Numismatic and Antiquarian Society of Philadelphia records

The records of the Numismatic and Antiquarian Society of Philadelphia document a non-profit organization dedicated to the study and collection of coins, medals, and other antiquities. The records include minutes, membership records, correspondence, inventories, information on operating expenses, pri...

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Bibliographic Details
Corporate Author: Nuimismatic and Antiquarian Society of Philadelphia (Creator)
Collection:Numismatic and Antiquarian Society of Philadelphia Records
Collection Number:3002
Format: Manuscript
Language:English
Subjects:
Online Access:Link to finding aid
Item Description: Processing Information: XML encoding of original 2001 finding aid made possible by a grant from the Gladys Kriebel Delmas Foundation to the Philadelphia Consortium of Special Collections Libraries. The arrangement of the first seven series appears to be based on original order. Inventory of unprocessed papers added September 2011. Date range and extent updated to include unprocessing papers. Box 13 of the unprocessed additions contain items that show signs of old mold, mostly in the form of white-gray sopts on the covers of a few hard-bound volumes. One booklet shows more visible damage, but it still useable. Researchers with sensitivities to mold should take care when using items from this box.
Physical Description: 14.25 Linear feet ; 16 boxes
Access: The collection is open for research.
Summary: The records of the Numismatic and Antiquarian Society of Philadelphia document a non-profit organization dedicated to the study and collection of coins, medals, and other antiquities. The records include minutes, membership records, correspondence, inventories, information on operating expenses, printed materials, photographs, and other items. Most of the collection is unprocessed.
The processed portion of the collection includes 0.8 linear feet of material and is arranged into seven series. Of these, the Administration and Financial series contain the largest amount of material and are arranged chronologically. The General subseries of the Administration series consists of meeting minutes, lists of officers and committee members, and several copies of the constitution and by-laws. The Corporate Papers of the President subseries, generated by Betancourt, contains correspondence, papers regarding an exhibit of NAS coins at the U. S. Mint, and other official papers. The Financial series documents the 1960s through the 1980s and contains annual reports, operating budgets, receipts, and insurance records that include a valuation of the society’s assets. Some of the other series, mainly Miscellaneous and Membership, reveal an organization that was largely focused on socializing. The society held numerous parties both in conjunction with and separate from formal business meetings. The Correspondence series mainly consists of handwritten letters from members, several of which include endorsements for potential members. The Other Organizations series includes additional information about the relationship between NAS and the U.S. Mint. The Memorabilia series contains an assortment of items including post cards, coin company catalogs, and two undated photographs. Unprocessed additions form the bulk of the collection and are grouped in the final series. They include correspondence; meeting minutes; membership, financial, and administrative records; published proceedings; talks given at NAS meetings; clippings; photographs; and other items.