REPORT OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1923. 127 



Colonies issued during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. The 

 collection of German pieces is of exceptional interest including sixty- 

 nine bracteates, a very large number of gold and silver coins of the 

 Koman-German Empire, the princely houses, cities, and bishops. 

 The coinages of Austria, France, Italy, Great Britain, The Nether- 

 lands, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Portugal, and Switzerland are 

 also very completely illustrated as are those of Poland and Russia. 

 The collection of oriental coins is a very complete one including an 

 exceptionally fine representation of the coinages of China, Japan, 

 and Turkey. The collection includes also a very large number of 

 specimens of the temporary coinages issued in Europe during the 

 World War and a series of the war badges awarded by variousi 

 states, municipalities, and organizations in the United States in rec- 

 ognition of military or naval services during that period. 



Wliile the collection is in itself a very remarkable one on account 

 of the wide range which it covers and the fine condition of the 

 pieces it contains, the most notable fact in connection with its trans- 

 fer from the Mint to the Museum is the opportunity thus offered for 

 its future expansion and development. After being withdrawn from 

 public view for a long period it will now be made available to the 

 public in a new location where it may be seen and appreciated by 

 the thousands of visitors who annually view the varied art and 

 science collections housed in the National Museum. 



In addition to the mammoth collection just described, a nmnber 

 of individual additions of note have been made to the numismatic 

 collection. Chief among these are a collection of United States and 

 foreign coins lent by Douglas N. Starr and a number of commemo- 

 rative medals donated by various societies and individuals. Among 

 the latter are the following: Bronze medal commemorating the 

 fiftieth anniversary of the Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and 

 Letters, 1920, which has been lent by the National Academy of Sci- 

 ences; the Theodore N. Vail medal awarded annually to employees 

 of the Bell Telephone System for noteworthy public service, the gift 

 of the Theodore N. Vail Memorial Fund; bronze medal commemo- 

 rating the centennial anniversary of the birth of Sabato Morals, the 

 founder of the Jewish Theological Seminary of America, gift of 

 the Congregation Mikve Israel, Philadelphia, Pa. ; bronze medal 

 commemorating the seventy-fifth anniversary of the Royal Institute 

 of Engineers of Holland, deposited by the Institution ; and a bronze 

 medal commemorating the three hundredth anniversary of the found- 

 ing of the city of Tornio, Finland, the gift of the Far North Home 

 Society. 



During the past year the philatelic collections have been increased 

 by 4,221 specimens, consisting mainly of recent foreign issues re- 



