National Coin Week

Dreamcrusher

The ANA will be celebrating National Coin Week April 17-23, 2022. This year's theme is **Dynamic Designs, Artistic Masterpieces. ** As part of the celebration, the ANA is sponsoring a student activity. Any youngster 17 and under can participate in one of two age categories. Students do not have to be a member of the ANA to participate and each student who submits a successful entry will earn a prize with a grand prize offered in each age category. For directions and more information, please go to the following link: https://www.money.org/2022-ncw-youth-activity

FlyingAl

Interesting. I have no idea if this will get YNs doing the contest. I for one won’t be, it’s just not something that I would want to do.

I think that the ANA should send a poll to every member with a list of 50 great US coins, and have them vote. Then have the YNs try to guess which one got the most votes. That would get me doing the contest regardless of the prize.

Right now I find myself asking, “Ok what’s the prize” and then I realize I don’t really even want to do it. The ANA just needs to revamp its YN promotions IMO. It’s just too much of the same.

Dreamcrusher

@FlyingAl said:
Interesting. I have no idea if this will get YNs doing the contest. I for one won’t be, it’s just not something that I would want to do.

I think that the ANA should send a poll to every member with a list of 50 great US coins, and have them vote. Then have the YNs try to guess which one got the most votes. That would get me doing the contest regardless of the prize.

Right now I find myself asking, “Ok what’s the prize” and then I realize I don’t really even want to do it. The ANA just needs to revamp its YN promotions IMO. It’s just too much of the same.

While the ANA never wants to be in a position to discourage YN's from participating in its activities, there are a couple of issues with your suggestion. The NCW Student Activity is supposed to go along with the theme of NCW. Guessing at what is the most popular US coin does not fit in with the theme and we really don't want to limit ourselves just to United States coins.

While you may not be interested in this activity, the ANA has several other activities designed for YN's to earn coins. There is Coins for A's, the Ancient Coin Project, the Early American Copper Coin Project and for members 12 & under, the Dollar Project. We also have activities in which YN's can earn YN dollars so that they can bid in our monthly YN Auctions. If you haven't participated in these activities, we hope that you will consider them and put yourself in a position to earn some great coins.

Tibor

I'll be doing my usual coin drop of wheaties and partial date buffaloes.

TomB

I don't have an issue with the contest, but I wonder how many potential YN participants the ANA misses out on by requiring them to submit a mailed (not email, but USPS mail) submission. In this day and age of near-instantaneous electronic communication, I wonder how many YNs look at the idea of slapping a stamp on an envelope for their home-printed submission and think "No, thanks".

FlyingAl

@Dreamcrusher I understand this, I was just throwing out a suggestion for later years (I just threw this one out at the top of my head, I don't expect it to ever even be considered). I had tried doing the YN dollars a while ago, but the process was so complicated I dropped it almost right away. There's also the problem that these activities are heavily geared to younger kids, which I understand. I really do appreciate the ANA's efforts, I just wish the ideas had maybe a two tiered approach to it- one that is in depth heavily geared to YNs that are just as qualified as many older numismatists and those who are brand new. I think that the idea that YNs can be experts in their fields of study is almost always forgotten or brushed aside.

@Tibor the Great American Coin Hunt was one of my favorite ideas, it is perfect in almost all regards!

@TomB This is a good point, I noticed this but didn't mention it. With almost all contests nowadays being online, if I asked my friends to complete an essay for a $500 possibility of winning, but they had to mail it in, I would almost guarantee that many would just say nope. A lot of my friends also don't have a ton of time to do something like a drawing (once again geared to the younger crowd, which this idea is great for).

All in all, I love how the ANA is helping get YNs involved. I have just seen these contests for years and wondered why there was never a research option. If I could write a research paper on CAM or DCAM coins or 1936-1942 proofs with the prize being a possibility of it running in The Numismatist, I would 100% absolutely do that. I guess I'm just asking why the ANA never had something for YNs to show their skill and expertise through the competitions.

moursund

@Tibor said:
I'll be doing my usual coin drop of wheaties and partial date buffaloes.

I think I'll do that also, and maybe a few IHC and lib 5¢.

savitale

My daughter did something similar when she was five I think. She submitted a design for some sort of commemorative. A few weeks later she got back a letter, addressed to her (which is a big deal to a five year old), and a VG Barber dime, I think. Will she eventually become a serious coin collector? I don't know. But considering how much money is spent on really stupid stuff all around us every day, I'd suggest this is a good use of resources.

ricko

Seems like a strange theme to me.... If it is 'National Coin Week', why use the theme of "... landmark from a country other than the United States."?? I guess just testing artistic ability? Oh well... Cheers, RickO

Dreamcrusher

The ANA will be celebrating National Coin Week April 17-23, 2022. This year's theme is **Dynamic Designs, Artistic Masterpieces. ** As part of the celebration, the ANA is sponsoring a student activity. Any youngster 17 and under can participate in one of two age categories. Students do not have to be a member of the ANA to participate and each student who submits a successful entry will earn a prize with a grand prize offered in each age category. For directions and more information, please go to the following link: https://www.money.org/2022-ncw-youth-activity

@FlyingAl said:
@Dreamcrusher I understand this, I was just throwing out a suggestion for later years (I just threw this one out at the top of my head, I don't expect it to ever even be considered). I had tried doing the YN dollars a while ago, but the process was so complicated I dropped it almost right away. There's also the problem that these activities are heavily geared to younger kids, which I understand. I really do appreciate the ANA's efforts, I just wish the ideas had maybe a two tiered approach to it- one that is in depth heavily geared to YNs that are just as qualified as many older numismatists and those who are brand new. I think that the idea that YNs can be experts in their fields of study is almost always forgotten or brushed aside.

@Tibor the Great American Coin Hunt was one of my favorite ideas, it is perfect in almost all regards!

@TomB This is a good point, I noticed this but didn't mention it. With almost all contests nowadays being online, if I asked my friends to complete an essay for a $500 possibility of winning, but they had to mail it in, I would almost guarantee that many would just say nope. A lot of my friends also don't have a ton of time to do something like a drawing (once again geared to the younger crowd, which this idea is great for).

All in all, I love how the ANA is helping get YNs involved. I have just seen these contests for years and wondered why there was never a research option. If I could write a research paper on CAM or DCAM coins or 1936-1942 proofs with the prize being a possibility of it running in The Numismatist, I would 100% absolutely do that. I guess I'm just asking why the ANA never had something for YNs to show their skill and expertise through the competitions.

Here you are. Just what you are looking for: https://www.money.org/yn-literary-awards

FlyingAl

@Dreamcrusher Thank you so much for that link! It is exactly what I was looking for and it looks like I have time to put something together! Awesome!

oldabeintx

I was going to see if my granddaughter would be interested, but she's a very talented artist and the theme is too limited. This would likely bore her. Also, the required written portion is unnecessarily tedious. I'm proud to have been a LM for many years, but the ANA lacks imagination on occasion. Looks like a 6th grade exercise in a dullish world history class.

Dreamcrusher

@oldabeintx said:
I was going to see if my granddaughter would be interested, but she's a very talented artist and the theme is too limited. This would likely bore her. Also, the required written portion is unnecessarily tedious. I'm proud to have been a LM for many years, but the ANA lacks imagination on occasion. Looks like a 6th grade exercise in a dullish world history class.

The written component is there because not all children are talented artists. This gives an opportunity for children who can write but not draw very well a chance to shine. I hope that you will reconsider and tell your granddaughter about this wonderful opportunity to earn a very nice coin.