TOLEDO, Ohio — The American Numismatic Society, the New York-based organization of coin collectors founded in 1858, is moving to Ohio, where it will make its new home on the campus of the Toledo Museum of Art. The society announced the strategic relocation from its leased offices at 75 Varick Street in New York City to Toledo, with the move planned for the first half of 2028 in a dedicated four-story building acquired from the museum.
The society holds what it describes as the most comprehensive collection of numismatic objects in the United States, with nearly 800,000 coins, monetary objects, art medals, military orders and decorations dating back to 2000 BCE. Founded by passionate collectors as a small coin club, it has grown into a prominent museum and research institution, a major publisher of books on coins and medals, and home to a specialized library of about 100,000 items.
Its new home will be a four-story Art Deco building adjacent to the museum on its Toledo campus. The building will house a dedicated museum hall and flexible gallery spaces, along with the society’s library, an auditorium and an education center, giving it room to display a wider array of its treasures, many never publicly shown. More than 100,000 objects were added in the past twenty years alone.
“The American Numismatic Society’s move to Toledo marks a transformative new chapter in our long history,” said Dr. Ute Wartenberg Kagan, the society’s Sydney F. Martin executive director. “Partnering with the renowned Toledo Museum of Art, we will create innovative museum displays that highlight our remarkable collection of coins and medals. We are eager to reach new audiences and develop an affordable, state-of-the-art museum space that supports our mission of research, education, and public engagement.”
Under the new partnership, objects from the society’s collection will be integrated into several of the Toledo Museum of Art’s permanent collection galleries, which are undergoing a major chronological reinstallation to be unveiled in late 2027. Museum leaders say coins offer a tangible, everyday connection to each historical era, reflecting events, social norms and economic behavior.
“We could not be more excited as a Museum or as a community to welcome the American Numismatic Society to the city as our neighbor,” said Adam Levine, the Toledo museum’s president, director and CEO, adding that the society is “the perfect partner” to enrich the museum’s displays and expand research opportunities for scholars. The society also plans partnerships with local universities and other Toledo organizations for exhibitions, conferences and hands-on programs.
For northwest Ohio, the arrival brings a nationally known research center to a campus that already draws more than 300,000 visitors a year, less than an hour from Detroit Metro Airport. Society leaders say Toledo’s central location should make the collection easier to reach for members and scholars nationwide. Work to prepare the new space will continue ahead of the 2028 opening, when Toledo becomes, in the society’s words, a vibrant hub for numismatic study.
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