The numismatic chronicle and journal of the Royal Numismatic Society

NUMISMATIC SOCIETY. 15
Society. Part i. of the Series appeared in the spring of 1861,
at a time when it was thought desirable to infuse new life into
the Society by bringing the " Numismatic Chronicle " into closer
connection with it and making it the undivided property of the
Society. The First Series of the Chronicle, which also consists
of twenty volumes, as well as its predecessor, the " Numismatic
Journal," of which two volumes were published, had in the
main been private property, a certain number of copies being
subscribed for on behalf of the Society, which also from time to
time contributed towards the cost of the illustrations. This
arrangement does not appear
to have worked well for the
Society, inasmuch as the number of ordinary members, which
in July, 1840, amounted to 166, had by June, 1860, fallen
off to 61.
Under the new arrangement our numbers had, by June, 1861,
increased to 71 ordinary members, and by June, 1880, to no
less than 197 members. You have just heard from the Report
of the Council that we at present number 199.
Such a result is highly gratifying to all connected with the
management of the affairs of the Society, and especially to the
Editors of the " Numismatic Chronicle," of whom I have now
been one for a period of upwards of twenty years. As must
inevitably be the case with all such publications, the volumes
in different years, and the papers in each volume, vary con-
siderably in value and importance. On the whole, however, I
venture to think that the Second Series of the " Numismatic
Chronicle " will bear a comparison with any foreign periodical
of the same kind, which has appeared during the same period ;
while the mere fact of its containing upwards of two hundred
and fifty plates, giving faithful delineations of coins of all classes,
shows what an invaluable repertory it must be to those \\ ho are
interested in numismatic science.
Its value is much increased by the careful Indices which
have been published on the completion of each decade of
Volumes. Those for Vols. i. to x. were compiled by Mr.