American Numismatic Association

Explore the art of counterfeit detection! 🧐🔍

Brought to you by the ANA's Education Department, Aristotle’s Vault preserves expert numismatic knowledge within our online eLearning Academy. In our course, "Introduction to Counterfeit & Alteration Detection," instructors Brian Silliman and Jim Robinson walk you through the essential basics of counterfeit and alteration detection.

From Chinese-made counterfeits to modern production methods, learn to spot the diagnostics that fool even the grading services. As instructor Jim Robinson says, "the best way to learn is to look at those coins day in and day out—the color, the sound, the details."

Start your journey today! 🎓🪙

Watch here: https://bit.ly/3T12imP

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Aristotle’s Vault: Intro to Counterfeit and Alteration Detection | ANA eLearning Academy Follow instructors Brian Silliman and Jim Robinson as they walk you through the basics of counterfeit and alteration detection. At the end of each episode, y...

From the ANA Reading Room's Editor's Picks ⬇️🏅

Two months after the sinking of the USS Maine sparked the Spanish-American War, a little-known naval officer changed history. On May 1, 1898, Admiral George Dewey sailed into Manila Bay and destroyed the entire Spanish Pacific fleet in just a few hours—with zero American lives lost.

This stunning victory triggered a massive wave of patriotism, inspiring a fascinating variety of commercial souvenir medals and historical memorabilia.

Discover the numismatic legacy of this historic triumph:
👉 https://bit.ly/3TkvHbD

War Hero Two months after the sinking of the USS Maine in Havana Harbor on February 15, 1898, the United States declared war on Spain. At the time, Admiral George Dewey was a little-known naval officer, but that changed on May 1 when, as commander of the Asiatic Squadron, he sailed into Manila Bay. In just a...

From the ANA Reading Room Editor's Picks! ⬇️

"Exercise for the Mind" by Olivia McCommons

Numismatists have known for ages the joys of collecting. Now its cognitive benefits are being backed by scientific research, according to an article in Discover Magazine’s September/October issue.

Read the full article or listen on the go: 👉 https://bit.ly/4peSMs0

Exercise for the Mind Numismatists have known for ages the joys of collecting. Now its cognitive benefits are being backed by scientific research, according to an article in Discover Magazine’s September/October issue. An estimated 1 in 3 adults collects something, and research suggests that this may enhance memory, fo...

Today's Feature: 1907 $20 Saint-Gaudens Double Eagle, High Relief, Wire Rim - Object # 132 🇺🇸

ANA 1990.70.1

Often called America’s most beautiful coin, the 1907 Saint-Gaudens double eagle was born from President Theodore Roosevelt’s ambition to transform U.S. coinage from "atrocious hideousness" into true works of art inspired by the high-relief coinage of ancient Greece. He enlisted renowned sculptor Augustus Saint-Gaudens, whose vision brought him into frequent conflict with Mint Chief Engraver Charles Barber over the balance between artistry and practicality.

Saint-Gaudens’ original Ultra High Relief design required at least seven strikes to fully impress the details – far too laborious for circulating coinage. This High Relief version reduced the relief but still required multiple strikes. The wire rim is a result of metal flowing upward around the die’s edge due to the extreme pressure required for the strike. Other unusual features included the use of Roman numerals for the date and the omission of “In God We Trust,” a decision supported by both Saint-Gaudens and Roosevelt.

💬 Should circulating coins prioritize artistic excellence – even if beauty makes them slower, harder, and more expensive to produce?

Join us each weekday as we highlight a different American coin, token, or note—one for every year of our nation’s independence. 🪙 🇺🇸

Explore our (R)evolution in Currency features online today:
https://www.money.org/money-museum/america250/