order of Congress, medals coninicmoratinc; local 

 events, and medals and tokens delineating the histor\- 

 of Presidential campaigns.'^ 



These promising beginnings came to a sudden end 

 in 1893, \vhen numismatic exhibits were crowded 

 out by the rapidly and \'igorously expanding natural 

 history collections. At this time the entire nimiismatic 

 collection was withdrawn from display and placed in 

 storage. After his appointment as an aide in 1897, 

 Paul Beckwith attempted to soKe tiic exhibit space 

 problem b\' introducing the "use of upright cases with 

 sloping diaphragms covered with oli\e-green \'elvet" ^'^ 

 for coin display, but this was not completeK' success- 

 ful. Only a fraction of the mmiismatic material could 

 be displayed and most ol it remained in storage — a 

 situation generally imchanged until 191-! — except for 

 occasional temporary exhibits. 



Fig. 16. — P.^kTTERx Copper Cent. 179-. 



A new museum structure for natural history re- 

 leased space in the old Arts and Industries Building 

 and provided fresh opportimities for the development 

 of exhibits. By 1914 Theodore T. Belote (appointed 

 in 1909 as assistant curator in the Division of History) 

 had completed a selection of coins and medals and 

 they were placed on exhibit in the northwest court 

 (fig. 128).^° More than 6,000 coins and medals were 

 installed in 27 flattop cases, 8 of which were de\'oted 

 to coins of the United States and its possessions, 1 1 to 

 European countries, and 8 to .Xsia and .\frica. 

 Colonial American and United States coins, Lnited 

 States medals, and a series of "hard times" tokens 

 were arranged in 12 historical and topical groupings. 

 The foreign specimens were arranged alphabeticalh' 

 according to the countries of each continent. The 

 European countries display included a group of 314 

 Polish coins, a large series of English and Freucli 

 historic medals, and a large set of fine Papal medals. 

 Most of the other foreign medals came from the ex- 

 tensive H. Adams and C B. Goode collections. In 





Fig. 17. — P.vTTERN Dis.ME in copper. 1791.'. 



1917 this display was augmented by the Thomas Kelly 

 Boggs collection of more than 300 foreign decorations, 

 medals of award, and badges. The display of African 

 and Asiatic coins and medals was fairly well docu- 

 mented: the C'hinese representation was impicssive, 

 nuuibering more than 2,000 pieces, most of which 

 came from the George B. Glover bequest. 



The greatest opportunity for expansion of exhibits 

 came when die Philadelphia Mint collection, along 

 with its display cases, arrived at the Museum in Jul\- 

 1923. The arrangement of this exhibit entailed 

 considerable planning and intense work, which, 

 according to Belote's report,'' was divided into three 

 phases: "The first of these included the removal from 

 the west-north hall of the .\rts and Industries Building 

 of tlie collection of historical materials alread\' 

 occupving this space and its installation elsewhere: 

 the second included the mechanical work of setting 

 up in this space the cases received from tlie Treasury 



<- USNM R.-iwri. Ifi'il, p, r.i. 



«' USMM Rffiori, IH<J7, p. 7 '., 



5" Sec also, USA'Af Repoti, I'lU, pp. :lL'-:i.i. 



, 'v t^y " ■ -' , 



Fig. 18. — P.vTTERx Quarter Doll.vr. 1792. 

 Designed b\' Jose|)h Wright. 



Department and preparing them lor exhibition 

 purposes; and the third included the actual installa- 

 tion of the numismatic collection" (fig. 129). The old 

 exhiJDit cases from the Treastiry Department were 

 refurbished by adding lighting fixtures and substantial 

 locks and made as stiitable as possible for the installa- 

 tion of the valuable specimens. On March 31, 1924, 

 the Secretary of the Smithsonian, C^harles D. W'alcott, 

 wrote to Secretary of the Treasury Andrew W. .Mellon 

 that installation of the collection in the numismatic 



■'■' VSSM Report, I'IL'4, pp. IL'fi-lL'9. 



PAPER 31: HISTORY OF THE N.VTIONAL NIIMISMATIC COLLECTIONS 



19 



