The COVID Pandemic and Collecting

THERE IS NO DOUBT that the COVID pandemic of 2020 has changed everyday life in the United States, and indeed the world, in countless ways. How we collect probably qualifies as a pretty small change, but nevertheless, this pandemic will most likely color how we go about assembling collections of great coins, bank notes, and medals for years and possibly decades to come. We thought it might be a good idea to query some of the people most actively involved in our hobby to see what is different for them, to see what has become more of a challenge, and to see if there might actually be any upsides or strange pluses to an event that put most of the world on lock-down in 2020.

I spoke with several people who are deeply involved with the American Numismatic Association and the Royal Canadian Numismatic Association to get their thoughts on our current situation and the