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NUMISMATIC EXHIBITIONS AT U.S. BANKS

I realized this week that I had written several articles about coin exhibitions at banks. I alsorealized how common these have been. This week I will offer a review and some additionalcomments.

Coin clubs have often presented coin exhibits for banks during National Coin Week. I offersomeone else the opportunity to catalog those. I would not be surprised it there have been morethan a thousand.

The Federal Reserve Bank has had money museums in their branches in Atlanta, Chicago,Cleveland, Denver, Jacksonville, Kansas City, Miami, Richmond, Saint Louis, and San Franciscoat various times.

The Chase Manhattan Bank opened their Money Museum at the Chase Bank in 1929 and was later installed at Rockefeller Center until it closed in 1973. They acquired the collection of Farran Zerbe who stayed with the collection as curator. Later curators included Vernon Brown and Gene Hessler. This was the most popular money museum in the United States.

The Mercantile Bank of St. Louis had the Mercantile Money Museum housing items from thecollection of Eric P. Newman. They also had a portion of his library available for study.

The Museum of the Money of the American West was formerly the Bank of California GoldRush Museum. It is now hosted by the Union Bank.

The National Bank of Detroit Money Museum featured the collection of Nate S. Shapiro. Itopened April 28, 1960, and closed in 1992. Oscar K. Dodson was the first curator, succeeded byCharles Hoskins. It was noted for a large piece of Yap stone money.

 

The National Bank of Logansport Indiana had a money museum created by the LogansportCoin Club. It opened April 9, 1971, and is now gone.

The N. A. S. C. Money Museum was created by the Numismatic Association of SouthernCalifornia. It was initially at the Union Bank in Los Angeles in 1967. It was moved to the CoastFederal Savings and Loan in 1973, and to the Airport Century bank in 1975.

The Union Planters National Bank Money Museum in Memphis featured the collection of P. B.Trotter, a bank vice president. It opened May 1, 1969. It appears the museum was closed by thetime Potter died in 1981.

There is often promotional hype when a museum opens but less publicity when it closes.

There are also bank museums that feature the building and the banking business. Some of thesemay have numismatic content. Wells Fargo recently closed museums in branch banks leavingonly the museum in San Francisco.

Banks have frequently promoted coin exhibits at their banks without naming the owner of thecollection. It can be understood that most donors would prefer anonymity while a few prefer self-promotion.

Branches of the Federal Reserve Bank have also offered travelling exhibits for local banks. TheFederal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia did not have a money museum, but did offer a travellingexhibit.

The Alabama Bankers Association funded a travelling exhibit shown hundreds of times in thestate between 1953 and 1977.

The Chase Bank also put the museum on tour at local banks. Catalogs for these exhibits wouldprovide a challenging collecting theme.

Louis Eliasberg put his collection on display at the United States Mint in Philadelphia for theBicentennial in 1976. He also exhibited at banks in Baltimore, MD, 1950, Chicago, IL, 1956,Philadelphia, PA, 1957, and Richmond, VA, 1958.

 

Cyrus Phillips, nationally recognized coin collector and lecturer had an exhibit at Bank ofAmerica branches in Los Angeles in 1957 to 1962. He worked in public relations with the bankand often showed the exhibit for the opening of new branches. Upon his death in 1989, the bankpurchased his collection. Phillips and his son gave talks about coins to the public more than athousand times.

Hal Proskey (son of David) offered an exhibit of biblical coins at a New York bank in 1954.

Oscar G. Schilke offered his travelling exhibit more than a dozen times in New England during1952 to 1960. He took advantage of the opportunity to buy from the public. As an ANA districtsecretary, he helped form local clubs, signed up new ANA members and attended many shows inthe region.

William F. Sneed, Jr. was a famous numismatist and promoter most frequently seen in Florida.He was most active during 1951 to 1958. His photograph was prominently displayed in the ads.The ads looked like they were placed by Sneed and the bank location was only incidental. Inaddition to banks, he showed his collection at local department stores.

Coins from the collection of J. W. Wohlenberger were displayed in the window of the GoldenState National Bank in 1922. This was mentioned only once.

Farran Zerbe was the most famous American numismatist in the early years of the twentiethcentury. He exhibited his famous collection at World's Fairs and Expositions as well as at localbanks before the collection was acquired by the Chase Bank.

I know there are people in the ANA who had disputes with him. However, among the generalpublic, more people during his lifetime would have known his name than the name of the then-current ANA President.

 

I accept that each of these might qualify as a nationally known numismatist. However, none ofthem were famous nationally. Their impact was more on a regional level. They are important forthe hobby in the early second half of the twentieth century for getting out and talking aboutnumismatics with the general public.

 

I suspect the most famous American numismatists today have shows on late night TV. They arenot showing widow's mites and Swedish plate money. Rather they are promoting MS-70 silvereagles. Most of their customers do not belong to a local club, have never been to a coin show anddo not receive the weekly E-Sylum. I do not consider their influence on the hobby to be positive.

To read earlier E-Sylum articles, see:
SHAPERO, DODSON AND THEIR MONEY MUSEUM(https://www.coinbooks.org/v26/esylum_v26n48a20.html)
PHOTOS OF THE PHILADELPHIA MINT ELIASBERG COIN COLLECTION EXHIBIT(https://www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v13n52a08.html)
https://www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v19n13a13.html(https://www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v19n13a13.html)
OSCAR GOTTLIEB SCHILKE (1903-1965)(https://www.coinbooks.org/v27/esylum_v27n16a13.html)