By 1954, a new trend was beginning to emerge for the

Royal Canadian Numismatic Association 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 ...

as annual meetings evolved into annual conventions. Working with the Toronto Coin Club as host, the first such convention was held in

Toronto Toronto ( , locally pronounced or ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most populous city in Canada. It is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a p ...

in 1954. The conventions offered an agenda of educational forums, bourse activity, competitive exhibits with awards to the winners, and a closing banquet, with the highlight being a special guest speaker. . It was also in 1954 that the association issued its first ever

medal A medal or medallion is a small portable artistic object, a thin disc, normally of metal, carrying a design, usually on both sides. They typically have a commemorative purpose of some kind, and many are presented as awards. They may be in ...

to commemorate the event. The tradition of an annual convention and a convention medal continues to this very day. The Canadian Numismatic Association's official

seal Seal may refer to any of the following: Common uses * Pinniped, a diverse group of semi-aquatic marine mammals, many of which are commonly called seals, particularly: ** Earless seal, also called "true seal" ** Fur seal ** Eared seal * Seal ( ...

would eventually be used on many convention medals. The seal is an adaptation of Emmanuel Hahn's famous “Voyageur” design, which was used on

Canadian Silver Dollar The Canadian silver dollar () was first issued by the Royal Canadian Mint in 1935 to commemorate the Silver Jubilee of George V of the United Kingdom, King George V. The Coin, coin's Obverse and reverse, reverse design was sculpted by Emanuel Hahn ...

s since 1935. The first year that this seal was eventually used was 1963. The original die was engraved by H.F. Sarson of Pressed Metal Products in

Vancouver Vancouver is a major city in Western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the cit ...

. The Royal Canadian Numismatic Association's official seal would be used beginning with the 2009 convention medal, following the official name change of the organization in 2008.

Annual Convention Medals

Since 1954, the Royal Canadian Numismatic Association has sponsored the striking of a convention medal as a way of commemorating the occasion. The concept was that these medals would be for those attending the event. Eventually, variations were used as awards for those competing in the many convention display exhibits. The annual convention was directed by a host club. Occasionally, the members of the club were responsible for the designing of the medal. The mintages have varied from year to year as the mintage is determined by the host club. The contributing factors will include projected attendance, the economic climate and location of the convention. Consequently, mintages for the medals vary from year to year.

1954 CNA Annual Convention

The inaugural CNA Convention was held at

’s King Edward Hotel on August 23 and 24, 1954. The Toronto Coin Club hosted the occasion and the guest speaker was Peter Seaby of London, England. To commemorate the event, a medal was issued for the attendees of the convention. The designer was P.S. Favro and it was struck with the participation of the H. Barnard Stamp & Stencil Company, from

Hamilton, Ontario Hamilton is a port city in the Canadian Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Ontario. Hamilton has a 2021 Canadian census, population of 569,353 (2021), and its Census Metropolitan Area, census metropolitan area, which encompasses ...

. Eventually, the dies were turned over to the Toronto Coin Club and given to the

on permanent loan in 1981. * NOTE 1: The silver version was a duplicate of the brass version. It was presented as an award in November 1954 to P.S. Favro. The award acknowledged his work on the Convention. A second version exists as well. *ALTERNATE VERSIONS: In 1962, the medallion was restruck in Sterling Silver. This was to acknowledge the 26th Anniversary of the

Toronto Coin Club Toronto ( , locally pronounced or ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most populous city in Canada. It is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a p ...

and were sold for $6.00 each. A total of 50 were minted, followed by another 12 in 1967. A brass version was produced in 1967. There were a total of 300 medals that were struck and these are denoted by the letter R that is stamped on the reverse between 1954 and

. The issue price was $3.00 each.

1955 CNA Annual Convention

The second CNA Convention was held at Ottawa's Chateau Laurier Hotel on September 5 and 6, 1955. The guest speaker was A.P. Williams, the Master of the Royal Canadian Mint. Pritchard-Andrews Co., based out of Ottawa, struck the medal. The obverse die featured the old arms from the City of Ottawa and had been previously used by Pritchard-Andrews for various commemorative medals. Pritchard-Andrews retained the design once more for the CNA's medal. The reverse die has been lost but featured the wording: “Canadian Numismatic Association – Chapter No. 1 - Ottawa Host to Convention – Sept 7 & 8, 1955.” Regrettably, the medals were struck from clashed dies and a cracked obverse die.

