One of the oldest numismatic societies in the United States, WPNS was founded in Pittsburgh in 1878.
Membership is open to all persons with with an interest in the study of numismatics.
As William W. Woodside wrote on the occasion of the Society's centennial year, It is not an easy matter to prepare a brief summary of the life and activities of any organization after more than a century of existence, and especially so when its membership has been as diverse as ours. Our Society has had its share of scholars and dullards, of the learned and of the unlettered, of dedicated hobbyists and of hoarders and speculators. And, it must be confessed, there have occasionally been rascals among our number. It says much for this Society's strength and quality that after more than a hundred years men still gather regularly to share a common diversionary interest, without regard to individual political, religious, or financial interest. We have shared a hobby, and we also have come to share a tradition.