Rules for Exhibiting at an
American Numismatic Association
Anniversary Convention
last update: Nov 30, 1998
Revised April 1998:
ANA Rules for Exhibiting and Judging
These rules set forth standard procedures for the entire
spectrum of numismatic exhibit presentation and
judging at ANA anniversary conventions.
Separate parts for exhibit rules and judging procedures are
presented here, including a copy of the judges' rating
sheet.
All exhibitors, exhibit judges and staff, exhibit chairman and committee personnel,
and members of the ANA exhibits committee will be furnished copies of these rules.
All personnel concerned
will adhere strictly to the provisions of these rules.
These rules are under the control and direction of the
American Numismatic Association, which reserves the
right to accept or reject any offered exhibit at any time.
Offered exhibits will be accepted only upon receipt
and approval of the official application form (enclosure 4)
filled in completely and properly, and submitted
to ANA headquarters for the specific convention by
the date set forth in the exhibit application.
Exhibit Rules
- Exhibits will be divided into two groups.
Each of the groups will be shown in separate exhibit areas, and
no exhibit entered under one group may be displayed with an exhibit of the other group.
The two exhibit
groups are competitive exhibits (group A) and non-competitive exhibits (group B).
- Group A - Competitive Exhibits.
- Open division - open to any member of the American Numismatic Association, including young
numismatists and ANA member clubs (see rule 5).
- Young numismatist division - limited to members of the American Numismatic Association
under eighteen years of age.
Young numismatist (YN) exhibitors may compete for open awards and
for the separately endowed YN awards.
See page 8 for descriptions of the YN awards, which differ
somewhat from the classifications associated with the open awards.
A single YN exhibit may win an
award in each division, except that if a YN exhibit wins the Howland Wood best-of-show award, the
next best YN exhibit will be awarded the Charles H. Wolfe, Sr.
YN best-of-show award.
YN exhibitors
will prepare, mount, and place their own exhibits subject to the rules
that apply to the open division.
YN exhibits will be judged with the open exhibits and those rating sheets will be returned to the
exhibitors.
YN exhibits will also be separately judged as necessary within the consolidated YN classes
by the assistant chief judges.
No rating sheets will be returned for this separate judging.
Judging standards
used for YN exhibits are identical to those used for open exhibits, and YN exhibits will not be
distinguished in any way by labeling or by placement in the hall.
- Group B - Non-competitive exhibits.
Open to members of the American Numismatic Association and to those invited to exhibit by the ANA
president or by the general chairman or the exhibit chairman of the convention.
- Application to exhibit.
- Each exhibitor must file a separate application for each exhibit,
designating the group and
classification
in which it will be entered.
Young numismatist exhibitors will designate both an open division
classification
within which each exhibit will be placed in the hall
and the YN division
classification
within which it will compete for YN awards.
- A member of the exhibit committee,
after review of the exhibit summary contained in the exhibit
application, may transfer an exhibit from one class to another
before the opening of the convention if it
appears that the exhibit was not entered in the proper class.
Similarly, when the exhibit is placed at the
convention the exhibit chairman,
after conference with the exhibitor if possible,
may transfer an exhibit
from one class to another.
In the event that the exhibitor does not agree with the exhibit committee or
the exhibit chairman on the proper placement of an exhibit,
or if the exhibit chairman is unable to consult
with the exhibitor, the chief judge will make the final decision.
- Each competitive exhibitor is limited to four exhibits,
each of which must be entered in a different
classification.
In addition, if exhibit space is limited,
exhibitors may be restricted to a certain total number
of cases, which can be used to enter up to four
exhibits within the bounds of Rule 8A(1).
Any such
restrictions
will be shown at enclosure 1.
- American Numismatic Association officers,
elected or appointed,
the convention general chairman and
exhibit chairman,
the chief judge and assistant chief judges,
and members of the immediate families of these
officials may not place competitive exhibits.
An individual who sponsors an award may not enter an exhibit
in that class.
- Forged, spurious, or counterfeit material and copies or
replicas may not be displayed unless each such item
is described as such in the exhibit and unless such items
are displayed for educational purposes.
No such item
will be displayed in violation of United States law
or government regulations.
Violation of this paragraph,
even if unintentional, will result in total disqualification of the exhibit.
- No exhibit may contain any advertising of items therein for sale,
nor any statement as to price or value.
The name or identity of any competitive exhibitor will not appear in the exhibit,
except as an author in a
bibliographic reference which will be sufficiently general
that the exhibitor cannot be linked to the exhibit by
that reference.
