American Numismatic Society

The American Numismatic Society (or ANS) is a New York City-based organization dedicated to the study of coins and medals.

ANS should not be confused with the larger, Colorado Springs-based American Numismatic Association.

Introduction

The American Numismatic Society operates as a research museum. Its collection of 800,000 coins and related objects is the largest in North America.

The ANS publishes an annual journal, the "American Journal of Numismatics", a semi-annual journal, "Numismatic Literature", and books on coins and medals. The society also publishes "The American Numismatic Magazine".

The ANS's exhibit, "Drachmas Doubloons and Dollars: The History of Money", is on view at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. Coin exhibits include a Brasher doubloon, an 1804 silver dollar, and the 1933 Double Eagle (on loan).

The ANS awards the J. Sanford Saltus Award for Outstanding Achievement in the Art of the Medal (the "Saltus Award"). The 2005 award recipient was Netherlandish sculptor and medallist Theo van de Vathorst.

The ANS is a constituent member of the American Council of Learned Societies.

History

ANS was founded in 1858. In 1865, it was incorporated as the American Numismatic and Archaeological Society or ANAS [http://www.numismatics.org/governance/ANSCertificate.html] . In 1907, the name was changed back to the original one [http://www.numismatics.org/enews/Enews06-07.htm.]

“The founders were Edward Groh, James Oliver, Dr. Isaac H. Gibbs, Henry Whitmore, James D. Fosketti, Alfred Boughton, Ezra Hill, Augustus B. Sage, Asher D. Atkinson, M.D., John Cooper Vail, W. H. Morgan, Thomas Dunn English, M.D., LL.D., and Theophilus W. Lawrence. The corporators were Frank H. Norton, Isaac J. Greenwood, John Hannah, James Oliver, F. Augustus Wood, Frank Leathe, Edward Groh, Daniel Parish, Jr., and William Wood Seymour.” [Lossing, Benson J. "History of New York City Volume II" (New York: The Perine Engraving and Publishing Co., 1884), 598.] Benson Lossing in the "History of New York City Volume II" wrote in 1884 that “the prime objects of the society are the cultivation of the science of numismatology, the promotion of the study of American archaeology, and the collection of coins and medals and specimens of archaic remains.” [Lossing. "History of New York City Volume II", 598.] Later, ANS changed its mission to focus primarily on all aspects of coins and medals. [American Numismatic Society. [http://www.numismatics.org/about/introduction.html “ANS INTRODUCTION”] . "The American Numismatic Society website". Accessed September 11, 2007.]

Footnotes

ee also

*List of Saltus Award winners

External links

* [http://www.numismatics.org/ American Numismatic Society]
*American Numismatic Society's [http://data.numismatics.org/cgi-bin/objsearch?header=simple curatorial database of coins ]