Stahl to Deliver Loew Lecture
Alan Stahl, the Society's Curator of Medieval Coins, has been invited to be the 1999 Loew Lecturer of the Medieval Institute, Western Michigan University. On Tuesday, April 13, he will deliver the Institute's annual Loew Lecture on the subject "The Mint of Venice in the Middle Ages," at a public meeting on the WMU campus in Kalamazoo. The next day, he will lecture to the graduate seminar in medieval archaeology on "Numismatics and Medieval Archaeology," drawing on his work on the coinage of the Sutton Hoo ship burial and as numismatist for the Columbus-era sites of La Isabela and Concepción de la Vega in the Dominican Republic. This will mark the first of Stahl's two trips to WMU this spring; in May he will be representing the Society as he has done for the past two decades at the International Congress on Medieval Studies there (see accompanying story).
ANS at Medieval Congress
As in past years, the ANS is being represented at this year's International Congress on Medieval Studies at Western Michigan University with a session of scholarly papers and a reception for members, alumni and friends. The session, on the topic "Coinage and Money of the Middle Ages," was organized by ANS Curator of Medieval Coins Alan M. Stahl and will be chaired by James J. Todesca, a seminar alumnus now on the faculty of Armstrong Atlantic State University.
The first paper, "The Reform of French Royal Coinage in 1360," will be presented by Daniel Hobbins of the University of Notre Dame, a graduate of the 1998 summer seminar. A paper on "Medieval Coin Imitations" will be presented by David Sorenson, who received his Ph.D. from the University of Cambridge for work on French coinage of the late fourteenth century; Dr. Sorenson is currently with Pegasi Numismatics. The third paper, "Modern Imitations of Medieval Coins," will be given by Allen Berman, a professional numismatist who has had a table at the annual Congress for the past several years and developed a large clientele for medieval numismatics among scholars in attendance. The session will be held on Friday, May 7, at 10 a.m. in room 2020 of the Fetzer Center.
The ANS reception will take place on Saturday, May 8, from 8 to 11 p.m., in room 1045 of the Fetzer center. More information on the Congress is available at (616) 387-8745 or e-mail: mdvl_congress@wmich.edu.
Travel Funds Available
The Pennsylvania Association of Numismatists (PAN) is offering a travel grant of up to $2,000 to individuals engaged in numismatic research. Eligible recipients include PA residents (any area of study) and non-residents who are researching topics in Pennsylvania numismatics.
Information and grant application forms are available by writing: Travel Grant Committee; PAN; PO Box 1079; Lancaster, PA, 17608-1079; or at their Website: www.money.org/club_pan.html.
Picard Visiting Scholar for 1999 Graduate Seminar
The 47th ANS Graduate Seminar in Numismatics will be held at the Society between June 15 and August 14, 1999. This year the Visiting Scholar will be Professor Olivier Picard from the Université de Paris-Sorbonne (Paris IV). He is an eminent specialist of ancient history and numismatics and a former Director of the French School of Archaeology in Athens. He is the author of Chalcis et la Confédération Eubéenne: Étude de Numismatique et d'Histoire (Ive- Ier siècle) (1979) and has published extensively on Greek inscriptions and on the coinage of Thasos. He is preparing a mint study of this city and will be working on the ANS holdings during his stay.
Medallic Group Announces Program
The American Medallic Sculpture Association (AMSA) has announced its schedule of activities and events for this spring, two of which are of particular interest to Society members. AMSA is holding a public exhibit of Medallic Art and Wall Reliefs at the gallery of the National Sculpture Society, 1177 Avenue of the Americas (45th St.), 15th floor, from March 1 through April 30; hours are 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. This exhibit follows that held last year at the ANS at which AMSA celebrated its fifteenth anniversary with a joint exhibit with the British Art Medal Society.
