ANS Saltus Award Committee Announces 2001 Recipient

June 28, 2000, New York - The American Numismatic Society (ANS) announced that at a meeting on May 24, 2000, the ANS Saltus Award Committee voted to present the 2001 J. Sanford Saltus Award for Signal Achievement in the Art of the Medal to Gustaaf T.M. Hellegers of the Netherlands.

Mr. Hellegers is a sculptor and medallist who was born in 1937 in Teteringen, The Netherlands. His work has been included in many international gallery and museum exhibitions, and is held in numerous public and private collections. Mr. Hellegers has also received several commissions for his sculptures and medals from both government and private institutions. Stephen K. Scher, Chairman of the Saltus Award Committee said, "The award was made after much discussion, and the choice was particularly difficult, since all four nominated artists qualified and would certainly be included in future deliberations. In the end, Hellegers's originality, wry wit, imaginative treatment of a wide range of subjects, and his long devotion to the art of the medal convinced the committee that he deserved the Saltus medal."

The Saltus Award ceremony occurs every February and an exact date is yet to be determined. The American Numismatic Society presents its annual J. Sanford Saltus Award to an international medallist for exceptional artistry during his/her lifetime. It is the most prestigious award in medallic art in the United States and the Saltus Award ceremony consists of several coexisting events and programs.

Besides the actual award presentation, the ANS hosts its annual 'Stephen K. Scher Lecture on the Art and History of the Medal'. The lecture is funded through an endowed gift made possible by Stephen K. Scher. As traditionally done to honor the recipient of the Saltus Award, the ANS will also display a retrospective show of the artist's work. Information about the accompanying lecture and exhibition will be released at a later date.

The American Numismatic Society, founded in 1858, is a non-profit international center for the preservation and study of coins, medals and paper money, representing more than 2,500 years of culture. The ANS collection contains almost one million objects and spans all periods and geographic areas, including Greek and Roman, medieval and modern European, American, Islamic, Asian and African coins, as well as other materials. In addition, the ANS has the world's finest numismatic library, which also contains non-numismatic monographs and references on history, art, economics, language and culture. Both the collection and the library are available to the public.

In 1998, The American Numismatic Society purchased a new building at 140 William Street in the heart of New York's Financial District. The new building has approximately 10,000 more square feet than the current ANS building and is conveniently located. The Society, presently located in Upper Manhattan, expects to move from its current location to 140 William Street in calendar year 2001.

For further information contact Vanessa J. Samet at (212) 234-3130 ext. 231.