The Russian Numismatic Society (RNS) publishes the Journal of the Russian Numismatic Society (JRNS) three times yearly. The JRNS is printed on letter size paper folded in half to make a booklet of about 70 pages per issue. The quality of the printing is quite good and the articles are intelligently written. Most photos are reproduced surprisingly well and when they are not, the editor is not afraid to admit it.
The JRNS covers a broad spectrum of topics including orders and medals from old and new Russia. In a recent issue an article on subway tokens of the new republics was presented. Regular features of the journal include the column "Auction Watch" which lists prices realized of important pieces from recent auctions around the world. A regular section on publications gives reviews of recent works on Russian numismatics. The reviews are well balanced and can even be quite severe. Unfortunately most of the books reviewed are written in Russian.
Updates on forgeries which come to light are presented and explanations of telltail signs are given. Forgery updates not only cover coins but also orders. Regular articles appear from well known authors and provide an excellent source of information which is not available elsewhere, supplementing your numismatic library. Mini catalogues occasionally appear. Yearly "numismatic" trips to Russia are described with a summary of the numismatic situation in Russia. These trips are organized by one of the members.
The RNS also provides reasonably priced reprints of catalogues from important auctions as well as several booklets.
To find out more information write to :
RNS Headquarters P.O. Box 1586 Bellingham, WA 98227 U.S.A.
JRNS Editor P.O. Box 3013 Alexandria, VA 22302 U.S.A.