The Numismatic Society of Philadelphia was formed on January 1, 1858, as the first coin club inthe United States. Joseph A. Mickley served as first president. In 1865, the name was changed tothe Numismatic and Antiquarian Society of Philadelphia. The Society was reported to remainactive as recently as 2012.

While doing research this week, I came across a list of Honorary Vice Presidents for theNumismatic and Antiquarian Society of Philadelphia in 1884. I noted the name of AlexanderRamsey. Last year I moved from Minneapolis into Ramsey County. While Ramsey was governorof Minnesota in 1862, annuity payments were withheld from Indians on the Dakota Reservation,leading to the U. S. Dakota War of 1862. My home town of New Ulm, Minnesota, was attacked,burned and temporarily abandoned. Fortunately, I was not hurt in the attacks.

So, who were the honorary vice presidents?

Attorney. Former Senator, Representative and Speaker of the U. S. House of Representatives.President of the Massachusetts Historical Society 1855-1885. Great-great grandfather of JohnKerry.

Bookseller and publisher. Former Secretary of State in Rhode Island. Member of the RhodeIsland Historical Society, the New England Historic Genealogical Society and the AmericanAntiquarian Society.

Physician and Civil War battlefield surgeon living in Franklin, Connecticut, and localhistorian. His home became the Ashbel Woodward Museum.

President of the Long Island Historical Society and member of several other historicalsocieties. Coin collector and book collector.

Historian and writer, author of books on New Jersey history.

Attorney. Senator from Delaware 1869-1885, later U. S. Secretary of State 1885-1889. Hewas a hard money advocate.

Attorney. He invented the Latrobe stove. President of American Colonization Society 1853-1891. President of the Maryland Historical Society.

Ornithologist, Ichthyologist and herpetologist. In 1878 he replaced Joseph Henry to becomethe second Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution.

Civil War veteran employed in the lumber business. Antiquarian and historian.Corresponding Secretary of the Virginia Historical Society and Secretary of the SouthernHistorical Society.

Attorney. Member of the American Antiquarian Society and member of the AmericanPhilosophical Society; Author of books on Georgia History. His autograph collectionincluded the hand written will of Button Gwinnett.

Physician. President of the Louisiana Board of Health 1880-1884; Chairman of theDepartment of Chemistry at University of Louisiana. He published a three-volume work onconditions at Andersonville Prison during the Civil War.

Chicago attorney and early friend of Illinois attorney Abraham Lincoln; Member of IllinoisHouse of Representatives 1842-1848; U. S. Representative 1861-1865; Biographer ofAbraham Lincoln and Benedict Arnold.

Congregational clergyman. Professor of Greek and the humanities at the University ofWisconsin. Author of Catalogue of Coins and Medals, Ancient and Modern (1874).

U. S. Representative from Pennsylvania 1843-1847; Governor of Minnesota Territory 1849-1853; Mayor of St. Paul 1855-1856; First president of the Minnesota Historical Society;Governor of Minnesota 1860-1863; Minnesota Senator 1863-1875; United States Secretaryof War 1879-1881.

Bishop in the Episcopal Church in Iowa. History teacher at Hobart College. He wasappointed historiographer of the American church in 1868.

In 1852 he moved to San Francisco to establish a successful book store and later publishedbooks on western history. Member of the American Antiquarian Society. The University ofCalifornia purchased his 60,000 volume library in 1905.

It is apparent that the society drew upon the antiquarian side more than the numismatic sidewhen appointing their honorary vice presidents. As can be seen with the honorary vicepresidents, members of one society often join several similar societies.

When recent ANA conventions were held in Philadelphia, clubs from around the area acted asthe host club. There was no local Philadelphia club involved.