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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;Conder101, post: 1242325, member: 66&quot;]The collection was put into storage several years ago and there are currently no plans (or funds) to put it back on display.&nbsp; The best you will ever see are the small exhibits like the one you have already seen or a few pieces shown as part of another exhibit.&nbsp; (One of the annoying things to me is that the Smithsonian commemoratives issued back in 1996 were originally intended to establish an endowment for the Numismatic collection that would have funded new exhibits, or research, or even new acquisitions.&nbsp; Instead at the last moment the legislation was changed to turn over half of the surcharges to the Smithsonian general fund, and since the numismatic section was getting these new funds their budget was cut that year and the surcharge wound up going mostly to salaries for the dept that year instead.&nbsp; So the endowment was never established.&nbsp; I have often thought that redirecting of the funds was one of the reasons the sale of the Smithsonian coins was rather poor.&nbsp; (That and the program burnout caused by the huge number of Olympic coins issued that year.)&nbsp; I know the redirect was the reason I didn&#039;t order any.&nbsp; I don&#039;t normally buy stuff from the Mint, but for the purpose of establishing that endowment I was willing to.&nbsp; When they redirected the funds, I lost all interest.&nbsp; Don&#039;t get me wrong, I like and support the Smithsonian, but this struck me as a bait and switch money grab.</p><p><br /></p><p>Currently Heritage is working on a consignment/donation auction the proceeds of which are intended to establish an endowmwnt for the Smithsonian numismatic dept.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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