The Virginia Numismatic Association

Welcome to the website of the Virginia Numismatic Association.  We are a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to educating, encouraging and promoting interest in numismatics.  VNA was founded in 1959 and has a membership of about 300 with 16 member clubs.  We publish the quarterly journal, The Virginia Numismatist, and host an annual convention and coin show which includes exhibits, educational presentations, and youth activities.

The purpose of this web site is to provide information about VNA and its activities and other information of interest to the numismatic community. 

• Tom Tomzak, Mayor of Fredericksburg, cut the ribbon at the Friday morning opening ceremony and welcomed participants to historic Fredericksburg.
  
• Beth Deisher, editor of Coin World and other publications and respected spokesperson for numismatics, was the banquet speaker on the topic “Stories behind the Headlines…2011 in the Numismatic Realm,” focusing on legal cases with implications for the hobby.
  
•  Four VNA members were recognized at the banquet for their exceptional contributions to the organization in the past year:  Gregg Coburn and Robert Ayres, 2011 bourse and convention co-coordinators; John Kolos, treasurer; and Judy Merz, for her accomplishments related to the website and the secretarial and membership functions.
  
• Lee Morrison, Flint Hill, VA, postmaster and Warrenton Stamp and Coin Club member, displayed an outstanding personal collection of rare U.S. stamps and historic items on the theme of the 150th anniversary of the Civil War.
  
• There were six competitive exhibits.  Simcha Kuritzky took the first and second prizes for his exhibits “Feline Species Numismatic Type Set” and “Creating Modern Israel.”  Robert Tharpe won third prize for “United States Fractional Currency.”  The People’s Choice Award went to Sherrod Grisham for “Depictions of Slavery on Confederate and Southern States Currency.”  Several of the six non-competitive exhibits displayed currency and artifacts in keeping with the Civil War period theme.
  

• Educational presentations were “Roman Numeral Token Coins of the United States” by Thomas Wood; “Strategies for Getting Kids Excited about Numismatics” by Jeffrey Burke; “Roman Coins, an Overview” by Victor Failmezger; “Digital Coin Photography” by David Barrette; and “The History of Coin Grading” and “The Coin Market Today” by George Cash.
  

• Two workshops for the Boy Scout Coin Collecting Merit Badge were held with participation by 25 Scouts of whom 11 were certified.  An educational treasure hunt attracted 60 young numismatists.
  
• Stack’s Bowers Auctions accepted consignments to forthcoming auctions.
  
• Larry Briggs was present to take submissions of coins for grading by SEGS and provided appraisals and authentication.