1956 CNA Annual Convention

The third CNA Convention was held in London, Ontario on September 21 and 22, 1956. Birks Jewellers designed and struck the official convention medals, although the dies were destroyed in 1973. The medal was of octagonal shape and featured the arms of the city of London. In later years, the obverse die was used to strike bronze medals that commemorated the 100th meeting (in 1959) and the 250th meeting (in 1971) of the London Numismatic Society.

1957 CNA Annual Convention

The fourth CNA Convention was held in Hamilton, Ontario on August 30 and 31, 1957. The Hamilton Coin Club hosted the event. The guest speaker was J.D. Ferguson, and recounted “Memories of Fifty Years in Numismatics.” The obverse of the medal displays the host city's coat of arms. NOTE: Two Sterling Silver versions were created as awards. They had an antique finish with the words BIRKS/STERLING impressed on the edge. It weighed 21.7 grams, was specially cased, and one was presented to J.D. Ferguson.

1958 CNA Annual Convention

The fifth CNA Convention was held in Ottawa, Ontario from September 4 to 6, 1958. The Ottawa Coin Club hosted the event. The guest speaker was Harold Don Allen. The obverse of the Convention medal featured the new heraldic arms of the City of Ottawa, as designed by Lt.-Cmdr Allan Beddoe. The medal was designed and struck by Birks Jewellers of Ottawa. Like the 1956 Convention dies, the 1958 dies were destroyed too. The medal also commemorates the Centenary of the establishment of decimal coinage in Canada and the 50th year of operation of the

Royal Canadian Mint The Royal Canadian Mint () is the mint of Canada and a Crown corporation, operating under an act of parliament referred to as the ''Royal Canadian Mint Act''. The shares of the mint are held in trust for the Crown in right of Canada. The mi ...

1959 CNA Annual Convention

The 1959 CNA Annual Convention marked the first time that it was held outside of Ontario. It was held in

Regina, Saskatchewan Regina ( ) is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Saskatchewan. The city is the second-largest in the province, and is a commercial centre for southern Saskatchewan. As of the 2021 Canadian census, ...

at the Hotel Saskatchewan from September 2 to 4, 1959. Mr. J. Douglas Ferguson was the guest speaker. Mr. Cec Tannahill and Mr. J.C. Summerlin designed the scalloped shaped medal. Birks Montreal then struck the medal, and Birks destroyed the dies after the medals were produced.

1960 CNA Annual Convention

The seventh annual event was held in

Sherbrooke Sherbrooke ( , ) is a city in southern Quebec, Canada. It is at the confluence of the Saint-François River, Saint-François and Magog River, Magog rivers in the heart of the Estrie administrative region. Sherbrooke is also the name of a territ ...

, Québec from August 18 to the 20 at the New Sherbrooke Hotel. The guest speaker was Major Sheldon S. Carroll and the medal that was presented was larger than in previous years. The medal was in the form of a

plaquette A plaquette (; "small plaque") is a small low relief sculpture in bronze or other materials. These were popular in the Italian Renaissance and later. They may be commemorative, but especially in the Renaissance and Mannerist periods were often ...

with a wooden mount and the design was an adaptation of the Habitat penny of 1852 with suitable convention legends. Canadian Artistic Dies Ltd. of Sherbrooke struck the medal. The medal was struck from a die engraved by O. Lombardo. NOTE: There were actually 20 of the gold-filled bronze that were issued. Two were used as special awards to J.D. Ferguson and Cecil Tannahill. With regards to the bronze version (CNA-7), 300 were actually minted but 11 were used as competition awards. The Best Exhibit Award went to J.D. Ferguson. Two versions of the medal exist in lead but they were minted as trial strikes. .

1961 CNA Annual Convention

The eighth annual convention was held at Hamilton's Royal Connaught Hotel from August 31 through September 2. The host club was the Hamilton Coin Club and the banquet speaker was former

American Numismatic Association The American Numismatic Association (ANA) is an organization founded in 1891 by George Francis Heath. Located in Colorado Springs, Colorado, it was formed to advance the knowledge of numismatics (the study of coins) along educational, historic ...

president Admiral O.H. Dodson. The obverse of the medal showed the Hamilton City Hall and adjoining grounds. The medal was designed by S.M. Roscoe, who was also the architect of the Hamilton City Hall.

