140 REPORT 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 
number 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, McKinley 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 Hollywood, Calif., has presented an interesting series of the paper 
currency of the Republic 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 FOR 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- 
