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AMERICAN NUMISMATIC SOCIETY
NEW YORK, NY · EIN 135562383 · Form 990 · FY2023 · NTEE A030 · Arts, Culture & Humanities · Medium ($1M-$10M) · numismatics.org
revenue
$5.0M
expenses
$5.0M
net assets
$53.6M
employees
29
volunteers
30
program ratio
74%
mission · from form 990

TO PROMOTE AND ADVANCE THE STUDY, RESEARCH, AND APPRECIATION OF NUMISMATICS.

profile · synthesized from sources

The American Numismatic Society promotes the study and research of coins, medals, and currency across history and cultures. Based in New York, it supports scholarly inquiry through its extensive collection, digital resources, and academic programming. The organization hosts lectures, publishes research, and serves a global community of numismatists and historians.

irs program accomplishments · form 990 part iii · fy2023

What they reported doing

  1. #1 primary $506K
    PUBLICATIONS PROGRAM:THE ANS IS THE PREEMINENT PUBLISHER IN PRINT OF NUMISMATIC MATERIAL IN THE UNITED STATES. OFFERINGS INCLUDE TWO SCHOLARLY JOURNALS, THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF NUMISMATICS AND THE JOURNAL OF EARLY AMERICAN NUMISMATICS; AND THE QUARTERLY ANS MAGAZINE, WHICH PRESENTS REGULAR COLUMNS FROM THE SOCIETY'S VARIOUS DEPARTMENTS AND CONTRIBUTIONS FROM INDIVIDUAL CURATORS. THE ANS PUBLISHES ON AVERAGE FOUR NEW BOOKS A YEAR ON NUMISMATIC SUBJECTS, AND HAS MORE THAN 50 CURRENTLY IN PRINT. MANY OF ITS OLDER PUBLICATIONS ARE AVAILABLE IN DIGITAL FORMAT AS OPEN ACCESS. THE ANS ALSO MAKES ITS OLDER, OUT-OF-PRINT BOOKS AVAILABLE AS PRINT-ON-DEMAND EDITIONS.THE ANS IS ALSO A RECOGNIZED LEADER IN THE PUBLICATION OF SOPHISTICATED OPEN ACCESS ONLINE RESOURCES FOR THE STUDY AND RESEARCH OF COINS OF VARIOUS PERIODS. THESE INCLUDE ONLINE COINS OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE (NUMISMATICS/ORG/OCRE) AND HELLENISTIC ROYAL COINAGES (NUMISMATICS.ORG/HRC), BOTH OF WHICH RECEIVED SUBSTANTIAL DEVELOPMENT FUNDING FROM THE NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE HUMANITIES.
  2. #2 $548K
    EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS:THE ANS CONDUCTS A VARIETY OF EDUCATIONAL AND OUTREACH PROGRAMS FOR STUDENTS, PROFESSIONAL AND AMATEUR NUMISMATISTS, AND THE GENERAL PUBLIC. THESE PROGRAMS INCLUDE:-AN ANNUAL SUMMER GRADUATE SEMINAR IN NUMISMATICS, WHICH SINCE 1952 HAS GRADUATED MORE THAN 600 PARTICIPANTS.-AN ONLINE EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM, ANS LYCEUM, THAT RUNS 4-TO-6-WEEK LONG COURSES TWO TO THREE TIMES A YEAR ON A VARIETY OF TOPICS.-PUBLIC LECTURES AND CONFERENCES, INCLUDING ANNUAL LECTURES BY ANS AWARDS' HONOREES AND GUEST SPEAKERS ON TOPICS RANGING FROM MEDALLIC ART TO ANCIENT, WORLD, AND AMERICAN COINAGES.-6-8 VOLUNTEERS ANNUALLY AND MAY ALSO HAVE UP TO TWO INTERNSHIPS PER YEAR IN MUSEUM, LIBRARY, AND ARCHIVAL DISCIPLINES. -PUBLICATION OF BOOKS AND ARTICLES BY THE ANS CURATORIAL STAFF AND OTHERS. -LECTURES AND TEACHING BY THE STAFF AT CONFERENCES AND WORKSHOPS IN THE U.S. AND ABROAD. -OVER THE COURSE OF THE YEAR THE SOCIETY ALSO ROUTINELY WELCOMES APPROXIMATELY A DOZEN SCHOOL GROUPS TO LEARN ABOUT MONEY AND NUMISMATICS. SINCE THE FOUNDING OF THE ANS MORE THAN 160 YEARS AGO, THE INSTITUTION HAS ACTIVELY SOUGHT THE BEST METHODS FOR SECURING AND ORGANIZING THE COLLECTION PHYSICALLY, AS WELL AS FOR MAKING THE CONTENTS OF THE COLLECTION ACCESSIBLE TO THE PUBLIC AT LARGE THROUGH PUBLICATIONS AND DIGITAL CATALOGING EFFORTS. THE ANS IS CURRENTLY THE LEADING NUMISMATIC INSTITUTION IN THE WORLD FOR DEVELOPING COMPREHENSIVE ONLINE RESEARCH TOOLS THAT HIGHLIGHT THE COLLECTION HOLDINGS.
named programs · 4 · from sources

