Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

Smithsonian Recruits Volunteers for Project

ISABEL+BINAMIRA%2FTHE+HOYA%0AA+project+started+by+the+Smithsonian%E2%80%99s+National+Museum+of+American+History+to+transcribe+19th-+and+20th-century+currency+proofs+is+soliciting+volunteers+online.
ISABEL BINAMIRA/THE HOYA A project started by the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History to transcribe 19th- and 20th-century currency proofs is soliciting volunteers online.
ISABEL BINAMIRA/THE HOYA A project started by the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History to transcribe 19th- and 20th-century currency proofs is soliciting volunteers online.
ISABEL BINAMIRA/THE HOYA
A project started by the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History to transcribe 19th- and 20th-century currency proofs is soliciting volunteers online.

The Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History recently launched an online project to transcribe thousands of certified currency proofs from Washington, D.C., from 1863 to 1935.

The Smithsonian has uploaded 139 pages of scanned currency proofs, given to the museum by the Bureau of Engraving and Printing in the early 1970s, onto its online transcription center. The high-resolution digitization of the proofs allows virtual visitors to closely examine the engraving of the plates from which the proofs were made.

According to the Smithsonian Institution, the proofs contain significant evidence on the history of American currency.

“Hopefully, these images will allow research to begin or will bring a new understanding to the history of our nation, as seen through the multitude of banks across America that were chartered by the Bureau of Engraving and Printing to create currency,” the Smithsonian wrote in a statement to The Hoya.

The currency proofs contain information about banks, bonds, securities and treasuries in different states during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The engravings on some notes also depict political scenes and allegories.

One of the transcribed currency proofs issued by the National Bank of the Republic of Washington has been identified as depicting an allegorical scene with Christopher Columbus.

According to the statement from the Smithsonian, any visitor to the online collection can volunteer for the project.

“The digitization and transcription of the Bureau of Engraving and Printing proof-sheet collection will allow people around the world to look into the Smithsonian’s collections and become a virtual volunteer,” it said. “For numismatists around the world, this opens up a new collection, in its entirety, for the first time.”

At press time, there were 17 listed volunteers on the transcription project’s website, with 130 out of 139 pages of currency proofs transcribed.

Previous transcription projects from the National Museum of American History, which have enlisted up to 2,800 volunteers, include field notebooks, diaries and revenue stamps.

After a volunteer transcribes a note, Smithsonian staff members evaluate the transcription for accuracy.

Zackary Gardner, who teaches a course in American history of the 19th century, said that the transcription project would be a good opportunity for Georgetown students interested in American history.

“If students want to help the Smithsonian, then this is a fairly straightforward way they can do so from the comfort of their dorm room,” Gardner said.

However, Gardner said that the openness of the volunteer opportunity may result in unreliable transcription and would likely only interest die-hard history fanatics.

“The idea of using online crowd-sourcing for historical transcription is interesting and novel,” he said. “As the opportunity could be taken by undergraduates with no experience at the Smithsonian, with Smithsonian staff or working with museum collections, I am unsure what the students would get out of it other than the satisfaction of volunteering in transcription work.”

Marco Lam (MSB ’18), who is currently enrolled in an American history course, expressed interest in the transcription project but thought the job would be better suited to those who have thoroughly studied American history.

“Although I think it is cool to see what these bills can tell us about the currency system in the 18th century, I don’t think I know enough about American history to help the museum. I think this job should be left to experts,” Lam said.

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