Has anyone visited the Carnegie Museum of Natural History

1630Boston

Has anyone visited the Carnegie Museum of Natural History
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Looks like there are some fantastic coins there.
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Duplicates from the George H. Clapp large cent collection, donated c. 1946-1947 to the Carnegie Museum of Natural History in Pittsburgh, PA. Photographed by Lyle Engleson, in cooperation with Early American Coppers, December 2019.
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here's a link to all of the donated coins https://nnp.wustl.edu/library/imagecollection/515508

1northcoin

One finds coins displayed in many unexpected museums. I was on the isle of Crete some years ago and stumbled across an extensive display of coinage in a museum there. I have posted another thread on the subject of Hawaiian coins in the Bishop Museum located on Oahu. Here is a link:

https://forums.collectors.com/discussion/1067678/you-are-invited-to-a-virtual-visit-at-a-museum-in-hawaii-to-view-hawaiian-coinage-exhibits

Barberian

I've been there often but usually to look at their insect collection and hobnob with their fantastic bug illustrator. I never noticed their coin collection and wouldn't expect them to have one given that it's a natural history museum.

vulcanize

@Barberian said:
I've been there often but usually to look at their insect collection and hobnob with their fantastic bug illustrator. I never noticed their coin collection and wouldn't expect them to have one given that it's a natural history museum.

Exactly. I last visited in 2000 but never saw this collection either.

291fifth

I saw the large cent collection and the rest of the museum when I was attending the 1989 ANA Pittsburgh convention. The collection was on display because the ANA convention was in town. I think I set an all time record for seeing the entire museum. (This was part of an ANA Pittsburgh tour.)

Desert Moon

Cool........

ricko

I have not been to a museum in many years. Thank you for reminding me... I must rectify that situation. Cheers, RickO

lusterlover

My son goes to Pitt. I'll have to check this out the next time I'm there. Thanks for the heads up!

JesseKraft

In addition to the Clapp 2nd-tier large cent collection (the 1st-tier collection is at the ANS), they also have Clapp's shell collection. Few realize that, after a brief introduction to coins in the 1870s/80s, Clapp did not collect coins again until the 1920s. In the meantime, he followed in his grandfather's footsteps in conchology and amassed perhaps the most complete collection of shells north of the Rio Grande—100,000 specimens.

While the Carnegie is a natural history museum, it was Clapp's connection to Pittsburgh and the museum in particular that landed those coins there.

Coinosaurus

Fantastic photography by Lyle as usual!

Zoins

@Barberian said:
I've been there often but usually to look at their insect collection and hobnob with their fantastic bug illustrator. I never noticed their coin collection and wouldn't expect them to have one given that it's a natural history museum.

Agree. I wouldn't have expected to see coins in a natural history museum.

The only way I can think about coins as natural history is early Homo Sapiens using basic tools like hammers!

Zoins

@JesseKraft said:
In addition to the Clapp 2nd-tier large cent collection (the 1st-tier collection is at the ANS), they also have Clapp's shell collection. Few realize that, after a brief introduction to coins in the 1870s/80s, Clapp did not collect coins again until the 1920s. In the meantime, he followed in his grandfather's footsteps in conchology and amassed perhaps the most complete collection of shells north of the Rio Grande—100,000 specimens.

While the Carnegie is a natural history museum, it was Clapp's connection to Pittsburgh and the museum in particular that landed those coins there.

Ah, thanks for the info

That makes more sense than an early Homo Sapien exhibit!

JesseKraft

@Zoins said:

@JesseKraft said:
In addition to the Clapp 2nd-tier large cent collection (the 1st-tier collection is at the ANS), they also have Clapp's shell collection. Few realize that, after a brief introduction to coins in the 1870s/80s, Clapp did not collect coins again until the 1920s. In the meantime, he followed in his grandfather's footsteps in conchology and amassed perhaps the most complete collection of shells north of the Rio Grande—100,000 specimens.

While the Carnegie is a natural history museum, it was Clapp's connection to Pittsburgh and the museum in particular that landed those coins there.

Ah, thanks for the info

That makes more sense than an early Homo Sapien exhibit!

Let's just hope they don't use any of Clapp's coins or shells in the Homo sapien exhibit! Wouldn't want to see them smashed under the hammer!!

FrankH

In my experience, I think ALL.... nice...early copper is in museums.

