The Ottawa Coin Club, from which the Canadian Numismatic Association emerged, started February 8th, 1946. Actually two of the members had been meeting since the 1930s. By May 12, 1948, it was decided to organize formally as the Ottawa Coin Club. By the end of 1949 the club had more members outside Ottawa than in, and the time seemed ripe for the formation of a larger association, and for some sort of periodical. Thus came into being the C.N.A., in 1950.

Vol. 1, No. 1 - the official publication of the C.N.A., was issued in February 1950. The Editor was Mr. G.R.L. Potter. On Page 1 appeared the following message from the President, S.S. Carroll:

The publication of this, the first issue of the C.N.A. "Bulletin", marks a new era in Canadian Numismatics. Not only does it mark the birth of a new numismatic journal in Canada but it also serves to introduce to many numismatists the Canadian Numismatic Association. The need for a national numismatic organization has been felt for many years in Canada as has also the need for a numismatic journal. It is true that efforts have been made in the past to create both but these efforts have met with indifferent success.In 1948 a small group of Ottawa collectors formed themselves into the ottawa Coin Club.

It was intended originally that this should be a local organization but so many collectors outside the Ottawa district expressed a desire to associate themselves with the club that it soon became evident that a wider scope was needed. By the beginning of 1950 the club had members in nearly every province of Canada, many parts of the United States and one in Australia.

It was therefore decided at the annual meeting, held at the Public Archives of Canada, in January 1950, that the Ottawa Coin Club should be reorganized and reconstituted as the Canadian Numismatic Association. We, in Ottawa, felt that this step will meet with whole-hearted approval and support of both Canadian numismatists and numismatists everywhere interested in Canadian numismatics.

Canadian numismatists are widely scattered and except in the larger centres have few opportunities of meeting together. The need for a national organization served by a publication dedicated to Canadian numismatics is therefore very evident.

Although, at the present time, the officers of the Association are all resident in Ottawa, it is the hope that members no matter where they live, will look on it as their association and feel a sense of responsibility for its success. It is only through the cooperation of all, that the Canadian Numismatic Association will grow and prosper and become the kind of association that we all wish it to be.

In 1956, a, the printed jounral replaced the mimeographed bulletin. 1962, a new group was formed, called the capital City Coin Club.  No one can recall that this new organization had a bulletin (at that time).

In 1968, after the union of the two Ottawa clubs, a new bulletin was issued. The Editor was Ed. Forrest, and he worked on the job from January 1968 to June 1968. He titled the bulletin:

Bryan Topping was the Editor from June 1968 to March 1969. Jack Roberts was the Editor from March 1969 to June 1970. He changed the title to:

Ruth McQuade became Editor in June 1971... It is worth recording that since the A.N.A. instigated an award in 1970, known as the "A.N.A. Publications Award", it has been won twice by the City of Ottawa Coin Club - once for the 1971 Bulletins, and again for the 1973 Bulletins.