140 E.EPORT OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1921. 



The collections of the section of numismatics have been increased 

 by a number of interesting specimens. As was the case during the 

 previous year the principal contributor to the coin collection has 

 been Mr. Douglas N. Starr, of Washington, D. C, who has made a 

 nimiber of notable additions to his already large and interesting loan 

 collection of United States and foreign coins. Among these are the 

 following United States gold pieces: Five dollars, 1884; twenty dol- 

 lars, 1850 ; twenty dollars, 1907, designed by Augustus St. Gaudens ; 

 one dollar, McKinle}^ memorial, 1917; and two specimens of the 

 United States silver half dollar commemorating the Pilgrim Ter- 

 centenary, 1920. Mr. Starr has also lent a most interesting series of 

 uncirculated German commemorative coins, showing the portraits of 

 the German emperors from 1871 to 1914. Mr. George W. Conner, 

 of Holl5^wood, Calif., has presented an interesting series of the paper 

 currency of the Eepublic of Texas. Among interesting additions to 

 the collection of medals are a bronze portrait plaque of Ambrose 

 Swasey, designed by Victor D. Brenner, which has been presented 

 by Mr. Swasey ; a bronze medal commemorating the centennial anni- 

 versary of the University of Virginia, presented to the Smithsonian 

 by the university ; and a bronze replica of the medal of award of the 

 Alaska- Yukon Pacific Exposition, presented by Erastus Brainard, 

 of Seattle, Wash. 



The philatelic collections have been increased during the year by 

 the addition of numerous specimens from the Post Office Department, 

 and many of these are examples of new issues received by that depart- 

 ment from the International Bureau of the Universal Postal Union, 

 Berne, Switzerland. Unfortunately, owing to the serious illness of 

 the philatelist it is impossible at present to give specific description 

 of the materials received in this field of the activities of the division 

 of history. 



RESEARCHES TOR THE BENEFIT OF THE MUSEUM. 



Under this head may very appropriately be considered a most 

 important work undertaken during the past fiscal year in connection 

 with the reclassification of the records of the division. This was 

 rendered necessary by the separation of the historical records from 

 those of the department of anthropology with which they had here- 

 tofore been connected. It is now possible for the first time to unite 

 the entire body of data relating to the historical specimens in the 

 offices of the division. This will be accomplished by the entry of 

 this data in skeleton form in Museum catalogue books of standard 

 type from which series of catalogue numbers will be assigned to all 

 the historical material involved, both old and new. Thus the his- 

 torical records will be greatly simplified and the entire series of 

 catalogue books containing them will be located in a single consecu- 



