WINNIPEG, Man. – Activity is ramping up at the 2026 Royal Canadian Numismatic Association (RCNA) Convention as volunteers and attendees prepare for the event’s official public opening on Thursday.
Wednesday’s program began with veteran numismatist Robert Forbes leading a sold-out Coin Grading Workshop, where participants spent the morning sharpening their grading skills by examining and discussing a wide range of Canadian coins. The annual workshop is one of the convention’s most popular educational offerings, attracting collectors eager to improve their knowledge of authentication, grading standards and the subtle differences that can significantly affect a coin’s value.
While the classroom was filled to capacity, another team of volunteers was hard at work transforming Hall A South at the RBC Convention Centre Winnipeg into the convention’s dealer bourse.
Dozens of RCNA volunteers, joined by members of the convention’s co-host, the Manitoba Coin Club, spent the morning assembling more than 100 dealer display cases, installing lighting, arranging tables and preparing the hall for dealers arriving beginning at noon. By the end of the day, the empty convention floor will be transformed into one of Canada’s largest temporary coin marketplaces.
The dealer bourse officially opens to the public Thursday at 10 a.m., when collectors will have the opportunity to browse thousands of coins, banknotes, tokens, medals, bullion products and numismatic supplies offered by dealers from across Canada and the United States.
Robert Forbes leads a capacity-filled Coin Grading Workshop Wednesday morning at the 2026 Royal Canadian Numismatic Association Convention in Winnipeg. The annual seminar gives collectors hands-on instruction in grading standards and the subtle characteristics that influence a coin’s condition and value. (Photo by Mike Walsh)
This afternoon, more than 100 convention delegates are expected to visit the Royal Canadian Mint’s Winnipeg manufacturing facility for a series of guided tours. The visit is especially significant as the Mint celebrates the 50th anniversary of the Winnipeg facility, which officially opened in 1976 and has since become one of the world’s leading producers of circulation coinage, manufacturing billions of coins annually for Canada and dozens of countries around the globe.
The tours will give attendees a behind-the-scenes look at the highly automated production process, from blanking and striking through quality control and packaging, while also highlighting the facility’s five decades of innovation and international leadership in coin manufacturing.
The 2026 RCNA Convention, co-hosted by the Manitoba Coin Club, continues through Saturday with educational seminars, competitive exhibits, meetings, the public dealer bourse and numerous social events, bringing collectors from across Canada together to celebrate the hobby.