Newman Portal Adds American Numismatic Society (ANS) Centennial History

Several weeks ago a Newman Portal user expressed surprise that the ANS Centennial History (1958) was not found on NNP. With the kind permission of the ANS, this volume is now available. The work was published by ANS as a commemoration of its 100-year anniversary and contained papers on a wide range of numismatic topics. Among U.S. authors, Eric Newman and Walter Breen were granted the honor of making contributions on American numismatics. Breen wrote on the early New York engravers Ephraim Brasher and John Bailey, while Newman tackled the mystery of British insignia appearing on post-revolution Vermont state coppers. The problem had vexed researchers as long as the ANS was old, and Newman used a recently excavated example of a counterfeit British halfpence to demonstrate punch-linking between that series and the Vermont coppers. The reconciliation of the historical record with the evidence of the coins themselves is the essence of the numismatic research, showcasing Newman’s ability to attack a problem from multiple directions, advancing the science of numismatics and establishing a high standard for future efforts.Link to ANS Centennial History on NNP: https://nnp.wustl.edu/library/book/538305