MCA Meeting at the ANA World's Fair of Money

The MCA general meeting to be held in conjunction with the World's Fair of Money will take place on August 27 at 12:30 PM in Room 326. William D. Hyder and Jeff Shevlin will present on "1826 - A Year of Celebrations: The 1826 Erie Canal and National Jubilee Medals".

Events in 1826 changed how Americans celebrated the anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, events that included issuing the first known medals celebrating the Jubilee. The presentation of the gold medals celebrating the completion of the Erie Canal in 1826 overshadowed the issue of the medals celebrating the National Jubilee. After 200 years, we examine evidence for who produced the 1826 National Jubilee medal, information that has remained a mystery despite speculation as to the artist, known only by the initials, CR. Publicity of the Erie Canal medal awards to Thomas Jefferson and John Adams shortly before their deaths on July 4, 1826, dominated the national press creating confusion when attempting to follow press reports about medals leading up to and following July 4, 1826.

William D. Hyder (Bill) has been collecting coins for 65 years and will celebrate his 60-year anniversary of ANA membership in 2027. Bill received the MCA Carl Carson award in 2023. He is past president of several numismatic organizations including the Pacific Coast Numismatic Society, the Token and Medal Society, and is currently president of the National Token Collectors Association. He has co-authored numerous articles and three books on so-called dollars with Jeff Shevlin. He is a retired senior administrator from the University of California Santa Cruz.

Jeff Shevlin is a nationally recognized expert on so-called dollars. Jeff is a life member of the ANA and a former Executive Director of the ANA. In addition to three books co-authored with Bill Hyder, he is the author of numerous articles, Mega Red Book contributions, public speaking engagements, and instructor at the ANA Summer Seminar. He regularly consults with major auction companies and grading firms. Jeff retired as a Senior Executive Information Technology Manager and adjunct College Professor.