The International Association of Professional Numismatists (IAPN) was constituted at a meeting held in Geneva in 1951 to which the leading international numismatic firms had been invited. There were 28 founding members. Today, there are more than 140 numismatic firms in the membership, across several continents and twenty-five countries. 

The objectives of the Association are the development of a healthy and prosperous numismatic trade conducted according to the highest standards of business ethics and commercial practice, the encouragement of scientific research and the propagation of numismatics, and the creation of lasting and friendly relations amongst professional numismatists throughout the world.

Membership is vested in numismatic firms, or in numismatic departments of other commercial institutions, and not in individuals. Today there are over 100 numismatic member firms, situated in five continents and over twenty-five countries. The General Assembly is the supreme organ of the Association, and this is convened annually, usually in a different country.

The Executive Committee is composed of eleven to seventeen persons from at least six different countries and includes the IAPN President, two Vice-Presidents (one from each Hemisphere), the General Secretary and the Treasurer. In addition, there are also subcommittees dealing with: membership, discipline, publications, anti-forgery work, and government relations.

In pursuit of the objective to encourage numismatic research the Association has published or assisted in the publication of a number of important numismatic works. In particular it maintains a close liaison with the International Numismatic Council (formerly the International Numismatic Commission), and individual members take an active interest in the work of their national numismatic organizations.

In 1965 the IAPN held an international congress in Paris to consider the study of and defense against counterfeit coins, and in 1975 the Association established the International Bureau for the Suppression of Counterfeit Coins (IBSCC). This Bureau maintains close links with mints, police-forces, museums and collectors with the publication of specialized reports on Counterfeits. Since January 1997 the information about new dangerous counterfeits and the scanned photos of the pieces are available on the Internet. The Bulletin of Counterfeits and the online IBSCC-Archive are restricted to members only.

The members of the IAPN guarantee the authenticity of all the coins and medals which they sell – this is a condition of membership. Collectors may purchase numismatic material from any of the firms from the membership list in the full knowledge that if any item did prove to be counterfeit or not as described the piece could be returned and the purchase price would be refunded, without regard to date of purchase.

Membership to the Association is not lightly acquired. Applicants have to to be sponsored by three members, and the vetting of applications involves a rigorous and sometimes protracted procedure. In order to be admitted the applicants must have been established in business as numismatists for at least four years and must be known to a number of members. The Committee need to be satisfied that they have carried on their business in an honorable manners and that they have a good general knowledge of numismatics as well as expertise in whatever field is their specialty.

The Medal of Honor of the Association was established in 1963 in memory of its first president, Leonard S. Forrer, and is awarded by the President to persons of distinction whom the Association wishes to honor or for distinguished services to the Association.

The Association is a non-profit making organization established within the terms of points 60 to 72 of the Swiss Civil Code. 

The IAPN's registered office is: IAPN, P.O. Box, CH-6300 Zug (Switzerland)