Legacy Builder: Dr. Carlson R. Chambliss
The American Numismatic Association is eternally grateful for the philanthropic and scholarly works of Dr. Carlson R. Chambliss. Born in Boston, Carlson graduated Phillips Exeter Academy in 1948, followed by Harvard University in 1962. After receiving his Ph.D. from the University of Pennsylvania in astronomy, he joined the faculty of Kutztown University in Pennsylvania, where he taught until 2003.
About Dr. Chambliss
Carlson is a lifelong collector. Beginning with stamps at the age of nine, he quickly expanded to coins followed by paper money. His astronomical research took him across the globe, including New Zealand, Australia, Arizona and Chile, and with him went his interest in numismatics. Carlson’s exhaustive travels spurred his interest in foreign currency, culminating in a world-class collection.
A scholar at heart, Dr. Chambliss has written four books on notaphily (paper money collecting) thus far, including a 2012 publication on Military Payment Certificates and a 2014 book about Large-Size U.S. Paper Money. Additionally, Carlson is author to numerous articles in the philatelic and numismatic press.
Beginning in 2002, Dr. Chambliss combined his academic world with his numismatic passion, establishing a series of award medals for graduating Kutztown University students who attained outstanding academic achievements. Chambliss furthered these honorariums with a series of faculty awards. Most recently, he established a medallic award (76 mm of pure silver) at Moravian University in Bethlehem, PA for outstanding work in the sciences.
Additionally, Dr. Chambliss established a number of award medals with the American Astronomical Society (AAS). Including honoraria, Carlson bestows large .999 silver medals for amateur astral accomplishments and 10K gold decorations for astronomical books. He is especially proud of the gilt brass medals he awards for student presentations at AAS meetings – more than 400 of which have been awarded to date. In honor of Dr. Chambliss’s services to astronomy and his philanthropic endowments, asteroid #23707 is named for him!
In recent years, Dr. Chambliss has become a major numismatic and notaphily donor to the American Numismatic Association. His generous donations of U.S. territorial gold, early U.S. dollars, U.S. small-size Bank Notes, and foreign currency – to name a few – have enriched and expanded the ANA’s collection and exhibits. Dr. Carlson R. Chambliss – scholar, collector and philanthropist – is rightfully immortalized in space for his generosity.
Highlights of the Donation
Golden California: The Era of Private Coinage
Discover how a single glimmer of gold in 1848 ignited the largest mass migration in U.S. history and sparked a remarkable era of privately minted coinage. This Tales From the Vault installment uncovers the assayers, the “CAL” gold pieces, and the rush that reshaped America. Dive into a story where fortune, ingenuity, and history collide.
California Gold!
When gold was discovered at Sutter’s Mill in 1848, it triggered far more than a migration—it unleashed a frenzy of private minting that transformed raw nuggets into circulating treasure. This virtual exhibit explores the brilliant world of assayers, “CAL”-stamped gold coins, $50 slugs and private mints, capturing the desperate rush for trusted coinage in a booming frontier.