The E-Sylum:  Volume 11, Number 14, April 6, 2008, Article 24

SHORT-SNORTER COLLECTION DONATED TO AIR FORCE MUSEUM

[Richard Giedroyc published a Numismatic News Viewpoint
article titled "Share numismatic wealth with museums"
describing his recent donation of a collection of short-snorter
notes to the National Museum of the United States Air Force
in Dayton, Ohio.  Here are some excerpts.  -Editor]

There are a lot of coin collectors who if they could would
find a way to take their collection with them to the afterworld.
A few of these collectors may will their possessions to a
museum, however the vast majority will hope the family will
keep the collection as a legacy. In fact if there are no other
collectors in the family at that point the collection will be
sold, many times incorrectly since collectors are not great
at leaving instructions.

Understand this, you don’t have to have a million dollar
collection for it to be worthy of being contributed to a
museum. You don’t have to wait until you’re dead to donate
either.

Putting my money where my mouth (or in this case my pen)
is, this is exactly what I did during late 2007. I contributed
my entire collection of Short Snorter bank notes to the National
Museum of the United States Air Force in Dayton, Ohio.

The Air Force museum proved to be a good choice. They were
thrilled. According to Archives Assistant Christina Douglass,
the museum previously had but a single note, that note having
been received with some World War II memorabilia. Here was
their opportunity not only to receive additional notes, but
notes that someone had taken the time to research regarding
who signed them, where they were signed, when, and other
historical background information of value to future researchers.
The notes, furthermore, are often within the realm of military
history.

Why am I publicizing this contribution? Because the museum
would be pleased to add additional examples to it, if other
collectors are willing to add their contributions rather than
leave the fate of such collectibles to their relatives once
the collector in the family is gone. Does this take the notes
off the market as far as collectors are concerned? Of course!
But, you know what, there is no guarantee the notes would
survive in the long run considering eventually it will sooner
or later come down to non-collectors having to dispose of
something of which they know nothing about.

Anyone interested in adding further Short Snorters to this
collection should first contact the Department of the Air
Force, National Museum of the United States Air Force, 1100
Spaatz Street, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio 45433-7102.
I would love to see my contribution be simply the nucleus for
an even larger museum collection.  Any takers?

To read the complete article, see:
Full Story

  Wayne Homren, Editor

	coinbooks.org Web

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