The year that is about to close marks two noteworthy and related centennials. In 1907, America’s greatest sculptor, Augustus Saint-Gaudens, died. Also in that year, the federal government issued the gold coins — in $10 and $20 denominations — that it had commissioned Saint-Gaudens to design.

Most people know of Saint-Gaudens for his large-scale public works that ennoble certain lucky American cities, including and especially New York. But as a fine exhibition mounted by the American Numismatic Society at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York attests, the master sculptor was equally adept on a scale as small as a coin.

…By this point, the visitor may wonder why the American Numismatic Society would mount their show in one of the hardest-to-enter buildings in New York. Once I’d been cleared, I saw why. The groin-vaulted galleries of York & Sawyer’s splendid building, marked off by wrought-iron fences by Samuel Yellin, America’s greatest artist in iron, may well be the most exhilarating exhibition spaces in the entire city. Read Full Story

(Colorado Springs, Colorado) — A rare, 490-year old original copy of the first illustrated, printed numismatic book, Illustrium Imagines (”Images of the Illustrious”), has been donated to the American Numismatic Association by well-known collector, sports agent and real estate developer, Dwight N. Manley, of Newport Beach, California. The book was printed in 1517 in Rome, Italy, and contains 204 ornate woodcut illustrations from ancient Roman coins and medallions.

Manley purchased it for $8,050 in the November 1, 2007, rare book auction conducted by George Frederick Kolbe of Crestline, California. In the catalog, Kolbe described the book as “… of unparalleled importance, being only the second numismatic book ever published, and the first printed book substantially illustrating coins and medals … A handsome publication, truly one of the greatest landmarks in the history of numismatic literature.”

“This generous gift is unquestionably one of the most treasured volumes in any numismatic library collection,” said ANA Acting Executive Director Ken Hallenbeck. “This becomes the oldest numismatic book in the world’s largest numismatic lending library. It is a terrific addition to the ANA’s Dwight N. Manley Library.”

In 2003, the ANA Library was named in honor of Manley when he gratefully donated $250,000 to the Association as way of saying “thank you” for the $400 scholarship he received as a teenager in 1980 to attend an ANA Summer Seminar session. (more…)

(Fallbrook, California) – The Professional Numismatists Guild (PNG) again will provide a scholarship to send a deserving young numismatist to the annual American Numismatic Association (ANA) Summer Seminar in Colorado Springs, Colorado in 2008.

The scholarship will cover airfare, tuition for one of the two week-long Summer Seminar sessions in June, meals and six nights of dormitory accommodations on the campus of Colorado College, site of the ANA headquarters.

“For the fourth consecutive year, we are inviting all young numismatists between the ages of 13 and 22 to apply for the PNG scholarship. To be eligible for consideration, entrants must submit a short essay outlining why they should be chosen as the scholarship recipient. The deadline for receipt of the entries is March 31, 2008,” said Robert Brueggeman, PNG Executive Director. (more…)

The American Numismatic Association’s School of Numismatics is coming to the Whitman Baltimore Coin and Currency Convention, Nov. 16-18. The ANA will offer two courses of great value and interest to collectors: Understanding Die Varieties and Coin Collecting 101. “The Association is always looking for new ways to introduce people to the world of coin collecting, and Coin Collecting 101 is a wonderful place to start. Our Understanding Die Varieties course can help numismatists enhance their abilities and collect with confidence,” ANA Acting Executive Director Ken Hallenbeck said.

Designed for the novice or the expert, Understanding Die Varieties focuses on the four major divisions of die varieties for 20th century U.S. coinage: design changes, mintmark styles, doubled dies and repunched mintmarks. Instructor James Wiles, author of The Modern Minting Process and U.S. Minting Errors and Varieties: An ANA Correspondence Course, will give presentations in each area including explanations of the origins, major identifying features, cataloging systems and rarities for the “cherrypicker.” Walk away with new knowledge and a fresh enthusiasm for collecting die varieties. The class will be held from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Nov. 17 at the Baltimore Convention Center, Charles Street Entrance, Hall C, South Show Office.
(more…)

The American Numismatic Association is accepting applications for two summer internships at ANA headquarters in Colorado Springs. Experienced young collectors, college or graduate students and numismatic professionals are encouraged to apply.

One individual selected for The Harry W. Bass, Jr. Numismatic Internship will conduct original numismatic research using ANA resources in conjunction with the renowned Harry W. Bass, Jr. numismatic collection and related resources.

Another individual will be selected for the ANA Numismatic Internship, and will work with the professional staff of the Edward C. Rochette Money Museum and Dwight N. Manley Numismatic Library, the Publication and Education departments, and help with Summer Seminar and the World’s Fair of Money. (more…)