ANA MOBILE ARCHIVES TO BRING GASPARRO PAPERS TO DALLAS SHOW

The American Numismatic Association’s Dwight N. Manley Library will let the public see and hold pieces of numismatic history when it debuts its Mobile Archives at the Dallas National Money Show, Oct. 18-20 at the Dallas Convention Center.

Visitors will be able to see the Mobile Archives by visiting the ANA Area (booth 537). Sitting down with an ANA staff member, visitors and researchers will be able to view historic artifacts and papers stored in protective cases and covers.

“The ANA library’s archives have so many interesting, important documents that it was a shame that they were only available to visitors to the library in Colorado Springs. We wanted to share these items with the public,” said ANA Library and Communication Director RyAnne Scott. “The Mobile Archives area is one of the first steps in an effort to make our archives more accessible to members, researchers and collectors.”

The first collection up for viewing: The personal archives and papers of Frank Gasparro, former chief engraver of the United States Mint. Gasparro, who died in 2001 at age 92, is best known for his work on the obverses and reverses of the Eisenhower and Susan B. Anthony dollars; the reverses of the Lincoln (memorial) cent and the Kennedy half dollar; U.S. Mint medals; and private commissions.

The collection was donated to the ANA in August by Gasparro’s daughter, Christina Gasparro Hansen. It consists of 97 folders arranged by topic and features Gasparro’s notes and original sketches; personal correspondence with notable figures such as Shirley Temple Black, Rosalynn Carter and others; and much more. The papers give major insights into Gasparro’s artistic process, his thoughts on coin design and his contemporaries.

Read the November issue of The Numismatist for a full article on the Gasparro collection and its most interesting pieces.

Wayne Homren, Editor

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