hall was practically completed. The coins were 

 divided into five main groups: ancient Greece and 

 Rome; Roman-German Empire and modern Ger- 

 many; United States; Mexico, the West Indies, 

 Central and South America; and modern European 

 countries and their colonics. 



During 1925, as a special cooperative project with 

 the American Numismatic Association, assistance 

 was provided in setting up special exhibits installed 

 for Coin ^\■cek (February 15-22),^' and similar 

 arrangements for such exhibits were made in sub- 

 sequent years. 



Fig. 19. — Pattern H.\i.r Dismi; in cop|«'r. 1794, 

 an intermediate step between the half dismc of 

 1 792 and the regular issue of 1 794. 



A rearrangement of the collections took place in 

 1925 and 1926,'" when the numismatic hall was 

 divided into four alcoves. These alcoves featured 

 coins from North, Central, and South America, 

 and the West Indies; ancient, medieval, and modern 

 coins of Europe; a display of United States medals; 

 and an exhibit of European medals. In the center 

 of the hall was a large circular case with electrotype 

 copies of ancient coins on the inner circle, and modern 

 European coins displayed in the exterior sections. 

 All of the numismatic exhibits were revised in 

 anticipation of the .\ugust 1926 meeting of the 

 American Numismatic Association.^' As mentioned 

 previously, it was through the efforts of Moritz 

 Wormser, president of the A.N. A., that funds were 

 donated by Robert P. King of Erie, Pennsylvania, 

 and a start was made on an A.N. A. collection which 

 was placed with the Smithsonian on loan. The first 

 exhibit from this collection was installed in 1928 in 

 the numismatic hall. 



During 1930-1931, the numismatic collection was 

 moved to a smaller but better-lighted adjoining area 

 (fig. 130)," where it remained imtil its transfer in 

 1964 to the .Museum of History and Technology. 

 The various sections of the collection were arranged 



./i 



Fig. 20. — Quarter Eagle, 1821, proof. 



in units to present coins of the United States; coin^ 

 of Mexico, Central and South America; coins o' 

 ancient Greece and Rome; coins of the Holy Roman 

 and German Empires; coins of various European 

 countries; a series of American historical medals; 

 and a series of European historical medals. There 

 were also other displays of medals in an adjacent 

 court which was referred to as the "philatelic and 

 numismatic unit,'"^'' and in the rotunda and in other 

 areas. 



.\n exhibit was added in 1932-1933 which featured 

 coins, tokens, and paper currencies issued by state 

 and local authorities, by commercial firms, and by 

 private individuals from the Colonial period to the 

 great depression in the thirties. Included in this 

 special exhibit were Colonial and Continental paper 

 currencies, so-called "hard times" tokens issued 1832- 

 1844, and tokens of the Civil War period.^" During 

 1934 a new case was assigned for the exhibition of 

 United States patterns. Various series of United 

 .States medals previously on display in the rotunda 

 were transferred to the numismatic hall, which made 

 it necessary to remove the collection of scrip and 

 emergency currencies from the exhibit. Along with 

 this general rearrangement, United States military 

 and naval decorations were moved from the west 

 hall and placed on display in the rotunda of the 

 .•\rts and Industries Building, and exhibits of foreign 

 ci\il and military decorations were installed in the 

 west hall.'" 







Fig. 21.— Half E.^gle. 1821. proof. 



" USXM Report, 1925, p. 116. 



'» US.\.\t Report. 1926, p. 1 16. 



5* USXM Report. 1927, p. 126. 



" US.\'.\I Reoprl. 1931, p. 134; SI Report, 1931, p, 30. 



■•'• US.WI Report. 1931, pp. 134f. 

 " USNM Report. 1933, p. 133. 

 ■-* USXM Report, 1934, pp. 65f. 



20 



BULLETIN' 229: CONTRIBrXIONS FROM THE MUSEUM OF HISTORY AND TECHNOLOGY 



