The International Association of Professional Numismatists (IAPN) conducted its 73rd annual Congress in Madrid, Spain, from June 22-25, 2025. Forty-four member firms attended the event, held at the recently renovated Palace Hotel, a 1912 Art Nouveau masterpiece.
The Congress approved membership for six numismatic firms:
(1) Antium Aurum (Czech Republic)( https://www.antiumaurum.com/);
(2) Boardwalk Coins (USA)( https://boardwalknumismatics.com/);
(3) Capstone Acquisitions (USA) ( https://capstonecoins.com/);
(4) A. Karamitsos International Auctions (Greece) (karamitsos@karamitsos.com);
(5) Rio de la Plata (Argentina) (https://rpnumis.com/); and
(6) Wessex Coins (United Kingdom) (https://www.wessexcoins.co.uk/).
Additionally, the Congress also approved an associate membership for CDN Publishing LLC (https://www.greysheet.com/ ).
A moment of silence was also held for recently deceased IAPN members. These included Laszlo Nudelman, Gunnar Thesen, Eddy Absil, Druso Franceschi, and Claude Silberstein.
Congress delegates received briefings on regulatory challenges facing the industry as well as recent US tariffs.
The Congress voted to approve Rome as the location of its 74th Congress. That Congress will also mark IAPN’s 75th anniversary. The Congress then heard proposals to hold subsequent Congresses in Hong Kong, South Africa, Argentina, and Saint Martin in the Caribbean.
Since 1982, IAPN has annually conducted its book prize award honoring numismatic authors for what the organization considers “the best numismatic publication of the year”. This year, IAPN members reviewed 21 books on ancient, medieval, early modern, and modern coins as well as paper money published in 2024 before awarding top honors to Jean-Yves Kind for his 2 Volume set, Catalogue des Monnaies Royales Françaises. 1: Monnaies d’or Louis IX à Louis XII; 2: Monnaies d’or François Ier à Louis XVI. Second place went to Lucia Carbone for her Local Coinages in a Roman World: Second Century BC First Century AD. Third place went to Hugo Vanhoudt and John Saunders for their Gold Coinage of the Low Countries. More here: https://iapn-coins.org/general-news/13516732.
Jesús Vico Numismatic Auctions organized both the Congress and activities that included a welcoming reception at the Real Madrid Football Stadium, a companion tour of the Prado and Retiro Park, an evening tour of Toledo, and a Gala dinner at the Casa America in the 1877 Linares Palace.
At the Gala dinner, the firm received a special award from IAPN’s president, Dan Sedwick, for its work in organizing the Congress, which had to be moved from its original location in Budapest, Hungary, due to the untimely death of its sponsor, Laszlo Nudelman. A total of 8465€ was also collected at the Gala for the Aladina Foundation, a charity to address the needs of children with cancer. More about the foundation can be found here: https://aladina.org/la-fundacion/.
For more information regarding the IAPN. please visit their website: https://www.iapn-coins.org/.
For enquires about the Association, please contact: The IAPN General Secretary, 57, rue Grimaldi, 98000 MONACO. | +377 93 25 12 96 | secretary@iapn-coins.org.
Since 1982 the International Association of Professional Numismatists (IAPN) has annually conducted its book prize award honoring numismatic authors for what the organization considers “the best numismatic publication of the year”. Each year books are submitted to the IAPN and voted on at their annual Congress. First place consists of a medal, a diploma, and a monetary reward.
During the IAPN Congress held in Madrid, June 22-24, 2025, IAPN members reviewed 21 books on ancient, medieval, early modern, and modern coins as well as paper money before awarding top honors to Jean-Yves Kind for his 2 Volume set, Catalogue des Monnaies Royales Françaises. 1: Monnaies d’or Louis IX à Louis XII; 2: Monnaies d’or François Ier à Louis XVI. Second place went to Lucia Carbone for her Local Coinages in a Roman World: Second Century BC First Century AD. Third place went to Hugo Vanhoudt and John Saunders for their Gold Coinage of the Low Countries.
Jean-Yves Kind, the first prize winner, is an archivist and former special advisor on the Conservation of Treaties at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He has managed the French coin collection at the National Library of France since 2009. His book catalogues an important part of the extraordinary collection of French royal gold coins found in his Institution. This comprehensive collection covered in two volumes includes gold coins issued from the reigns of Louis IX to Louis XVI, featuring many extremely rare and unique specimens.
Full title of the prize winners and where these books can be purchased are as follows:
KIND, Jean-Yves. Catalogue des Monnaies Royales Françaises. 1: Monnaiesd’or Louis IX à Louis XII; 2: Monnaies d’or François Ier à Louis XVI2 vols. Bibliothèque Nationale de France/Éditions V. Gadoury, Monte Carlo, Monaco, 2024
ISBN 978-2-90660-256-4
Price: €95. Order at https://www.gadoury.com/en/books/catalogue-des-monnaies-royales-francaises-tome-i-et-ii.
