The American Numismatic Society is pleased to announce the appointment of Elizabeth Hahn to the Francis D. Campbell Librarianship. She took up the position on July 1, 2008. Ms Hahn comes to the position during an exciting time as the ANS is currently in the process of moving to its new location at One Hudson Square.

Ms. Hahn is a trained librarian and completed a Master of Science in Library and Information Science from Long Island University. Her interest in specialized libraries compelled her to pursue a concentration in rare books and special collections as well as a certificate in archives, and she is particularly delighted about the extensive rare book collection at the Harry W. Bass Jr. Library at the ANS. When asked about her goals for the library, Elizabeth said that she is interested in updating the catalogs and databases in order to increase the efficiency of access to the collections. We live in a world where technology is constantly evolving and we need to keep up with those changes, she said. This is an excellent collection and it is important to convey the message to our members and the public of what resources we have and how they can be used.

Ms Hahn trained as an archaeologist and numismatist and has extensive library and museum employment experience. She holds a Master of Arts degree in maritime archaeology and history from the University of Bristol and a Master of Arts degree in classical art and archaeology from the University of Virginia. She is fluent in Italian and has a reading knowledge of German, French, ancient Greek and Latin. Elizabeth has worked on various excavations both on land and underwater in Sicily, Israel, and North America and spent a summer working at the Numismatic Museum in Athens, Greece. The ANS has played a fundamental role in my graduate studies, Elizabeth said, commenting on the research she conducted for a Masters thesis on the Greek coinage of Sicily and southern Italy. I have used the collections and resources in the past and I am thrilled to have the opportunity now to be a part of how those resources develop. (more…)

In preparation for the move to new premises later this year, the ANS will be holding a sale of duplicate books, sales catalogues and periodicals. Lists of available catalogues and periodicals will shortly appear on the ANS website, with prices and instructions for ordering. Shipping and handling will be charged to purchasers.

Duplicate books, together with unsold catalogues and periodicals will be offered for sale on the ANS premises from Saturday, March 8th, 2008. Opening hours will be posted on the ANS website.

Only duplicates of items in the library are being sold. no books or duplicates from the rare book room are included. all proceeds from sales will benefit the ans library.

In addition to the sale of material by the ANS, a mail bid auction of duplicate books is being held on behalf of the ANS by Charles Davis.

The catalogue is available online: http://members.aol.com/numislit/daviscatalogue.pdf Selected lots are also illustrated: http://members.aol.com/numislit/ Inquiries may be addressed to: Numislit@aol.com

The American Numismatic Society announced today that it has, through private treaty, acquired a large collection of legal medals, tokens and coins that had been gathered by the late Prof. Guido Kisch (1889-1985).

The stunning examples of more than 1000 objects focuses on law and the legal profession collected over more than half a century and depicts subjects such as emblems and badges of the law, institutions and personalities related to the law, legal history, education, legislation, prison, emancipation, with objects ranging in date from the 16th to mid-20th centuries.

Prof. Guido Kisch was Professor of Jurisprudence and the History of Law at the Universities of Koenigsberg, Prague and Halle before emigrating to the United States in 1935. He continued his academic career in New York until after the Second World War when he returned to Basel, Switzerland. He wrote prolifically on the subjects of humanism and jurisprudence; parts of his collection were discussed and illustrated in “Recht und Gerechtigkeit in der Medaillenkunst” which was published in 1995 in Heidelberg.

The Society has been expanding its holdings in an ongoing effort to strengthen its outstanding collections and to ensure that the collections are well maintained for the study and enjoyment of current and future generations of collectors and researchers. The ANS collection of medals, both foreign and U.S. has grown to over 100,000 objects. Many of the objects are available on line, and the ANS is trying to improve in this area. (more…)