It is organised every six years by the International Numismatic Council.
Since the 7th INC in Copenhagen, the conference has also marked the launch of the Survey of Numismatic Literature, in which specialist numismatists review research and publications since the previous Congress.
A special medal is created for each Congress.
The Congress has, from the 6th INC in Rome forward, met at six-year intervals with the only slight disturbances being that the 10th INC in London convened seven years after the previous Congress and saw a slightly shortened span of five years following the London INC; and the 16th INC in Warsaw similarly convened seven years after the previous Congress due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with a projected span of five years to the proceeding Frankfurt INC.
The Surveys are compiled by subject specialists, which are then edited by a senior numismatist (or team of numismatists), and published in the "International Association of Professional Numismatists Special Publication" series, usually in the location of the relevant congress.