The American Numismatic Association is offering a range of Technical Series Classes, Collector Series Classes, a Professional Development Seminar and Free Convention Workshops during the Baltimore World’s Fair of Money®.

The American Numismatic Association will offer a variety of classes, workshops and seminars, catering to all ages and interests, before and during the Baltimore World’s Fair of Money, July 30 to Aug. 3.

Educational programs begin with a variety of pre-convention seminars on July 28-29, and continue throughout the show.

Technical Series Classes

The Technical Series courses teach hobbyists essential skills that will allow them to evaluate and authenticate coins with confidence. The following two-day courses will be presented from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. July 28-29:

• Forensic Numismatics: Detecting Counterfeit and Altered U.S. Coins
• Fundamentals of Grading U.S. Coins

Cost for Technical Series seminars is $345 for ANA members; there is a $50 life member discount and a $50 early registration discount (before July 1). Cost is $445 for all others.

Collector Series Classes

Collector Series courses give hobbyists a well-rounded introduction to a specific area of the hobby.

• Advanced Morgan Dollar Study, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. July 28-29
• Numismatics of Colonial America, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Aug. 1
• Overview of Post-Civil War Tokens, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Aug. 1

“Advanced Morgan Dollar Study” costs $145 for ANA members. There is a $10 life member discount and a $20 early registration discount (before July 1). Cost for all others is $245.

“Numismatics of Colonial America” and “Overview of Post-Civil War Tokens” each cost $98 for ANA members; there is an additional $10 life member discount and a $10 early registration discount (before July 1). Cost for all others is $198.

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The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit upheld a 2006 district court ruling that could result in new banknote designs that are more distinguishable for the blind and visually impaired.

The appeals court ruled today by a 2-1 vote. It upholds the 2006 ruling by U.S. District Judge James Robertson in a lawsuit filed by the American Council of the Blind that claims the U.S. Department of Treasury is violating the Rehabilitation Act with its paper money.

The Rehabilitation Act was created to extend rights to disabled individuals so they can fully participate in society, and it includes a variety of provisions focused on rights, advocacy and protections.

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Andrew D. Brunhart has been named the Deputy Director of the United States Mint in an announcement today by the Mint.

According to an official statement, Brunhart previously served as General Manager of the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission (WSSC), retired from the U.S. Navy after 30 years of service, and holds several educational degrees and honors:

• Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering from Marquette University
• Masters of Science degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Illinois

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Three American Samoa commemorative quarter finalist designs have been prepared by the United States Mint and will now receive their final reviews in Washington DC from the Commission of Fine Arts (CFA) and, today, by the Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee (CCAC).

With the conclusion of the successful 50 State Quarters® Program in 2008, the quarter design “baton” has changed hands from the states and moved to honor the District of Columbia and U.S. Territories with their six new quarters in 2009.

After seeing the three design renderings, American Samoa Governor Togiola Tulafono commented,

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A heavy vault door wasn’t enough to stop thieves from stealing more than $200,000 in rare coins from a local Benbrook, Texas coin shop. Neither was steel rebar and 8 inches of concrete.

The theft happened in the middle of the night and it must have taken several hours to complete.

The thieves bypassed an impenetrable looking vault door, and instead dropped into the vault through the ceiling after meticulously drilling through 8-inches of concrete and rebar.

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