1962 CNA Annual Convention

The ninth annual convention marked the first and only time that the C.N.A. held its convention outside of Canada. In conjunction with the

, the Convention took place at Detroit's Sheridan-Cadillac Hotel from August 15 to 18, 1962. The Detroit Coin Club hosted the event. The Convention medal was designed by Marshall M. Fredericks, a noted Detroit sculptor. The obverse depicts a device, half maple leaf and half eagle, symbolic of the two associations. The reverse depicts the “Spirit of Detroit”, a sculpture by Mr. Fredericks.

1963 CNA Annual Convention

The tenth annual convention was hosted by the Vancouver Numismatic Society. The Convention took place from August 15 to 17, 1963. For the first time ever, the C.N.A.’s official seal was incorporated into the design. The C.N.A. seal is an adaptation of Emanuel Hahn’s

Voyageur Dollar The voyageur dollar is a coin of Canada that was struck for circulation from 1935 through 1986. Until 1968, the coin was composed of 80% silver. A smaller, nickel version for general circulation was struck from 1968 through 1986. In 1987, the coi ...

reverse design. The reverse depicts a view of “The Lions”, twin mountain peaks of the North Shore coastal range, with the Lion's Gate Suspension bridge in the foreground. The medal was designed by Larry Gingras, Leslie C. Hill, and Lawrence Kristmanson. It was struck by Pressed Metal Products of Vancouver.

1964 CNA Annual Convention

The eleventh annual convention marked was held in Halifax. The Halifax Coin Club hosted the event and the Convention took place from August 27 to 29. The obverse of the official Convention medal offers a view of the Old Town Clock on Citadel Hill. The reverse, showing the flag of Nova Scotia was designed by A.M. MacDonald. Benjamin Ireland cut the dies and Wellings of Toronto struck the medals.

1965 CNA Annual Convention

The twelfth annual convention was held in

Montreal Montreal is the List of towns in Quebec, largest city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Quebec, the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-largest in Canada, and the List of North American cit ...

. The Montreal Numismatic Society was the host club for the Convention, which took place from August 12 to 14. J.D. Ferguson was a guest speaker at the banquet. The obverse shows a view of downtown Montreal, with Mount Royal and the Cross in the background. The reverse presents a view of the Chateau de Ramezay, historic site of Canada's first numismatic society. The medal was designed by a committee led by Robert Verity. The medal was struck by William Scully Ltd of Montreal. In later years, the Scully presses and dies were acquired by Wellings of Toronto and the dies were destroyed in 1973.

1966 CNA Annual Convention

The thirteenth annual convention was held in

Winnipeg Winnipeg () is the capital and largest city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Manitoba. It is centred on the confluence of the Red River of the North, Red and Assiniboine River, Assiniboine rivers. , Winnipeg h ...

. It marked the first time that the Convention was held in Manitoba. The Manitoba Coin Club was the host club for the Convention. It was held at the Marlborough Hotel from August 25 to 27. The guest speaker at the banquet was Major Sheldon S. Carroll. The obverse depicts the arms of the province of

Manitoba Manitoba is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada at the Centre of Canada, longitudinal centre of the country. It is Canada's Population of Canada by province and territory, fifth-most populous province, with a population ...

and the reverse presents a view of

Lower Fort Garry Lower Fort Garry was built in 1830 by the Hudson's Bay Company on the western bank of the Red River, north of the original Fort Garry (now in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada). Treaty 1 was signed there. A devastating flood destroyed Fort Garry ...

. The dies were cut by Benjamin Ireland and the medals were struck by Wellings Mfg. of Toronto. Once again, the dies were destroyed in 1973.

1967 CNA Annual Convention

The fourteenth annual convention was held in

Ottawa, Ontario Ottawa is the capital city of Canada. It is located in the southern Ontario, southern portion of the province of Ontario, at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the cor ...

. This marked Canada's Centennial Year and the Ottawa Coin Club and Capital City Coin Clubs both hosted the event. The dates of the event were from August 31 to September 2. It was held at Chateau Laurier Hotel and the guest speaker at the banquet was Dr. V. Clain-Stefanelli, Curator of Numismatics at the U.S. National Museum in

Washington, DC Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and Federal district of the United States, federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from ...

