I was recently fortunate enough to attend both weeks of the American Numismatic Association's Summer Seminar due to scholarships from the Pacific Northwest Numismatic Association (PNNA) and ANA.This event is an amazing opportunity to meet fellow numismatists young and old, take advantage of the ANA's incredible resources, and learn from some of the hobby's greatest minds!

On June 17, I flew from the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport to the Denver International Airport with my father; about a 3-hour flight. An additional one hour drive brought us to the ANAheadquarters in Colorado Springs, directly across the street from Colorado College. After checking in, my father left (as he was staying in a hotel elsewhere in Colorado Springs), and I startedtaking in the sights and sounds of Summer Seminar. Four conversations resulted, including one with MPC-expert Fred Schwan. Dinner followed; the food was excellent, the cafeteria was clean, and theconversation was exhilarating.

Opening Ceremonies started at 6:00 PM, and helped to boost my personal excitement for the following days of instruction. Directly after the function came one of the most well-attended events atthe entire Seminar: the book sale! Profits from the sale support the ANA library and provide any numismatist literally tons of information. One of my main specialties is numismatic literature, so Iwent into a personal nirvana upon entering the room full of books. One hour and many pounds of books later, I had lugged a box of books back to the Young Numismatist dorms. Here, most of the YNsslept, talked, and enjoyed each other's company. That night at 10 PM, everyone staying in these dorm rooms attended a mandatory meeting. Finally, at midnight everyone went to bed.

The next day had a different format. Classes started at 9:00 AM sharp, and lasted until 11:45. Follow-up book sales occurred from 12:00 to 1:00, until classes restarted at 1:15. The first week Itook a class called "Creating a Winning Numismatic Exhibit." It was taught by award-winning exhibitor Larry Sekulich. Besides me (the only YN in this course), there were four other students. Some ofthe exhibit topics included $2 bills, how the evolution of the printing press affected coins, and my display on sample slabs. Each day, class ended at 4:00 PM, just in time for the third book sale;this time items were 25% off! That night I played cards and traded coins with fellow YNs, before attending the YN meeting and going to bed.

The next couple days followed a nearly identical format with a few exceptions. The afternoon book sale on Monday had a 50% discount, and the evening sale was just $5 per box! In total, I boughtover 100 pounds of books in the first week. Additionally, Monday night was the YN Benefit Auction lot viewing. Each week, students can donate lots to be used in a "YN Auction." This auction, createdand run entirely by the YN at camp, creates funds for more Summer Seminar scholarships in the future. Tuesday was the day of the auction, and at 7:00 PM bidding started. At the end of the night over$10,000 was raised.

Soon, it was Wednesday; the final day of Summer Seminar. Classes continued as normal, but the afternoon session consisted of graduations. Certificates were handed out in class, and each studentshowed off what they had completed within their exhibit so far. At 5:00 PM, the graduation reception began. This was an opportunity for everyone at Summer Seminar to meet, talk, and enjoy some lightsnacks. Immediately afterwards, the graduation banquet took place. This was a two-hour long event full of delicious food, appreciation, and applause. At around 8:30, most of the YNs gathered on thefield of the college and played a game of capture the flag until it was time to go inside. Once inside, it was time for a party; one of the most exciting parts of the day. YNs could stay up all nightif we wish, and I stayed up until 2:45 AM before falling asleep out of exhaustion. The next day, my father and I shipped my books and drove to the Colorado Springs coin show which was happeningnearby. We shortly left for a friend's house north of Denver which we stayed at for the weekend in between Summer Seminar sessions.

Week 2 was nearly identical to Week 1, so I shall simply share the differences. First, I participated in a "Mini-Seminar." These are two-day long classes at night. I took "Coin Shop Basics 101"conducted by the famous coin dealer Brian Fanton. Coincidentally, Fanton co-taught my class for week two: Grading Coins Part 1. The other instructors in my class were the ANA Education Director RodGillis and ANA Presidential Candidate Mike Ellis. This class taught me a considerable amount, and I was even named the student in class with the most potential! In the book sale, I bought about 30pounds of books. Additionally, I participated in the YN Auction considerably more. I participated in lot donations, cataloging, running and recording, and lot viewing. Finally, on the final night theparty lasted until 4:00 AM in the morning, leaving me exhausted the next day.

On Thursday, I finally left Summer Seminar. I had an amazing experience, but was ready to be home. A delayed plane resulted in a 7-hour wait at the airport. However, I arrived at Sea-Tac at around8:00 PM and was home around 9:00.

I have highlighted all the items I am particularly excited about.

Auction Catalogs

Books

Periodicals

Misc.
The Ancient Egyptian Scarab by Thomas Elder