[1][2][3] The ANA has more than 24,000 individual members who receive many benefits, such as discounts, access to website features, and the monthly journal The Numismatist.

The ANA's Colorado Springs headquarters houses its administrative offices, library, and money museum.

[6] Dr. George F. Heath of Monroe, Michigan, gained knowledge of world history by studying his collection of coins.

The obscurity of his community was an obstacle towards obtaining certain specimens, and made meeting fellow numismatists difficult.

In 1888, he printed, published and distributed a four-page leaflet, NUMISMATIST, in which he listed his coin needs, advertised duplicates for sale, and discussed numismatic topics.

[7][8] Heath then introduced the idea of a numismatic convention, where members could make personal contact with other numismatists.

Farran Zerbe, then president, assumed the task of editing and publishing The Numismatist, and soon purchased the publication from Heath's heirs.

[8] On May 9, 1912, the ANA attained national prominence as it was granted a Federal Charter signed by President William Howard Taft.

[5][7][8] In 1962, an amendment to make the Charter permanent and allow for a larger Board was introduced and passed by Congress and signed into law by John F. Kennedy on April 10.

[1][8] Books, educational slide programs and instructional videotapes are loaned to members without charge other than costs to cover postage and insurance.

[10][11] The museum also offers changing exhibits about money in history, art, archeology, banking and economics, and coin collecting.

The cost of the latter differs, depending on a member's age and whether the ANA's magazine, The Numismatist, is mailed or read digitally.

[12] In September 2022, the Association announced the launch of the Dr. George F. Heath Society, a donor recognition guild "devoted to supporting the mission of the ANA and its programming needs, while expanding, educating and inspiring the collecting community".

[1][6][7] The Young Numismatists of America (YNA) was a worldwide coin organization founded in 1990 at the ANA Summer Seminar.

In its early days, the YNA was an attractive way for young numismatists (YNs) to submit articles for publication.

The features of these conventions include the offering of a large bourse room, along with exhibits, educational programs, junior member activities, auctions, and meetings of affiliated specialty organizations.

The criteria for the nominee should be that the individual is considered someone who has rendered numerous years of outstanding service to the ANA as well as the field of numismatics.

[7][8][21] To enshrine the most important numismatists of all time, the ANA established the Numismatic Hall of Fame at its Colorado Springs headquarters in 1964.

The Hall was the brainchild of Jack W. Ogilvie, a Hollywood film writer and editor who served as ANA historian from 1950 to 1970.

After review by a five-member Hall of Fame council, the names and qualifications of the nominees are passed on to a 25-member elector panel.