On Saturday, March 20, AMSA will hold a public meeting featuring a talk by Stephen K. Scher entitled "Hunting the Wild Aftercast: Confessions of a Medal Collector." Dr. Scher is a member of the ANS Council and Chair of the Saltus Medal Committee and the Committee on Medieval Coins. This lecture will be held at the Pen and Brush Club, 16 East 10th St., New York at 2 p.m. AMSA has made arrangements to hold its meetings for the 1999-2000 season at the ANS headquarters, on Audubon Terrace in the fall and then on William Street after our move.
Information on other AMSA activities and on membership in the organization, which includes artists, collectors and historians of the medal, may be obtained from AMSA, 56 North Plank Road, Suite 1-865, Newburgh, NY 12550.
America's Large Cent
By now, participants in COAC 1996 and members holding the Publications Subscription have received the Society's latest publication in the COAC Proceedings series, America's Large Cent. This session of the annual conference meeting was held November 9, 1996, at the Society's museum. As is the usual procedure following such conferences, participants were given the opportunity to change and correct their manuscripts before publication in book form. This allows each author to benefit from the comments and criticisms of fellow attendees and to remove errors and strengthen arguments before final publication.
The 190-page volume, with an "Introduction" by John M. Kleeberg, contains eight articles: "Joseph N. T. Levick," by James Neiswinter; "Aspects of the Copper Coinage, 1793-1796," by R. W. Julian; "The Strawberry Leaf Cent: A Reappraisal," by John M. Kleeberg; "The Hiatus," by John D. Wright; "Early US Coining Dies in the ANS Collection," by Craig Sholley; "An Overview of Proof Large Cents," by Denis W. Loring; "The Butternut Large Cent Hoard: A Statistical Study," by Colonel Steven K. Ellsworth and Christopher B. Schwerdt; and "Restriking the Issues: The Large Cent Restrikes of 1804, 1810 and 1823," by Mark Borckardt and William Metropolis. The book includes a wealth of photographs, and tables focusing on the topics discussed accompany the articles. The book is available from the Society for $25.00 plus postage and handling (U.S. $1.50, other $2.00).
ANSSNG 9 Forthcoming
Anticipated for late spring or early summer is Sylloge Nummorum Graecorum the Collection of the American Numismatic Society, volume 9, Graeco-Bactrian and Indo-Greek Coins. It has been assembled by Bactrian scholar Osmund Bopearachchi and contains 1,745 coins from the Society's collection, each illustrated and with a concise, sylloge-style description. This volume has not yet been priced, but we anticipate announcing that information in the next ANSNewsletter. Books in the sylloge series are not available through the Publication Subscription option offered with membership and must be individually ordered.
ISLAMIC RESEARCH GRANTS AVAILABLE
With a generous gift from H. E. Shaykh Hamad Abdullah Al-Thani of Qatar, the ANS is able to expand its support of Islamic numismatic study. The Shaykh Hamad Grants for Islamic Numismatic Research are intended to help cover the costs of visiting the Society, photography, and other research expenses associated with the use of the Society's Islamic collection.
The rules for the grants are flexible. In order to assist as many researchers as possible, grants will be small, a few hundred dollars at the most, and will be awarded only for actual expenses. Applications (directed to Michael Bates, ANS Curator of Islamic Coins) should state the nature of the research project and specify the expenditures to be covered and the amounts.
Harry Bone of Princeton has received the first grant, to cover photography and travel expenses from Princeton for work on his Ph.D. thesis The Administration of Umayyad Syria from Coins, which he intends to complete in September 1999.
LIBRARY NOTES
The Library's card catalogue conversion project is now more than 50% complete. Library staff have been busy editing completed records with software developed by W.L. Hill Consulting of Dallas, Texas. Although not as yet complete, the potential of the library's conversion project is becoming ever more apparent. We are looking forward to the day when we can bring to our members and the general public, via the internet, a bibliographical resource which in the past could only be appreciated by visitors to the library and those in possession of the catalogues published by G.K. Hall, which include only the publications cataloged by the library down to the year 1978. We acknowledge the ongoing support of the Harry Bass Research Foundation in helping us to achieve this goal.