Oh ...also... if this link works, it's a great virtual tour.

https://naturalhistory2.si.edu/vt3/NMNH/z_tour-022.html

Your mouse will take the view all around.

Barberian

@JesseKraft said:
In addition to the Clapp 2nd-tier large cent collection (the 1st-tier collection is at the ANS), they also have Clapp's shell collection. Few realize that, after a brief introduction to coins in the 1870s/80s, Clapp did not collect coins again until the 1920s. In the meantime, he followed in his grandfather's footsteps in conchology and amassed perhaps the most complete collection of shells north of the Rio Grande—100,000 specimens.

While the Carnegie is a natural history museum, it was Clapp's connection to Pittsburgh and the museum in particular that landed those coins there.

Thanks for the history lesson. I used to work in Clapp Hall in Pitt's biology department as a grad student. I wonder if my advisor (he collected stamps, among other things) knew Clapp was a coin collector.

amwldcoin

Hmmm! So I'm not the only coin collector that collected shells! 100,000 specimens? Holy Cow!

@JesseKraft said:
In addition to the Clapp 2nd-tier large cent collection (the 1st-tier collection is at the ANS), they also have Clapp's shell collection. Few realize that, after a brief introduction to coins in the 1870s/80s, Clapp did not collect coins again until the 1920s. In the meantime, he followed in his grandfather's footsteps in conchology and amassed perhaps the most complete collection of shells north of the Rio Grande—100,000 specimens.

While the Carnegie is a natural history museum, it was Clapp's connection to Pittsburgh and the museum in particular that landed those coins there.

Oldhoopster

I was there a number of times years ago and do not remember any numismatic exhibits. The dinosaurs and minerals were fantastic but I never saw any coins (and I was a very enthusiastic YN back in the day)

Here is a list of there current exhibitions and I don't see any numismatics. I guess you may need to make special arrangements.

https://carnegiemnh.org/explore/explore/exhibitions/

Barberian

@amwldcoin said:
Hmmm! So I'm not the only coin collector that collected shells! 100,000 specimens? Holy Cow!

@JesseKraft said:
In addition to the Clapp 2nd-tier large cent collection (the 1st-tier collection is at the ANS), they also have Clapp's shell collection. Few realize that, after a brief introduction to coins in the 1870s/80s, Clapp did not collect coins again until the 1920s. In the meantime, he followed in his grandfather's footsteps in conchology and amassed perhaps the most complete collection of shells north of the Rio Grande—100,000 specimens.

While the Carnegie is a natural history museum, it was Clapp's connection to Pittsburgh and the museum in particular that landed those coins there.

And I bet he doesn't have a Conus gloriamaris and it's the only shell I've ever purchased.

I also bet there are lots of coin collectors who collect shells. Collectors collect.

JesseKraft

@Barberian said:

@amwldcoin said:
Hmmm! So I'm not the only coin collector that collected shells! 100,000 specimens? Holy Cow!

@JesseKraft said:
In addition to the Clapp 2nd-tier large cent collection (the 1st-tier collection is at the ANS), they also have Clapp's shell collection. Few realize that, after a brief introduction to coins in the 1870s/80s, Clapp did not collect coins again until the 1920s. In the meantime, he followed in his grandfather's footsteps in conchology and amassed perhaps the most complete collection of shells north of the Rio Grande—100,000 specimens.

While the Carnegie is a natural history museum, it was Clapp's connection to Pittsburgh and the museum in particular that landed those coins there.

And I bet he doesn't have a Conus gloriamaris and it's the only shell I've ever purchased.

I also bet there are lots of coin collectors who collect shells. Collectors collect.

Probably didn't. He only collected shells found north of the Rio Grande.
Though, given the rarity/significance of the Conus gloriamaris before 1969 (combined with deep pockets), maybe he did...

Barberian

@JesseKraft said:

@Barberian said:

@amwldcoin said:
Hmmm! So I'm not the only coin collector that collected shells! 100,000 specimens? Holy Cow!

@JesseKraft said:
In addition to the Clapp 2nd-tier large cent collection (the 1st-tier collection is at the ANS), they also have Clapp's shell collection. Few realize that, after a brief introduction to coins in the 1870s/80s, Clapp did not collect coins again until the 1920s. In the meantime, he followed in his grandfather's footsteps in conchology and amassed perhaps the most complete collection of shells north of the Rio Grande—100,000 specimens.

