Coin Collecting History American Numismatic Association

Coin Collecting History American Numismatic Association

Coin collecting has a long and enjoyable history. For the modern collector there are a lot of different opportunities that are available to collectors to take advantage of.

One of the organizations that exists to support Coin and Currency money collecting as a hobby is the American Numismatic Association. It is an international association with nearly 33,000 international members, and the Association serves collectors, its members, the academic community and the general public who have an interest in money, or numismatics.

Many people around the world wish to explore and discover information about the world of money, its history and other information. The American Numismatic Association supports museums, library materials, outreach efforts, conventions, publications, and seminars held each year around the world.

The AMA began in the 1880s with the efforts of a small town Michigan doctor, Dr. George F. Heath who lived in Monroe Michigan.  Heath was a cheerful man and as a doctor found that being in a small town most people did not know what the study of money or numismatics was.

So, in 1888 he printed and published a small little leaflet he called “The Numismatist”, which he wrote and listed different topics, listed his coin needs, and advertised for items he had on sale.

After a time he had a circulation of several hundred people, and over time he became known in larger cities around the United States.

In 1891 five men including Heath and four others met in Chicago and with 26 proxies formed the American Numismatic Association. The AMA began with a total of 61 charter members, and began their long and enthusiastic history of support for Coin Collecting.

Today modern coin collecting is supported by the ANA with two yearly conventions, and support for many other types of seminars and international programs. It is one of the most supportive and enthusiastic groups for the support of international coin collection.