ANS ‘Numismatic Conversations’ monthly lecture series begins

A new lecture series by the American Numismatic Society (ANS), “Money Talks: Numismatic Conversations,” began last month.

This monthly interactive lecture series is meant to introduce topics of general numismatic interest to members and the general public. Attendees will have the opportunity to listen to ANS curators and members and learn by handling relevant objects from the collection and library of the ANS. Light meals are served, and question-and-answer sessions follow each lecture.

During Saturday “Numismatic Conversations” at the ANS, the society will be open from noon to 4 p.m. If you are interested in viewing specific items in the society’s collections or library, please schedule an appointment with a curator two weeks in advance.

On Jan. 27, the first lecture—“Art of Devastation: Medallic Art of the Great War”—was held at Vassar College in Poughkeepsie, N.Y.

FEBRUARY 11

The February lecture, “The Origins of Money,” will feature Dr. van Alfen, Dr. Gilles Bransbourg, and Dr. Ute Wartenberg, and will focus on the beginnings of money and its various guises, including cut silver in the ancient Near East, early electrum coinage of Asia Minor, early bronze objects, bars and heavy coins in Italy and the spread of cowries in the Indian Ocean area, Eastern Africa and South Asia, including China. “The Origins of Money” will take place at ANS headquarters at 2 p.m., preceded by a light lunch at 1 p.m. and followed by a question-and-answer session.

MARCH 11

“The Beginnings of Islamic Coinage” will introduce members to the beginnings of Islamic coinage in the seventh century and its vast trajectories within the Arab lands and beyond. It begins with an in-depth survey of its Byzantine and Sasanian precedents and provides a basic outline of “Arab-Sasanian” and “Arab-Byzantine” types. Members will also learn about the styles of Arabic calligraphy that were used on early Islamic coins. Members will be able to view and handle fine examples of the ANS’s Islamic holdings with Assistant Curator, Vivek Gupta. “The Beginnings of Islamic Coinage” will take place at the ANS headquarters at 2 p.m., preceded by a light lunch at 1 p.m. and followed by a question-and-answer session.

NEW YORK CITY

ANS headquarters is located at 75 Varick St., in New York City, about a six-hour drive from the Peace Bridge border crossing in Fort Erie, Ont. It’s also only about seven hours south of Kingston and Cornwall, Ont.

Additional lecture topics scheduled throughout the year include “Coin Counterfeit Recognition,” “Signs of Inflation,” “The Art of Photographing Coins,” “Representations on US Banknotes,” “Wine and Money,” “Jewish Ancient Coinage,” and “Book Collecting.”

When taking place at the ANS, the fee is $20 for ANS members and $50 for non-members.

Pricing for lectures at other venues will be determined. Further information on upcoming lectures will be available soon.

For more information or to RSVP, contact Catherine DiTuri at 212-571-4470 (ext. 117) or cdituri@numismatics.org, or contact Dr. Gilles Bransbourg at 212-571-4470 (ext. 156) or bransbourg@numismatics.org.

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