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The Society's Inaugural Ledger
   ANS    
The Society's Inaugural Ledger
By Matthew Wittman

One of the volumes that the curatorial staff often consults is a folio-sized hardbound ledger that records the first half-century of acquisitions and accessions by the American Numismatic Society. The title page of the volume has a hand-written note indicating that it was presented to the organization, “while yet in its infancy,” by William Leggett Bramhall in December 1858. The American Numismatic Society originated out of an informal meeting held on March 15, 1858 at 121 Essex Street in New York City, which was then the home of a young coin enthusiast named Augustus B. Sage (1842-1874).

Augustus B. Sage

A constitution and by-laws…

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Joe Cowell's Numismatic Welcome to New York City, 1821
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Joe Cowell's Numismatic Welcome to New York City, 1821
By Matthew Wittman

Joseph Cowell (1792-1863) was a British comedian and theatrical entrepreneur who performed on both sides of the Atlantic. His memoir, Thirty…

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Golden Coins and Golden Fleeces
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Golden Coins and Golden Fleeces
By The American Numismatic Society

By Lara Fabian

View of the Black Sea from the Batumi Botanical Gardens

The Black Sea coast of Georgia is a wildly…

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Cartridges as Coins: Ethiopia, 1928
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Cartridges as Coins: Ethiopia, 1928
By The American Numismatic Society

By Felege-Selam Yirga

Tucked away among a host of oddities and commodity currencies in the “traditional” cabinet at the ANS are…

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Denari Provisini of the Roman Commune
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Denari Provisini of the Roman Commune
By The American Numismatic Society

By Mariele Valci

The denaro provisino was one of the most widespread issues in Central Italy during the Late Middle Ages….

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Minting Multiculturalism in Alexander's Wake
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Minting Multiculturalism in Alexander's Wake
By The American Numismatic Society

By Rhyne King

In 334 BCE, Alexander the Great crossed from Europe into Asia Minor and began his conquest of the Achaemenid…

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ISIS, Numismatics, and Conflict Antiquities
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ISIS, Numismatics, and Conflict Antiquities
By Ute Wartenberg

In preparing a session on cultural property issues for the Eric P. Newman Graduate Seminar, I was reading more of the…

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Kushan Coins at the ANS
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Kushan Coins at the ANS
By Andrew Reinhard

A long-awaited publication from The American Numismatic Society, Kushan, Kushano-Sasanian, and Kidarite Coins, is now available for sale. The 322-page…

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Profiles in Research: Katherine van Schaik
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Profiles in Research: Katherine van Schaik
By Matthew Wittman

Last week the ANS was visited by Katherine van Schaik, an M.D. and Ph.D. student at Harvard University. Katherine was kind…

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The Wildcat Bank of Brest
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The Wildcat Bank of Brest
By Matthew Wittman

The Bank of Brest in Michigan was one of the most infamous “wildcat” banks that sprang up amidst the more…

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Mother's Day Numismatics
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Mother's Day Numismatics
By Matthew Wittman

With Mother’s Day approaching this weekend, I thought it might be a good time for a post about the many…

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A Digital Win, or, What 100,000 Objects Look Like
   ANS    
A Digital Win, or, What 100,000 Objects Look Like
By Matthew Wittman

This week, the American Numismatic Society uploaded images of its 100,000th object into our online database MANTIS. The lucky coin was an…

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