The American Numismatic Society (ANS) has issued a request for its Coinage of the Americas Conference (COAC) to be held in September 2021. The COAC event is being reintroduced after being on hiatus since 2010 and the Society hopes to have the event as a hybrid event of in-person and online attendees. Specifically, the Society is requesting papers related to sculptor Victor David Brenner, the designer of the Lincoln Cent and over 200 medallic works.
Editors Note: Clinton, Editor of USCoinNews.com, is a member of the American Numismatic Society
Coinage of the Americas Conference (COAC) 2021 Call for Papers
The Victor D. Brenner Sesquicentennial
American Numismatic Society (ANS)
New York, New York
September 17–18, 2021
Submission Deadline: July 1, 2021
Email submissions and questions to Dr. Jesse Kraft, ANS Assistant Curator of Assistant Curator of American Numismatics at jkraft@numismatics.org.
The American Numismatic Society is proud to announce the reintroduction of the Coinage of the Americas Conference (COAC). Since the mid-1980s, COACs have been considered the leading venue for the presentation of academic research that pertains to numismatics of the Western Hemisphere. The papers given at past COACs have routinely been published and resulted in a number of edited volumes. These texts have since become standard references on their respective topics. After 2009, COACs experienced a hiatus that will end with the upcoming conference this year.
For COAC 2021, the ANS seeks presentations and papers related to famed sculptor, Victor David Brenner, for the 150th anniversary of his birth on June 12, 1871. Born in what is now Lithuania, Brenner initially followed in the family business of jewel engraving before immigrating to the United States in 1890. After studying in both the United States and, most notably, in Paris with Oscar Roty, Brenner quickly positioned himself to become one of the foremost medallists in the United States. While his most well-known piece is, undoubtedly, the Lincoln Cent of 1909, Brenner created more than 200 medallic works of art throughout his illustrious 35-year career. He produced works privately, for the United States Mint, the Medallic Art Co., and several other producers of the early 20th century. Even in his own lifetime, his rise to fame in America during a time of mass immigration to the United States was heralded as the ultimate achievement of the American Dream. We welcome all proposal submissions connected to either his life or his work, and encourage those related to (but not limited to):
- His biography, or specific sections of his life
- Historical narratives of specific works of art produced by Brenner
- Brenner’s work or style in comparison to (an)other contemporary artist(s)
- His relationships with other artists, companies, or the U.S. Mint
- Exhibitions that featured his work
- Brenner’s legacy beyond his life
During the conference, each presenter will have 50 minutes, including time for Q&A. After the conference, each invited participant has until December 31, 2021 to submit their polished article for possible inclusion in an edited volume. Final papers should be no more than 8,000 words (not including tables, charts, image captions, or references).
Presently, the ANS hopes to hold this as our first hybrid event with speakers and attendees participating both in person and online. As such, this will also be the first major event that the ANS hosts with in-person guests since the initial outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. Conditions for in-person attendance will be dependent on the requirements implemented by the ANS at that time, based on CDC and NYS guidelines.
For submission proposals, please provide the title of your topic, a 200-word abstract, and speaker/presenter information (name, title, agency/organization, and contact information) to Dr. Jesse Kraft at jkraft@numismatics.org by July 1, 2021. The selection committee will notify those who submitted successful proposals by July 15, 2021.