All exhibited material must be the personal property
of the exhibitor (which may include
property owned jointly with a spouse).
Exhibits placed by ANA member clubs must be composed of material
owned by the club or association itself, not by the members thereof.
Competitive exhibitors will not be
permitted to attend their exhibits while the exhibits are being judged.
- An exhibit that has won the Howland Wood Award (best-of-show)
may not be entered again in competition.
Similarly, an exhibitor who has won two first place awards
with a certain exhibit may not again enter
that exhibit or a substantially similar exhibit in competition
in the same division and class.
A new exhibit that
is completely changed in nature from the previously winning exhibit may be entered,
even though it is entered
in the same division and class and includes numismatic
material presented in the prior winning exhibit.
The
change(s) in the subsequent exhibit must be explained in
accordance with the requirement stated in the exhibit
application.
An unchanged prior-best-of-show or two-times
first place exhibit may be shown in Group B
(non-competitive exhibits).
- Applications for exhibit space must reach the
address
shown on the exhibit application (and at enclosure
1) not later than the
date
set forth on the application and in enclosure 1.
- Exhibit cases will be provided to exhibitors for use at the convention.
The rules on exhibit space below
pertain to competitive exhibits;
space allocated to non-competitive exhibits is a matter of negotiation between
the exhibit chairman and the participating exhibitors.
See also rule 8A(4) below.
- Cases and case limits
- The diagram at enclosure 6 specifies the inside dimensions of ANA cases.
The ANA has completed
its transition from the small cases formerly available
(display area 30"x18") to the large cases,
sometimes called "Allstate" cases, that were introduced several years ago.
The exhibit area inside the
internal lips in the new cases is 32 3/4" x 20 3/4".
Small cases are no longer available to competitive
(Group A) exhibitors.
Non-competitive (Group B) exhibitors may be required to use small cases in
some years. If so, exhibitors will be notified after
their exhibit applications are accepted. In the
following discussion "ANA cases" means the new larger cases.
- Exhibits are allowed a total display space related to
the kind of material being shown, called here
"large material" and "small material."
Large material exhibits are those in the paper money, primitive
money, and literature classes (classes 2, 6, 9, 21, and 22)
and those composed of at least 25% large
material in classes 12 through 17, 19, 20, and 23.
For this rule, large material includes bonds and
shares, checks, philatelic-numismatic covers (PNCs),
souvenir cards, casino plaques, and other similar
material.
All other exhibits are defined to be small material.
The sizes of non-numismatic collateral
items included in an exhibit (pictures, decorations, holders,
and so forth) have no bearing on the
display space allowed.
- Exhibits of small material, as defined in (2) above, may use up to six ANA cases.
Exhibits of large
material, again as defined in (2) above, may use up to seven ANA cases.
- Exhibitors may provide their own cases,
provided that no exhibit of small material may exceed
4800 square inches of table space and no exhibit of
large material may exceed 5600 square inches of
table space.
If a total case limit is
imposed
(Rule 2C and enclosure 1),
total table space for personal
cases will be (the case limit) x (800 square inches).
- All cases must lie flat on the tables provided,
viewed either horizontally (preferred) or vertically.
Wall-mounted display by
an exhibitor is limited by available wall space and is only permitted by prior
specific arrangement with the exhibit chairman.
- No titles, placards, or numismatic materials of
any kind may be placed outside the exhibit cases.
Switches or buttons intended to operate lights or
educational displays in the cases, or magnifying
glasses provided to assist exhibit readers,
may be mounted on the table or on the cases, provided that
nothing extends more than one inch above the top (glass) surface of a case.
- Summary of maximum case allowances:
Type of material, rule 8A(2) | ANA cases | Exhibitor's own cases
|
---|
Small | 6 | 4800 sq in
|
Large | 7 | 5600 sq in
|
- Additional information pertaining to exhibit equipment.
- No electrical outlets of any kind will be provided.
- Exhibits of material not capable of being presented in
the usual cases will be permitted only upon
prior and specific arrangement with the exhibit chairman,
and subject to the concurrence of the exhibit
committee chairman, which will not be unduly withheld.
- Panels.
Panels as used for philatelic exhibits are no longer available from the ANA.
If an exhibitor wishes to
use panels, the panels must be furnished by the exhibitor.
Consult the chief judge for advice on the
maximum number of panels that may be used for a specific exhibit class or type of material.
