The Royal Canadian Numismatic Association was founded in 1950. It is a nonprofit association for coin collectors and other people interested in Canadian numismatics. It has members throughout Canada and in other countries. At times, it also works with the Canadian Association for Numismatic Education (CAFNE), an arm's length organization, which is defined by the CRA as a Canadian educational and charitable organization. CAFNE provides funding for some of the RCNA's educational seminars and publications.
Within the Royal Canadian Numismatic Association, founding member Jerome Remick suggested or initiated a number of significant changes. He recommended establishing a fellowship, encouraged the then CNA, now RCNA, to adopt a bilingual logo, and suggested creating the Young Numismatists Kit. In 1994, he established a literary award for best article in a club newsletter."Jerry Remick: 1928-2005", p.14, Canadian Coin News, Volume 42, Number 25, April 5 to 18, 2005, Trajan Publishing
At the RCNA Annual Convention in Ottawa, ON from July 17–20, the membership ratified a name change to The Royal Canadian Numismatic Association,Canadian Coin News, August 19 to September 1, 2008, p.1, "CNA becomes Royal" by Mario Cywinski and the royal grant of title awarded by Queen Elizabeth II in October 2007.
PresidentsCanadian Numismatic Journal, Jul-Aug 2023, p.196.
1950-53 Sheldon S. Carroll, F.C.N.R.S., F.R.N.S. 1953-55 L. J. P. Brunet 1955-56 Guy R. L. Potter 1956-59 Vincent G. Greene, F.R.N.S. 1959-61 C. C. Tannahill, F.C.N.R.S. 1961-63 Dr. John S. Wilkinson 1963-65 Edwin Echenberg 1965-67 A. Mitchell MacDonald, F.C.N.R.S. 1967-69 E. Victor Snell 1969-71 John Jay Pittman, F.R.N.S. 1971-73 Norman W. Williams, F.R.C.N.A., F.C.N.R.S. 1973-75 Louise Graham 1975-77 A. L. Munro 1977-79 James E. Charlton, F.R.C.N.A., F.C.N.R.S. 1979-81 Jack Veffer 1981-83 John Regitko, F.R.C.N.A., F.O.N.A. 1983-85 Geoffrey G. Bell, F.R.C.N.A., F.C.N.R.S. 1985-87 Stan Clute, F.R.C.N.A., F.C.N.R.S. 1987-89 L. H. Scoop Lewry 1989-91 Al Bliman 1991-93 Earl Salterio, F.R.C.N.A., F.C.N.R.S. 1993-95 Dr. Marvin Kay, F.R.C.N.A. 1995-99 Yvon Marquis, F.R.C.N.A. 1999-2001 Tom Kennedy, F.R.C.N.A. 2001-03 Geoffrey G. Bell, F.R.C.N.A., F.C.N.R.S. 2003-07 Charles D. Moore, F.R.C.N.A. 2007-09 Michael D. Walsh 2009-11 Daniel W. Gosling, F.R.C.N.A. 2011-13 William Waychison, F.R.C.N.A., F.C.N.R.S., F.O.N.A. 2013-15 Bret Evans 2015-19 Henry Nienhuis, F.R.C.N.A., F.C.N.R.S., F.O.N.A. 2019-21 Robert Forbes, F.R.C.N.A. 2021-23 Stephen Woodland, F.R.C.N.A., F.O.N.A.
Conventions The RCNA holds an annual convention in a different city each year. The convention includes educational seminars, both competitive and non-competitive educational display presentations, including a display by Canada's National Currency Museum ( a unit of the Bank of Canada), local tours, mint tours when available, specialty club meetings, luncheons, and an awards banquet. The convention also includes a major coin show, Canada's Money Collector Show, where within a bourse room, coin and money dealers buy and sell coins, and other numismatic items, with members and the public.
