Hi all, I went to the Smithsonian Castle museum in Washington DC earlier this week and got to see some pretty neat coins on display. I tried taking pictures of them, but with the way they were displayed and with the crappy quality of my digital camera, the pics didn't turn out too well. Among the coins on display, I saw the 1913 liberty head nickel, several patterns including the St. Gaudens double eagle, and my favorite, the Brasher Doubloon. Has anyone else been to see this? I was a little disappointed at how they were displayed. The case where the coins were located stood upright with a solid background. This meant that you could only see the obverse of the coins. In some cases they would put another example of the coin up showing it's reverse, but not on all of them. -StephenS
In general, I've found it pretty difficult to photograph inside museums even with the Digital Rebel. The available light is often tough and many items I'd be interested in are in glass cases. The primary purpose is of course to preserve the items, so I can't complain too much. We were at the Henry Ford Museum on Tuesday of this week (courtesy of a flight cancellation in Detroit, coming back from holiday) and I had trouble getting decent shots with the Rebel. And these were automobiles, not coins! All in all, the Smithsonian is a fascinating place. To think that they have all that space across the buildings and yet can only display a fraction of what they own on our behalf!
I thought that they were taking them off display for a decade or so to redesign the display? Or have ten years gone that fast?
I think that the exhibit that I saw is due to come down in early September. Overall, I'd have to recommend it to everyone. I also caught the Air and Space museum, which was pretty cool too.
I went there last summer. They used to have a much larger exhibit of coins in the American History museum (I think) But they still have a small collection of coins on display at the Smithsonian castle thingy.
I had a chance back in 1968 to visit the SMITHSONIAN, but a documentary, aired on TV, a couple days before my trip, made it unnecessary. I still feel I lost something in the fact I didn't see the coins in person. GLAD YOU GOT TO! cLINKER
You're lucky. I tried to go last fall and after planning my entire trip home around it and walking several blocks in the rain to the Smithsonian, I learned that the exhibit was closed for a private reception. The taxpayer in me was rather irate.