Placement
of panels in the hall must be approved by the convention exhibit chairman.
- Exhibit rooms will be open for the placement and removal of exhibits according to the
time schedule
set forth in enclosure 2.
A photo I.D. badge will be required for admission to the exhibit area at all times when
the general public is not admitted.
The schedule of hours for public admission and for obtaining photo I.D.
badges is available in The Numismatist and the general numismatic press.
- A small exhibit identification label showing the number of the exhibit, the number of cases, and the group
and class in which the exhibit is entered, will be affixed to each case of the exhibit, preferably at the upper
left comer.
For competitive exhibits, the label will not indicate whether the exhibit is eligible for awards in
the YN division.
- The exhibit chairman will keep a full and complete record of all exhibits, showing the name of the
exhibitor, the class, the identification number of the exhibit, the number of cases used, and the convention
residence of the exhibitor.
Names of the exhibitors will not be disclosed until the judges have made their
reports to the chief judge, all reports have been prepared, and the best-of-show exhibits have been selected.
Exhibitors who wish to remain anonymous must so inform the exhibit chairman.
Names of YN division winners,
except the YN best-of-show winner, may be released to the ANA committee chair for young
numismatists on request as soon as they are available to the exhibit chairman.
- Each ANA exhibit case will be locked and sealed by the exhibit chairman or his assistant in the presence
of the exhibitor or his/her agent.
The keys will be kept by the exhibit chairman until the exhibit is removed
by the exhibitor/agent.
Keys to cases provided by exhibitors/agents must be turned over to the exhibit
chairman or assistant.
These cases must also be sealed.
An exhibitor's inventory (enclosure 5) must be
completed by the exhibitor, listing numismatic items contained in the exhibit.
This form must be signed in the
presence of the exhibit chairman or assistant at the time the cases are locked and sealed.
- Security room services will be provided during the times shown on published schedules.
Exhibitors are
advised that the presence of security personnel or security systems does not constitute a guarantee against
loss, a policy of insurance, or a promise to indemnify in the event of loss by fire, theft, or other casualty.
- Each competitive exhibit must be placed in the exhibit hall prior to the published
deadline
for placement (enclosure 2).
An exhibit may be placed and/or removed by a person ("agent") other than the exhibitor,
provided the exhibitor executes the required application to do so (page 4 of the exhibit application, enclosure
4) and the ANA accepts the application for appointment of the agent.
An exhibit may be placed and removed
by different persons, neither of whom is the exhibitor.
Any exhibitor's agent who handles the exhibit in the
absence of the exhibitor must be an ANA member, must have a photo I.D. badge, and must satisfy the exhibit
chairman as to his or her identity.
The original of the agent's application, naming every person who will
handle the exhibit while the exhibitor is not present, must accompany the exhibit application; a copy must be
carried by each agent. (Exhibitors must be sure to make copies of the agent's application before sending it
to ANA with the exhibit application.) An exhibitor's agent may also use the security room after obtaining a
photo I.D.
- Classifications in which competitive exhibitors may enter are described below.
If an exhibit contains items
belonging to more than one classification, but at least 65% of the items (as recorded on the exhibitor's
inventory form) are from a single class, the exhibit may be entered in that class. (Examples: an exhibit of 52
modem European coins, including 13 gold coins (25%), would go into class 8; an exhibit of banknotes
including half from Latin America and half from Europe and Asia would go into class 9, because the Latin
American pieces still qualify as foreign notes.)
Exhibits that cannot meet the 65% test for any other classification
will be placed in class 14.
- An exhibit that could be shown in more than one class may be shown in the class of the exhibitor's choice.
(Examples: recent medals that could be shown in either class 3 or class 15; paper money that could be shown
in either class 6 or class 16.)
Judging Procedures
- Administration.
The president of ANA,
in consultation with the ANA exhibit and judging committee chair,
will, at least 250 days prior to the opening of each anniversary convention,
select a chief judge to oversee all
aspects of judging.
The chief judge will select assistant chief judges as necessary.
The chief judge and
assistant chief judges should be recognized for their impartial viewpoints and fairness.
At the time of serving
they must not be encumbered with other ANA convention duties.
None may so serve if members of their
immediate families are competitive exhibitors at the same convention.
- Selection of exhibit judges.
- Selection of exhibit judges must be made by the chief judge at least 45 days prior to the opening day
of the convention.
The exhibit judges should be selected with specific standards in mind, such as those shown
in paragraph 3 below.
Each judge must be an ANA member.
