Under the direction of John B. Henry, the MSNA was established in 1972. John foresaw a Maryland-based group that might serve as a centralized structure. John went across the state visiting club members, coin retailers, and coin enthusiasts in general to see whether an organization might be formed.

John hosted a series of sessions in his house in late 1971. In February 1972, enough progress had been achieved for an organizational meeting to be convened at Mount Calvary Episcopal Church, Madison and North Eutaw Streets, Baltimore, Maryland. A group of around 20 persons representing 15 clubs convened, and by the end of the meeting, there was clear evidence of the formation of a state organization. MSNA was formed towards the end of the first year.

Numisnotes was the first publication that was available in the fall of 1972. MSNA had 136 subscribers at the moment, with 21 of Maryland's 24 coin organizations subscribing to their content. The title of the organization had changed to Maryland Numismatist shortly after the first issue.