I recently attended my ninth American Numismatic Association (ANA) Summer Seminar in Colorado Springs -- and spent my eighth year as a Young Numismatist (YN) chaperon. Upon arrival at the Colorado Springs Airport on Saturday afternoon, I walked to the baggage-claim area, where, I was greeted by the ANA volunteers welcoming the seminar attendees and shuttling us to our destination.

The ANA headquarters is located on the Colorado College campus with a backdrop of the Rocky Mountains. (I’d caught a glimpse of these awe-inspiring mountains from the airplane, but that was nothing compared to the view from the ground.) The bus driver dropped us off in front of Loomis Hall, where we registered and checked into our dorms. The opening ceremonies that evening were in Worner Center. I was joined by several YNs, chaperons, and mentors. Along with attending classes, the YNs participated in a variety of special activities and events throughout the week.

Education project manager Susan McMillan welcomed everyone and introduced various ANA dignitaries. The opening ceremonies were followed by the first of several bull sessions, this one on “United States Patterns after 1885,” with the discussion led by Andy Lustig.

The annual book sale began early Sunday morning with lots of great titles at bargain-basement prices. I bought a copy of Thomas Elder’s 1934 New Rare Coin Book: A Comprehensive Work on Numismatics, Coin Premiums, Numismatists, Coin Collecting and a copy of a 1940 Stack’s Numismatic Guide: Coins, Tokens, Paper Money of the United States.

The five-day classes started Sunday afternoon, and that evening there were three mini-seminars: “CAC: A Little Sticker Makes a Big Difference,” with John Albanese; “Minting Misadventures: Error and Varieties,” with Ryan Greene; and “Coin Show Basics,” with Brian Fanton. For those not attending a mini-seminar, there was a bull session to attend -- “Improving YN Membership 101: A Round Table Discussion,” with YN Andrew Keene.

The two-day classes started Monday at 9:00 a.m. sharp! Some of the classes were scheduled for mornings, others for the afternoons (I took two of them: “Coin Care, Conservation and Preservation Methods,” with Brian Silliman, and “Facing the Chinese Counterfeiting Threat,” with Beth Deisher and Gregory Dubay). The annual book sale continued between class sessions each day, with fewer and fewer titles available as the days passed.

Each day, attendants had the option of taking a non-numismatic tour. Monday’s was a professional baseball game: Colorado Rockies vs. Washington Nationals. Tuesday, the optional tour was to Pikes Peak via the Cog Railway. Attendees learned that in 1893, Katharine Lee Bates traveled up to the peak, and it was the view from that 14,110-foot summit, overlooking Colorado Springs, that inspired her to write “America the Beautiful.” About the poem, she stated, “One day some of the other teachers and I decided to go on a trip to 14,000-foot Pikes Peak. We hired a prairie wagon. Near the top we had to leave the wagon and go the rest of the way on mules. I was very tired. But when I saw the view, I felt great joy. All the wonder of America seemed displayed there, with the sea-like expanse.”

For those not opting for the Pikes Peak adventure, the mini-seminars continued and there was a special author signing to attend.

Tuesday evening was the first chance to view auction lots for the upcoming YN Scholarship Fund Auction, which raises money for YN scholarships to attend the seminar each summer. Each task of the auction -- advertising, collecting contributions, cataloging, managing the lot-viewing, running the auction, and collecting the money -- is handled entirely by YNs. The auction took place Wednesday evening and raised nearly $30,000 for scholarships!

Our week of numismania concluded on Thursday. Classes wrapped up that afternoon, with everyone receiving a certificate of completion in their respective area of study.

That evening the graduation reception and banquet officially brought the seminar to a close. Kenneth Bressett, Whitman Publishing author and the longtime editor of A Guide Book of United States Coins, was presented with an honorary doctor of numismatics degree. After the banquet, Andy Lustig presented an entertaining and educational bull session: “Lie, Cheat, and Steal: The Dark Side of Numismatics.”

The week came to an end too quickly. The experience could best be described in the words of the late John Denver in his song “Rocky Mountain High.” Experience a “Rocky Mountain High” and attend an ANA Summer Seminar soon!