Pacific Coast Numismatic Society
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PCNS Papers Contest

PCNS is accepting entries for its Annual Papers Contest.

Contest Rules:

  1. Only original previously unpublished writings on numismatic topics may be submitted.
  2. Format: papers may be submitted electronically as either a plain text file or an MS Word file. Participants who lack electronic access should contact the society for other arrangements.
  3. Coverpage: papers should include a separate coverpage containing the title of the paper, authors’ name(s), address, phone number, and email address (for contact, not for publication).
  4. Illustrations* — including all photos, charts, tables, drawings, etc. — should accompany the text, complete with any captions or descriptions which are needed for their interpretation and understanding by readers. Notes within the text should indicate where illustrations are to be placed (e.g. figure 3 here). Information on the original size of numismatic items should be included to aid in the publication of illustrations.
  5. Sample Papers Publication CoverQuotes must be properly credited. Material quoted from any published work or authority should be cited in endnotes or footnotes which should appear at the end of the paper. If appropriate, include a bibliography or reference list of related books after any endnotes.
  6. Length of papers is not specific, but generally papers should be at least two double-spaced pages of type (not counting title page, illustrations, endnotes, and bibliography). Longer papers are acceptable, but writers who are contemplating papers which may exceed 12 double-spaced pages of text are cautioned that space limitations could affect our ability to publish it.
  7. Deadline for the submission of papers for the annual papers contest is the April meeting date of each year.
  8. Judging will be done by a panel of at least three judges selected by the Papers Chairperson. Judges will be directed to consider the following in making their recommendations: (a) contribution to numismatics, (b) clarity, and (c) interest.
  9. Awards will be presented at the annual PCNS banquet. Participants may submit more than one paper, but only a single award can be presented to a participant each year. The first prize recipient will receive an engraved silver PCNS medal. The author of the second place paper will receive an engraved bronze PCNS medal. All participants will be recognized in print, and all papers which are selected for publication will be distributed to the members of PCNS as part of their membership benefits.
  10. First Publication Rights. PCNS obtains all rights to first publication and first distribution of submissions. The material may not be under consideration for publication elsewhere, and may not be offered for publication elsewhere while PCNS has publication rights. PCNS retains first publication rights for up to one full calendar year after the year in which the material was submitted (i.e. papers submitted in 2009 may be published as late as December 2010). If PCNS publishes the work, PCNS retains the right to make and distribute additional copies of the original PCNS publication in which the author’s work appears. PCNS will not republish the author’s work in a new publication without permission. All other rights revert to the author immediately following:
         (a) publication by PCNS, or
         (b) the end of the calendar year following the submission year.
  11. Copyright. By submitting material to PCNS for publication, the author is stating that no copyright restriction exists on any of the material, including photos, drawings, or illustrations of any kind. PCNS is granted copyright permission to use all submitted materials as outlined under its First Publication Rights (above). Authors must credit all quotes and any public domain materials. Authors are responsible for assuring that they have copyright (or permission to submit for publication) for all materials submitted to PCNS.
    Note: publication of an image on the World-Wide Web does not automatically place it in the public domain. Many website owners will grant you use rights, but you must request it.

Submission and Enquiries to:

P C N S
P O Box 475656
San Francisco CA 94147-5656

Download/View PDF of Rules

* Notes on Digital Image Quality: Images should be at least 150dpi resolution (when viewed at object's actual size) for print publication. Resolutions of 300dpi and higher assure better quality. Images copied from websites usually do not meet these standards. However, the copyright holders are usually willing to provide a print-quality version of the image if they grant publication rights. If you are submitting digital images but do not understand these notes, feel free to contact PCNS.