Prospective attendees of the American Numismatic Association’s annual Summer Seminar may be disappointed to learn that the event will not take place again in 2021. However, a variety of free online courses will be offered to interested numismatists during the seminar’s typical June and July timeframe.
The event was originally slated for June 19-24 (Session 1) and June 26-July 1 (Session 2).
Traditionally held on the Colorado College campus adjacent to ANA headquarters, Summer Seminar is a once-a-year opportunity for numismatic learning and camaraderie that offers hundreds of collectors from around the world a varied selection of week-long courses designed for discovery and continued study.
Colorado College notified the ANA in late 2020 that it would not be hosting events on its campus in 2021 because of COVID-19. The Association looked at an alternative location in Colorado Springs, but the $128,000 deficit that would be incurred to host the event there was rejected by the ANA Board of Governors.
The University of Denver (DU) campus also was considered, but previous Summer Seminar students and instructors indicated that without access to the Association’s museum and library, Summer Seminar would not be as engaging. Additionally, many previous participants noted they were uncomfortable traveling during the pandemic.
ANA Executive Director Kim Kiick indicated that the Association will offer free virtual courses through its eLearning Academy during the 2021 Summer Seminar dates of June 19-July 1. Although the online classes will not replicate the Summer Seminar event, it will give participants a taste of the popular program. Topics will appeal to a broad range of collectors, from beginners to advanced numismatists. Details will be available in the weeks ahead.
COVID-19 also caused the cancellation of the 2020 Summer Seminar, the event’s first cancellation in its 50-plus-year history.
Scholarships that were awarded for the 2020 Summer Seminar will be honored when the event resumes in 2022.
