Awards

A number of prestigious awards will be presented at various functions at the Convention. These include:

J. Douglas Ferguson Award

The J. Douglas Ferguson Award was established in 1969 and sponsored by Mr. Ferguson who, at the time, was Honorary President of the C.N.A. This annual award is presented to the living numismatist who has greatly contributed to the advancement of numismatics in Canada by research, writing, publishing, or other means -- and who has not previously won the award. Mr. Ferguson set up an independent Board of Award with C.N.A. representation for the award administration. He made the selections for the 1969 and 1970 winners and determined that the board would choose the future winners from nominations made by C.N.A. members. Each year’s winner for this separately sponsored award is announced during that year's RCNA Convention.

Paul Fiocca Award

The Paul Fiocca Award was established in 2008 and is presented annually for “Long term meritorious service or major contributions to the RCNA” and is an award not just to recognize the elite of the hobby, but any individual who may have worked behind the scenes, often for many decades, for the betterment of the Association.
This award is strictly an RCNA award for RCNA members, and is not to be confused with the J. Douglas Ferguson award, the highest award in Canadian numismatics, which does not require membership in the RCNA.

Paul Fiocca was publisher of Canadian Coin News from 1989 until his retirement, remaining a supporter of Canadian numismatics and giving freely of his own time and expertise. He served as editor of The CN Journal for a number of years, and was serving the C.N.A. in that capacity at the time of his death in 2007. The award that bears his name is funded by donations from Trajan Publishing Corporation and others that were his friends.

Guy Potter Literary Award

The Guy Potter Literary Award was established when the original C.N.A. Literary Award was renamed in 1978 to honour the memory of Guy R.L. Potter, one of the founders of the Canadian Numismatic Association. Mr. Potter served as Secretary and Bulletin Editor of the association from its beginning in 1950 until 1953 and as the third President of the C.N.A. from 1955 – 1956.

The Guy Potter Literary Award is given annually for the article chosen by the committee as the best original contribution, in that year, to The CN Journal. The selection is judged on the basis of literary style, numismatic worth, originality and general interest. An engraved plaque is given to the author of the winning article.

Jerome H. Remick III Literary Award

The Jerome H. Remick III Literary Award was established in 1995 and its sponsorship continues through a bequest by Mr. Remick who was an active member of the C.N.A. and a well-known author of numismatic articles. This award is given annually to the author of the best numismatic article published in a local Canadian coin club newsletter during the previous calendar year. The award process is administered by the RCNA and the nominations made by members are submitted to a panel of RCNA officials for judging. The award is an inscribed bronze medal, which is presented to the winning author during the following year's RCNA Convention.

Local & Regional/National Newsletter Awards

Every year the RCNA recognizes the efforts of member clubs and associations. An award is given for the best newsletter published by a local coin club and also for the best newsletter published by a regional or national association. To participate to the selection, clubs must send samples of their newsletter to the RCNA Club Services Chairman.

Louise Graham Memorial Club of the Year Award

The Louise Graham Memorial Club of the Year Award was established in 1986 to honour the memory of this member who was the C.N.A. General Secretary from 1954 until her retirement in 1971. The award is offered annually to RCNA member clubs entering a competition to acknowledge the club having made the most significant overall achievement on behalf of its members and of the hobby. Clubs entering this competition provide reports of their activities during the previous calendar year. These are judged on the basis of topics at meetings, originality of initiatives, educational and numismatic promotions, coin shows and consistency of meetings. A panel of judges announces its decision at the following year's RCNA Convention.

“Fellow of the RCNA” Award

In 1990, the Executive Committee of the C.N.A established a member service award: Fellow – Canadian Numismatic Association. To be recognized for this award a member of The Royal Canadian Numismatic Association must have performed a worthy service judged to be of a direct benefit to the association. The Awards and Medals Committee chooses the recipients from nominations made by members. The committee then presents its choices, up to 5 each year, at the annual convention. An award of: Fellow of The Royal Canadian Numismatic Association authorizes use of the letters, F.R.C.N.A. to follow the recipient’s name. The first awards were made at the 1991 C.N.A. Convention in Toronto, Ontario.

President’s Awards

It is the C.N.A. President's prerogative to recognize supporters, whether individuals or corporations, for outstanding support of the Association. The special President's Awards consist of a special wall plaque or a uniface Convention medal, suitably engraved for the occasion. To give the presentation a large audience, they are presented either at the annual general membership meeting or at the Banquet, befitting the special occasion of the event. As is usually the case with all awards presented at the convention, the President’s Awards are not announced in advance.

“Best of Show” Award

Each year the exhibits at the RCNA convention are judged by a panel of volunteers assembled by Tim Henderson, Chairman RCNA Awards & Medals Committee. The exhibit judged to be the “Best of Show” is awarded this prestigious designation.

James E. Charlton Junior Award

The James E. Charlton Junior Award was established in 1969 as an annual presentation for the best exhibit of Canadian coins displayed by a Junior (ages 16 and 17) member at the C.N.A. Convention. As a great believer in the importance of encouraging young people to take an interest in our hobby Mr. Charlton created an award to acknowledge excellence in exhibits. The C.N.A. Executive named the award in his honour and to acknowledge his generous financial support toward this award. When the award was established a large trophy was purchased with individual plaques located at the base to record the names of the recipients. This trophy was presented to the winning junior exhibitor during the Convention awards ceremonies. The recipient would return the trophy the following year. As a convenience to recipients this practice has been replaced with an award of an individual plaque that the winner can keep.

Jean Bullen Award

The Jean Bullen Award was established in 2004 as an annual presentation for the best exhibit of Canadian coins displayed by a member at the C.N.A. Convention. At her passing, Jean Bullen made a financial bequest to provide an award for the category she had favoured most - one in which her outstanding Canadian collection frequently took 1st place, and often advanced to win “Best of Show”. The C.N.A. Executive named the award in memory of Jean Bullen and to acknowledge her generous bequest. The prize is a portrait style silver medal, which is presented to the winning exhibitor during the Convention banquet.

Charles D. Moore Professional Numismatic Award

The Charles D. Moore Award, named after a past president of the RCNA who many feel embodied the very characteristics this award is intended to honour, was inaugurated at the 2017 RCNA Convention, held at Boucherville, Quebec.

The award each year is intended to honour the recipient who has consistently contributed to the advancement of Canadian Numismatics and the Royal Canadian Numismatic Association over a number of years. The recipient will have exhibited a willingness to advance the hobby through Dignity, Integrity, Truth and Knowledge. The recipient shall be selected from those professional numismatists, full- or part-time dealers, researchers and writers, publicists, and benefactors, who are members of the RCNA.