While the Carnegie is a natural history museum, it was Clapp's connection to Pittsburgh and the museum in particular that landed those coins there.

And I bet he doesn't have a Conus gloriamaris and it's the only shell I've ever purchased.

I also bet there are lots of coin collectors who collect shells. Collectors collect.

Probably didn't. He only collected shells found north of the Rio Grande.
Though, given the rarity/significance of the Conus gloriamaris before 1969 (combined with deep pockets), maybe he did...

It surprised the heck out of me when I looked up Glory-of-the-Seas on eBay to see what they go for these days. So I purchased one for about $50 and sent it to my brother who collected shells when he was a kid. Turned out he didn't recall it at all, yet it had been burned into my mind that it was the rarest, most valuable shell in the world as a little kid reading books on shells. They crashed in price faster and steeper than classic commemorative halves.

Kinda like what happened to a lot of CC and other dollars when they were released from bank vaults.

amwldcoin

That's a nice one for $50! The price crashed because people learned where to find them. There are quite a few rare, desirable shells out there. They could be a good investment unfortunately because of what we are doing to our world. I bought an old time collection years ago. There were a couple of Florida species in the collection that the original collector collected in the 50's or 60's that are now classified as extinct.

@Barberian said:

@JesseKraft said:

@Barberian said:

@amwldcoin said:
Hmmm! So I'm not the only coin collector that collected shells! 100,000 specimens? Holy Cow!

@JesseKraft said:
In addition to the Clapp 2nd-tier large cent collection (the 1st-tier collection is at the ANS), they also have Clapp's shell collection. Few realize that, after a brief introduction to coins in the 1870s/80s, Clapp did not collect coins again until the 1920s. In the meantime, he followed in his grandfather's footsteps in conchology and amassed perhaps the most complete collection of shells north of the Rio Grande—100,000 specimens.

While the Carnegie is a natural history museum, it was Clapp's connection to Pittsburgh and the museum in particular that landed those coins there.

And I bet he doesn't have a Conus gloriamaris and it's the only shell I've ever purchased.

I also bet there are lots of coin collectors who collect shells. Collectors collect.

Probably didn't. He only collected shells found north of the Rio Grande.
Though, given the rarity/significance of the Conus gloriamaris before 1969 (combined with deep pockets), maybe he did...

It surprised the heck out of me when I looked up Glory-of-the-Seas on eBay to see what they go for these days. So I purchased one for about $50 and sent it to my brother who collected shells when he was a kid. Turned out he didn't recall it at all, yet it had been burned into my mind that it was the rarest, most valuable shell in the world as a little kid reading books on shells. They crashed in price faster and steeper than classic commemorative halves.

Kinda like what happened to a lot of CC and other dollars when they were released from bank vaults.

Mr_Spud

I used to go there a lot when I was young and lived 20 miles south of Pittsburgh. Haven’t been there since the early 1980s. I don’t remember the coins though, maybe they weren’t there yet?

Barberian

@amwldcoin said:
That's a nice one for $50! The price crashed because people learned where to find them. There are quite a few rare, desirable shells out there. They could be a good investment unfortunately because of what we are doing to our world. I bought an old time collection years ago. There were a couple of Florida species in the collection that the original collector collected in the 50's or 60's that are now classified as extinct.

That shell was lifted off the internet as a nice example to show its beauty. It's an awesome shell. The shell I purchased was only about 4 inches long and it was beautiful as well.

Were the extinct species freshwater mussels? They have taken a beating over the past 100 years or so. TVA and other dams have caused a lot of extinctions.

amwldcoin

They were salt water...I remember 1 of them was a murex.

@Barberian said:

@amwldcoin said:
That's a nice one for $50! The price crashed because people learned where to find them. There are quite a few rare, desirable shells out there. They could be a good investment unfortunately because of what we are doing to our world. I bought an old time collection years ago. There were a couple of Florida species in the collection that the original collector collected in the 50's or 60's that are now classified as extinct.

That's shell was lifted off the internet as a nice example to show its beauty. It's an awesome shell. The shell I purchased was only about 4 inches long and it was beautiful as well.

Were the extinct species freshwater mussels? They have taken a beating over the past 100 years or so. TVA and other dams have caused a lot of extinctions.