The Orders and Medals Society of America (OMSA) is the leading U.S. society for collectors of orders, decorations and medals — the field of faleristics — and is distinct from a coin show: its focus is military and civilian award medals, orders of knighthood and decorations rather than currency. Its annual convention rotates among U.S. host cities and is hosted by local collectors.
The convention combines a multi-day bourse and exhibits with seminars, an auction and a banquet, and is notably a collector-financed event rather than a primarily commercial one.
OMSA grew out of founder S. G. "Yash" Yasinitsky's 1949 newsletter, the Medal Collectors' Cooperative; the society was formed in 1950 and incorporated in California in 1951. Its quarterly scholarly journal, JOMSA, carries decades of research, and the 2026 convention marks the society's 75th anniversary.
Expect a multi-day bourse and exhibits of orders, decorations and medals, two days of seminars, the society's ribbon bank, a convention auction and an annual banquet. The bourse and exhibits are typically open to the general public on the Saturday for a nominal fee.
The 2026 convention runs in August at the Hilton Minneapolis/St. Paul Airport (3800 American Boulevard East, Bloomington, Minnesota). Because the convention rotates cities each year, confirm the current host city and hotel on the OMSA site before booking.