108 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



Alternative suggestions in regard to the coin collection. These 

 suggestions are of necessity based on the recognized demoraHzed 

 condition of the cohection and are submitted without recommenda- 

 tion. Attention, however, is invited to the fact that this collection 

 has evidently been largely made without any or only very occasional 

 expenditures of State moneys. They have come by gift and it is 

 very probable that like gifts will continue, especially of commemora- 

 tive medals struck in this and other countries. It would seem that 

 the University should be at least receptive of such gifts whether or 

 not expenditures for the collection be approved. 



1 Any action whatever regarding the collection may be suspended 

 and the collection kept as it is at the present time, subject to addi- 

 tions by gift. 



2 The collection might be sold as a whole, with the specific per- 

 mission of the Legislature, the returns therefor to revert to the 

 State treasury. 



3 The collection might be deposited on temporary or permanent 

 loan with any society that the Regents might choose to designate, 

 subject to the permanent supervision of the collection by the Board 

 of Regents. 



4 Gift. It appears very doubtful, in the opinion of the law 

 officer of the Department, whether even the Legislature could 

 empower the Board to dispose of the collection by gift. 



5 Possibility for the development of the collection. It may be 

 worth while to consider whether it would not be a proper policy 

 to maintain and build up a representative collection of American 

 coinages. The nucleus therefor now in the custody of the Board 

 is considerable in number although it lacks in quality that which 

 would be required by the connoisseur. Still these examples of 

 i\merican coinages are of such a kind as to indicate satisfactorily 

 their varieties, so far as these extend. Very slight occasional ex- 

 penditures could be made to acquire additional material and the 

 balance of the collection, not American, could be utilized by way of 

 exchange for the purpose of acquiring solely American coins. 

 Should this suggestion seem a reasonable one, it is well to supple- 

 ment it by recognition of the evident fact that there is a large de- 

 gree of public interest in American coinages and that it might be the 

 people of the State may desire to have here in the Regents' custody 

 a representative array of such coins which could be made accessible 

 to students for purposes of comparison and study. The possibility 

 of converting all the other parts of the entire collection into sub- 

 stantial support for the enlargement of the American collection 

 would seem to give this suggestion reasonable encouragement. 



