At the ANA and other conventions, educational exhibits are an important part of the show. I have exhibited at the ANA twice, Central States once, and at the Michigan State Numismatic Society five or six times. I usually get an Honorable Mention for showing up. Once at MSNS, I hit as many classes as I could and got a third place in Tokens. At the ANA in Pittsburgh in 2004, I qualified to be a judge for Literature. An exhibit can be an interesting way to tell a story. Exhibits tend to be long on material and pictures and short on words. You do have to have enough narrative to explain the topic and your presentation. However, among the key metrics is "collector's ethic" -- how long did you spend pursuing and acquing the material? Numismatic information is important: mintages, designers, production and distribution, purchasing power, whatever is relevant about the objects. Depending on how you are with scissors and paste, you can win a gold or silver coin. MSNS give a quarter ounce gold for first place, 1/10 for second and an SAE for third place. In addition, there are other funded awards. Typically, the distance between first and third place is fewer than 10 points out of 100, often closer... sometimes much closer. It is the kind of exercise you get good at over time, placing an exhibit and then improving it over the years in response to the judge's comments. Also, those who win awards at one show will often enter at other shows and again, earn recognition for their effort. If you visit the Exhibits, you will see a lot of museum quality work. At the ANA conventions (and PAN: Pennsylvania Assoc of Numismatists), many of the 1st, 2nd and 3rd place awards go to members of the Red Rose Coin Club of Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Exhibiting is something they turned their hands to many years ago, and at their local monthly meetings, they exhibit and judge, so they are pretty good at this. That said, it's an open competition. In addition to the Classes, there may be a Best of Show, separately judged, and a People's Choice Award. Miscellaneous is always a category. Finally, you can always place in the Non-Competitive Category. You don't get a prize, but you do get to place and see how yours looks compared to everyone else's and it can be a way to start a one-case inspiration on the path to seven cases of glory. Myself, I'm not a scissors and paste guy. I write. But over the years, I can put in a couple of cases without embarrasing myself too badly... and get to wear a cool convention badge that says "Exhibitor."
Do you have any pictures of your past exhibits? This sounds like something that could be a lot of fun.
Never at a show, but at our local museum, yes. In fact, I'm starting work on a new exhibit probably after the holidays to show the type of money that might have been typically used when our Harvey House train depot opened in 1912. I have a few vintage post cards from the era as well, and looking for some paper currency to include with the coins. I was hoping to house the entire exhibit between two sheets of one inch plexy glass machined out in specific areas to house the artifacts so they'll fit tightly together. Anyone know if there are any dangers in using plexy glass to house coins? I remember reading it's what the Smithsonian uses and recall similar exhibits in their collections, so I assumed it was safe. Guy
It would be nice to have a collection worthy of exhibiting. Sounds like a goal I would be open to. Time will tell. So far, I have not ever been to a big coin show. Good idea for a post.
I did an exhibit of my 1982 doubled die reverse for the 2009 New England Numismatic Association annual show and took Best of Show. I tweaked the exhibit a little and then entered it in the 2010 ANA World's Fair of Money Show in Boston and and took second place in my catagory. You can see it here http://www.cointalk.com/t125130/ Richard
My son entered an exhibit in the NENA show this year (he's 12). He took first place in th YN catagory. Richard
I remember seeing your exhibit when you originally posted it Richard, very nice for sure. It's great that you are getting your son involved too...you have any pictures of his exhibit?
Exhibitionists show off here Rules are different for different clubs, ANA, MSNS, CSNS, etc. You can get them from the Exhibit chair or committee. There are different classes and categories. US coins, US paper, US tokens, US medals (or US tokens and medals; or All tokens and medals)... If you have trade scrip, you could place that in US Paper or (why not?) US Tokens. If you have Medals from a Coin designer, it can go in coins -- just put his coin in with his medals. Though, generally, you are usually better off going with the road less traveled: everyone collects US coins, so everyone displays US coins. I like Miscellaneous and Non-Competitive, myself. (Also -- sometimes the fix is in. Maybe I'm just suspicious, but I think that judges know in advance which categories are under represented, so someone will put their own in the one with less competition. You cannot judge your own category, but less competition is always better.) Exhibits go in cases. Cases are the standard jeweler's displays that you see at every show. So, the dimensions are known and knowable. Years ago, I bought a case for setting up as a dealer at club shows. But even so, you can measure it out, and those standard artist "foam core" boards are about the right size. Also, at least for the ANA, you can use any kind of display you want, it need not be standard. It could the size of a refrigerator. But you need to fill out the paperwork for that. You do not have to make your own display -- oddly enough. You do need to own the material on display. I paid a crafter to make one of my exhibits, because there is no rule against it. One of mine this show, I just laid my new insert into one of his frames. Looks nice. Congratulations, many times over. I do not have a natural talent for arts and crafts, but I have been able to learn. One of my current displays, I missed squaring a corner with the Exacto. It just takes practice, but for me, that's a whale of a lot of trial and error. I admire artists. More than the technique is the concept. I am a writer. You can see my personal website (link below) and the MSNS Club site here and you see that for me, putting a box around something is as arty as I can get. Once, I worked with an editor who asked me to interview a local band, which I did. She flowed the text into an outline of a saxophone. I would never have thought of that. My displays are pedestrian, at best. The first one I placed was in 1994 at an ANA -- might as well jump in the deep end -- and the judges came to find me to make sure that I was not a YN in the wrong category. I think I'm a little better at it now, but to me, it is just another feature article with a lot of live objects for illustratations and very few words. Over the years, I did not stick with it. I have a quote on my wall from Harlan Ellison: "Those who can be discouraged deserve to be." If I had placed two or three exhibits two or three times a year since 1994, I'd be a sure third place by now. The thing with displays is the case has to be open to shoot through the glass because of the overhead lighting. Then, you have to be above the case shooting down into it: 5-foot-8 (65 cm) is not enough; a stepstool helps. But I'll see what I can do, if not my one, then the nice ones. You don't need an 1804 Dollar. You can earn an award with whatever is in your pocket right now. Win, lose or draw, it's the doing that brings pleasure. I said above that a shotgun approach got me third place (once). I still display because I have a story to tell. This show, I have two exhibits, one of one case, another of two. It is all common material found in circulation (one case) or bought from dealer bargain lots (two cases). Presentation is everything. Go to a convention or larger show and see the exhibits for yourself, then think about it. Sketch it out... See what you can do. If nothing else, you get to wear a badge that says "Exhibitor." It's better than walking around with a "Kick me" sign taped to your back. With MSNS every exhibitor gets a free ticket to the Sunday breakfast. With the ANA, every exhibitor gets a bronze medal and a certificate.
How about an Exhibit of Exhibit Medals? Three inches -- 78 mm -- in diameter. Obviously, the new ANA Liberty Head.