- The chief judge will use a list of exhibit judges maintained by ANA from which to select judges for
the next convention.
As required, the chief judge may also select others, keeping in mind the points above.
- There will be a minimum of three judges for each class, except that classes in which fewer than four
exhibits are entered may be judged by a single judge in close concert with an assistant chief judge.
When more
than one judge is assigned to a class, one will be designated the class leader.
Standby judges may also be
selected.
When needed or appropriate, a judge may rate exhibits in more than one class.
No judge may rate
exhibits in any class in which s/he or a member of her/his immediate family is exhibiting, or in any class in
which the judge has placed or will remove an exhibit on behalf of a competitive exhibitor.
- The chief judge will dispatch a letter to prospective exhibit judges in March preceding the convention.
S/he will, at least 45 days prior to the opening date of the convention, notify those who have indicated
availability as exhibit judges as to prospective class assignments and will also assign judges' numbers.
Those
who cannot accept an assignment or who wish to request an alternate assignment will so notify the chief
judge at the earliest practicable date.
- Attitudes and abilities of successful numismatic judges
- Openmindedness - A perspective that is unencumbered by fixed opinions - such as an idea that no
exhibit should receive full rating points on any standard, or that certain kinds of numismatic material are
inherently more worthy of recognition than others.
Each judge should keep in mind that every exhibitor
deserves the judge's full and impartial attention.
- Thorough knowledge of the exhibit class being judged.
- Humility towards the task of judging, with a willingness to ask for assistance and to give due credit
to the opinions of others.
- Willingness to explain a rating and to change a rating when an error, obvious or otherwise, has been
made.
- Instruction of judges.
A meeting of all judges will be held as set forth in the schedule of events, which will
be mailed to each judge when it becomes available.
This mandatory meeting is for the purpose of making late
assignment changes and for reviewing exhibiting and judging procedures.
All judges must have a photo I.D.
badge, so judging can be conducted both early and late.
- The judging process.
- Each judge must be careful to follow judging procedures and to carry out the instructions and interpretations
presented at the judges' meeting.
Judges may perform their tasks together or independently, and there
may be comparison of grades or discussion between judges concerning specific items or total grades during
the judging process.
- Any questions that arise should be directed to the chief judge.
If specific information on any point is
needed, standard reference books or recognized experts in attendance at the convention will be consulted.
- Judges are expected to read all the information presented in an exhibit before arriving at a conclusion
about the exhibit.
In the event a judge awards fewer than 75% of the available points for a given evaluation
element, comments should be placed on the judging sheet for the benefit of the exhibitor.
- In any case where it is considered necessary the judges will have the right to remove material from an
exhibit case for the purpose of closer examination.
The exhibitor or exhibitor's agent (see page 4 of the
exhibit application) must be present.
Such removal must also be made in the presence of the exhibit chairman
and the chief judge or their assistants.
- Judges will upon completion of all judging in any class, discuss among themselves the relative
standings each has given the respective exhibits.
Judges may at this time make such changes in ratings as they deem
necessary.
Upon completion of this consultation the class leader will submit all judging sheets (for all judges
of the team) to the chief judge.
- The deadline for returning judging sheets to the chief judge will be stated in the
deadline
of events (enclosure 2).
- As each class leader turns in completed rating sheets, the chief judge or assistant will keep the ratings
in each class together and check them for arithmetic accuracy.
The chief judge will then enter the ratings on
the master record sheet, which will show a side-by-side comparison of points awarded to each exhibit by each
judge, for each exhibit
standard
(as shown in enclosure 3).
- A review committee, consisting of the chief judge and the assistant chief judges, will then review the
exhibit judging record sheet for variances (or lack thereof) in the results submitted by the three judges for
each class and for any errors.
If a wide variance (or a substantially complete lack of variance) occurs, or if
there is patent error, the chief judge will ask the exhibit judges involved for explanation and, where necessary,
make any appropriate corrections.
The chief judge has complete discretion to request that a class be rejudged,
by either the original team of judges or by a newly appointed team of judges.
The committee will also review
all classes to ensure that there are no discrepancies between the ordinal rankings of the exhibits and the
numerical scores that have been given them.
In other words, did the consensus of the three class judges about
which exhibit is first, second, and third agree with the scores?
It is possible for two judges to place an exhibit
"first," yet the scores show another exhibit with higher points if the third judge is a "high marker." Such cases
will be resolved in favor of the exhibit that received the greater number of votes for first place (or second or
third, as applicable).