. The obverse depicts the Canadian Numismatic Association's emblem while the reverse showed a view of the Canadian Parliament Buildings, as seen from across the

Ottawa River The Ottawa River (, ) is a river in the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Quebec. It is named after the Algonquin word "to trade", as it was the major trade route of Eastern Canada at the time. For most of its length, it defines the border betw ...

at Nepean Point. The medal was designed by O. Lombardo and then struck by Canadian Artistic Dies of

, Québec. The medals were struck by Canadian Artistic Dies of Sherbrooke. The dies are in the C.N.A. archives.

1968 CNA Annual Convention

The fifteenth annual convention was held in

Calgary Calgary () is a major city in the Canadian province of Alberta. As of 2021, the city proper had a population of 1,306,784 and a metropolitan population of 1,481,806 making it the third-largest city and fifth-largest metropolitan area in C ...

, Alberta. The Calgary Coin Association hosted the event. The dates of the event were from July 15 to July 17 at the Hotel Palliser. The obverse depicts an Indian on horseback, shooting a buffalo with a bow and arrow. The scene was adapted from a painting by Paul Kane from 1849. The reverse depicts a racing chuckwagon which was designed by D.M. Stewart and Doug Van Galen. Canadian Artistic Dies of Sherbrooke cut the dies and produced the medals.

1969 CNA Annual Convention

The sixteenth annual convention was held in

. The Toronto Coin Club hosted the event from August 28 to August 30. The banquet speaker was Ernest F. Brown, Acting Master of the

. This was the convention where the J. Douglas Ferguson gold medal was inaugurated and the first recipient was Fred Bowman. The medal was an irregular shaped medal and marked the fourth time that the convention had an irregular shaped medal. The other instances where irregular shaped medals were used were 1956, 1959, and 1960. The shape of the Toronto Convention medal was a pentagon. The obverse was designed by Roger Fox and David Ashe, and shows a view of the new Toronto City Hall. The reverse was designed by Hazel Munro. It has the badge of the Toronto Coin Club. Canadian Artistic Dies of Sherbrooke struck the medals. The dies are part of the C.N.A. archives.

1970 CNA Annual Convention

The seventeenth annual convention was held in Halifax. The Halifax Coin Club hosted the event from August 5 to August 8. The obverse was designed by A.M. MacDonald and Collins Baugild from a drawing by Cmdr. L.B. Jenson, R.C.N. (Ret.), who was also this year's Convention banquet speaker. The Convention medal's obverse shows the H.M.S. Shannon sailing to the right under full sail. The medal was struck by the Wellings Mint of Toronto. Both dies are in the Nova Scotia archives.

1971 CNA Annual Convention

The eighteenth annual convention was held in

during British Columbia's Centennial Year. The Vancouver Numismatic Society hosted the event from August 26 to August 28. All 159 guests at the banquet received a special silver medal commemorating the event. The obverse of the Convention Medal shows the device of the C.N.A. at left and the device of the Vancouver Numismatic Society at the right. The reverse shows the early seal of British Columbia at the left and the arms of

British Columbia British Columbia is the westernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Situated in the Pacific Northwest between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains, the province has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that ...

at the right. The design for the reverse was based on a suggestion by Leslie C. Hill. The obverse was suggested by William E. Perry. The dies and medals were struck by Frank Sarson of Pressed Metal Products of Vancouver. Both dies are in the C.N.A. archives.

1972 CNA Annual Convention

The nineteenth annual convention was held in

and was in conjunction with the Canadian Paper Money Society. The event was from August 2 to August 5. The year's Best of Show Exhibit winner was C.F. Rowe. The obverse of the Convention Medal shows the device of the C.N.A. and the C.P.M.S. The reverse illustrates the coat of arms of the City of Toronto registered with the College of Arms, London, England. The obverse of the medal was designed by R.W. Irwin and the reverse by W. English. The medals were struck by the Lombardo Mint.

1983 CNA Annual Convention

The 30th Canadian Numismatic Association annual convention was held in

Moncton Moncton (; ) is the most populous city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of New Brunswick. Situated in the Petitcodiac River Valley, Moncton lies at the geographic centre of the The Maritimes, Maritime Provinces. Th ...

