Roger Burdette
Roger W. Burdette has been a collector for nearly sixty years, beginning with filling holes in blue Whitman folders from circulation. During the last two decades he has focused on numismatic research. He is the author of nearly 100 original research articles published in all major American numismatic periodicals. He has also written a dozen numismatic research books and received numerous awards including seven Book-of-the-Year awards and the ANA’s Numismatic of the Year title.
He is the author of the critically acclaimed, ground breaking three-volume series of books, Renaissance of American Coinage, exploring the rebirth of creativity and artistry on American coins from 1905 through 1921. Together, the series presents nearly 1,000 pages of detailed historical research using original sources. The volumes present the origin, design and initial production of new coinage designs within the context of contemporary political and social conditions. This work has forced numismatists and historians to make significant revisions in their knowledge of how and why these designs were adopted. In the course of his research Mr. Burdette discovered and documented two previously unknown gold Saint-Gaudens 1907 pattern coins, validated the background of a third pattern, and verified the creation of other experimental pieces for the Pratt gold design of 1908. His book, From Mine to Mint, is the single source of U.S. Mint information about machinery, equipment and business processes.
Current research in American numismatics involves digitization of US Mint archives at NARA, examination of restriking U.S. coins and pattern pieces, and encouraging hobby business adoption of consistent empirical examination of coin attribution.
Roger W. Burdette is the author of multiple plays including Son of the Morning, about a teenager whose genetically altered sweat can cure injuries by touch. A historical play with music titled Katz’ Kosher Market in which a Jewish couple escape the Vilna ghetto determined to fulfill the hopes of those denied their future. Twenty-Three Seconds is a comedy-drama about creation of the Universe; Hidden Places (El Arcón) parallels Nazi treatment of Jews with modern internment of “look-like illegals” immigrants. In his play Gig Man, Robert Quinten “Mo” Morris presents daily life of a gig worker through Mo’s eyes, thoughts, feelings, threats, victories, defeats, compromises, and numbing routine.
In other fields of interest, Mr. Burdette has recently completed an innovative research proposal to SpaceX, NASA and Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) for installation of an ultra-long wavelength radio astronomy prototype that can be delivered to the far side of the Moon by a commercial launch system at low cost and high reliability.
Mr. Burdette holds a Master’s Degree in Music from the University of Maryland, and has substantial experience in education and system engineering.