August 2020 eNews

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The ANS Mourns Donald Partrick
The American Numismatic Society mourns the loss of its former President and Chairman, Mr. Donald G. Partrick. His most generous support and leadership transformed the Society into the vibrant institution it is today. He will be forever one of the great leaders and collectors within the Society’s distinguished history. At the request of Mr. Partrick’s family, no further statements are being made at this point.

 

STAFF NEWS 

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Peter van Alfen appointed to the CCAC
The United States Mint has appointed Chief Curator Dr. Peter van Alfen to the Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee (CCAC), as the member specially qualified by virtue of his education, training, or experience in numismatic curation. The CCAC serves as an informed, experienced and impartial resource to advise the Secretary of the Treasury on the themes and designs of all US coins and medals. Dr. van Alfen will be taking over for ANS Curator Emeritus Robert Hoge in this role.

 

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2020 Burnett Anderson Award to Oliver Hoover
The 2020 Burnett Anderson Memorial Award for Excellence in Numismatic Writing will be awarded to Adjunct Curator Oliver Hoover. He will receive the award on September 1 at the virtual ANA Membership and Literary Awards Presentations. Register to attend.

 

Andrew Reinhard

Andrew Reinhard

Andrew Reinhard receives his PhD
Director of Publications Andrew Reinhard graduated on August 26th with a Doctorate of Philosophy in Archeology from University of York, with the thesis Archaeology of Digital Environments: Tools, Methods, and Approaches. His book, Archaeogaming: The Archaeology in and of Video Games, was published in 2018 by Berghahn Books and was recently translated into Spanish.

 

Announcements and Upcoming Events

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September Money Talks | “Justinian ‘the Great’ and the Perplexing Light-weight Solidi”
“One of the most intractable problems in Byzantine numismatics has proven to be the light weight solidus, struck at various times through the 6th and 7th centuries. A satisfactory explanation remains to be found.”- CNG. Introduced by Justinian I following his generals’ reconquest of much of the Western part of the empire, and minted into the reign of Justinian II, 150 years later, the intention and circumstances—and in some cases even the mints—of these enigmatic coins remain largely unknown. Join Robert Hoge on September 12 for a Money Talks presentation on these coins.

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The Planchet
Ep. 6.
Old Regime France and its Jetons
The sixth episode of The Planchet features an interview with Dr. Jim McClellan, Professor Emeritus of Stevens Institute of Technology, where from 1977 he taught the history of science. McClellan is also a serious student of tokens, namely the jetons of Old Regime (pre-1789) France, and what these tell us about pre-Revolution French history that cannot be gleaned easily from written accounts. Listen and Subscribe.

 

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The ANS wins five NLG Awards
The ANS is proud to announce that we won five 2020 NLG Awards. White Gold won Best Book on Ancient or Medieval Coins (pre-1500); Jacques Wiener’s Most Remarkable Edifices of Europe won Best Book on Tokens and Medals; in the Journal of Early American Numismatics, “John J. Ford: A Life in Three Portraits” by Q. David Bowers won Best Feature Article on Numismatic History or Personalities; and “The Authentic Fugio Restrike Dies” by Chris McDowell and Julia Casey won both Best Feature Article on Early American Coins and the James L. Miller Memorial Award for Article of the Year.

 

ANS Publishing
Two New Books at the Printer
The Early Antigonids: Coinage, Money, and the Economy (Numismatic Studies 37) by Katerina Panagopoulou and Money and Power in Hellenistic Bactria (Numismatic Studies 40)by Simon Glenn are now at the printer and will be available for purchase in November.

 

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The ANS featured in Mint News Quarterly
“How to Amaze Collectors Around the World with 800,000 Objects, and No Museum” talks about the ANS and how the move to digital content has allowed us to reach more members than ever before. Executive Director Dr. Gilles Bransbourg spoke with Mint News Quarterly about how the ANS rose to the challenge represented by the lockdown period, and how this will contribute in shaping the ANS’s future. Read it here.

 

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A Joint Long Table with the Royal and British Numismatic Societies
On September 4, we will be hosting a very special Long Table discussion as we invite members of Royal and British Numismatic Societies to attend—a virtual first between these three institutions. Former Deputy Director of the British Museum and ANS Trustee Dr. Andrew Burnett will talk about his new book The Hidden Treasures of this Happy Island on the history of numismatics in Britain from the Renaissance to the Enlightenment. For the first time, a Long Table discussion will be open to not only ANS Members, but also members of the Royal and British Numismatic Societies—who co-published the book.

 

August in Review

 

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“From Acorn to Sapling: The American Numismatic Society before Huntington”
On August 1, ANS Librarian and Archivist David Hill spoke on the history of the ANS. The ANS’s symbol is the mighty oak grown from a tiny acorn. But the tree didn’t become fully rooted until after 1905, when Archer Huntington—who gave the Society a building, a professional staff, and a firm commitment to scholarly publishing—became president. David Hill discussed the Society during its pre-Huntington, “sapling” years, taking into consideration its members as well as other nineteenth-century numismatic groups. Watch it here. 

 

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“The Significance of Diana on the Coinage of Nerva: Finding the Founder of a Temple to Diana in Nerva’s Rome”
On August 22, ANS Fellow Nathan Elkins gave a Money Talks lecture on the significance of Diana on the coinage of Nerva. The identity of the founder of the Temple of Diana Planciana in Rome has been a subject of ongoing speculation for centuries. Elkins discussed candidates for the temple’s founder and how only numismatic evidence may be able to reveal the answers and explain unusual interest in Diana on the coinage of Nerva.


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“Before the Coinage Act of 1857: How Americans Spent Foreign Money”
ANS Curator of the Americas Jesse Kraft gave an ANA Money Talks lecture on the various skills that 18th and 19th-century Americans needed in order to successfully navigate day-to-day commerce. Watch it here.