Art and Memory: The Role of Medals

The Medal Collectors of America and the Massachusetts Historical Society teamed up to organize a conference on medals and medal collecting in Boston on November 10, 2018. The presentations and discussions from this conference can be viewed in the videos below.

Welcome & Primer on the MHS Numismatic Collection

Anne Bentley, MHS Curator of Art & Artifacts, speaks on the Society’s extensive medal collection and its fascinating history.

Their Secrets Revealed! Early American College Secret Society Medals

John Sallay, past-president of the MCA, speaks about medals of early American college secret societies.

Medallic America: Allegorical Representations of America on European and American Medals

Alan Stahl, Curator of Numismatics at Princeton and previously curator for many years at the ANS, speaks on the various representations of America on medals.

Panel Discussion: The Art of the Medal

A discussion of the past, present, and future of traditional and contemporary art medals. Featuring Ira Rezak (moderator), collector, researcher, and MCA board member; Cory Gilliland, formerly the Curator of Numismatics at the National Museum of American History; Robert Hoge, formerly the curator of the ANA Money Museum for years, then Curator of North American Coins and Currency at the ANS and now a member of the Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee; and Scott Miller, well-known collector, author, and former MCA board member.

The Early Work of Victor David Brenner

Patrick McMahon, Director of Exhibitions, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, speaks about the work of Victor David Brenner, sculptor of the Lincoln Cent and many medals.

So-Called Dollars as a Reflection of Nineteenth and Early Twentieth Century American Culture

Jonathan Brecher, co-author of the updated "So-Called Dollars: An Illustrated Standard Catalogue", speaks about so-called dollars as a reflection of American culture.

Medals and Books

Len Augsburger, Coordinator of the Newman Numismatic Portal, speaks about the history of medal books. Preceded by a welcome to the MHS from Catherine Allgor, President of the MHS.

Medallic Art Company Archives at the ANS

Ute Wartenberg Kagan, Executive Director of the ANS, speaks about the acquisition of the Medallic Art Company archives by the American Numismatic Society.

Panel Discussion: Why Collect Medals?

A discussion focusing on the interests that medal collectors have in common. Featuring John Adams (moderator), researcher, author, past-president of the MCA, and collector of early American coins, medals, and numismatic literature; Q. David Bowers, co-founder of Stack's Bowers Galleries, well-known numismatic researcher and author of dozens of books and articles on coins, tokens, and medals; Rob Rodriguez, researcher and collector of early American coins and medals; John Sallay, past-president of the MCA and collector of school award medals; and Stephen Scher, scholar and collector of Renaissance medals.