I can still remember the feel [of it] in my hand of that most wonderful American coin ever minted, nickel with a buffalo on one side and the head of an Indian on the other. That nickel was a daily proof of our country’s past. Bring it back!
Paul Engle
Establishing mint coins have been an impressive part of how cultures and countries develop over time, creating turning points in human history. Coin Week monuments these moments in history and inspires people to collect and maintain that sense of history. Read more to learn about how Coin Week began and how you can celebrate and take part in this fascinating holiday.
History of Coin Week
Coin Week began in 1923 based off of a suggestion from Governor Julius Guttag, one of the principal members of the American Numismatic Organization at the time. He suggested this holiday to his members to help increase the interest in coin collecting and help increase membership in their organization. The first year they debuted it, it worked – that first week was considered to be highly successful and helped establish the annual holiday. From there, after a few adjustments in the date and coordination of the event, the organization was able to firmly put the holiday in place and has been a part of the organization ever since.
Since 1923, the holiday has been annually celebrated for over 95 years. The primary purpose of this holiday is to celebrate the exciting history of coinage and help encourage people to collect coins as a hobby. Currencies have helped marked significant points in history, such as the Peace dollar after World War II, coins made to commemorate specific years of the Olympics, and dollars coined to memorialize significant people in history across cultures. Hence, Coin Week is all about sharing history, teaching people about it, and helping inspire others to do the same.
How to celebrate Coin Week
Want to begin a new hobby? Find out where your local coin club is in your area and see about how to get started collecting vintage and historic coins. You can also participate in the American Numismatic Organization and look about what annual contests they have in store. You can also share this holiday on social media using the hashtag #coinweek and discover people on the internet that have built a lifetime’s worth of coin collecting under their belt.
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