Legacy Builder: Dwight Manley
Dwight N. Manley is a lifelong collector whose passion, scholarship, and philanthropy have shaped modern numismatics. From funding the ANA’s world-class library to donating the nation’s premier collection of Washington medals, his impact on the study and preservation of America’s monetary history in unparalleled.
Dwight Manley
Dwight N. Manley of Newport Beach, CA is one of the most influential figures in modern numismatics and a longtime supporter of the American Numismatic Association. His generosity funded the ANA’s 2001 multi-million-dollar museum and library renovation, which more than doubled shelf space and added a climate-controlled rare book room. A lifelong collector who began at age six with a 1909 Lincoln cent, Manley credits an ANA Summer Seminar scholarship with launching his career.
In 2021, Manley amazed the numismatic community by announcing a staggering donation of Washington-related medals to the ANA. The core of his donation were purchased from the Historical Society of Pennsylvania, which received them upon the death of William Spohn Baker, whose 1885 publication, Medallic Portraits of Washington, became the undisputed standard work on the subject. Manley purchased roughly 900 objects from the Baker collection to preserve it for future study and as a memorial both to Washington and Baker. Manley’s donation also included other important Washington-related medals he separately acquired over the years, and the combined collection is the ultimate grouping of Washingtonia in size (over 950 objects), quality and provenance.
While an accomplished sports agent and real estate developer, Manley’s achievements in the numismatic field are equally extraordinary. In addition to his generous donation of Washingtonia materials, he negotiated the $100 million acquisition of California gold from the 1857 wreck of the S.S. Central America and funded research for A California Gold Rush History. He set record bids for famed rarities including the King of Siam proof set and the 1913 Liberty Head nickel. From young numismatist to world-record collector, Manley’s career reflects both business acumen and enduring passion for the art and history of coins.
Highlights of the Donation
Baker-Manley Collection of Numismatic Washingtonia
This virtual exhibit highlights the evolution of Washingtonia, from early patriotic pieces to rare commemorative issues that shaped American medallic history.
Dwight N. Manley Numismatic Library
The ANA Library — the world’s largest numismatic lending library — has served collectors for generations. With more than 128,000 books, auction catalogs, and periodicals, its shelves span every corner of the numismatic universe.
To ensure even greater access to this remarkable and ever-expanding collection, the ANA completed a multi-million-dollar renovation of its museum and library in 2001, made possible through the extraordinary generosity of Dwight N. Manley.