National Museum of American History Updates Preservation of National Numismatic Collection
NGC designs custom holder to house the 200 most rare, unique and famous American coins in the Smithsonian’s National Numismatic Collection.
The Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History today announced a pilot project to assess the use of protective coin holders for the National Numismatic Collection housed at the museum. The 200 most rare, unique and famous American coins in the collection will be placed into customized plastic holders that will allow greater access to coins while improving their protection.
This initial group of coins was chosen because they are the most frequently handled. The project is a collaboration between the museum, the Numismatic Guaranty Corporation and the Numismatic Conservation Services, which donated their services and developed the holders to meet museum specifications. NGC also provided the materials necessary to re-house the coins, along with two storage cabinets which will offer enhanced security for these numismatic treasures.
“We are pleased to be able to provide superb protection for these rare objects while at the same time extending access to the research community,” said Brent D. Glass, museum director. “The coins are popular for scholarly study and now they can be handled safely.”
“NGC is privileged to work with the museum to help solve a collections management challenge. We are honored to make the full breadth of our expertise and our services available to the NNC and the greater numismatic community,” said Mark Salzberg, chairman of NGC.
David J. Camire, president of NCS, added “The focus that the museum has put on the long-term preservation of the NNC should be strongly commended. It’s a great privilege to commit our resources and energy to this important initiative.”
The holder is made of inert mold-injected resin and the label, identifying the coin in it, is printed on acid-free paper. Its overall size is roughly 60 mm wide by 85 mm tall. It can accommodate coins up to 45 mm in diameter and nearly 5 mm thick. Coins are placed in pre-molded cores that are semi-rigid which is then encapsulated in a clear outer shell. (more…)
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