Randolph Zander, in Part 3 of his Numismatic Reminiscences article published in the last Asylum, describes Ray Byrne as "a joyous collector - He enjoyed his subject, and he certainly enjoyed numismatic company - he founded the Pittsburgh Sphinx club - a meeting of serious coin people [even if you called them sphincters]..."

The Sphinx Society lives on, and I've been glad to be a member for several years now. It's a model that serious collectors might consider emulating in other cities. It is a club without officers: no committees, no reading of the minutes, no anything except numismatic fellowship. The group meets monthly at a local restaurant; members take turns hosting the meeting and giving an informal talk on a numismatic subject - always a relaxing and enjoyable evening.