Can you get a PhD. in Numismatics?

Geoman

I ran across a website today, that a guy was claiming to be the only one in the US with a PhD in Numismatics. I didn't know you could get that. Can you?

What would your Master's be in? Abstract Arts (ie: AToning?)

ksteelheader

I could say that you probably can...............Ken

BASEagle

yeah. The cirriculum calls for a lot of chemistry.


Mike

ANACONDA

I believe Donald Kagin has a PhD in numismatics.

He's a cool guy, too. Very into coins. He is a territorial and pioneer gold specialist, i believe.

His Dad Art (80 years old) is also one of the big guys. His sister also is a dealer.

I don't know all three of them well but the seem to me to be good gusy(s) and gal.

DanC

So... with a Ph.D. in Numismatics, that would make you what... a Coin Doctor?

Geoman

I believe Donald Kagin has a PhD in numismatics.

Anaconda, that's correct. It was his website that I looked at. I guess I just find it hard to believe that he is the only person in the entire US with a PhD in Numismatics. Good for him though, as I didn't know you could get one. I wonder where, what college credited him with it?

Dan C..........a coin doctor! Now I love that twist!

Blade

Q David Bowers was listed as having a PhD in numismatics in a book I've got from 1982. I haven't seen him promoting it lately.

kranky

From Dr. Kagin's site:

"He earned the first Bachelor of Arts degree in Numismatics granted by Northwestern University, simultaneously earning another B.A. in history. Graduate and post-graduate studies at Northwestern, Drake University, John Hopkins University, the Union Graduate School, the American Numismatic Society Museum and the Smithsonian Institution earned Don the first Doctorate in Numismatics ever granted in the United States."

Lakesammman

I believe his territorial gold book was basically his doctoral thesis....it's not bad reading.

My impression is that unless your interested in a 50k territorial, you won't get the time of day.

Conder101

Back when he and Jonathan Kern got their degrees in Numismatics a lot of colleges were experimenting with letting students "design" their own degree programs. The student and his advisor would decide on the curiculum and the course of study, a thesis topic would be selected and the thesis written. Of course since the school doesn't have the qualified staff for the student to defend his thesis to outside members of the profession would be brought in for the oral arguments and the degree would be awarded. No school in the US has or had a degree program in numismatics.

NumisEd

Conder101, you are always an amazing wealth of information........probably one of the smartest dudes on the forum. Can one still earn a degree in numismatics from Northwestern? Kern has a BS degree in numismatics, which means, imo, that his entire curiculum was based around history/numismatics.

Conder101

I don't know if you still could or not. I would imagine if you could get your advisor to go along with it since the course has already been laid out you might be able to do it. On the other hand the school may decide to "close" that degree program and no longer grant the degree. The latter case would not surprise me since there haven't been others following the trail they blazed.

shirohniichan

I think you'd have to choose an existing school and follow an established course of study first. For example, you may end up in a university's School of Arts and Letters pursuing a doctoral studies in art history, then convince the university to award you a degree in numismatics

NumisEd

Ah, forget it then......sounds like too much work. I will just convince my martial arts instructor to give me a Black Belt in Numismatics. That sounds more powerful than a PhD in numismatics.

shirohniichan

And you'd be the only one! Numismatics ichi dan-- I like that sound.

Lakesammman

Probably easier to give your collection to a University in exchange for a honorary PhD

Johnscoin

It would be theoretically possible to obtain a degree in numismatics in my opinion. The college I just graduated from allowed contracted majors. With enough dancing with the faculty, I'd see it as possible. Or, you could just go to Europe and some schools there offer undergraduate programs in numismatics.
I'd be in grad school if I could figure a way to get a masters in numismatics

CYBERKEN

In the pre-grading service spike-and-dive days of the coin market in 1979/1982 and LOT of collectors got (unwanted) PhD's in numismatics. At great expense, of course.

I see it possibly coming again-in AT material.