ANA Launches Young Numismatists of America

Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

Hello readers! Over the past several months, a committed group of over 60 young numismatists has quietly built one of the best virtual clubs in the country—the Young Numismatists of America.

Now, you might ask, “Wait… wasn’t that already a thing?” You wouldn’t be wrong. The Young Numismatists of America (YNA) was originally founded in 1990 by Young Numismatists (YNs) at Summer Seminar, and it focused on putting out a publication. This project quickly fell apart as the founding members aged out or went to college. Still, Summer Seminar 2001 breathed new life into the club, and the YNA eventually reached over 200 members before folding in 2007 due to a lack of member involvement.

While not connected to the previous iterations of the YNA, the Young Numismatists of America seeks to carry on their legacy of educating young collectors, creating an engaging community of peers, and empowering YNs to make waves in their numismatic scene, whether that be local, state, or national.

The new-and-improved YNA started when ANA Outreach Committee member Eric Kibbey aired the idea of a virtual coin club for ANA YN members. The idea gained support, and the YNA had its inaugural meeting of 25 YNs on March 7, 2025. ANA Education Director Christian Strayhorn serves as the staff liason. I was honored to be elected president, and our founding bylaws were put forth.

Meetings

Since then, the YNA has grown to over 50 members from over 20 states who meet on the first Friday of each month to hear reports on club business, participate in roundtable discussions and raffles, and listen to talks. So far, members have heard multiple research presentations from YNs, TheYNA’s first adult speaker, ANA President Thomas Uram, chronicled his journey from YN to ANA president and answered many questions.

Publication

Besides its monthly meetings, the other major undertaking of the Young Numismatists of America is a regular publication called The Young Numismatist. Seminars & Clubs Coordinator Sheila Fortenberry floated the idea for a publication., which allows young collectors to showcase their research skills, build a portfolio, and share their expertise with others; the inaugural issue, written by almost 20 up-and-coming young numismatists, had 65 pages. The Young Numismatist embodies the YNA’s motto of “For YNs, By YNs,” but is available to all on our webpage. All YNA members are encouraged to engage with the numismatic community by submitting content.

Why the YNA?

Suppose a YN is lucky enough to live near a local coin show. In that case, there is a high likelihood that most attendees will be older men paying large amounts of money for coins a YN could only dream of owning. Furthermore, many dealers are more interested in doing business than talking to what is, in all likelihood, a quiet youth with very little money to spend. In short, the wider community can intimidate many young collectors.

The Young Numismatists of America has three main goals: education, engagement, and empowerment. While most programs geared toward middle and high-school-aged YNs focus on business, the Young Numismatists of America’s first goal is to educate fellow YNs. Every member has expertise, knowledge, or perspective that others don’t. The YNA’s meetings reflect this: unlike most clubs, we try to fit in as many educational presentations and roundtable discussions as possible. This is why we chose not to include auctions. Similarly, The Young Numismatist currently does not have ads: all the space is used to educate readers on various topics, from ancient numismatics to current market trends, from world numismatics to U.S. varieties.

The Young Numismatists of America has three main goals: education, engagement, and empowerment.

A common trend is for YNs to be involved in numismatics during their grade-school years and then fall away from the hobby due to a lack of interest, with the possibility they pick it back up later in life. The YNA seeks to reverse that trend by engaging YNs in a way that their involvement only grows as their abilities to contribute to the numismatic community grow. By creating a community of peers with YN leadership, the YNA shows that YNs can contribute meaningfully when mobilized.

Finally, the YNA exists to empower YNs to go out and make waves in their communities, numismatic or otherwise. Many YNs have a wealth of energy and perspective that the hobby badly needs, yet many are hesitant to share. By providing a way for youth to be active in a club of other YNs, young collectors build their confidence so they can do the same in their numismatic communities at the local, state, and national levels. Already, the YNA is encouraging members to pursue education opportunities for young collectors, including Summer Seminar, Witter Coin U, and Stacks Bower’s Professional Numismatist Program, as well as writing opportunities in The California Numismatist, FUNTopics, ErrorScope, the Reading Room, and The Numismatist. 

Conclusion

The Young Numismatists of America is a must-join club for youth seeking numismatic involvement. While an incredible amount of support exists for the YNA from the ANA Education Department and our speakers, I firmly believe that the YNA can only do so much as a virtual coin club. It will take a wider hobby movement to support the large mass of young collectors who are coming into their middle and high school years. A little understanding goes a long way: if one can approach their adult-to-YN interactions with an open mind, it may dawn on them just how bright the future of numismatics really is: an array of rising stars that is the Young Numismatists of America.

Are you interested in joining, have questions, or want to support the Young Numismatists of America’s mission? Contact the ANA Education Department or see our website.

---

Elliot Eng is a passionate 16-year-old numismatist from Anaheim, California. After attending Summer Seminar in 2023, he became deeply involved with the ANA YN programs and currently serves as president of the Young Numismatists of America. He enjoys collecting errors and Lincoln cents, cherrypicking varieties, and networking with other YNs. When not collecting or studying, he can be found playing basketball.