THE STACK FAMILY AND THE SMITHSONIAN

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V19 2016 INDEX E-SYLUM ARCHIVE

The E-Sylum: Volume 19, Number 38, September 18, 2016, Article 13

Harvey Stack submitted these notes on the Stack family history with the Smithsonian National Numismatic Collection. Thanks! -Editor

I and my family have been loyal supporters of the Numismatic Division at the Smithsonian.

Since the mid 1950's till virtually today the Stack Family has helped to bring the Numismatic Collection from the basement display area at the Castle, (one of the earliest buildings dedicated to the National Collection) to the large display area that housed the Numismatic Collection in the new building THE MUSEUM OF AMERICAN HISTORY from 1962 where it featured the Numismatic Collection in a large gallery with many of its coins on display.

It was housed there till the early part of this century, when it was reduced to a small display area during an full renovation of the Museum, and now is a major display once again, near the main entrance for the new museum, housed in an area that is entranced through a large Safe Door and attractively displayed.

From the early 1950's to the present The Stack Family has donated over 20,000 coins to the collection and over 40,000 manuscripts including the Charles Barber Drawings and notebooks. One of the highlight coins that the Stack's Family donated to the Museum was the 1794 Dollar struck in Copper, in super Mint State, and is believed to have been struck just prior to the FIRST 1794 DOLLAR struck in Silver.

The Stack Family was also instrumental in having the Congress of the United States to acquire from the Estate of Josiah K. Lilly. his collection of over 6,250 gold coins of the World, which itself is considered a "World Class Numismatic Gold Collection which is one of the finest collections of Gold Coins of the World housed in a museum, which features a virtually complete collection of U.S. Gold Coins, Pioneer and Territorial Gold coins, and thousands of different gold coins of the world, from ancient times to the 1930's.

Stack's was privileged in building this J.K. Lilly Collection and was the sole numismatic supplier to Mr. Lilly of the gold coins. It was accomplished in 16 years, from 1951 to 1966, the year J.K.Lilly died. The Highlight coin in the Lilly Collection is the 1822 U.S Half eagle.