Holdings of the Smithsonian

jmcu12

Is there a public record of what this institution is holding? Further, are there any scan of them?

I know if would be quite a large endeavor, but these items should be scanned so that the public can 'view' them in that manner.

Heck, they could even make money off of it, 'The Coin Collection of the Smithsonian'. Now available on this special 3CD set for only $49.95. (I took off the 4 cents in the anticipation that we would have eliminated the cent by then and we are now rounding.

stujoe

This link was posted on my site the other day and has a bunch of copper coins that are apparently from it:

http://staff.jccc.net/scarr/photo_gallery.htm

Their own website has some exhibits too:

http://americanhistory.si.edu/csr/nnc/faqpages/virtexh.htm

I agree about putting it all online. It would be great!

LUCKOFTHEIRISH

Great Idea!!!!

MrEureka

How long do you think it will take to scan 1.6 million items?

MrEureka

Seriously, all will come in due course, one section at a time. The Smithsonian's pattern inventory is already online here.

jmcu12

1.6 million items....

I know it is a lot, but it has to start somewhere. How about when they were dismantling it?

Nice patterns, but cataloging is only one thing, there needs to be a pic, rev. & obv, for each item listed.

I can be patient, but can our nation's coins, currency, & medals? They are already not conserved appropriately.

MrEureka

I know it is a lot, but it has to start somewhere. How about when they were dismantling it?

The exhibit was dismantled in two days. Not enough time to take 1.6 million scans. Not even half that.

Nevertheless, I'm sure progress will be made over the course of the coming years. But more encouragement from the public can only help.

Coinosaurus

Andy-

How are the coins themselves catalogued in the collection - is there a card file in the Smithsonian or what?

MrEureka

How are the coins themselves catalogued in the collection - is there a card file in the Smithsonian or what?

All I know about that is what I read in NN or CW this week. Something to the effect that the inventory is computerized.

stujoe

<< <i>1.6 million items....

I know it is a lot, but it has to start somewhere. How about when they were dismantling it?

Nice patterns, but cataloging is only one thing, there needs to be a pic, rev. & obv, for each item listed.

>>



Distributed processing. All we have to do is get 1.6 million collectors to each go take a picture of just one coin...

DrPete

When I visited the Smithsonian in May, 2004 and met with Dr. Dick Doty, he indicated that the 1.6 million items includes about 1 million pieces of paper money, the rest coins.

At present it takes about 45 minutes per item to complete an inventory in their computer system. Multiply that by 600K and realize their staff consists of only about 3-4 individuals, and you see a logistical impossibility. Dick told me they currently do not have an inventory of their items. I went specifically to look at (research) barber halves and could provide an inventory of the 100+ coins I saw, but no systemic inventory exists. The barber halves are complete for regular issues (no 1892-O or 1898-O micro O coins), but the run is missing the 1906-O for unknown reasons. Grades of coins are all over the map. Next to the proof 1892 and high-grade 1892-O is an 1892-S in good to very good condition. Proof are present for the whole series and many P-mints also have business strikes, too. I have written a more complete article on my trip that I hope to get published in an upcoming Barber Collector's Society Journal.

Conder101

<< <i>Distributed processing. All we have to do is get 1.6 million collectors to each go take a picture of just one coin... >>


That was my thought as well. The Mint says there are over a hundred million collectors out there, surely at least 1.6 million of them have scanners or digital cameras. Just send the coins out, have the 1.6 million pictures taken and emailed to the Smithsonian and then they can send the coins back.

Don't have the addresses of those 100 million collectors? Ok just use the 3 million on the Mint mailing list. Send them all a questionare asking who would like to have coins sent to them for photography and how many they would be willing to take.

(I'll help! I'll help!)

ddink

The Smithsonian has clearly shown its disdain for coin collectors by the fact that they've removed the collection. Anyone knows that once the government does something, it's rarely undone (think about that city bond issue that was going to be just a "one-time sales tax increase of 1%" yet every time it comes up for renewal they say "Vote for funding on xxxxxx. Taxes won't even go up!" How many times have those bond renewals been defeated where you live?). Consequently I think we can expect never to see the national numismatic collection ever again, and certainly the SI doesn't care enough to scan all (or any) of the coins.

<<At present it takes about 45 minutes per item to complete an inventory in their computer system. Multiply that by 600K and realize their staff consists of only about 3-4 individuals, and you see a logistical impossibility. Dick told me they currently do not have an inventory of their items. I went specifically to look at (research) barber halves and could provide an inventory of the 100+ coins I saw, but no systemic inventory exists. The barber halves are complete for regular issues (no 1892-O or 1898-O micro O coins), but the run is missing the 1906-O for unknown reasons. Grades of coins are all over the map. Next to the proof 1892 and high-grade 1892-O is an 1892-S in good to very good condition. Proof are present for the whole series and many P-mints also have business strikes, too. I have written a more complete article on my trip that I hope to get published in an upcoming Barber Collector's Society Journal.>>

Talk about good security. Apparently someone at the SI whined when Jeremy posted about how he helped dismantle the collection--citing a "security risk," yet there is apparently no security risk in NOT EVEN KNOWING what coins are in the collection. How is one to know if a coin is stolen if one doesn't know that one even OWNS that coin in the first place?

You'll forgive me if I harbor nothing but disdain for the Smithsonian.

Conder101

<< <i>Talk about good security. Apparently someone at the SI whined when Jeremy posted about how he helped dismantle the collection--citing a "security risk," yet there is apparently no security risk in NOT EVEN KNOWING what coins are in the collection. How is one to know if a coin is stolen if one doesn't know that one even OWNS that coin in the first place? >>


Ask the ANS, it worked out pretty good for them. Didn't know what they had, ignored comments about descrepencies for decades until everyone with firsthand knowledge was dead, then sue the owner of the collection with "their" coins. Get some of "their" coins back, paid current market value for others, and even get some of his nice coins that had never been part of their collection.