- Ties for first, second, and third place will be broken by the chief judge and assistant chief judges, who
will rate the exhibits involved, using the standard rating sheet.
- Upon completion of judging of exhibits the chief judge will turn over the completed rating sheets to
the exhibit chairman.
The results of both class judging and best-of-show judging will be reported to the
exhibit chairman by the chief judge only, not by exhibit judges.
- Exhibitors' rating sheets, as received from the chief judge, will be given to the individual exhibitors by the
exhibit chairman upon oral request, not earlier than the time announced in the schedule of events.
- Review process
- An exhibitor or exhibitor's agent may, within the time period announced in the schedule of events and
posted at the exhibit chairman's table, submit a written request for review to the chief judge, through the
exhibit chairman as to any supposed error in rating the exhibitor's exhibit. The exhibit chairman will provide
standard forms to those who desire review and will post the review times.
Only forms provided by the chief
judge will be used.
Such appeals will be reviewed in the same manner as outlined in paragraph 5H above.
Personal presentation by an exhibitor will not be allowed.
- After any review pursuant to paragraphs 5H or 7A, the review committee may correct any error in the
ratings of any exhibit judge without the latter's concurrence, or replace the judge with a substitute exhibit
judge for the purpose of rating all exhibits in that class.
Exhibitors who file a request for review may have
points taken away as well as granted.
- Awards
- Awards for exhibits will be made by the American Numismatic Association in accordance with the
procedures approved by its board of governors.
- First-, second-, and third-place awards will be given for each competitive class.
The chief judge,
however, has the authority to withhold awards in any class where exhibits are deemed insufficient or unworthy
of an award.
- An exhibit must earn an average of at least sixty-five scoring points to merit an award in the open
division.
A YN division award may be granted to a YN exhibit that averages as few as fifty-five points.
- Only first-place award winners in the open division classes will be eligible for the Howland Wood
best-of-show award.
Only first-place award winners in the YN division classes will be eligible for the YN
best-of-show award.
- All exhibitors and judges will receive a suitable medal or plaque for their participation.
- Point system.
The point system to be used for judging competitive exhibits is summarized below.
Explanations
of these standards are amplified in the
rating sheet
for numismatic exhibits, enclosure 3.
| Exhibit standards | Maximum points
|
---|
(A) | Numismatic information
Educational value to the viewer.
| 35
|
(B) | Presentation
Manner of presentation, neatness, and eye appeal.
| 30
|
(C) | Completeness
Completeness of exhibit material as it relates to the scope
implied in the title of the exhibit or other data in the first
case of the exhibit.
| 5
|
(D) | Degree of difficulty
Estimate of the difficulty that the exhibitor had in
assembling the material or the information in the exhibit.
| 10
|
(E) | Condition
Quality of exhibited material compared to highest reasonably
available quality of like material.
| 10
|
(F) | Rarity
Scarcity of the exhibited material, without regard to its
price.
| 10
|
| Total points | 100
|
- Selection of competitive best-of-show award winners.
Selection of the best-of-show and YN best-of-show
exhibits will be made by one or two separate groups of at least five judges.
No such judge may have
been a competitive exhibitor in the division being judged, nor have placed or be scheduled to remove an
exhibit on behalf of a competitive exhibitor in that division.
These judges, as a group, must be knowledgeable
as to all classes, and will look for special qualities in the exhibits, such as the following:
| Best-of-show standards | Maximum points
|
---|
(A) | How consistently has the exhibit followed
the announced title or theme for the exhibit?
| 10
|
(B) | Does the display give a striking or exceptional effect,
or is it merely average in its overall appearance?
| 10
|
(C) | Does the exhibit present information above what is
known to the average collector of this type of material?
| 10
|
(D) | To what extent has careful research been done as evidenced
by the numismatic information imparted to the viewer?
| 10
|
(E) | Has credit been given to numismatic written sources?
| 5
|
(F) | Would a non-collector understand the exhibit?
| 5
|
| Total points | 50
|
In the event
of a tie in the selection of the winner of one of these awards, the chief judge and the assistant
chief judges will break the tie.
- Custody of records and reports.
The chief judge, promptly following the conclusion of the convention,
will deliver to the ANA executive director all completed judging record sheets and all submitted requests for
review.
He will also submit a suitable after-action report.
The exhibit chairman will deliver to the ANA
executive director all completed exhibit applications, unused forms, and all rating sheets not returned to the
exhibitors.
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