ANA School of Numismatics Diploma Program

Banemorth

I saw this in another thread and was curious if anyone has participated in this. Forgive my ignorance but can the entire course be completed online or through the mail or must one attend in person in the classroom? This has piqued my interest.

Sonorandesertrat

I know a few people who completed the program. If you intend to get anything out of a grading course (and there are two required for the program) or counterfeit detection course, I think that you need to attend it in person. Learning to grade coins, especially mint state coins, by looking at pictures alone is a fool's game.

I have all of the course books and a couple of the videos---they are reasonably well done, but not thorough enough in my opinion. It is unfortunate that the Diploma Program does not include a course that covers the history of U.S. numismatics. A good reference (or even a handful) that covers what I think that collectors should know about this doesn't exist.

GoldenEyeNumismatics

I have completed it with a group of folks from a local coin club. I completed it through the mail. It's not perfect but I really enjoyed it.

bigjpst

A few years ago I bought the course but never really pursued the diploma. There was quite a bit of good information, but I thing in hand viewing of coins is much better for some things like grading and counterfeit detection.

CoinMan1012

I completed the program. I loved it, but some sections were outdated.
I bought mine all at once, but you can purchase one section (there are 6) at a time. You can also take equivilent courses at the SS and use the credits to complete that section. I got my diploma. I feel it is a underutilized aset of the ANA, IMO. Kinda expensive though, but it is kinda like numismatic collage. It is only through the mail, at the moment, unless you take a SS course.

19Lyds

<< <i>I have completed it with a group of folks from a local coin club. I completed it through the mail. It's not perfect but I really enjoyed it. >>

How did you address the Final Exam?

Broadstruck

<< <i>I completed the program. I loved it, but some sections were outdated. >>



Well based on the book covers they looked the same when I took the correspondence course 25 years ago.

CoinMan1012

<< <i>

<< <i>I have completed it with a group of folks from a local coin club. I completed it through the mail. It's not perfect but I really enjoyed it. >>

How did you address the Final Exam? >>


You need a person to sign a slip saying you took it closed book and didnt cheat, and then THEY mail it.

3keepSECRETif2rDEAD

<< <i>If you intend to get anything out of a grading course (and there are two required for the program) or counterfeit detection course, I think that you need to attend it in person. Learning to grade coins, especially mint state coins, by looking at pictures alone is a fool's game. >>



...no offense to our host (PCGS) but I attended their first 'Grading 101' course at the LBE in Feb and guess what...only pictures of coins to grade from a high school style projector. In terms of an actual high school grading scale, every single person there failed miserably (including Mr. hall and Mr. Guth). I agree that in order to truly grade a MS coin (or circulated as well considering there were circulated coins on screen there as well), it must be in your hands, with proper lighting and magnification.

I couldn't attend the latest show to take the 102 course (I very much wanted to), but I would only assume that they had real coins there for the students to grade in hand... I hope.

Erik

TwoSides2aCoin

I'm no school boy. I earned my 3rd degree at the street level.

krueger

<" It is unfortunate that the Diploma Program does not include a course that covers the history of U.S. numismatics. A good reference (or even a handful) that covers what I think that collectors should know about this doesn't exist. ">

Some dealerships train with : THE HISTORY OF UNITED STATES COINAGE.(AS ILLUSTRATED BY THE GARRETT COLLECTION)
BY Q.DAVID BOWERS

This quite a book if you want a history of U.S. Coinage!

There is also: THE U.S. MINT AND COINAGE BY DON TAXAY
Recommended by David Bowers

Krueger

Sonorandesertrat

Those are good books, but they do not cover many aspects of U.S. numismatics that collectors should be familiar with, like the evolution of coin grading, the rise of coin dealers and coin auctions in the U.S., important early collectors in the U.S., etc.

Dentuck

<< <i>Those are good books, but they do not cover many aspects of U.S. numismatics that collectors should be familiar with, like the evolution of coin grading, the rise of coin dealers and coin auctions in the U.S., important early collectors in the U.S., etc. >>




For that, see Bowers, The Expert's Guide to Collecting and Investing in Rare Coins.

Sonorandesertrat

Very nice book (I think every collector should own a copy), but more suited for an introductory numismatics course.