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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;stldanceartist, post: 2016839, member: 13307&quot;]Today, I visited the Eric P Newman Money Museum in the basement of the Kemper Arts Museum at Washington University.&nbsp; Here are some feelings about the visit:</p><p><br /></p><p>They had more coins on display than the Smithsonian National Museum of American History (in terms of sheer numbers)...but if I can walk through the place and think &quot;I have coins that are just as nice as these, if not way better...&quot; then I have to wonder what they chose NOT to display.</p><p><br /></p><p>It was interesting to see a few coin scales, and some versions of the $3 bill.&nbsp; I also found the section on counterfeits interesting, as well as slave trade tokens.&nbsp; </p><p><br /></p><p>The Library, containing hundreds of books on coins/paper money/etc (including those by Mr. Newman) was locked.&nbsp; I checked at the front desk and it&#039;s opened by appointment only.&nbsp; Gotcha.</p><p><br /></p><p>I thought the most interesting item in the Museum was the coin sorting &quot;till&quot; filled with about $500 face value of gold coins.&nbsp; However, in general I found the overall quality of the coins on display to be really uninspiring.&nbsp; Low end, damaged, &quot;junk&quot; coins...on the occasions where there were nicer coins, they were displayed in greater detail by having a cut out photocopy placed next to them.&nbsp; There wasn&#039;t a single coin that I saw and went - &quot;Christ, this reminds me of why I love collecting coins and learning about the artwork and history of the nations/people that produced them.&quot;&nbsp; Not a single coin.&nbsp; Am I that picky, or are there serious liability issues with displaying actually valuable coins in a St. Louis museum?</p><p><br /></p><p>Now, before you think I&#039;m just digging on the Newman Museum, the display at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History had a 1913 Liberty Nickel on display (a multi-million dollar coin.)&nbsp; It was basically resting on two pins on a high-end cardboard display.&nbsp; No label, no information about its history.&nbsp; So if the Smithsonian is lazy with its coin displays, why should I fault the Newman Money Museum?</p><p><br /></p><p>Also, there is no website for the museum, and the only digital media involved a creepy life-sized Benjamin Franklin with a motion-sensored audio recording (didn&#039;t say anything about money/coins.)&nbsp; I couldn&#039;t help but think they should hire me to come in and photograph some coins and prepare some video presentations...&nbsp; <img src="styles/default/xenforo/clear.png" class="mceSmilieSprite mceSmilie1" alt=":)" unselectable="on" unselectable="on" /></p><p><br /></p><p>It was free.&nbsp; The parking lot was full except, thankfully, a couple metered spots.&nbsp; I put 1 1/2 hours worth of change in there, thinking I might have so much fun I&#039;d be there over an hour...and I think I was back in my car in a 1/2 hour.</p><p><br /></p><p>Best part of the trip?&nbsp; Seeing one of those &quot;wind tornados&quot; blowing fall leaves...directly around a student walking through the parking lot.&nbsp; It even followed her around for about 15 seconds.&nbsp; Wonder what was going through her mind...[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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