MUSEUM OF LONDON PUTTING COIN IMAGES ONLINE

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V15 2012 INDEX E-SYLUM ARCHIVE

The E-Sylum: Volume 15, Number 3, January 15, 2012, Article 6

Photographs of collection objects are an important element of a museum's mission, crucial to making information available to the public in addition to the important function of security, as seen in news of the theft of items from the ANA museum. In this article by Ed Johnson of the Museum of London, republished in the latest Coins Weekly, the museum is putting its Roman coin and 17th century token collections online. -Editor

The Museum of London is currently working on an ambitious funded project to deliver over 90,000 of its objects online over the next two years, showcasing its diverse collection and opening it up to a worldwide audience. As part of Collections Online, the museum's 4000 strong Roman numismatic collection is currently being digitized and will be made available to the public in August 2012.

The collection consists of finds from all over the city and beyond, comprising hoards and single finds, as well as a significant contribution from the collection of the 19th century Londoner, antiquarian and collector, Thomas Layton. The collection boasts some fine examples of gold, silver and bronze coins, spanning no-less than seven centuries, from a second century BC silver denarii of the Roman Republic, to a gold solidus, issued by the sixth century Byzantine emperor, Justinian I.

It is hoped that bringing the Museum of London's Roman numismatic collection online will not only help the museum engage with a wider public audience, but also offer a considerable contribution to the understanding of Roman numismatics in London, and provide increased opportunity for further numismatic enquiry, study and fresh analysis.

In addition, the Museum's collection of 17th century trade tokens are also being digitized to be put online. This comprises nearly 4000 tokens, issued within the City of London, Middlesex and Southwark, as well as a small portion from further afield. An initial batch of 1800 tokens will be available online from December 2011, with more being added in the following year.

The article provides the following link to the Museum's web site, but I'm stymied trying to locate the numismatic collections. The site map lists a wonderfully huge array of materials and subject areas, but I can't seem to find the coin listings. The article said the first group of these images would be available in December 2011. Can anyone else locate them? -Editor

To view the online collections of the Museum of London, see: Collections online (www.museumoflondon.org.uk/Collections-Research/Collections-online/)

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