The Norweb Collection - An American Legacy

The single most valuable donation by the Norwebs to the National Collection was their specimen of the famous 1913 Liberty nickel. This specimen was donated to the National Collection on November 3, 1977, in commemoration of the Norweb's 60th wedding anniversary. Vladimir Clain-Stefanelli traveled to Cleveland where the formal transfer of ownership and possession was to take place. After the deed of gift was signed, Dr. Clain-Stefanelli carefully wrapped the coin in a handkerchief and carried it back to Washington. At the time of the gift, the specimen was valued by Dr. Clain-Stefanelli at $225,000. To establish a reasonable value for the gift, Dr. Clain-Stefanelli wrote to Q David Bowers asking if the figure of $225,000 was realistic. Bowers replied that it seemed so to him, saying that in 1975 his firm, then named Bowers and Ruddy Galleries, owned a half interest in the Hydeman specimen of the 1913 Liberty nickel, and had paid $105,000 for their part ownership, making a total purchase price of $210,000 for that coin. The Hydeman specimen was subsequently purchased by Dr. Jerry Buss. Ten years after Bowers' firm purchased their half interest in the coin, it was sold as part of Dr. Buss' collection by Superior Galleries, realizing $385,000.

It is impossible to put an accurate dollar value on all the coins and medals donated by the Norweb family to the American Numismatic Society and the National Numismatic Collection, simply because the size of the donations was so large. However, a very rough estimate of their value would have to fall in the range of several million dollars. More significant than the mere monetary value of their gifts, however, is the lasting value of their im-portance to numismatic scholarship and the continued vitality of the hobby. By donating outstanding coins to the two major public numismatic institutions in our country, the Norwebs ensured that these coins could be seen and appreciated by generations of scholars and collectors yet to come. Their donations are most fitting and durable memorials to a long-shared love of numismatics.

Honors and Awards

Emery May Norweb joined the American Numismatic Association in 1914. Fifty years later, at the ANA Convention in Cleve-land in 1964, she was awarded the Association's gold 50 year membership medal. On her death, she was the ANA's oldest continually active member, having been a regular member for 70 years!

Besides the ANA, Mrs. Norweb was "a member of the Royal Numismatic Society, Canadian Numismatic Association, and the New York Numismatic Club. A long time member of the American Numismatic Society, she was the first woman appointed to that body's council, serving for 10 years in that capacity from, 1968 to 1978. She acted as chairperson of the ANS United States. Committee during this time. In 1978 Mrs. Norweb was appointed an honorary Life Councillor to the ANS.

To honor her many important donations to the National Nu-mismatic Collection, Mrs. Norweb was elected a Fellow of the Smithson Society in 1978, receiving, with her husband, the James Smithson Society gold medal and life membership.

In 1953 President Eisenhower selected Mrs. Norweb to serve on the United States Assay Commission of that year.

Mrs. Norweb was a life trustee of the Holden Arboretum and the Cleveland Museum of Natural History. She served as president of the Cleveland Museum of Art from 1962 to 1972, the first woman ever to serve the C.M.A. in that capacity .. She was a member of the executive board of the Cleveland Playhouse.

Together with her husband, in 1973 Emery May Norweb served on the organizing committee, sponsored by the American Nu-mismatic Society and the Smithsonian Institution, which made arrangements for the first meeting of the International Numismatic Congress to be held in the United States. Mrs. Norweb acted as chairperson of the Western Hemisphere section of the landmark meeting. In concert with Mr. and Mrs. Samuel R. Milbank, the Norwebs organized a grand reception for over 200 guests of the I.N.C. held in the Medieval Sculpture Hall of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City.