Financial History Issue 113 (Spring 2015) | Page 11
MUSEUM NEWS
THE TICKER
Volunteer Spotlight: Mark Anderson
One of the Museum’s most valuable assets
is its network of experts in various areas of
finance and economic history. One of these
experts is Mark Anderson, who volunteers
his time as a numismatic consultant.
A career banker and now consultant,
Mark became interested in currency at
the age of 11, when he received a small five
peseta note in change on a bus in Spain.
Equivalent at the time to about 7.5 cents
US, but artfully engraved, he inquired
about it, and the bus driver produced several other pieces of beautiful small change
notes, in denominations of as little as one
peseta [1.4 cents US at the time]. Unlike
US currency, Spanish currency designs
and portraiture changed every few years,
and many of the beautiful but demonetized bank notes issued before the Spanish
Civil War could be acquired for pennies.
A modest allowance let him build an
interesting and representative collection.
College exposed Mark to the study of
economics, instilling in him a life-long
love of fiscal and economic history, and
as he continued to collect, he went on to
a 22-year career at European American
Bank (EAB) and, later, EAB’s acquirer,
Citibank [in 2001]. A later phase, working at auction house RM Smythe, offered
him the opportunity to become better
acquainted with the Museum through its
founder, John Herzog.
At the Museum, Mark has consulted on
a variety of projects, from fielding research
and media requests to assisting with exhibitions. A guest curator of the Museum’s
new “America in Circulation” exhibit, he
has also spoken at events in the Lunch and
Learn Series.
Over time, Mark’s collecting interests
have broadened, but he still finds the study
of paper money a recurring preference.
“Paper money has never had the intrinsic
value that traditionally made people willing to use coins. The only rationale for its
manufacture and employ is people’s belief
that the promises written upon it will be
kept. That trust is unique to humankind,
and noble to boot.”
Mark’s interests in economics, finance
and history dovetail in his activities at
the Museum. “Any country or community’s history is ultimately an economic
history, and that story is best told by its
objects. Going back to the time before
Christ, few objects are more informative
than a people’s financial instruments. The
Museum uses this approach to tell the
history of North America, beginning with
wampum and pieces of eight. Whether
you are interested in how markets work
or how they have evolved, how our economy functions and what drives it, what
our money says about us and what it
used to say about us, there is no better
place to learn about these things than the
Museum. The Museum’s mission is not
just very important, particularly in this
town, but it is unique.”
SPRING 2015 EVENTS
Apr 21
Evening Lecture: Nobel Laureate Joseph Stiglitz on The Great Divide: Unequal Societies and What We Can Do About Them.
Talk followed by Q&A, book signing and reception. 5:30 – 7:00 p.m. $15 admission; members and students free.
Apr 29 Lunch and Learn: Harley Spiller – the “Inspector Collector” – on Keep the Change: A Collector’s Tales of Lucky Pennies, Counterfeit
C-Notes, and Other Curious Currency. Talk followed by Q&A and book signing. 12:30 – 1:30 p.m. $5 includes Museum