City and year of conventions
Toronto, Ontario, 1954 Ottawa, Ontario, 1955 London, Ontario, 1956 Hamilton, Ontario, 1957 Ottawa, Ontario, 1958 Regina, Saskatchewan, 1959 Sherbrooke, Quebec, 1960 Hamilton, Ontario, 1961 Detroit, Michigan, 1962 Vancouver, British Columbia, 1963 Halifax, Nova Scotia, 1964 Montreal, Quebec, 1965 Winnipeg, Manitoba, 1966 Ottawa, Ontario, 1967 Calgary, Alberta, 1968 Toronto, Ontario, 1969 Halifax, Nova Scotia, 1970 Vancouver, British Columbia, 1971 Toronto, Ontario, 1972 Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, 1973 Hamilton, Ontario, 1974 Calgary, Alberta, 1975 Ottawa, Ontario, 1976 Vancouver, British Columbia, 1977 London, Ontario, 1978 Edmonton, Alberta, 1979 Montreal, Quebec, 1980 Toronto, Ontario, 1981 Winnipeg, Manitoba, 1982 Moncton, New Brunswick, 1983 Hamilton, Ontario, 1984 Regina, Saskatchewan, 1985. Toronto, Ontario, 1986. Calgary, Alberta, 1987. Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, 1988. Quebec City, Quebec, 1989. Vancouver, British Columbia, 1990. Toronto, Ontario, 1991. Montreal, Quebec, 1992. Moncton, New Brunswick, 1993. Hamilton, Ontario, 1994. Calgary, Alberta, 1995. Montreal, Quebec, 1996. Moncton, New Brunswick, 1997. Edmonton, Alberta, 1998. Kitchener, Ontario, 1999. Ottawa, Ontario, 2000. Quebec City, Quebec, 2001. Vancouver, British Columbia, 2002. Windsor, Ontario, 2003. Toronto, Ontario, 2004. Calgary, Alberta, 2005. Niagara Falls, Ontario, 2006. Niagara Falls, Ontario, 2007. Ottawa, Ontario, 2008. Edmonton, Alberta, 2009. Saint John, New Brunswick, 2010. Windsor, Ontario, 2011. Calgary, Alberta, 2012. Winnipeg, Manitoba, 2013. Toronto, Ontario, 2014. Halifax, Nova Scotia, 2015. Ottawa, Ontario, 2016. Boucherville, Quebec, 2017. Toronto, Ontario, 2018. Calgary, Alberta, 2019. Halifax, Nova Scotia, 2020. (cancelled) Ottawa, Ontario, 2021. (cancelled) Ottawa, Ontario, 2022. Halifax, Nova Scotia, 2023. Boucherville, Quebec, 2024. Calgary, Alberta, 2025. Winnipeg, Manitoba, 2026.
Publications Members receive a subscription to the Canadian Numismatic Journal as part of their membership. Other RCNA publications include: Canadian Coins 101, a home-study course, A Half Century of Advancement in Numismatics, a history of the CNA. Royal Canadian Numismatic Correspondence Course - Part 1 Royal Canadian Numismatic Correspondence Course - Part 2
Library Members can borrow books and other materials from the CNA's library by mail.
Seminars and correspondence courses
The Royal Canadian Numismatic Association launched its first numismatic correspondence course in 1995. Coordinating Editor of this project was Paul Johnson, while the Core Committee consisted of Brian Cornwell, Scott Douglas, Dr. Marvin Kay, Paul Petch and John Regitko and with special mention of the work by Barry McIntyre. The financial support for this project was attributed to Albert Kasman, and NESA, a then available Canadian educational and charitable organization.
Since the release of the original correspondence course in 1995, demand led to the creation of a new course for collectors. In 2005, the Royal Canadian Numismatic Association launched its new correspondence course, known as the Royal Canadian Numismatic Correspondence Course - Part II. The course was also launched in grand style at the RCNA Convention in Calgary.
The Royal Canadian Numismatic Correspondence Course - Part II consists of seventeen chapters, 486 pages and hundreds of photos. The authors were chosen from the R.C.N.A. membership for their numismatic expertise of the subject covered. The chapters include the following:R.C.N.A. | Royal Canadian Numismatic Correspondence Course - Part II
Registrants who successfully complete either course I, or II, will receive a specially engraved "Certificate of Completion". Pricing for both courses is $90.00 each for R.C.N.A. members, and $132.00 for non-R.C.N.A. members [prices subject to change]. Payment is in Canadian dollars for Canadian residents and in US dollars for US residents. Others should contact the R.C.N.A.
ChapterCourse TitleAuthor1 Canadian History and Numismatics Wayne Jacobs2 Buying and Selling Numismatic Material Michael Walsh3 Grading Canadian CoinageBrian Cornwell4 The Benefits of Organized Numismatics Chris Boyer5 A History of Decimal Coinage in Canada Paul S. Berry6 The Token - Canada's Original Currency Scott E. Douglas7 Canadian Paper Money for Advanced Collectors Robert J. Graham8 Canadian Tire "Money" as a Numismatic Collectable Roger A. Fox9 Canadian Commemorative and Historical Medals & Art Medals Ronald A. Greene and Del Newbigging10 Exonumia and Related Items Marvin Kay, MD11 Canadian Municipal Trade Tokens Serge Pelletier12 The History and Collecting of Canadian Wooden Money Norm Belsten13 Ancient and Medieval Coins of the Western World Bruce R. Brace14 Computer Literacy and Its Use in NumismaticsBret Evans15 An Overview of Canadian Numismatic LiteratureDaniel W. Gosling16 The Benefits of Research In Numismatics Chris Faulkner17 Developing Your Writing Skills and Using Illustrations In Numismatic Publications Peter N. Moogk, Ph.D.