Among the publications generously donated by authors, publishers and others are Antonio Alberola and Juan Manuel Abascal, Moneda antigua y vida económica en las comarcas del Vinalopó (Valencia, 1998); Fernando Baptista Gumucio, La historia republicana de La Paz labrada en plata: Los presidentes paceños a través de la numismatica, 1548 - Aniversario de la fundacion de La Paz - 1998 (La Paz, Bolivia, 1998); Elizabeth Bartman, Portraits of Livia: Imaging the Imperial women in Augustan Rome (Cambridge/New York, 1998); Lorenzo Bellesia, Ricerche su zecche emiliane, III: Reggio Emilia (Republic of San Marino, 1998); Giovanna Rita Bellini, Minturnae antiquarium: Monete dal Garigliano, II. Monete greche, provinciali romane e tessere romane (di bronzo e di piombo) / Testi di Stefano Medas, Mechtild Overbeck, Novell Vismara (Milan, 1998); and Minturnae antiquarium: Monete dal Garigliano, III. La città ed il porto (296-44 A.C) monete romane repubblicane - fino all morte di Cesare (Milan, 1998); Flavia Busatta and Sandra Busatta, eds., Da Montezuma a Massimiliano: Itinerari messicani attraverso le "Camere delle Meraviglie" e la Collezione Bottacin (Padua, 1998) donated by Dr. Bruno Callegher; Georges Depeyrot, Le numéraire mérovingien: L'âge de l'or. III: Les ateliers centraux (Wetteren, Belgium, 1998); and Le numéraire mérovingien: L'âge de l'or. IV: Les ateliers méridionaux (Wetteren, Belgium, 1998); Duane Douglas, Emisiones desconocidas de papel moneda mexicano: "Repatriacion de un tesoro." (Mexico City, 1998); Arist Engler, Medaillen des Medailleurs Helmut König, 1974-1994, Band 4: Städtejubiläen, öffentliche Gebäude, Philatelie (Berlin, 1998); L.B. Fauver, A trial listing of rechenmeister/ABC counters of the 1500s (Menlo Park, CA, 1990); Guvendik Fisekcioglu, Para-99 (Sisli Istanbul, 1998); Jean-Baptiste Giard, Le grand camée de France (Paris, 1998); David D. Gladfelter, A trial classification of embossed-coin "Cambist" postcards: Chronological by maker. Based upon the collection of the late Jonah Shapiro (Moorestown, NJ, 1998); Rekha Jain, Ancient Indian Coinage: A systematic study of money economy from Janapada period to early medieval period, 600 BC to AD 1200 (New Delhi, 1995); Theresa M. Lund, History of the Gateway Coin Club of Merced County, 1973-1998 (Merced, CA, 1998); B. Max Mehl, The Star Rare Coin Encyclopedia, 43rd ed. (Fort Worth, 1936), a gift from Lance L. Ward, Sr.; Anahit Mousheghian, and Georges Depeyrot, Hellenistic and Roman Armenian coinage, 1st c. BC - 1st c. AD (Wetteren, Belgium, 1999); Frank Pedersen, 1 Skilling 1771 med appendiks om 1/2 skilling 1771 (Stockholm, 1991); Jens Pilegaard and Boerge R. Juul, eds., Sieg's montkatalog 1999 (Aalborg, 1998); Wayne G. Sayles, Ancient coin collecting V: The Romaion/Byzantine culture (Iola, WI, 1998); David R. Sear, The history and coinage of the Roman Imperators, 49-27 BC (London, 1998); Tommy Thompson, America's lost treasure: A pictorial chronicle of the sinking and recovery of the United States Mail Steamship "Central America." (New York, 1998); Leandre Villaronga, Les dracmes ibèriques i llurs divisors (Barcelona, 1998); Bruce A. Vogel, ed., Walter Breen's Numisma: The United States Cent, 1816-1857 (Longmont, CO, 1998); and The Indian Cent Numisma: 1856-1909 / Notes by Bruce Vogel and Walter Breen (Longmont, CO, 1998); and The Lincoln Cent Numisma: 1909-1997 / Notes by Bruce Vogel and Walter Breen (Longmont, CO, 1998); Donald White, ed. The extramural sanctuary of Demeter and Persephone at Cyrene, Libya: Final reports, Volume VI: Part I: The coins, T.V. Buttrey, Part II: Attic pottery, Ian McPhee (Philadelphia, 1997); Douglas Winter, Gold coins of the Charlotte Mint, 1838-1861 (Dallas, TX, 1998).
