ANA verses ANS

[chrisfuccione]

Over at the Numism-L email group there is a intresting disustion on the Value of the ANA verses the ANS. True most of the collectors over there collect clasical and and ancients. I was wondering your guys input on this? Is one better than the other or do they both serve different roles? CHRIS

[DWLange]

I've belonged to both for many years (I received my 25-year ANA medal in Baltimore), but for very different reasons. The ANA is a collector organization that provides many services of practical value to collectors and dealers. The ANA is also more involved with the coin hobby and business at the grass-roots level, and its monthly journal is very mainstream in its content.

 

The ANS is an academic organization that is excellent for research but is probably of little use to most collectors, particularly those specializing in USA coins. In recent years, however, ANS has broadened its appeal and reached out more to those interested in American numismatics, though primarily at the research level. Its quarterly magazine, launched last year, is actually quite interesting.

[shirohniichan]

You won't find any ANS articles about how swell it is to collect coins with butterflies on them.

[bigmoose-migration]

The whole Dr. Sheldon/ANS controversy about coins supposedly stolen/switched by Dr. Sheldon from the Clapp/ANS Collection has permanently soured me on the ANS. To make this type of accusation twently years after the man is dead and buried, and then to go after the current owner of the coins, Ted Naftzger, and continue to do a hatchet job on Sheldon at every opportunity speaks volumes to me about the true character of some of the ANS' cast of characters. Lets just say they aren't on the top of my list of Societies I plan on making contributions to in the future! There are a significant number of early copper collectors who feel the same way about the ANS. TomT.

[mark]

I, too, belong to both. The ANS seems to be much less well known amongst most collectors. I like the ANS because of The Colonial Newsletter. As a member, I can get the CNL at a reduced rate.

 

Re the Sheldon issue: I don't know the entire story, but I believe that Sheldon's malfeasance came to light well after his death. In that case, I don't think the ANS did anything wrong in going after the coins. Clearly the current owners can be harmed by this process. But as the law points out, title cannot be passed for stolen goods.

 

Mark

[BillJones]

I enjoy some of the ANS publications, but I view them as somewhat of an elitist organization. Some of those who collect ancient coins tend to look down upon those of us who collect U.S. regardless of how deeply we have studied our line of interest.

 

I also was very angry at the ANS about the way that they handled the Dr. Sheldon situation. In an article that I wrote at the time, I called them "The Broadway Bullies" and my opinion of their handling of that situaiton has not changed.

[Coinosaurus]

Elitest or not, they do have the finest US numismatic library. It's worth the price of membership for that alone. While their journals don't always have a lot of US content, the stuff that it does have is impeccably researched. Other organizations disseminate articles such as "Our Friend, the Lincoln Cent", if you get my drift.