What they call their work

ANS Book Club
Discussion series focused on recent publications in numismatics, fostering critical engagement with new scholarship
Annual Gala Dinner
Annual fundraising event honoring distinguished contributors to the field of numismatics
J. Sanford Saltus Award
Honors outstanding achievement in the art of medallic sculpture, accompanied by a public lecture
Long Table Lecture Series
Weekly virtual lectures featuring experts presenting research on diverse numismatic topics, from ancient coinage to modern medals
activities · 9 groups

What they do

  • Archival Digitization and Preservation 2 activities
    • Digitize and publish archival collections
      Digitizes and makes publicly available historical auction catalogs, archival records, personal papers, and business correspondence collections related to numismatics.
    • Preserve institutional history
      Collects, preserves, and provides access to the historical records of the American Numismatic Society, including archives documenting its programs, collections, and people.
  • Specialized Research Library Access 2 activities
    • Operate specialized numismatic library
      Maintains a library of approximately 100,000 cataloged books, documents, and archival materials related to numismatics and allied fields, supporting research and education.
    • Provide access to research resources
      Offers access to its numismatic collections, library materials, and digital databases for researchers, specialists, collectors, and the public, both on-site and remotely.
  • Professional Certification and Continuing Education 1 activity
    • Deliver online educational programming
      Provides educational courses and recorded lectures through the ANS Lyceum and YouTube channel, including interactive sessions, Great Coins series, and historical overviews.
  • Industry and Community Recognition Awards 1 activity
    • Host member and community events
      Organizes an annual meeting, gala dinner, award presentations, and recognition lectures to engage members and honor contributions to the numismatic community.
  • Architecture and Design Public Education Programs 1 activity
    • Host public lectures and discussion series
      Organizes weekly Long Table discussions, monthly Money Talks lectures, and other hybrid or virtual events featuring curators and guest speakers to engage members and the public.
  • Academic Journal and Scholarly Publication 1 activity
    • Produce and publish numismatic research
      Produces and publishes peer-reviewed journals, books, and a quarterly magazine on numismatics; maintains a digital library of backlist publications and academic theses.
  • Public Document Services 1 activity
    • Provide library and archival reproduction services
      Offers scanning, photocopying, and photography services for library and archival materials, including fragile items, to support research and access.
  • Educational Field Trips and Experiential Outings 1 activity
    • Support school and group visits
      Hosts school groups at its New York City headquarters, offering educational sessions led by curators that include hands-on interaction with numismatic objects.
  • Uncategorized 6 activities
    • Conduct commemorative medal design
      Designed and created a semiquincentennial medal to commemorate 250 years of American independence.
    • Curate and maintain numismatic collection
      Manages a permanent collection of over 800,000 coins, medals, and related objects dating from the 7th century BCE to the present, housed at its New York City headquarters.
    • Develop digital numismatic tools
      Creates and maintains online numismatic databases (e.g., MANTIS, DONUM, ARCHER) and applies technologies like natural language processing to enhance digital research resources.
    • Host the Eric P. Newman Graduate Summer Seminar
      Offers an annual summer seminar for graduate students and junior faculty to conduct hands-on study with the ANS numismatic collection, a program offered for over fifty years.
    • Organize traveling and public exhibitions
      Participates in traveling exhibitions nationally and internationally and lends numismatic objects to museums to increase public access to its collection.
    • Support digital numismatics infrastructure
      Provides web hosting and technical support for the Nomisma project, which offers stable digital representations of numismatic concepts and entities.
financials · form 990 · fy2023
revenue
Total revenue$5.02M
Contributions & grants$1.36M27%
Program service revenue$404K8%
Investment income$3.23M64%
Other revenue$26K
expenses
Total expenses$4.97M
Program expenses74%
Admin / overhead19%
Fundraising7%
Salaries & benefits$2.26M
Grants paid out$30K
Largest expense lineCompensation
balance sheet
Total assets$59.59M
Cash$1.00M
Investments$53.45M
Liabilities$5.98M
Net assets$53.61M
Liquid reserves131.4 mo
5 years on record · 2019–2023 · YoY revenue +55.1%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2023

