ANS Scrambles for Money to Save Curator Positions

We all get solicited to give money to charity, but it isn't often we get solicited by museum curators asking to help fund an endowment for a chair for their department because of downsizing at that institution.

Due to an urgent need to reduce operating costs, this is exactly what has recently happened at the American Numismatic Society in New York.

The ANS has been using reserves from reserve funds for several years due to a lack of sufficient income to pay operating and staff expenses. This recently reached a critical point. Details of the financial problems and the potential downsizing of staff that may become necessary were explained to fellows of the Society at a December, 1999 breakfast meeting held during the New York International Numismatic Convention. Further discussions open to all ANS members will be held Jan. 15, 2000 prior to the David M. Bullowa Memorial Conference seminar.

According to ANS Executive Director Dr. Ute Wartenberg, Society calculated statistics have determined it will take a $2 million endowment to fund just one of the five current museum curator positions. This takes into account salary, benefits and the ability of such a fund to continue to perpetuate itself through continuing re-investment of principle.

Islamic numismatic curator Dr. Michael Bates and former ANS President Arthur Houghton have recently taken steps to ensure the Islamic cabinet will be sufficiently endowed so the position will not have to be vacated as part of the society's cost saving measures.

In a Dec. 18, 1999 letter sent to Society fellows, Bates said, "With $2 million the position would be permanently endowed as a named chair. If we fail to reach these immediate goals the future is very uncertain. The good news is that we are already making rapid progress toward our first $100,000 and expect to reach it easily." Bates continues, "There are two separate funds, one to support current expenses, including salary, and one to endow the position permanently."

In a separate letter mailed with the Bates letter Houghton said, "The matter is heartbreaking. Except for the collections themselves, and the library, there is no more important resource that we can offer than the talents of a knowledgeable curatorial staff. In my view, this is nowhere more the case than that of the curatorship of Islamic coins."

According to Houghton, $100,000 was needed to be raised by Jan. 15, with $500,000 total to be raised by Dec. 31, 2000. "Half of these sums should be on deposit with the ANS by the dates given; the balance can be in pledges that can be made good by no later than the end of 2001. As you know, all donations to the Society are tax-deductible to U.S. persons or corporations."

The ANS is generally viewed by the collecting public differently than is the American Numismatic Association based in Colorado Springs, Colo. The ANA is viewed as a giant club while the ANS is viewed as a more scholarly and significantly smaller organization.

The ANS is open to all coin collectors. It has the largest research library on the subject in North America and a full curatorial staff usually available by telephone, e-mail or in person. The collection, not just of Islamic but of all coins, is staggering at about 850,000 coins.

The U.S. collection is also large and detailed. The current management team at the ANS is trying to draw more interest to the U.S. collection, attempting to shake the old image that the ANS is really the "Ancient Numismatic Society." The annual Coinage of the Americas Conference is a step in this direction.

ANS President Don Partridge, speaking at the December 1999 breakfast, said, "Its very important we tell the U.S. collector we will be here for them."

Bates and Houghton may be actively soliciting contributions to fund the chair for the Islamic cabinet, but the ANS is looking for financial assistance regarding all aspects of the massive collection. These include the services for U.S., foreign and ancient coins in addition to medals and military decorations.

Bates can be contacted at [email protected]. The Society can be reached at [email protected]. The Society telephone number is (212) 234-3130.

Editor's note: for a follow-up to this story, click here.

ANS building