From Page to Prestige: ANA Literary Awards Announced

2025 Adult Numismatist Literary Award Winners

The American Numismatic Association's (ANA) 2025 literary awards – recognizing articles published in the 2024 volume of its official magazine, The Numismatist – will be presented during the Member Awards and Donor Celebration at the Oklahoma City World's Fair of Money® on August 21. The Numismatist was launched by ANA founder and first editor Dr. George F. Heath in 1888. This year marks its 138th volume. 

The Heath Literary Award, introduced in 1949, acknowledges outstanding articles published in the preceding 12 months.

• First place goes to David Schenkman for "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" (March 2024). The author will receive $250, an engraved nickel-silver medal, and a certificate.
• William R. Eckberg earned second place ($100, an engraved bronze medal, and a certificate) for "The Birch Cent" (June 2024).
• In third place (engraved bronze medal and a certificate) is Alex Schultz for "The 1964 Special Mint Sets: Special or Not?" (November 2024). 

The Wayte and Olga Raymond Memorial Literary Award, endowed in 1978 by the late John J. Ford Jr., is presented for articles that display original and comprehensive research in U.S. numismatics.

• William R. Eckberg received first place ($400 and a certificate) for "The Birch Cent" (June 2024).
• Second place ($200 and certificate) goes to R.W. Julian for "The 1836 Gobrecht Dollar" (December 2024). 
• Eckberg also received third place (certificate) for "Robert Scot's Signature" (September 2024). 

Founded by an anonymous donor, the Catherine Sheehan Literary Award for Paper Money Studies includes $50 and a certificate for first place.

• David Schenkman took the top prize for "Building Canals with Paper" (June 2024).
• Second place (certificate) goes to Kenneth Bressett for "The Shot Heard 'Round the World" (July 2024). 
• Ray Muniak received third place (certificate) for "Wartime Memento" (May 2024). 

The Prue and Arthur Fitts Literary Award for Ancient and Medieval Coinage Studies recognizes literary excellence in those fields. 

• Michael Shutterly received first place ($250 and a plaque) for "Medieval Salutes to Mary" (April 2024). 
• Earning second place (certificate) is Bruce Bartelt for "Nero & the Ancient Games" (August 2024). 
• Donald H. Kagin received third place (certificate) for "St. Eligius: A Numismatic Saint" (December 2024).

Honorable mentions for this year include "The Finest in the Country" by Pete Smith (September 2024) and "Congress and U.S. Currency, Parts 1 & 2" by William Cather (March and April 2024).

All feature articles published in The Numismatist automatically are considered for the Heath Literary Award; likewise, all qualifying articles are evaluated for the Raymond, Sheehan, and Fitts Awards. For information about submitting manuscripts for review and possible publication, visit money.org/the-numismatist/submission-guidelines. 

2025 Young Numismatist Literary Award Winners

The 2025 ANA Young Numismatist (YN) Literary Awards were announced during the ANA's annual Summer Seminar banquets. The three award categories are generously funded by Whitman Publishing and named after authors dedicated to educating the next generation of numismatists. 

The Bill Fivaz Young Numismatist Literary Award honors writers who are aged 8 to 12. This year's first place recipient was Daniel Kim for "The Art and Science of Coins: History in Coins." Harrison Bluhm received second place with "Understanding OPA Red Points and Blue Points: A Deep Dive into Their Roles and Impact." In third place was John Swindling for "Lionel Mint Cars: A Numismatic Side Quest." 

The Q. David Bowers Young Numismatist Literary Award honors writers who are aged 13 to 17. This year's first place recipient was Jackson R. Hancock for "The Sun Never Sets on British Colonial Currency." Aman Ryan Shah placed second with "A Circulation Secret" and Nate Leonauskas took third with his paper "Past the Piece of Eight."

The Kenneth E. Bressett Young Numismatist Literary Award is given to writers between the ages of 18 and 22. This year, first place was won by Eva Pate for "The Significance of Sarah Sophia Banks." Second place was awarded to JP Coogan for "An Examination of Indian Peace Medals in the United States." Jason Rackas received third place for "The British 50 Pence Coin."

The first-place winners received a $500 cash prize, plus a $500 voucher with which to build a personal library of numismatic books produced by Whitman Publishing. Second- and third-place winners received book vouchers for $200 and $100, respectively. To learn more about this program, visit money.org/american-numismatic-association-awards.