We need your nominations for NCNA Awards!
Each year the NCNA presents the following awards to recognize the contributions and achievements of outstanding individuals in the hobby. Danny Freeman chairs the committee which reviews nominations and selects recipients of the awards. Please review the awards below. Send your nominations to Danny at southerngoldcoins@yahoo.com.
All nominations for awards must be received by August 11th.
- John Jay Pittman Award – The prestigious NCNA “Numismatist of the Year” award. The award is given in recognition of outstanding and enduring contributions to numismatics in North Carolina.
- Forrest & Tessie Michael Volunteer Service Award – This award is given in recognition of outstanding volunteer service to benefit numismatics in North Carolina through local clubs.
- Bason Literary Award – Awarded each year in recognition of significant contributions to numismatic education through published works.
- Ted Hendrick Memorial Dealer Award – Jointly sponsored by the Raleigh Coin Club and the NCNA to recognize an outstanding dealer who excels in service and quality, as well as a high level of ethics, energy, and enthusiasm.
- President’s Award – The recipient of the President’s Award is chosen by the awards committee at the recommendation of the NCNA President.
- Young Numismatist of the Year Award – This award is given each year to a young collector (under 18) who is recognized for their outstanding contributions to the hobby, such as their leadership and engagement in their local club, passion for the hobby, and willingness to learn and help others.
- Lady Liberty Award – Recently introduced in 2024, this award is given each year to honor women who have influenced, worked in, or mentored others in numismatics at the local club or statewide level.
- George O. Walton Club Award – Our newest award introduced in 2025, it is presented annually to one of the 25 clubs with NCNA membership. The award will be given based on applications received from the clubs. A link to the application/questionnaire is below. We strongly encourage representatives of all of our NCNA member clubs to apply for the George O. Walton Club Award. Nominations for this award must be received by July 15th.
Why is this new award important?
Traditionally the NCNA has presented various awards annually to NCNA members at its annual convention. But what about the clubs? For many years the NCNA has been challenged with getting our member clubs more engaged in NCNA sponsored events and programs. Great strides have been made with the hard work and dedication of folks such as Bill Graves and Danny Freeman to stay in contact with our clubs. Much has been done also to involve our clubs with the annual NCNA Convention and Show in Concord. We have many clubs, from the east coast region to our state’s western mountains that are doing a terrific job promoting numismatics and are deserving of additional recognition for their efforts. We are hopeful that this award will help “ALL” clubs realize their valued standing within the NCNA family.
Why name it the “George O. Walton Club Award?”
George Walton was very much like John J. Pittman. He was a collector’s collector. Ask him about a coin and he would spend hours talking about it. He was not a very wealthy man. Walton worked for a consortium of banks in the mid-atlantic and southeastern region as an estate appraiser for a fee, yet just as Pittman did, he amassed a collection that even today’s billionaires would find difficult to assemble. Born in Rocky Mount, VA, Walton settled into the Selwyn Hotel on West Trade Street in Charlotte, NC to conduct his travels up and down the eastern seaboard. In the 1950’s and early 1960’s he focused on Bechtler, Charlotte, and Dahlonega gold. Unfortunately, Walton died in a car accident while in route to a coin club meeting near Wilson in 1962 to show his 1913 Liberty Head nickel that he had bought from a collector in Winston-Salem in 1945. Nearly everyone in the hobby today is familiar with the story regarding the Walton specimen of the famous 1913 Liberty Head Nickels. Following his death, Stacks would catalog and sell his collection. Harvey Stack has stated that Walton had almost 500 Bechtler gold coins! Stacks sold the prime examples by private treaty to their best client list, and then put the rest in their auction that bears Walton’s name.
Historical Award Winners
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