Calgary hosts the country's largest numismatic convention, includes ancient coins, paper
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Located at the Best Western Premier Calgary Plaza Hotel & Conference Centre, the event is a celebration of the 75th anniversaries of both the RCNA and Calgary Numismatic Society. Running from Thursday, the bourse, or exchange, features more than 80 dealer tables and coin grading among other activities.
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'It's Canada's biggest bourse ever,' said Convention Chair James Williston. 'There's all types of ancient coins, paper. Anything in numismatics, there's someone in there selling it or buying it . . . It's quite mind-boggling if you're a novice and you're coming to a show for the first time.'
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Organizers say the convention celebrates more than just coins — it's about preserving Canada's history, culture and shared identity through currency.
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'Our primary function is educating the public and other members on history,' said Bill O'Brien, president of the RCNA.
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'The whole history of Canada is found on its paper money and currency . . . Every coin and bank note has a historical representation of some event or famous person, and a lot of the numismatics is the backstory to that item.'
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Organizers said the convention, held annually in cities across Canada, drew a large crowd this year, with collectors flying in from around the world in some cases.
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'We have Americans, someone from Vienna, one person from Ireland, and all across Canada from Victoria right to Moncton. And we have a core group of about 130 people who come every year,' said Williston.
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In addition to buying and selling, hobbyists can take part in educational symposiums, youth programming and guided tours around Calgary.
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'This is my first time at an RCNA convention,' said Douglas Lang, who made the trip from the U.S. to mingle with like-minded numismatists. 'I'm enjoying it very much. This is a very impressive bourse, I've enjoyed the lectures I've listened to, and I just enjoy the people.'
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On Friday, the RCNA plans to bring collectors down for a visit to the University of Calgary's Nickle Galleries, home to the largest numismatic collection in the country. The collection features over 16,000 ancient coins and rare currencies from around the world.
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The university recently acquired the RCNA's extensive research library, which includes rare books, manuscripts and periodicals relating to coins, tokens and bank notes.
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The convention also includes competitive exhibits judged across 10 categories, and a three-day auction conducted by the Canadian Numismatic Company.
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For the Royal Canadian Mint, the annual event is a key opportunity to meet collectors in person.
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'The collectors are very astute, very knowledgeable. They have very specific needs in terms of what they want to collect,' said Alex Reeves, senior manager of public affairs at the Royal Canadian Mint. 'They always come here to our booth, see some of our new stuff and they're blown away by it. It's always funny to see that reaction.'
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'It's an excellent way to engage people with the past, and that's what interests me, is not just the coins but the history that they represent,' said Paul Anderson, owner of Praefectus Coins.
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Anderson's Vancouver-based business specializes in ancient coins, ranging from affordable pieces to museum-worthy rarities.
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'Not only is it a coin that circulated over 2,000 years ago in many cases, but it can represent images of people who changed history in the past,' Anderson said.
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Collectors and dealers alike say it's the mix of discovery and personal interaction that makes the convention unique.
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'Museums and specialists, they'll tell you that we're the bane of their existence. But if you look at all the dealers here, we're the ones getting the populace involved,' said Charles Euston, a coin dealer based in Montreal.
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For dealers like Euston, who holds two degrees in Roman history, it's not just about business.
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'I don't do this for monetary profit. Sure, if I can make some money, I will. But I do it because I love the material,' Euston said.
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Ray Oldenburg, a collector of 65 years who came from Montreal, said the appeal goes beyond the coins or notes themselves.
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'It's not just coin collecting – it's numismatics. The entire thing has a line drawn through it of history and a little bit of geography. That's what makes it exciting,' said Oldenburg.
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'You can do anything from ancient and medieval, where you get coins from 3,000 years ago, to ultra-modern polymer banknotes with all the latest security features. So, there's really something in it for everybody.'
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