A Letter from the President

The current situation of the American Numismatic Society, and the decisions that the ANS governing Council have taken to bring the Society's finances into order, have given rise to a number of incorrect stories. I want here to address one of those, that the Society intends to focus its attention on US coins only -- in the words of one writer, drawing from remarks I have made and that have been misunderstood, that we would become a "US coin collectors club".

This is just not correct. It is certainly the case -- and I have said this on a number of occasions -- that one of our priority goals is to make the ANS the premier organization for the U.S. collector, just as it has become the premier organization for collectors and scholars of numismatics in other areas over the course of its nearly 150-year history. In the future, we want to be as open and accessible as possible to Americanists who are seriously interested in coins and paper money, and become a more important, even essential, resource to them in the future. This goal is consistent with the overall mission of the Society, which is to be the premier institution promoting the appreciation and understanding of numismatics in the United States.

At the same time, it is our firm intention to remain an unequaled resource in all areas of numismatics. As those who pay closest attention to us are fully aware, we have the finest public collections in the United States of Greek, Roman, Byzantine, Renaissance, Modern, Islamic and East Asian money. In addition to our superb collection of more than 750,000 numismatic objects, our specialized library of numismatics is unequaled anywhere in the world. We will continue to add to the collections and library and, despite our financial constraints, service in every way we can those persons and institutions who may be interested in the history of money. We will continue to seek ways to make numismatics as a whole more accessible to both specialized scholars and the general public. To this end, we are moving already to make our website an unparalleled avenue to information about our collections and our activities, and to develop exciting exhibits that can show the nature of money and its importance for the history of mankind. Our financial situation forces us to make difficult choices, but we intend to maintain our reputation for excellence in every area of the discipline.

We will remain, in short, dedicated to the interests of the field in its entirety. This is the goal of the Society's Council as a whole. It is also certainly my own.

I very much appreciate the concern of those who have contacted us about actions we have taken to bring our accounts into balance. I know that many will have continuing concerns about our future direction. I can only ask that they bear with us as we seek to strengthen our finances and the institution overall. If they can find ways to support us financially, this will help us better serve the community as a whole.

I ask, finally, that if members have questions about any aspect of what we are doing, they feel free to approach me or Dr. Wartenberg directly so that they may form opinions on the basis of accurate information. The web-site, at www.amnumsoc.org, will also serve as a conduit for continuing communication with the public.

Thank you for your understanding and your support.