Speaker
Description
At various times over the years, the American Numismatic Society’s members and leaders have demonstrated an interest in Polish numismatics. One of the ANS’s early presidents built a sizeable collection of Polish coins and medals. It was loaned to the Society after his death but was withdrawn after a few years. For a while, the Polish section of the ANS’s cabinet was developed mostly through small donations. There were some purchases along the way, too, such as a small group of Jan Wysocki medals obtained from the noted Polish numismatist Marian Gumowski. An expansion came in 1948, 1949, and 1950, when Polish émigré Count Alexandre Orlowski donated over 2,000 Polish coins and medals to the ANS. This paper will examine the development of the Polish section of the ANS’s cabinet and have a look at some of the pieces found there.
