Learn About ANA’s Summer Seminar With a Product Manager
Summer Seminar is an annual education event hosted by the American Numismatic Association. Over two weeks, hundreds of coin enthusiasts travel to Colorado Springs to discover the world of money through educational workshops and seminars. One of APMEX’s own product managers went this past June and we sat down with Kyle to ask about his experience.
What is Summer Seminar? Can anyone go?
“Summer Seminar offers classes on a variety of topics over two weeks and brings in well-known names from the numismatic community from across the globe. You can take classes over a four day period over a range of topics for both beginners and experienced numismatists. It is open to the public. You do have to be a member of the American Numismatic Association, but anyone can sign up to be a member.”
What can someone expect to learn at Summer Seminar?
“The class I took was geared toward intermediate and advanced grading techniques. It focused on high-grade, mint-state and proof coins from the United States and around the world. Although I took a more advanced class, you can attend classes that have no prerequisite, like Grading 1. In these classes, you get to see a lot of stuff out of the ordinary, and seeing coins like that can hone your skills as a numismatic grader.”
Other than grading, what are some classes you can attend?
“There are classes on how to take Digital Numismatic photos, classes on Barber coinage, the modern minting process and many others. They also teach a counterfeit detection class, which is a very cool class to attend. In fact, one of our numismatists, Jim Robinson, is an instructor for that class.”
What was a highlight of attending Summer Seminar?
“I enjoyed learning more about high-quality American coinage and getting to see some really exceptional coins, especially a pair of high-grade Cameo Proof Morgan Dollars. The instructor also brought out the finest known Cuban Souvenir Peso – it was from his own inventory. Another interesting coin I saw was a 1943 Copper Penny. It’s a classic American rarity. I remember when they handed it to the table most people though it was fake. We actually have it on the website for sale now.”
Is there anything else you’d like to share about Summer Seminar?
“I would highly recommend that anyone who has an interest in numismatic coins should go. You will meet some of the greatest minds in the industry – including people who have worked closely with premier third-party grading services like NGC and PCGS. You’ll also see that those in the classes around you will offer almost as much knowledge as the instructors do. It really is a great experience.”