From Lawrence E. Cutler, MD, of New York, the library has received a selection of rare documents and maps related to gold mining in the western United States during the last century. Readers wishing further information concerning the above publications should address inquiries to the Librarian.
Seattle Conference March 26-28
The themes of coin forgeries and authentication will be the topic of a weekend seminar organized by the American Numismatic Society. In its attempt to provide education on important numismatic topics in different regions of the U.S., the Society is holding a three-day seminar in Seattle at the University of Washington on March 26-28, 1999.
The seminar will have a special emphasis on problems of U.S. coinage as well as ancient coins, but also cover Chinese and Japanese coins. The ANS, in cooperation with the American Numismatic Association, has brought together seven distinguished experts who are willing to share their knowledge with the participants. Hands-on sessions with coins will help to put the theoretical part into a practical context and teach participants how to examine coins.
Expert Staff to Conduct Sessions
As instructors, ANS staff members Ute Wartenberg and John Kleeberg, as well as Brian Silliman and Robert Hoge of the ANA, will be joining their colleagues Silvia Hurter, J.P. Martin and Joseph Boling. The registration fee of $175 covers the tuition for the full three-day event (students and university faculty concession of $75). The seminar is made possible through generous sponsorship by the ANS, ANA, the University of Washington, Independent Coin Grading Company, and Leu Numismatik Inc. The conference Program and registration form are included for convenience. For further information call Ute Wartenberg at the ANS at 212/234-3130 x 217 or e-mail at wartenberg@amnumsoc.org.
Harry Bass Honored at Ski Resort
Following the death on April 4, 1998 of ANS Past President, Harry W. Bass Jr., the Society published a book of "Memories of His Life" that capsuled his deep involvement in developing both Vail and Beaver Creek ski resorts in Colorado. This founding role was memorialized on January 29, 1999, with the dedication of the Beaver Creek village fountain in his honor. The event and dedication ceremony were captured in print by Ronnie Lynn, Vail Daily Staff Writer, whose article is quoted from here.
"Honoring a Visionary"
BEAVER CREEK–In honor of the man largely responsible for its existence, Beaver Creek Resort will name the village fountain after Harry W. Bass Jr. in a short ceremony Friday afternoon, January 29, 1999.
"Bass's family began buying stock in Vail Associates in the mid-1970s and owned a majority interest through 1985, when George Gillett bought them out.
"But it was Bass who envisioned creating a ski resort–complete with a village and performing arts theater–in Beaver Creek in the late 1970s. Planning began in 1979, and the slopes opened for the first time during the 1980-81 season.
" 'He did participate in a lot of early planning for Beaver Creek, but the main point is that he and his family owned and controlled a majority interest in the company," former Vail Associates executive Chuck Madison said. "He had the vision to take the risk and make the financial commitment to launch Beaver Creek. Even though what you see today is successful, it was a huge financial risk at the time. All there was was Vail Mountain, and it was a much smaller asset than it is today. He basically bet his financial interest in Vail Mountain. He believed so much in Beaver Creek that he encumbered Vail Mountain in order to raise the capital necessary to launch Beaver Creek. If it would have been a failure, he would have lost both Vail Mountain and Beaver Creek.'
"With such strong ties to Beaver Creek, the current resort company board of directors agreed with a proposal from Bass's former colleagues to dedicate the village fountain in Bass's name."
Doris Bass, Harry's widow and current President of the Harry Bass Research Foundation, was present at the ceremonies on behalf of the family.
An Updated Report on Early U.S. Cents Previously Stolen from the ANS
The ANS endeavors, as warranted, to inform its readers and the public about the status of our efforts to recover the early date U.S. cents taken from the Society in a switching scheme. This is accomplished through periodic reports in our ANSNewsletter and by other means.