The RCNA also offers educational seminars at its annual convention, and each fall of the year, a workshop on grading Canadian coins and coin and paper money preservation.
Fellows In 1990, the executive committee of the C.N.A established a member service award: Fellow – Royal Canadian Numismatic Association. The criteria for this award is that a member of the Royal Canadian Numismatic Association must have performed a worthy service judged to be of a direct benefit to the association.C.N.A. | Fellow of the R.C.N.A. Award Nominations are made by members, and the recipients are decided by The Awards and Medals Committee. The committee proceeds by presenting its choices, up to 5 each year, at the annual convention. Fellows in the Royal Canadian Numismatic Association are authorized the use of the letters, F.R.C.N.A. to follow their name. The first awards were made at the 1991 C.N.A. Convention in Toronto, Ontario.
Members awarded F.R.C.N.A. 1991 to date: FellowYear Bestowed 1991Jerome Remick1991John Regitko1992Bill Waychison1992Yvon Marquis1993Kenneth Prophet1994Earl Salterio1996Tom Kennedy1996Barry Uman1997Paul Johnson1997Al V. Munro1998Geoffrey Bell1998Norman Williams1999Chris Boyer1999Tom Masters2000Stan Clute2000Ingrid Smith2002Paul Petch2002Jim Charlton2003Marvin Kay2004Dan Gosling2004George Fraser2005R. Brian Cornwell2005Les Copan2007William 'Bill' Kamb2007Michael 'Stan' Turrini 2008Fred Freeman 2008Charles Moore2008Tom RogersCanadian Coin News, August 19 to September 1, 2008, p.26, “Award galore at RCNA's annual banquet” by Bret Evans2009Vic Schoff2009Geraldine Chimirri-Russell 2010William K. Cross 2010Henry Nienhuis 2011Margaret Clarke 2011Tom Clarke 2012Barrie Renwick 2012Scott Douglas 2013James Williston 2013Serge Pelletier Canadian Numismatic Journal, September 2013, Vol 58 No 7, p 393, “2013 Literary and Special Awards”
Awards The RCNA Annual Convention bestows a number of awards. The list of awards is as follows:
Best of Show Award - best exhibit, judged by a panel of volunteers assembled by Tim Henderson, Chairman R.C.N.A. Awards & Medals Committee. "Fellow of the R.C.N.A." Award - see above Guy Potter Literary Award - the original R.C.N.A. Literary Award was renamed in 1978 to honour the memory of Guy R.L. Potter, one of the founders of the Canadian Numismatic Association. J. Douglas Ferguson Award - presented to the living numismatist who has made the greatest contribution during the year to the advancement of numismatics in Canada by research, writing, publishing, or other means Jean Bullen Award - established in 2004 as an annual presentation for the best exhibit of Canadian coins displayed by a member at the R.C.N.A. Convention Jerome H. Remick III Literary Award - at the bequest of Jerome Remick, it is given annually to the author of the best numismatic article published in a local Canadian coin club newsletter during the previous calendar year
Jerome H Remick III Literary Award Winners YearWinnerYear AwardedLocation1994Guy Veillette1995Calgary1995Jean Luc Giroux1996Montreal1996Jean Luc Giroux1997Moncton1997Yvon Marquis1998Edmonton1998Ian Hunter1999Kitchener1999Not Awarded2000Ottawa2000David Bergeron 2001Québec City2001Geraldine Chimirri-Russell2002Vancouver2002Ken Cameron2003Windsor2003Wayne Jacobs2004Toronto2004Troy Carlson2005Calgary2005Pierre Bouchard2006Niagara Falls2006Tolling Jennings2007Niagara Falls2007Ron Cheek2008Ottawa2008Geraldine Chimirri-Russell2009Edmonton2009Robert J. Graham2010Saint John2010Ron Cheek2011Windsor2011Serge Pelletier2012Calgary2012David Bergeron 2013Winnipeg