The American Numismatic Association (ANA) has awarded 2024 college scholarships to Casey Hackford-Peer from Salt Lake City, Utah, and Ross Koenig from Cherry Hill, New Jersey. Each winner will receive a $1,000 scholarship to use toward tuition at an institution of their choice.
“The annual scholarship provides the American Numismatic Association an opportunity to recognize young numismatists making an impact in the world,” says ANA Education Director Christian Strayhorn, “not only in numismatics, but also in their own fields. By assisting these fine recipients with higher education, it is our hope to see them continue to excel at a high level and share their passion for collecting.” The recipients are eligible to receive the scholarship for up to four years.
After his grandpa gave him some Morgan silver dollars at 11 years old, Hackford-Peer has spent the last seven years trying to complete a set. Over this same time, he has completed a Lincoln cent collection and is now collecting Mercury dimes, Buffalo nickels, U.S. Gold Type coins, a French 20 Franc Type Set, and a Swiss of America/Draper Mint set.
Hackford-Peer works as a clerk at All About Coins under the direction of store owner and former ANA President Bob Campbell, where he learns more about the dealer side of numismatics. He is involved in the Utah Numismatic Society, an 80-person hobbyist club that meets monthly. He has served as a youth board member for the club, and currently serves as the social media manager. Hackford-Peer also has a membership with the National Utah Token Society Club.
“I have exhibited at state-wide coin shows, have designed medals in our annual medal competition, and have delivered numerous talks and coin quizzes through the club,” said the young collector.
He will use the ANA scholarship money to attend the University of Utah, where he plans to major in mechanical engineering, with possible minors in French and entrepreneurship.
“My favorite thing about numismatics is that I get to hold history in my hand,” he says. “I like taking an object from the past and connecting it to the geopolitical influences of the time. It brings history alive for me.” Although they aren’t as active as Hackford-Peer, his mom and grandpa are also collectors and he likes knowing he’s the third generation to carry on the hobby within the family.
The second 2024 ANA scholarship recipient, Ross Koenig, began collecting coins after he found an Indian Head cent in his grandmother’s change in fourth grade. This sparked an interest to search through coin rolls, visit his local coin shop, and become active in the ANA Young Numismatist (YN) programs.
“During COVID I became much more involved, searching through hundreds of dollars of bankrolls and beginning to buy and sell coins,” said Koenig. Today, his collecting focus is mainly on U.S. Type coins and currency, but he’s started to branch out into more ancient and foreign coins. He says, “I love variety, so anything I don’t have yet is something I’d like to collect!”
Aside from coin roll hunting, Koenig is active in numismatics by writing articles for the ANA’s monthly publication The Numismatist and online publication the Reading Room. He has also produced research papers focused on numismatics.
His favorite thing about being involved in numismatics is the close community he has found. “It’s a really amazing feeling to see the same faces at Summer Seminar, in publications, and at coin shows, and to be able to recognize them from something I’ve done in the past!”
Koenig will attend two colleges in the fall, studying chemistry at Columbia University and Jewish Studies at the Jewish Theological Seminary of America.
Applications for the 2025 ANA College Scholarship will be available in January. Recipients are selected based on academic scholarship and numismatic accomplishments. Applicants must be a senior in high school and a member of the ANA.
For additional information, contact ANA Education Director Christian Strayhorn at cstrayhorn@money.org or call her at (719) 482-9845.
The American Numismatic Association is a congressionally chartered, nonprofit educational organization dedicated to encouraging the study and collection of coins and related items. The ANA helps its members and the public discover and explore the world of money through its vast array of educational and outreach programs, as well as its museum, library, publications and conventions. For more information, call (719) 632-2646 or visit money.org.