Lorne Barnes, a tireless researcher, editor, and author, has received the 2025 J. Douglas Ferguson Award – Canadian numismatics’ most prestigious honour. The award was presented at the Royal Canadian Numismatic Association (RCNA) Convention’s annual Awards Banquet, where Scott E. Douglas, chair of the Board of Award, called it “the highlight of every RCNA Convention.” Barnes becomes the 57th recipient of the award, which has been presented annually since 1969.
Barnes was recognized for his enduring commitment to numismatic literature and research. Since 2008, he has written more than 50 articles for Numismatica Canada, the journal of the Canadian Association of Token Collectors and the Canadian Numismatic Research Society. As the publication’s editor, he led its transformation into a modern, full-colour digital journal. His landmark 2023 publication – an 809-page reference on Ontario trade tokens – was hailed as a major contribution to Canadian numismatics, followed soon after by a co-authored work on Ontario dairy tokens.
Douglas also paid tribute to three past Ferguson Award recipients who recently passed: Geoffrey Bell, William Cross and Harry N. James – all giants in their fields. A moment of silence was held in their memory. Read the full story in the latest issue of Canadian Coin News (Vol. 63 No. 10 – Aug. 19 – Sept. 1, 2025) or subscribe today at canadiancoinnews.com/subscribe.