ANA Seizes Vision, Opportunity for Harry W. Bass Coin Collection

COIN WORLD, Sept. 4, 2000
Editorial Opinion

ANA Seizes Vision, Opportunity

By Beth Deisher
September 4, 2000

Vision. Opportunity.

The two words don't automatically go together.

Many individuals and organizations have plenty of vision. And many individuals and organizations seem to be eternally blessed with opportunity. Rare, however, are the individuals and organizations that have both vision and opportunity.

When the opportunity to display some of the United States' most rare gold coins and patterns, as well as some of its most beautiful paper money emerged, American Numismatic Association Executive Director Edward C. Rochette began to envision both a state-of-the-art library and a museum that could truly become a mecca for US. coin enthusiasts, whether they be novices or advanced numismatic researchers.

Rochette shared his vision with the ANA's elected leadership in early August and they boldly and enthusiastically seized the moment.

Voting to proceed with a major renovation of ANA's headquarters building in Colorado Springs, the ANA Board of Governors vowed to aggressively seek funding and pledged to complete the project by July 2001.

Barry Stuppler, the newest member of the ANA Board, has stepped forward to lead the fund-raising campaign with his sights set on $3 million. The planned renovation will increase exhibit space in the ANA's Money Museum by 50 percent and will expand its library by 70 percent. It is expected to double the current amount of office space, add an elevator, create a new and larger conference room that will house the ANA Hall of Fame, expand and upgrade its computer system, upgrade building security, and provide for new carpeting and furnishings throughout the building.

Additionally, an outdoor "evolution of coin-making" museum is planned for the terraced main entrance.

To launch the project, the ANA Board has designated $400,000 from its current operating budget for use as "seed money" and authorized the withdrawal of up to $500,000 from endowment funds.

The impetus for ANA's excitement and commitment was the Harry W. Bass Jr. Foundation's offer to loan the core -- read that creme de la creme -- of Harry W. Bass Jr.'s collection for a period of 20 years to ANA for special exhibit in its Money Museum within its ANA headquarters building.

The foundation will make available a grant to underwrite the costs of renovating its space, and building a special vault, exhibit cases, and an interactive media capability to view and study the Bass collection in the ANA's museum.

More than 500 items from. the Bass Collection will be made available for exhibit and study. The core includes the premier collection of die varieties of U.S. gold coins, dated 1795-1834; the only complete collection of $3 gold coins dated 1854 to 1889 (including the unique 1870-S); and a complete type set of US. gold coins. The collection also contains many rare patterns and gold coins.. Included in the paper money holdings are vignettes, trial proofs and the first uncut sheets of the Series 1896 silver certificates known as the "Educational Series" in $1, $2, and $5 denominations.

The special exhibit will provide an opportunity to view items in exhibit cases as well as examine high-quality digital images via computers. ANA will photograph every item in the collection and the digital.images will have the capability of being viewed at up to 50 times original size. Also, computers within the Bass exhibit will provide interactive media presentations and a searchable database will contain all known facts about each item in the collection.

Harry W. Bass Jr.'s dream of sharing his collection and research will come to fruition as the ANA's vision of a more serviceable headquarters becomes reality.

Bravo!