The written report prepared by noted large cent authority, Delmar Bland, detailing the 129 early U.S. cents missing from the Clapp collection at the ANS, was received by the Society on December 17, 1990. The ANS promptly published and distributed notice of the specific variety, condition, and pedigree of each piece and undertook to recover the stolen coins. The lower grade pieces switched into the ANS collection by Dr. William H. Sheldon in place of the Clapp ANS pieces Sheldon stole were offered by the ANS to innocent possessors for the return to the ANS of the corresponding stolen pieces. This resulted in some recoveries, but after a reasonable time for acceptance, that offer was withdrawn once the Naftzger litigation commenced in 1993. Information has been vigorously sought as to the whereabouts of other stolen pieces and further requests for returns have been made when facts indicated where stolen pieces might be located.
In 1993 suit was filed by Roy E. Naftzger against the ANS in Superior Court of Los Angeles County, California, to confirm title to certain cents in his possession. On Naftzger's motion, a judgment against the ANS was rendered by the court. The ruling was appealed by the ANS to the Court of Appeal of California where the ruling was reversed. The case was sent back to the Superior Court for trial. In 1997 the case was tried and a judgment in favor of the ANS rendered, granting the ANS title to 38 early U.S. cents in Naftzger's possession plus the value of 20 other early U.S. cents that had been transferred by Naftzger to others. This judgment is now on appeal and is expected to be heard in Summer 1999.
Recovery Efforts Continue
During the pendency of this litigation other ANS cents stolen by Sheldon were recovered, some after suit and some by negotiation. Over half of the stolen coins have now been returned or their value recovered, provided that the pending appeal does not change that status. The Bland list has been modified in a few instances as further facts were discovered by Bland and by John M. Kleeberg of the ANS staff. The revised list of unrecovered stolen ANS cents is included at the end of this discussion.
Many false pedigrees for the stolen cents had been prepared by Sheldon and anyone possessing cents similar to the unrecovered stolen coins should carefully review any pedigrees. Photographs of almost all unrecovered stolen ANS cents are available on the Internet at the Society's Website, www.AmNumSoc2.Org.
There has also been filed by Naftzger in California against the ANS and others a suit requesting recovery from the ANS of some of the cents switched in by Sheldon as part of the theft substitution scheme. This action is presently stayed pending the appeal in the original litigation.
The ANS continues to request information not yet known to it as to the whereabouts of other Clapp stolen coins and will cooperate in the identification of any cents whenever requested. The ANS has from the outset held the position that it has an obligation to do everything reasonable and responsible to maintain and protect its collections.
The ANS continues to express its appreciation to its staff and to those who have cooperated in the recovery undertaking, including John R. Horan and Oleg Rivkin of the New York City law firm of Fox, Horan & Camerini, who have been and are representing the Society in this complex and tedious matter.