CARBONE, Lucia. Local Coinages in a Roman World: Second Century BC First Century AD2 vols. American Numismatic Society, New York, 2024
ISBN 978-0-89722-419-2 and 978-0-89722-420-8
Price: US $325. Order at https://numismatics.org/store/rbw/.
VANHOUDT, Hugo, and SAUNDERS, John. The Gold Coinage of the Low Countries Hugo Vanhoudt, Heverlee, NL, 2024
ISBN 978-1-73565-981-7
Price: €100. Order from vanhoudt.hugo@gmail.com.
IAPN plans to bestow the award to the first prize winner at a ceremony to take place at the Bibliothèque Nationale de France.in conjunction with an upcoming numismatic event in Paris. Details to follow.
Books suitable for the prize must have an imprint of the previous year and be submitted to the Chairman of the Publication Committee at least 90 days prior to the dates of the General Assembly (i.e. end of February).
If you or someone you know would like to submit a numismatic reference for the IAPN book prize, please contact the chairman of the Publications Committee, Peter Preston-Morley, via email: ppm@noonans.co.uk.
The International Association of Professional Numismatists has asked the US State Department Cultural Property Advisory Committee (CPAC) to advocate ending or limiting damaging embargoes imposed on collector's coins openly and legally sold abroad, particularly in legitimate markets in Europe. The comments on the proposed renewal of a Cultural Property Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Republic of Italy also specifically asks that any extension not be used as an excuse to impose new import restrictions on widely circulating and collected late Roman Republican or Roman Imperial coins. These comments can be found here:
Proposed Renewal of the current MOU with the Republic of Italy: https://www.regulations.gov/comment/DOS-2024-0048-0042
Proposed New MOU with the Socialist Republic of Vietnam: https://www.regulations.gov/comment/DOS-2024-0048-0034
Proposed Renewal of the current MOU with the Republic of Chile: https://www.regulations.gov/comment/DOS-2024-0048-0035
Proposed Renewal of the current MOU with Kingdom of Morocco: https://www.regulations.gov/comment/DOS-2024-0048-0036
The US State Department has announced a proposed renewal of a cultural property Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Republic of Italy. There is a danger that this will provide an excuse for US import restrictions implementing that MOU to be expanded to include late Roman Republican and Roman Imperial Coins.
Import restrictions could make it far more difficult to import such coins from legitimate markets in Europe like those in the United Kingdom, Germany and Switzerland.
Why? Because they would give US Customs the authority to assume that any late Roman Republican or Roman Imperial coins with a country of origin/manufacture of Italy (i.e., Rome and other late Imperial mints of Aquileia, Mediolanum, Ostia, Ravenna, and Ticinum) are the “cultural property” of the modern Republic of Italy.
US Customs could then demand that the importer “prove” that such coins were out of Italy before the effective date of any governing regulations, which can be difficult to do for many coins, particularly low value ones like most Roman coins.
And if you can’t provide this information? The coin(s) could be detained, seized and “repatriated” to the Italian government.
What can you do? Go to https://www.regulations.gov/, search for dos-2024-0048, and then click the blue “comment now” button. Or try this direct link: https://www.regulations.gov/commenton/DOS-2024-0048-0001
What can you say? Your own comments focusing on how import restrictions might make it more difficult to purchase coins to appreciate ancient history and culture are the best, but here is a short model for you to use for your own comments:
Please reject any effort to expand current restrictions to include Roman coins. The Coin Hoards of the Roman Empire database lists over 6 million such coins. See https://chre.ashmus.ox.ac.uk/. Roman coins circulated from the UK to Sri Lanka so it is improper to assume any one individual coin is Italian Cultural Property. Import restrictions would damage my ability to learn more about ancient history and negatively impact my own interactions with other collectors, especially those in Europe where collecting Roman coins is particularly popular.
Want to learn more? Visit the Cultural Property Observer Blog at: https://culturalpropertyobserver.blogspot.com/ Or contact IAPN’s Executive Director, Peter Tompa, at pkt@pktcounsel.com.
Comments Must Be Made on or Before January 27, 2025.
For more about the International Association of Professional Numismatists, see https://www.iapn-coins.org/
For a PDF of this Post which may be used as a handout, see NYINC Handout Italian MOU 010725.pdf
The New York International Numismatic Convention (NYINC) is the United States’ largest and most prestigious numismatic event targeting the needs of the foreign and ancient numismatic communities. The 53rd Annual NYINC will be held at the InterContinental New York Barclay hotel, located 111 East 48 Street, New York, NY 10017, at Lexington Avenue.
For a roster of the 40 IAPN member firms attending this important bourse, see NYINC IAPN Dealer Roster 2025 Final 010625.pdf
Additionally, please feel tree to ask IAPN's Executive Director, Peter Tompa, any questions you might have about the organization. IAPN will have its own booth at the show, No. 403.
