What kind of security does the Smithsonian have for its collection?

291fifth

Anybody know? Also, what safeguards are in place to prevent internal pilferage? Since this collection is going out of sight it may also be going out of mind. Think of the potential for problems if strict internal safeguards are not in place and strictly followed in the years ahead.

nOoBiEeE

Planning something...???

jonesy

I got a key. What?? You want something???

BAJJERFAN

Smif n Wessun

boz

Stay outta this
Don't get in my way.

Bear

The coins are being guarded by the Keystone Cops. All of them.

anablep

When I was there 2 months ago (boy did I luck out and decide to see it when I did), only a couple of "guards" around in the room talking to people. I don't remember cameras, but I wasn't paying attention to that anyway.

BAJJERFAN

<< <i>The coins are being guarded by the Keystone Cops. All of them. >>



All of the coins? Or all of the cops?

BillJones

I’ll tell you this much about security for items that are not on display at public institutions.

Back in the early mid 1990s I purchased a very nice example of a Washington Before Boston model in copper that had been struck from the original dies. The Continental Congress awarded the original gold medal to Washington after his army forced the British to evacuate Boston on March 17, 1776. Through additional research I leaned that the gold medal that had been awarded to Washington was in the possession of the Boston Public Library. Back in 1876 a group of Boston citizens had pooled their resources, purchased the piece and had donated it to the library so that in future citizens could see it. It was also claimed that the medal went on display on Washington’s Birthday.

I waited for Washington’s Birthday, went to the Library and discovered that there was medal to be found. I then went to the museum staff and asked how one could see the actual medal. To bolster my case I took my piece, which worth $1,600 at the time, to show that I was a very interested citizen.

After a lot a rigmarole I was told to no one had seen the medal for a very long time. The only thing that they could offer me was a booklet about the medal, which I purchased, and small copy of the piece, which I declined.

One chilling comment that I heard was, “Didn’t the director take that home with him?” If that was true, what HE doing with the metal in his PRIVATE POSSESSION? Given the history of Boston politics I can tell you that that NOT a very safe place for the piece if the public were to see it again.

The bottom line is that I never saw the medal. The money that public spirited citizens pooled to buy the piece was misused because the public NEVER gets to see that historic item.

So far as I’m concerned museums can be the BEST place and the WORST place for national treasures. It’s great when the items are put on display and available for viewing. It’s the WORST when they are locked up or worse yet “taken home by the director” where NO ONE gets to see them. Under those circumstances, the best thing to do is to put the collection up for public auction and sell the pieces to private collectors who really appreciate them. At least there might be a chance that the items would be seen at a club meeting or an exhibit.

What the Smithsonian Institution is doing with the National Coin Collection is a disgrace, and the complaints about their actions should be broadcast on a national basis.

291fifth

Actually, the coins I am the least worried about are the "name" rarities. They would be too hot to handle, much like well known art works. I've heard the collection actually contains hundreds of thousands of items and it is the lesser items, those that are little known and that probably wouldn't be missed that are of concern. The collection may presently have very reliable custodians but what happens years in the future when they are no longer there and the collection, not having been displayed for decades, has largely slipped from memory.

I think the security issue needs to be moved to the front burner now, Before any problem can develop.