The first and only formally recognized curator of 

 the Mint collection ^v■as Dr. Thomas Louis C^omparette 

 appointed to the post in 1905.'^- (V'arioiis other people 

 had been delegated to take care of the Cabinet but 

 witiiout the title curator.) Comparette immediately 

 made plans for expansion and improvement of the 

 Mint collection. "The most pressing needs appear to 

 be a new catalogue and a rearrangement of the coins 

 in the cases," according to his comprehensive report 

 about the numismatic collection.'''' In the same 

 report he mentions, referring to the past, ''An apparent 

 tendency to gi\c undue preference to rather expensi\e 

 rarities for exhibitions as 'show pieces' has resulted in 

 restricting the numerical development of the collec- 

 tion, in the increase of certain scries at the expense of 

 others, and especially in the neglect of the coins of 

 lower denomination, which are nuich less attractixe 

 to the a\'erage \isitor but necessary in order to gain a 

 proper idea of the complete coinage of a gi\en coimtry 

 or period and highly \alued by the better informed. 

 The more serious purpose better harmonizes with 

 what is felt to be the worthier function of the collec- 

 tion, for the attitude of the cabinet has been from the 

 first that of an educational institution." '■'■'' 



The preparation of the catlogue took Clomparette 

 about se\en years; it appeared in 1912 comprising 634 

 pages and 15 plates. In 1914 a so-called "third edition" 

 followed with the same number of plates but expanded 

 through additions to 694 pages.'''' A most useful 

 106-page Guide to the Aumimuitic Cnllection of the Mint 

 of The United Slutes (it Philadelphia, Pa. was published 

 in 1913. In addition to the catalogue Dr. Comparette 



'^^ Born in Dekalb C^ounty, Indiana, in 1868, Clonipaictto 

 was educated at the University of Wooster, CJhio. I le continued 

 his studies at the Universities of Michigan, Chicago, finally 

 Halle and Berlin. Comparette became also a member of the 

 .American .School of .\ntiquities, Rome. From 18'j:i to Ui'l7 he 

 was professor of Greek and Latin at the Texas Christian 

 University at Waco, Texas, then served as assistant in Latin at 

 the LIniversity of Missouri until 1905. For further information, 

 see The .Numismatist (101;l'„'), vol. 35, pp. 377f, 



''''"Numismatic Collection." pp. ri5-75 in the .innual Report 

 of the Director of the .Mint . . . 1'I05. Reprinted under the title 

 "On the Utility of a Cabinet of Historic Coins" in The .Mimn- 

 matist (1906), vol. 19, pp. 78-79, 103-111, 146. 



'^■'Annual Re/ml of the Director of the .Mint . . . I'MTi, p. b'>: 

 7 he .\umismalist (1906) vol. 19, p. 78. 



''^^ Catalogue of Coins., Tokens, and Medals in the .Xurntsrnatie 

 Collection of the Mint of the United States at Philadelphia, Pa., 

 Washington, 1912; "3rd edition," 1'I14. 



published \arious papers, particularly in the field of 

 ancient numismatics.'''" 



While in charge of the Mint cabinet Clomparette 

 expended considerable time and effort to mobilize 

 support for the improvement of the collection. He 

 attempted to obtain the support of President Theodore 

 Roosexelt to secure for the cabinet the H. C. Hoskier 

 collection of Greek and Roman coins when the owners 

 who li\ed in .South Orange, Xew Jersey, offered it for 

 sale.''^' Comparette succeeded in obtaining the 

 support of the Assay Commission of 1909; Their 

 committee on resolutions passed a inotion recom- 

 mending that the coin collection be improved and 

 suggested the striking of artistic medals with the 

 understanding that the profits from their sale should 

 benefit the Mint collection.'^'-' .Similar resolutions were 

 passed by the annual Assay Commissions meeting in 

 subsecjuent years. '^" 



'■'''TnriMAs Louis Comparette: "Inaccurate Tables of 

 Roman C;oins in .\merican Latin Grammars," American Journal 

 of .\iimismatics (1912), vol. 46, pp. 12.5-129; "Debasement of 

 the .Silver Coinage under the Emperer Nero," American Journal 

 of \i,misrnaties { l'll3) (New York, 1914), vol. 47, pp. 131-141 ; 

 ".\es signatum," Arneriinn Journal nf .\urnismatics (1**18) (New 

 York, I'M'M, vol. 52, pp. 1-61, pis. 1 8; "The Decadrachms of 

 •Svr.acuse." 1 he .\umismatist (1'I13), vol. 26, pp. 57-64; "The 

 Fir.st LInitcd States Mint," ihc .Numismatist (1910), vol. 23, 

 pp. 2-5, i't 42; " 'La Risposta" — 'Territorial' vs 'Private,'" 

 I he .Vumismalist (1910), vol. 23, pp. 9-10; "Society, not State, 

 Introduced Coinage," 'Tlie .Vumismalnt (1910), vol. 23, pp. 43- 

 45; ".\ Brief .Study of the Medal, its Origin and Earlv Develop- 

 ment," / fie .Kumismatie and .inticiuarian Society of Philadelphia. 

 Proceedings ( 1907-1909), pp. 91-113; "Coins and Medals in the 

 L'nited States in 1913," .-Imerican Journal of .Vumismatics ( 1913) 

 (New York, 1914), vol. 47, pp. 142-158," pis. 7-12; "Medals 

 Engraved in the United .States of .America in the Year 1914," 

 American Journal of .Numismatics (1914) (New York, 1915), vol. 

 48, pp. 205-218, pis. 27-31; "Coins and Medals Engraved in 

 the L'nited States of .\meric.i in the Year 1915," .American 

 Journal of .Numismatics (l'll5) (New York, rU6), vol. 4'l, pp. 

 199-209^ pis. 23 27. 



'■''"^ His efforts were, however, in vain: The Hoskier C'ollection 

 was sold on auction by Dr. J.acob Hirsch in Munich in I '107; 

 see the latter's catalogue no. XX. 



''■'' Reported under the title "For the Improvement of the 

 National C^oin Collection" in The Mumnmalist (1909), vol. 22, 

 pp. 144f. Chairman of the Committee on Resolutions w;is the 

 well-known numismatist Farran Zerbe, members were .\mbrosc 

 Swazey, Dr. William Sturgis Bigelow, and others. The resolution 

 was supported by the Director of the Mint, Frank .\. Leach, 

 the Chief of the Secret Service, John E. Wilkie, and Congress- 

 m.m Ira W. Wood. 



"" "The .\nnual .\ssay Connnission. Reconnnendation for the 

 Support of the Mint Cabinet," '/he .Numismatist (1910), vol, 23, 

 pp. 179f; Proceedmp^s of the Assay Commission of 1912 . . . pp. 

 17f. ; Annual Report of the Director of the Mint . . . I'tl5, p. 56; 

 op. rit., 1916, p. 42! op. cit. 1917, p. 27; op. cit., 1'I18, p. 38. 



PAPER 31: HISTORY OF THE NATIONAL NUMISMATIC COLLECTIONS 



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