Oral History of Medallic Art

The Oral History of Medallic Art is based on interviews of prominent medal collectors, dealers, curators and other historians of medallic art. The Oral History Project is the result of a close collaboration between Ben Weiss and several other members of the MCA, notably, John Adams, John Sallay, and Bob Fritsch. Special thanks go to Mark Schlepphorst, who did most of the initial work in setting up the technical aspects of the project and who has so generously offered to do the very large job of editing the interviews before they are posted, and to Dick Johnson, who not only provided several useful suggestions concerning the interviews but who also served as one of the interviewers of this project.

This novel project will constitute an important new addition to our body of knowledge of the History of Medallic Art. The Internet is uniquely suited for these Oral Histories for it allows rapid and readily accessible dissemination of this information. By posting the interviews on our website it will place the MCA at the forefront of documenting the early history of the field of Medallic Art and making it readily available for all to hear and view.

Interview of John W. Adams

John Sallay interviews MCA President John Adams on his recent research into the Admiral Vernon medals and plans to publish a new, comprehensive catalogue of the series. Toward the end of the interview, John Adams discusses the general topic of how to self-publish numismatic books.

Interview of D. Wayne Johnson

John Sallay interviews Dick Johnson on his extensive experience in the medallic field. In Part I of the interview, Dick provides his definitions of a medal, an art medal and related terms. In Part II, Dick discusses his earliest involvement with medals and his 10 years with the Medallic Art Company, 1967-1977.

Interview of Eric P. Newman

John Adams and John Sallay interview Eric P. Newman, longtime collector and author specializing in Early American numismatics. In this hour-long interview (in two parts) Eric discusses his early years as a collector, his relationship with Burdette G. Johnson, their purchase of much of the Col. Edward H. R. Green collection, and his more recent activities with his numismatic foundation and museum.

Interview of Alan M. Stahl

Dick Johnson interviews Dr. Alan Stahl, Curator of Numismatics at Princeton University. This wide ranging, in-depth interview is divided into four parts, each of which is preceded by short introductory comments describing their content.