The Royal Canadian Numismatic Association (RCNA) is ready to hand out some of its annual awards, but this year – like most things in the past six months – it’s going to be a bit different.
For the first time in the association’s 70-year history, the winners of the RCNA’s awards will be unveiled online. They’re typically handed out at various functions during the weeklong RCNA Convention, which was cancelled this year due to COVID-19. But the 2020 award winners – about half a dozen altogether – will instead be announced during the RCNA’s annual general meeting (AGM), to be held via Zoom on Oct. 17 at noon.
“RCNA members want to know who are receiving these annual awards – especially clubs who have put a lot of effort into submitting their nomination for club publication awards and ‘Club of the Year,’” said RCNA Executive Secretary Paul Johnson.
The physical presentation of the awards will take place at the 2021 RCNA Convention, which is slated for July 20-25 in Ottawa.
RCNA AWARDS
The winners of the following awards will be announced this October:
- the Paul Fiocca Award, established in 2008 in honour of late CCN publisher Paul Fiocca and presented annually for “long-term meritorious service or major contributions to the RCNA”;
- the Guy Potter Literary Award, established in 1978 in honour of past president Guy Potter and given annually for that year’s best original contribution to the CN Journal;
- the Jerome H. Remick III Literary Award, established in 1995 in honour of late CCN columnist Jerome Remick and given annually to the author of the best numismatic article published in a local Canadian coin club newsletter during the previous calendar year;
- the Louise Graham Memorial Club of the Year Award, established in 1986 in honour of long-time general secretary Louise Graham and awarded annually to RCNA member clubs that “made the most significant overall achievement on behalf of its members and of the hobby”;
- the Charles D. Moore Award, inaugurated in 2017 in honour of past president Charles Moore and awarded annually to the RCNA member who has “exhibited a willingness to advance the hobby through dignity, integrity, truth and knowledge … over a number of years”;
- a pair of awards honouring the best local newsletter plus the best national or regional newsletter; and
- the Fellow of the RCNA Award, established in 1990 and awarded annually – up to five each year – to an RCNA member who has “performed a worthy service judged to be of a direct benefit to the association.”
The winner of the 2020 J. Douglas Ferguson Award – the highest distinction in Canadian numismatics – will not be unveiled this October. Instead, the winner will be announced (and the award presented) at the 2021 RCNA Convention.
Because this year’s convention was cancelled and no exhibits were able to compete, the RCNA’s Best of Show Award, Jean Bullen Award and James E. Charlton Junior Award will also not be handed out this year.
A meeting link for the AGM, which will also include an update on the association’s financial situation, will be provided to RCNA members soon.
“The AGM agenda and other information will be included in the October 2020 issue of the CN Journal and on the RCNA website,” said Johnson, who added the award winners will also be listed in the December issue of the CN Journal, the association’s bimonthly publication.
For more information about the RCNA’s awards, including past winners, visit rcna.ca/awards.php.