Thomas Uram, president of the American Numismatic Association (ANA), made a memorable contribution to the recent Royal Canadian Numismatic Association (RCNA) awards banquet by distributing a specially designed challenge coin to attendees.
Uram, whose term as ANA president is guided by the theme of “building bridges,” created the coin to reflect the intersection of various fields of interest within the numismatic and philatelic communities.
The challenge coin features a number of significant symbols. On the obverse is the famous Peace sculpture by Augustus Saint-Gaudens, an icon in the numismatic world best known for his design of the gold $20 Double Eagle coin, among other contributions.
“Saint-Gaudens represents the convergence of art, history, and numismatics,” Uram noted, emphasizing the cultural and historical importance of numismatics.
The reverse of the coin showcases a 1975 Banking and Commerce ten-cent stamp, which also includes two coins in its design.
“This element represents both philately and numismatics,” Uram explained, highlighting the crossover between the two hobbies. “While there are many crossovers between numismatics and philately, the common denominator remains history. To be a member of the ANA, one doesn’t necessarily need to be solely a coin collector; an interest in history is what truly unites us.”
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