarities. This presentation will attempt to bring some order to the chaos and hopefully ignite renewed appreciation and respect for this often underappreciated coin.

Kirk Van Brunt, a lifelong collector of ancient coins, is the owner of Argenteus Rare Coins, which specializes in Roman and Greek coinage. Since his graduate school days in early Christian history, he has possessed an abiding passion for all things Diocletian and a fascination with his impact on the history of the Roman empire and the Christian church. In addition to numismatics, Kirk is a writer and recently signed a book deal with Penguin Random House Canada for his forthcoming novel.

Gobrecht's Ladies - Seated Liberty Coinage Past, Present and Future
August 22, 12pm MT

Liberty Seated coinage is fascinating yet often misunderstood and overlooked. In this lecture we will delve into the design history of the series including the inspiration of the Britannia motif, the symbolism of the goddess of liberty and her accoutrements using examples from ancient coinage and art. We will then pivot to the design history including the life of Christian Gobrecht and his rivalries in the mint. Finally, an overview of the series including rarities, oddities and collecting strategies.

Russ Bega began collecting US coins when he was 8 years old after a trip to his local coin shop in Northern Colorado. He was previously employed by Heritage Auction Galleries, before departing on a decade long career as a US Army Infantry Non Commissioned Officer. In 2021 he joined the Harlan J. Berk team in Chicago, IL. His specialty is Liberty Seated coins and 19th century numismatics.

Colonial Currency; German East Africa
September 12, 12pm MT

German East Africa is fascinating because of its location in one of the last regions of the African continent to be explored – the old phrase "Heart of Africa" referred to central Africa and east Africa equally for many decades – and its exploration was the stuff of legends. The search for the source of the Nile, Henry Morton Stanley, David Livingstone, Richard Burton, John Speke, Samuel Baker – all played a part in developing Doug's interest in the region. When he discovered the numismatic background of what was to become Tanzania, his interest piqued yet again. Join Doug on a numismatic exploration of a fascinating region of the world!

Douglas Mudd is the curator/director of the American Numismatic Association's Edward C. Rochette Money Museum in Colorado Springs, Colorado. He is responsible for developing, planning, and content of the Museum's exhibition program and the organization and care of the ANA collections. He has created dozens of numismatic exhibits for the museum and for the ANA's semi-annual conventions. His recent work has expanded the museum's exhibits into the virtual world of the internet including "Trenches to Treaties: World War I in Remembrance" and "Money of Empire: Elizabeth to Elizabeth," which are available to view at money.org/money-museum.

The American Arts Medallion Series (1980-1984) "Success or Failure"
September 26, 12pm MT

In this presentation, we will discuss how and why the series came about, along with the ten artists featured on the medallions. Also, the purchasing process and the future aftermath. Those in attendance will then be able to decide whether the series was a success or failure.

Mark Wieclaw started coin collecting in 1975. In 1981 his focus shifted to ancient Greek and Roman coins. He has entered and judged educational exhibits and spoken at local, state, regional and national conventions since 1981. Mark is a life member of the American Numismatic Association, Central States Numismatic Society, Illinois Numismatic Association and Chicago Coin Club. Mark is also the recipient of two ANA Presidential Awards (1999 & 2013) and the Krause Numismatic Ambassador Award in 2001.

Mellon and Money: The Story of a Great Treasury Secretary
October 10, 12pm MT

Andrew Mellon, one of the longest-serving U.S. Treasury secretaries, ranks as a giant of enterprise, finance and public policy in the first half of the 20th Century. His impact on America's money, federal taxation and spending, the national debt, and even the redesign of the currency, easily makes him one of the most consequential of the nearly 80 men and women who have held that high office. In this lecture, Mr. Reed will explain Mellon's critical role in shaping the economic policies of three administrations and why, if his views had prevailed in the 1930s, perhaps the Great Depression would have been a footnote instead of the catastrophe that it was.

Economist and historian Lawrence W ("Larry") Reed is President Emeritus of the Foundation for Economic Education (FEE.org) in Atlanta, Georgia. before retiring to the emeritus role in 2019, he served as President of FEE for 11 years. Prior to that, he was founding president of the Mackinac Center for Public Policy in Midland, Michigan, for 21 years and an economics professor at Northwood University for seven years.

He is author of seven books, the most recent of which is Real Heroes: Inspiring True Stories of Courage, Character and Conviction. In 2023, the President of Poland bestowed upon Reed the Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland, the highest honor that Poland gives to a foreigner. President Ronald Reagan was a past recipient.

Larry also blogs at www.lawrencewreed.com.

The ANA Dwight N. Manley Library: Access for a Changing Research Landscape
October 24, 12pm MT

The ANA Dwight N. Manley Library provides access for ANA members to numismatic books, auction catalogs, periodicals, and video presentations. This presentation will outline current work to expand library holding, present information through the online catalog and other online media, and increase accessibility of the ANA Archive collections.

Akio Lis joined the ANA as library manager in 2021. Hew as awarded the ANA YN of the Year in 1998 and received an internship with the ANA Library in 2003. After moving to Colorado Springs in 2005, Akio volunteered with the Dwight N. Manley Library and worked with the YNs during Summer Seminar in the production of the YN fundraising auctions. Akio brings to the role of Library Manager a deep interest in history and research as well as an in depth knowledge of the ANA Library holdings. He has worked to increase accessibility and recognition of the holdings of the Dwight N. Manley Library and continues the long tradition of growth to this necessary numismatic asset.