Ruth Hill (2010)

Ruth Hill, or Mrs. Adolf B. Hill Jr. III as she liked her letters to be addressed, was the grand old lady of paper money collecting in North America.

Born in 1898, she remained an active collector all her life and a visitor to shows until a few years before her death at the age of 96. Ruth Hill became interested in banknote collecting in the 1950s, about the time of the death of her husband whose company sold specialty inks. Over more than 30 years she built a vast collection of notes from almost every country of the world and, at the same time, encouraged numerous new collectors. She was a founding member of IBNS and in 1966 she rescued the young society from collapse when it ran into severe financial difficulties and its survival was in doubt. She was later a board member and then president from 1979-81. Ruth Hill was appointed an Honorary Life Member and an honorary director for life in recognition of her long and vital support for the IBNS as an institution.