American Numismatic Society
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
THE MISSION OF THE AMERICAN NUMISMATIC SOCIETY IS TO PROMOTE AND ADVANCE THE STUDY, RESEARCH, AND APPRECIATION OF NUMISMATICS.
- Income
- $10.1 million
- Spending
- $5.3 million
- Spent on programs
- 70%
- Reserves
- 62.3 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- investment income, 64%
- Employees
- 24
- Volunteers
- 30
- Highest pay
- $171,071, deputy director
Source: Form 990 for the year ending September 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Strong: 100 out of 100. Higher than 86% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, $10m to $100m).
Reserves
35 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 62.3 months of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 8% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 48% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 100% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1570% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 15 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending September 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
Strong: 100 out of 100. Higher than 34% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, $10m to $100m).
Independent board
25 of 2522 of 24 voting board members are independent.
Conflict of interest policy
15 of 15Has a written conflict of interest policy.
Whistleblower policy
8 of 8Has a written whistleblower policy.
Record keeping policy
7 of 7Has a written policy on keeping and destroying records.
Board minutes
5 of 5Keeps minutes of board meetings.
Board sees the tax return
10 of 10Gave the board a copy of this return before filing it.
Pay set independently
5 of 5Sets its chief executive's pay through independent review and comparison.
Independent check of accounts
15 of 15Its accounts were audited by an independent accountant.
No reported misuse
10 of 10Reports no diversion of assets, excess benefits or loans to insiders.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending September 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Impact evidence
Describes programs. Its tax return describes what it does but we have found no measurable results in it.
Programs described in its return (3)
- $2.5 million spent. COLLECTIONS:THE SOCIETY'S COLLECTION OF OVER 800,000 COINS AND RELATED OBJECTS IS ONE OF AMERICA'S TREASURES. IT ABOUNDS IN BOTH LARGE STUDY COLLECTIONS AND GREAT RARITIES, AND IS PARTICULARLY STRONG IN ANCIENT GREEK, ROMAN, ISLAMIC, FAR EASTERN, U.S., AND COLONIAL COINAGES, AS WELL AS MEDALLIC ART. IN MAKING ITS RESOURCES AVAILABLE FOR BROAD STUDY AND ENJOYMENT, THE ANS LENDS ITEMS TO OTHER INSTITUTIONS AROUND THE USA AND THE WORLD. CURRENTLY, 413 OBJECTS ARE ON LOAN TO PERMANENT AND TEMPORARY EXHIBITIONS.
- $603,178 spent. PUBLICATIONS PROGRAM:THE ANS IS THE PREEMINENT PUBLISHER IN PRINT OF NUMISMATIC MATERIAL IN THE UNITED STATES. OFFERINGS INCLUDE TWO SCHOLARLY JOURNALS, THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF NUMISMATICS AND THE JOURNAL OF EARLY AMERICAN NUMISMATICS; AND THE QUARTERLY ANS MAGAZINE, WHICH PRESENTS REGULAR COLUMNS FROM THE SOCIETY'S VARIOUS DEPARTMENTS AND CONTRIBUTIONS FROM INDIVIDUAL CURATORS. THE ANS PUBLISHES ON AVERAGE FOUR NEW BOOKS A YEAR ON NUMISMATIC SUBJECTS, AND HAS MORE THAN 50 CURRENTLY IN PRINT. MANY OF ITS OLDER PUBLICATIONS ARE AVAILABLE IN DIGITAL FORMAT AS OPEN ACCESS. THE ANS ALSO MAKES ITS OLDER, OUT-OF-PRINT BOOKS AVAILABLE AS PRINT-ON-DEMAND EDITIONS.THE ANS IS ALSO A RECOGNIZED LEADER IN THE PUBLICATION OF SOPHISTICATED OPEN ACCESS ONLINE RESOURCES FOR THE STUDY AND RESEARCH OF COINS OF VARIOUS PERIODS. THESE INCLUDE ONLINE COINS OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE (NUMISMATICS/ORG/OCRE) AND HELLENISTIC ROYAL COINAGES (NUMISMATICS.ORG/HRC), BOTH OF WHICH RECEIVED SUBSTANTIAL DEVELOPMENT FUNDING FROM THE NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE HUMANITIES.
- $594,874 spent. EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS:THE ANS CONDUCTS A VARIETY OF EDUCATIONAL AND OUTREACH PROGRAMS FOR STUDENTS, PROFESSIONAL AND AMATEUR NUMISMATISTS, AND THE GENERAL PUBLIC. THESE PROGRAMS INCLUDE:-AN ANNUAL SUMMER GRADUATE SEMINAR IN NUMISMATICS, WHICH SINCE 1952 HAS GRADUATED MORE THAN 600 PARTICIPANTS.-AN ONLINE EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM, ANS LYCEUM, THAT RUNS 4 TO 6-WEEK LONG COURSES TWO TO THREE TIMES A YEAR ON A VARIETY OF TOPICS.-PUBLIC LECTURES AND CONFERENCES, INCLUDING AN OCCASIONAL SATURDAY SERIES, "MONEY TALKS: NUMISMATIC CONVERSATIONS, AND AN ONLINE WEEKLY NUMISMATIC SERIES, LONG TABLE.-AN AVERAGE OF SIX INTERNSHIPS A YEAR IN MUSEUM, LIBRARY, AND ARCHIVAL DISCIPLINES. -PUBLICATION OF BOOKS AND ARTICLES BY THE ANS CURATORIAL STAFF AND OTHERS. -LECTURES AND TEACHING BY THE STAFF AT CONFERENCES AND WORKSHOPS IN THE U.S. AND ABROAD. -OVER THE COURSE OF THE YEAR THE SOCIETY ALSO ROUTINELY WELCOMES APPROXIMATELY A DOZEN SCHOOL GROUPS TO LEARN ABOUT MONEY AND NUMISMATICS. SINCE THE FOUNDING OF THE ANS MORE THAN 160 YEARS AGO, THE INSTITUTION HAS ACTIVELY SOUGHT THE BEST METHODS FOR SECURING AND ORGANIZING THE COLLECTION PHYSICALLY, AS WELL AS FOR MAKING THE CONTENTS OF THE COLLECTION ACCESSIBLE TO THE PUBLIC AT LARGE THROUGH PUBLICATIONS AND DIGITAL CATALOGING EFFORTS. THE ANS IS CURRENTLY THE LEADING NUMISMATIC INSTITUTION IN THE WORLD FOR DEVELOPING COMPREHENSIVE ONLINE RESEARCH TOOLS THAT HIGHLIGHT THE COLLECTION HOLDINGS.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending September 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Legitimacy checks
Is it registered with the IRS? Passed.
Listed in the IRS master file of tax-exempt organizations as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Has the IRS revoked its tax-exempt status? Passed.
Not on the IRS automatic revocation list.
Source: Automatic revocation of exemption list, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Are donations tax-deductible? Passed.
On the IRS list of organizations eligible to receive tax-deductible contributions.
Source: Publication 78 data: organizations eligible for tax-deductible contributions, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.
Most recent return on file covers the year ending September 2025.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.
Recognized by the IRS since April 1938.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Is it in good standing with state regulators? Passed.
Not on California's list of charities barred from soliciting. Other states are not yet checked.
Source: May Not Operate or Solicit for Charitable Purposes list, California Attorney General, Registry of Charities and Fundraisers, file dated October 21, 2026.
Ratings and checks are our reading of public records, using the published method. They are not a statement about anyone's honesty. If you work for this organization, you can send corrections or results, confirm you want gifts through Veridonate, or ask to be removed from giving.