The NYINC bourse area regular public hours will be:
Public registration is $25 (No Cash, only credit cards accepted) for a three-day pass valid during all public hours throughout the event.
For more information about the NYINC, see https://nyinc.info/.
The International Association of Professional Numismatists (I.A.P.N.) table at this summer's ANA - World's Fair of Money in Rosemont (Chicago), IL (USA)
Please stop by I.A.P.N.'s table #1632 in the Ancient & World section of the bourse to learn more about the Association, and to meet the IAPN Executive Director, Peter K. Tompa, who can answer questions about the I.A.P.N. or help put you in touch with Members participating at this year's event.
To find an IAPN Member at the event, view our IAPN Dealer Roster
The International Association of Professional Numismatists (I.A.P.N.) will have a table at this summer's ANA - World's Fair of Money in Rosemont (Chicago), IL (USA)
Please stop by I.A.P.N.'s table #1632 in the Ancient & World section of the bourse to learn more about the Association, our activities and important trade issues facing the industry. You can also get help with any questions you may have about buying and selling coins safely from members of the I.A.P.N., and also meet participating I.A.P.N. Members with tables on the bourse buying and selling coins and other collectible numismatic items.
Fair attendees can also meet the IAPN Executive Director who can answer questions about the I.A.P.N. or help put you in touch with Members participating at this year's event.
Please stop by and meet the I.A.P.N.!
Please Support HR 7865, a bill to facilitate the lawful trade of coins.
HR 7865 would amend the Cultural Property Implementation Act to facilitate lawful trade in numismatic materials. Specifically, it would allow for the import of coin types on “designated lists” as long as there is evidence that the numismatics item was acquired lawfully, is of a known type, and is not the direct product of illicit excavations within a State Party after the effective date of any import restrictions on coins. This legislation is necessary to address grossly overbroad import restrictions on common coins that circulated regionally and even internationally that are enforced not solely on items illicitly exported from a UNESCO State party after the effective date of implementing regulations, but rather as embargoes on all coins of given “designated types.” For further background, see this article published in CoinWeek:Bill Introduced to Facilitate Lawful Trade of Ancient Coins [April 30, 2024]
The following collector and trade organizations support this bill:
(1) American Numismatic Association (money.org) (2) Ancient Coin Collectors Guild (accguild.org) (3) CINOA (cinoa.org) (4) Global Heritage Alliance (global-heritage.org) (5) International Association of Professional Numismatists (iapn-coins.org)
PLEASE HELP!
Ask your Representative to Cosponsor HR 7865 in 3 Easy Steps:
Step 1: Find your Representative https://www.house.gov/representatives/find-your-representative Step 2: Email your Representative and request that they cosponsor HR 7865
Step 3: Email the IAPN Executive Director and ACCG Board MemberPeter Tompa at pkt@pktcounsel.com to let him know about your contact. He can follow up with your Representative’s office in conjunction with ACCG’s lobbyist, Marc Lubin.
Resources: Visit the following link to read the full text of the Bill, HR 7865(https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/BILLS-118hr7865ih/pdf/BILLS-118hr7865ih.pdf)
This helpful flyer [.PDF] has been provided with the steps to contact your Representative. It can be viewed online or downloaded.
The IAPN's Executive Director, Peter Tompa represented the IAPN at CINOA’s Annual General Meeting held on July 4th and 5th, 2024 in Estoril, Portugal.
Peter interacted with representatives of other CINOA member organizations from Africa, Europe, and the US. He participated in roundtable discussions about regulatory issues facing the art, numismatics, and antiques trade.
Learn more about the IAPN + CINOA.
This week numerous IAPN Members have taken part in the inaugural coin fair, MADrid 2024 - Evento Numsimatico being held in Madrid, SPAIN.
On the morning of the first day of the event, collectors and dealers waited patiently in a long queue to be the first to enter the bourse area of the newest event on the numismatic calendar.
The IAPN's Executive Director, Peter K. Tompa was at Table #1 just inside the bourse representing the Association and greeting attendees curious to explore the new event.
Around the bourse at MADrid 2024 - Evento Numismatico:
MADrid 2024 is the inaugural coin fair being held in Madrid that seeks to establish itself as a meeting point between dealers, collectors, institutions and academics at an international level.
The first gathering will be held between 27 - 30 June, 2024.
MADrid 2024 will feature an auction by Jesús Vico on the 27th of June and a numismatic convention on 28-29 June at the Four Seasons in the center of the city of Madrid. During the coin fair there will also be, in parallel, institutional and scientific lectures.
MADrid 2024 Official website: https://eventonumismatico.es
FOR ENQUIRIES ABOUT THE ASSOCIATION, PLEASE CONTACT:The IAPN General Secretary, 57, rue Grimaldi, 98000 MONACO. | +377 93 25 12 96 | secretary@iapn-coins.org
Copyright © 1951-2025. All Rights Reserved.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, 6300 Zug, Switzerland.
