A pandemic won't stop COTY.

The nomination process for the 2021 Coin of the Year awards looked a bit different this year, but the program is well under way despite travel and gathering restrictions due to COVID-19. One-hundred nominees - 10 coins in each of 10 award categories - emerged after the Nominating Committee met virtually Nov. 3, 2020, to consider 400 coin nominees curated by more than 45 issuing entities from around the world.

The 38th annual awards program, honoring coins dated 2019 and to be presented in early 2021, is presented by World Coin News and sponsored by The Journal of East Asian Numismatics.The competition begins each year when the committee convenes to select the nominees.

"Our COTY Nominating Committee traditionally has met in person to review and nominate coins from a large printed catalog of potential candidates," explained Tom Michael, COTY coordinator. "The pandemic made that impossible in 2020, so our team created digital files, devised a two-step nomination process and moved our in-person meeting onto a virtual platform. The Nominating Committee was so pleased with the efficiency of this new approach that we are already planning to adopt many of its elements permanently."

The change in process also had positive effects on the way coins were nominated, resulting in a broader scope of nominees.

"Completing the first phase of COTY nominating independently, rather than in a group setting, put the spotlight on some of the strengths inherent in our committee," said Michael. "We all seem to agree on certain coins, but our backgrounds are so diverse that everyone finds a few great coins that the others did not notice.

"The result of this year's restructured nominating procedure is a wonderful selection of 100 nominees in 10 categories, from more than 45 countries, which will certainly challenge our world-class Judging Panel as they cast their votes," he said. "You'll note that some subjects, the 50th Anniversary of the Apollo 11 Moon Landing for instance, made appearances in multiple categories."

To read the complete article, see:
2021 COTY Nominees Determined(https://www.numismaticnews.net/coin-of-the-year/2021-coty-nominees-determined)