SUNDMAN LECTURES AT 2026 PITTSBURGH ANA

For two and a half centuries, American coins have been far more than mere currency—they are tangible milestones tracking a nation's ongoing pursuit of freedom and identity. From the revolutionary symbols born in 1776 to the modern designs on today's pocket change, United States money has long mirrored the defining crises, values, and triumphs of the American experience. During the American Numismatic Association's (ANA) World's Fair of Money®, taking place August 25-29 in Pittsburgh, experts will explore how coins, medals, and tokens tell the story of the United States from 1776 to today.

The Maynard Sundman/Littleton Coin Company Lecture Series will be held at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center on Wednesday, August 26, from 10 a.m. to 4:15 p.m. This year's theme is "Striking Independence: 250 Years of American Numismatics." The speakers and their lectures include:

10 a.m. – Toby Reeves: Coins Don't Lie: How 250 Years of American Monetary Crisis Created a Roadmap for the Digital Currency Revolution

American monetary history has repeated the same five-stage crisis cycle four times in 250 years. That is not a coincidence. It is a pattern, and the numismatic record is its most reliable witness. This lecture presents original research using coins, tokens, and paper currency as primary behavioral evidence to argue that cryptocurrency is not a disruption of American monetary tradition. It is the most faithful expression f it. Every time Americans lost confidence in their official money, they invented something new. They did it in 1776, the 1860s, and 1971. They are doing it right now. The coins tell the story every time, if you know how to read them.

11:15 a.m. – Dr. Eric Karrell: Our Nation's History – It's All There in the "Fine Print"

There are few more iconic American images than the $1 bill. In its current form it has been around for some 90 years. So long, in fact, that we don't give it a second glance as we pull it from the tip jar—let alone read the fine print "This note is a legal tender for all debts public and private." But these same 12 words have not always been on our money—there have been many different variations on this theme throughout the past 250 years. In this lecture, we'll see how we can read our nation's history in that "fine print."

12:15 p.m. Sundman Luncheon (fee and pre-registration required)

2 p.m. – Russ Bega: From Libertas to Liberty: The Foreign Roots of America's Numismatic Identity

Liberty is often regarded as a uniquely American ideal, proudly proclaimed on United States coinage for more than two centuries. Yet the imagery and symbolism used to express liberty in American money did not originate with the United States. Instead, they emerged from a long visual and intellectual tradition sketching back to the classical world.

This lecture traces the evolution of liberty as a numismatic symbol from the ancient Mediterranean to the early American republic. Beginning with the Greek and Roman traditions that personified freedom through figures such as Libertas and symbols like the pileus, the talk explores how these classical motifs were revived during the Enlightenment and the Atlantic revolutions of the eighteenth century. These ideas circulated widely through European art, political philosophy, and coinage long before the founding of the United States.

3:15 p.m. – Caroline Turco: Republics in Profile: The Parallel Transition from Allegory to Authority in American and Roman Coinage

From its beginning, American coinage deliberately avoided depicting real people. The Founders—especially George Washington—rejected portrait coinage as a symbol of monarchy, instead choosing allegorical Liberty drawn from classical republic traditions. Yet within little more than a century, portraits of Washington and other former presidents became the dominant visual language of U.S. coins. Today, American coinage increasingly commemorates individuals, events, and national origin stories rather than abstract civil ideas. This lecture will explore that transformation across 250 years of American numismatics and place it in conversation with a striking historical precedent: the evolution of the Roman Republic coinage into Imperial portrait coinage. It will examine how both societies used money to construct civic identity, promote shared myths, and redefine political legitimacy through imagery.

To register for the Sundman Lecture series, visit WorldsFairOfMoney.com. For questions about presentations or more information, contact Doug Mudd at mudd@money.org.

The World's Fair of Money is an annual convention hosted by the American Numismatic Association (ANA) that features educational seminars, lectures, and presentations from noted numismatists; hundreds of dealers to give coin appraisals, buy, and sell inventory; rare treasures on display, auctions and more. For more information on the event, visit WorldsFairOfMoney.com.

The American Numismatic Association is a congressionally chartered, nonprofit educational organization dedicated to encouraging the study and collection of coins and related items. The ANA helps its members and the public discover and explore the world of money through its vast array of educational and outreach programs, to include its museum, library, publications, conventions and webinars. For more information, call 719-632-2646 or visit money.org.

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