, New Brunswick from July 20 to July 23, 1983. The obverse of the Convention Medal shows the #66 locomotive, a 4-4-0 Type D-17. The reverse shows the early seal of British Columbia at the left and the arms of

at the right. The design for the reverse was based on the Voyageur dollar. The obverse was designed by Lloyd R. Carson, a retired CNR mechanical supervisor. These were the first medallions struck by the Royal Canadian Mint.

1984 CNA Annual Convention

The 31st Canadian Numismatic Association annual convention was held in Hamilton, Ontario from July 19 to July 22, 1984. The obverse of the Convention Medal has a theme for the

United Empire Loyalists United Empire Loyalist (UEL; or simply Loyalist) is an honorific title which was first given by Guy Carleton, 1st Baron Dorchester, the 1st Lord Dorchester, the governor of Province of Quebec (1763–1791), Quebec and Governor General, governor ...

. The artists rendition was taken from a statue erected by the City of Hamilton as a tribute to the settlers that came and made a very positive impact in the surrounding area.

1985 CNA Annual Convention

The 32nd Canadian Numismatic Association annual convention was held in Regina, Saskatchewan from July 17 to July 21, 1985. The theme for the obverse was the “Northcote at Batoche 9 May 1885.” The design features naval action, which was part of the Northwest Rebellion led by

Louis Riel Louis Riel (; ; 22 October 1844 – 16 November 1885) was a Canadian politician, a founder of the province of Manitoba, and a political leader of the Métis in Canada, Métis people. He led two resistance movements against the Government of ...

1986 CNA annual convention

The 33rd Canadian Numismatic Association annual convention was held in

Ontario Ontario is the southernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Located in Central Canada, Ontario is the Population of Canada by province and territory, country's most populous province. As of the 2021 Canadian census, it ...

, from July 23 to July 26, 1986. The theme for the reverse was the North York Memorial Community Hall.

1987 CNA annual convention

The 34th Canadian Numismatic Association annual convention was held in

Alberta Alberta is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province in Canada. It is a part of Western Canada and is one of the three Canadian Prairies, prairie provinces. Alberta is bordered by British Columbia to its west, Saskatchewan to its east, t ...

, from July 14 to July 19, 1987. The theme for the reverse was a grain elevator, an oil derrick, the

Rocky Mountains The Rocky Mountains, also known as the Rockies, are a major mountain range and the largest mountain system in North America. The Rocky Mountains stretch in great-circle distance, straight-line distance from the northernmost part of Western Can ...

, and the

Calgary Tower The Calgary Tower is a free-standing observation tower in the Downtown Calgary, downtown core of Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Originally called the Husky Tower, it was conceived as a joint venture between Marathon Realty Company Limited and Husky ...

1991 CNA Annual Convention

The 38th Canadian Numismatic Association annual convention was held in

Toronto, Ontario Toronto ( , locally pronounced or ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most populous city in Canada. It is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a p ...

from July 23 to July 28, 1985. The obverse of the Convention Medal featured the skyline of Toronto. At the time, it was the most detailed object ever struck at the Royal Canadian Mint. Every line of its design was drawn by the Royal Canadian Mint's chief engraver Ago Aarand, with assistance by Stan Witten. It took over a week of painstaking detail to complete the thousands of lines in the 8" diameter sketch.

The J.D. Ferguson Award

Royal Canadian Mint Award

On July 8, 1976,

president, Yvon Gariepy announced that an annual award would be bestowed to the Canadian deemed to have contributed the most to numismatic education in Canada. The award was in the form of a sterling silver medal, and would be known as the Royal Canadian Mint Award. It measures 45 mm in diameter and depicts a view of the Royal Canadian Mint building on 320 Sussex Drive in Ottawa. The name of the recipient and the year are engraved on the reverse. A panel of numismatists, along with the Royal Canadian Mint, selects the winner. The award is presented at the Annual Royal Canadian Numismatic Association Convention.The Charlton Standard Catalogue of the Canadian Numismatic Association’s Medals and Awards, 1st Edition, R. Brian Cornwell, p. 68, 1991, The Charlton Press, Toronto,

References

External links

J. Douglas Ferguson Award
{{Canadian_currency_and_coinage Commemorative coins of Canada Award items Exonumia