Who runs it

paid leadership · 4
NameTitleHours/wkCompensation
DR GILLES BRANSBOURG EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR 40 $185K
PETER VAN ALFEN CHIEF CURATOR 40 $156K
NATHAN ELKINS DEPUTY DIRECTOR 40 $146K
DR UTE WARTENBERG KAGAN PRESIDENT 40 $67K
board members · 21
  • ALEXANDER KRAPF — TRUSTEE
  • BETH DEISHER — TRUSTEE
  • CAROLE ANNE MENZI COLLIER — TRUSTEE
  • DAN HAMELBERG — TRUSTEE
  • DANIEL G COHEN — TRUSTEE
  • DAVID ALBERT — TRUSTEE
  • DAVID HENDIN — FIRST VICE-PRESIDENT
  • DR ANDREW BURNETT — SECOND VICE-PRESIDENT
  • DR CHRISTOPHER J SALMON — TRUSTEE
  • DR HOWARD MINNERS — TRUSTEE
  • DR KEITH BARRON — TRUSTEE
  • JOHN D NEBEL — TRUSTEE
  • JONATHAN KAGAN — TRUSTEE
  • KENNETH L EDLOW — TREASURER/ASST. SECRETARY
  • LAWRENCE SCHWIMMER — TRUSTEE
  • MARY N LANNIN — TRUSTEE
  • MICHAEL BEALL — CHAIRMAN
  • PROF NOEL LENSKI — TRUSTEE
  • PROF SEBASTIAN HEATH — TRUSTEE
  • ROBERT A KANDEL — TRUSTEE
  • ROBERT RODRIGUEZ — TRUSTEE
relationships · 19

Who they work with

  • ANS members Partner — Participate in and benefit from educational programs including Long Table discussions and Money Talks lectures.
  • American Academy in Rome Partner — Collaborates on presentations about numismatic collections, such as the coin collection of Esther Boise Van Deman.
  • American Council of Learned Societies Partner — Hosts ANS ebooks as Open Access through the Humanities E-Book platform.
  • Cambridge University Press Partner — Co-publishes the Guides to the Coinage of the Ancient World series.
  • Central Sanskrit University Partner — Collaborates with ANS through researcher participation in events
  • Dr. Lucia Carbone Partner — Seminar Director who leads the Eric P. Newman Graduate Seminar in Numismatics.
  • EBSCO Host Partner — Provides access to the ANS’s full publication catalog through its research platform.
  • Internet Archive Partner — Hosts digitized materials from the ANS library and archives in partnership with the Newman Numismatic Portal.
  • Michigan State University Partner — Collaborates with ANS through researcher participation in events
  • Newman Numismatic Portal Partner — Partner in digitizing the ANS library and archival collections, with materials hosted on NNP and Internet Archive platforms.
  • Nomisma Partner — Collaborative project hosted by ANS providing stable digital representations of numismatic concepts and entities.
  • The Walters Art Museum Partner — Collaborates with ANS through curator participation in events
  • University of California, Irvine Partner — Collaborates with ANS through researcher participation in events
  • University of Chicago Partner — Collaborates with ANS through researcher participation in events
  • University of Milan Partner — Collaborates with ANS through researcher participation in events
  • View all long-term loans Partner — Partner institutions receiving long-term loans of numismatic objects from the American Numismatic Society.
  • View more past exhibitions Partner — Partner institutions that have hosted past exhibitions of American Numismatic Society collections.
  • Yale University Partner — Collaborates with ANS through researcher participation in events
  • curatorial department Partner — Department responsible for reviewing potential donations to the collection
strategies · 3

How they approach the work

Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.

  • Community-Driven Knowledge Co-Creation
    methodology: community-engaged_learning
    By hosting discussion forums and scholarly series that include both experts and non-specialists, the ANS fosters sustained engagement and knowledge exchange, because inclusive dialogue across expertise levels strengthens scholarly rigor and broadens participation in the field.
  • Digital Access as a Catalyst for Research Expansion
    methodology: digital_humanities_and_nlp
    By leveraging digital innovation, open access, and natural language processing, the ANS enhances the discoverability and analytical utility of numismatic collections, because removing technical and geographic barriers enables broader and more sophisticated scholarly engagement.
  • Numismatics as Interdisciplinary Historical Evidence
    methodology: comprehensive_numismatic_study
    By studying coins, currency, and related objects across cultures and time periods, the ANS produces deeper understanding of economic, political, and cultural history, because these artifacts serve as primary sources that reveal patterns of trade, power, and societal values.