List of Unrecovered ANS Cents
The revised list of stolen cents which the ANS has, as yet, neither recovered nor been awarded damages for, follows:
| Year | Variety | Grade | Pedigree on Clapp Box |
| 1793 | S-11a | AU-50 | Elmer S. Sears 6/25 |
| 1794 | S-21 | AU-55 | C. Würtzbach 2/33 |
| 1794 | S-24 | MS-60 | Beckwith:4 -Henry Chapman 6/23 |
| 1794 | S-31 | MS-60 | Elmer S. Sears 10/22 |
| 1794 | S-42 | VF-35 | Robert D. Book 5/30 |
| 1794 | S-63 | AU-50 | Ellsworth-Charles E. Clapp 12/24 |
| 1794 | S-69 | AU-50 | Ellsworth-Charles E. Clapp 12/24 |
| 1794 | S-71 | AU-50 | Elmer S. Sears 6/26 |
| 1795 | S-74 | EF-40 | Robert D. Book 5/30 |
| 1796 | S-87 | VF-30 | Charles E. Clapp 8/24 |
| 1796 | S-91 | AU-50 | Morgenthau 1/11/44 |
| 1796 | S-104 | VF-35 | Robert D. Book 5/30 |
| 1796 | S-119 | MS-60+ | H. Chapman 9/21 |
| 1797 | S-126 | AU-50 | St. Louis Stamp & Coin Co. 8/22 |
| 1797 | S-130 | AU-50 | Wayte Raymond 1/26 |
| 1797 | S-130 | VF-35 | Jones Sale 6/22 |
| 1797 | S-131 | VF-35 | Elder 6/21 |
| 1797 | S-132 | F-12 | Charles E. Clapp 11/23 |
| 1797 | S-137 | EF-45 | Robert D. Book 5/30 |
| 1797 | S-141 | F-12 | Charles E. Clapp 7/24 |
| 1798 | S-145 | VF-35 | Robert D. Book 5/30 |
| 1798/7 | S-150 | VF-30 | C. H. Deetz 9/26 |
| 1798 | S-155 | EF-45 | Elmer S. Sears 6/26 |
| 1798 | S-157 | AU-55 | Charles E. Clapp 7/24 |
| 1798 | S-161 | AU-55 | Wayte Raymond 11/21 |
| 1798 | S-163 | VF-30 | H.R. Newcomb 2/7/45 |
| 1798 | S-166 | AU-55 | Wayte Raymond 1/26 |
| 1798 | S-167 | EF-45 | Henry Chapman 10/22 |
| 1798 | S-167 | VF-35 | James G. Macallister 11/30 |
| 1798 | S-172 | EF-45 | Zabriskie:753-C. E. Clapp 3/21 |
| 1798 | S-173 | VF-35 | James G. Macallister 11/30 |
| 1798 | S-187 | AU-50 | Charles E. Clapp 3/21 |
| 1800/99 | S-192 | EF-45 | Morgenthau 1/11/44 |
| 1802 | S-227 | AU-50 | Jones 6/22 |
| 1802 | S-228 | EF-40 | C. H. Deetz 9/26 |
| 1802 | S-230 | EF-45 | B. Max Mehl 11/21 |
| 1802 | S-235 | AU-55 | St. Louis Stamp & Coin Co. 4/33 |
| 1802 | S-236 | AU-55 | Charles E. Clapp 7/24 |
| 1802 | S-239 | AU-55 | Elmer S. Sears 6/26 |
| 1803 | S-243 | EF-45 | Wayte Raymond 1/26 |
| 1803 | S-243 | MS-60 | W. S. Lincoln (London)-B. H. Collins-Edouard Frossard-C. H. Deetz 9/26 |
| 1803 | S-247 | AU-55 | St. Louis Stamp & Coin Co. 1/24 |
| 1803 | S-248 | EF-45 | A. J. Brown 8/37 |
| 1803 | S-253 | EF-40 | Morgenthau No. 655 7/39 |
| 1803 | S-254 | MS-60 | Ellsworth 3/23 |
| 1803 | S-256 | AU-50 | Charles E. Clapp 3/21 |
| 1803 | S-256 | EF-45 | Charles E. Clapp 7/24 |
| 1803 | S-258 | MS-60+ | C. H. Deetz 9/26 |
| 1803 | S-260 | MS-60 | Charles E. Clapp 7/24 |
| 1803 | S-260 | AU-55 | H. Chapman 1/21 |
| 1803 | S-264 | VG-8 | James G. Macallister No. 453 4/26/32 |
| 1803 | S-265 | VF-35 | Gable:1287-Wilharm:1448-Robert D. Book 5/30 |
| 1805 | S-268 | VF-35 | C. E. Clapp 7/24 |
| 1807 | S-271 | EF-40 | Elder 11/21 |
| 1807/6 | S-273 | AU-50 | Simpson 6/24 |
| 1807 | S-275 | VF-30 | Morgenthau 5/35 |
| 1808 | S-279 | VF-30 | Henderson |
| 1810 | S-282 | AU-55 | B. Max Mehl 11/21 |
| 1810 | S-283 | EF-45 | Charles E. Clapp 7/24 |
