The Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee welcomes Dr. Harcourt Fuller

Dr. Harcourt Fuller, a history professor at Georgia State University, Atlanta, was sworn in as a member of the Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee on Tuesday, October 19, 2021.

The CCAC is a committee established by Act of Congress to advise the secretary of the U.S. Treasury Department on matters relating to circulating coinage, bullion coins, Congressional Gold Medals, and other coins and national medals.

Dr. Fuller, a collector since childhood, is a member of the American Numismatic Association and the International Bank Note Society. He is a former research assistant in the Coins and Medals Department of the British Museum, London, and creator of the traveling museum exhibition “Black Money Exhibit: World Currencies Featuring African and African Diasporic History and Cultures.”

Acting Director of the United States Mint Alison Doone administered Dr. Fuller’s oath of office, and then invited his remarks. The newest CCAC member said:

As a numismatist who has been collecting coins and currencies since my childhood, and as a scholar of money, I’d like to thank Congresswoman Waters, Laura Vossler of the House Financial Services Committee, Speaker Pelosi, Secretary Yellen, as well as the leadership and staff at the United States Mint, including Jennifer Warren, Betty Birdsong, Acting Director Doone, and my fellow committee members for providing me with this opportunity to serve the American public by being appointed as a member of the CCAC. I’d also like to thank my mother, Jennifer, my late father, Ashley, my siblings, my wife, Christina, and my two daughters, Kenya and Amina, for their love and support, which make my work, and this life, meaningful. Thank you.

Dr. Fuller earned his doctorate in International History and an MSc (with Merit) in History of International Relations from the London School of Economics (LSE). He also holds a Bachelor of Arts in International Studies, a Master’s degree in History, and a Certificate in Latin American Studies from the City College of New York (CCNY). His recognitions and fellowships include a Fulbright Global Scholar Award, a Whiting Public Engagement Fellowship, and an Eric P. Newman Numismatic Education Society Grant.

He is an Associate Professor of African and African Diaspora History at Georgia State University, and has taught at Connecticut College, Florida International University, and Emmanuel College. He was a Visiting Researcher at Boston University’s African Studies Center and a Scholar in Boston’s African American Studies Program.

Asked by Coin Update to comment after the meeting, Dennis Tucker, the CCAC’s numismatic specialist, said:

The Treasury Department and the United States Mint are very fortunate to have Dr. Harcourt Fuller on board as a member of the CCAC. I can personally attest to the experience and knowledge Dr. Fuller brings to the Committee. His ‘Black Money Exhibit,’ a study of African representations on banknotes, was seen by thousands of visitors at the Auburn Avenue Research Library in 2018 and 2019, including a conference of the African Studies Association. I applaud his efforts in educating young, diverse audiences, in particular, on the historical and cultural significance of paper currency and coins. I’m very pleased that he’s now joining our ranks. I look forward to the insight and energy he’ll bring to the CCAC’s meetings.

The next public meeting of the CCAC will be convened in 2022 at a date to be determined.

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