RCNA Convention concludes with honours for Renwick, Johnson

WINNIPEG, Man. – The 2026 Royal Canadian Numismatic Association Convention concluded Saturday evening with its annual awards banquet, where veteran numismatists Barrie Renwick and Paul Johnson received two of the hobby’s most prestigious honours, bringing to a close four days of educational programming, exhibits, auctions and fellowship in downtown Winnipeg.

Renwick was presented with the J. Douglas Ferguson Award, Canada’s highest numismatic honour, recognizing his outstanding contributions to research, writing and scholarship. During a career spanning more than three decades, Renwick has authored more than 75 articles on Canadian numismatics, earning recognition as a Fellow of the Canadian Numismatic Research Society.

Although unable to attend the 2026 Royal Canadian Numismatic Association Convention in Winnipeg, 93-year-old Barrie Renwick accepts the J. Douglas Ferguson Award, Canada’s highest numismatic honour, via a live online connection during the association’s annual awards banquet. (Photo by Mike Walsh)

Widely respected for his expertise in Canadian medals, Renwick has become a leading authority on the Governor General medal series, Numismatic Art medals and bronze medals. His research, along with decades of editorial and proofreading work supporting Canadian numismatic publications, has made a lasting contribution to the hobby. Unable to travel to Winnipeg, the 93-year-old Renwick accepted the honour remotely as the RCNA arranged for him to participate in the presentation via a live internet connection. The virtual presentation allowed convention attendees to recognize his remarkable lifetime of contributions to Canadian numismatics despite his absence from the banquet.

Johnson, the Royal Canadian Numismatic Association’s longtime executive secretary, received the Paul Fiocca Award in recognition of his decades of distinguished service to Canadian numismatics. Throughout a lifetime dedicated to the hobby, Johnson has made significant contributions to the RCNA, local and regional numismatic organizations, collector education and countless volunteer initiatives that have strengthened the numismatic community across Canada. A familiar and respected figure throughout the hobby, he has also overseen much of the RCNA’s day-to-day operations from the association’s headquarters in Markham, Ont. Johnson has announced his retirement from the position in 2027.

In addition to the evening’s two major awards, the RCNA inducted three new Fellows of the association: Ian Laing, Howard Engel and Lloyd Chan. The honour recognizes members whose service has made a lasting contribution to the RCNA and the advancement of Canadian numismatics. Expanded coverage of the Fellowship presentations, along with the Ferguson and Fiocca awards, will appear in an upcoming issue of Canadian Coin News.

Earlier in the day, the RCNA also recognized outstanding exhibitors, volunteers, clubs and members during its annual awards ceremony. The presentations celebrated excellence in competitive exhibiting and acknowledged the many volunteers whose dedication continues to strengthen the association and the Canadian numismatic community.

The convention’s final day also featured the Royal Canadian Mint’s popular public coin exchange, where collectors lined up to obtain newly issued uncirculated versions of the 2026 $1 FIFA World Cup 26 circulation coin and the commemorative $2 coin marking the 50th anniversary of Toronto’s CN Tower. Both coloured and non-coloured versions of the circulation coins were available while supplies lasted, drawing steady crowds throughout the morning.

Collectors also enjoyed one final opportunity to browse the convention’s dealer bourse, which featured approximately 56 dealer tables offering Canadian and world coins, paper money, tokens, medals, bullion, numismatic literature and collecting supplies. Competitive exhibits remained open throughout the day, while the RCNA annual general meeting, youth activities and meetings of several specialty organizations rounded out the convention’s educational program.

The final day also included the RCNA Coin Kids populr Junior Auction, continuing the association’s longstanding commitment to encouraging the next generation of collectors. Meanwhile, successful bidders in The Canadian Numismatic Company’s official RCNA Convention auction returned to the convention centre to pick up purchases from the three-day sale, which featured more than 1,300 lots and several headline-making Canadian rarities.

Co-hosted by the Manitoba Coin Club, the four-day convention attracted collectors, dealers, exhibitors and visitors from across Canada and the United States. In addition to a busy bourse floor, attendees enjoyed educational seminars, guided tours of Winnipeg landmarks, Royal Canadian Mint programming, competitive exhibits and the official convention auction, making this year’s gathering one of the country’s premier numismatic events.

During the closing banquet, the Royal Canadian Numismatic Association observed its annual ceremonial passing of the ribbon-cutting scissors, marking the official transition to next year’s host. RCNA President Jacques Poitras, National Convention Committee Chair James Williston and 2026 Manitoba Co-chair Larry Dalman presented the ceremonial scissors to Ontario Numismatic Association President Cassidy Stroud, symbolically passing hosting responsibilities for the 2027 Royal Canadian Numismatic Association Convention in Mississauga, Ont.

As the final banquet concluded and collectors prepared to return home, attention turned toward next year’s convention, when the Ontario Numismatic Association will welcome the Canadian numismatic community to Mississauga to continue one of the hobby’s longest-running annual traditions.