The E-Sylum:  Volume 5, Number 8, February 17, 2002, Article 12

TERMINOLOGY: SYLLOGE, CATALOGUE RAISONNE

  In the Question and Answer Forum section of the latest
  Rare Coin Review from Bowers and Merena Galleries
  (RCR #145, p8),  a letter from H.J.M. asks  "I notice
  that two terms have crept into your book titles, sylloge
  and catalogue raisonne.  What do these mean?   I have
  consulted two dictionaries and neither lists sylloge,
  although catalogue raisonne refers to a description or
  catalogue of art work, with technical notes."

  The reply:
  "The word sylloge has been used here and there in numismatics
  and generally describes a listing of coins, tokens, or medals
  annotated with information.  Such notes can include weight,
  diameter, rarity, cross references to other citations, etc. When
  I thought of this term in connection with the book I did (with
  much help from others) on the Bass Collection, I was inspired
  by Cory Gillilland's excellent text,  "Sylloge of the United States
  Holdings in the National Numismatic Collection of the
  Smithsonian Institution. Volume 1: Gold Coins, 1785-1834",
  published in 1992.   Our staff and the Harry W. Bass, Jr.
  Foundation called it the sylloge (pronounced: "sillogee" with
  the "gee" as "gea" in "gear").

  The Harry W. Bass, Jr. Museum Sylloge, as it was eventually
  titled, is thus in good etymological company, right along with
  the Gillilland title and, to mention just one of many other
  possibilities, "Sylloge of Coins of the British Isles" (multiple
  volumes, sold by Spink in London).

  My interpretation of catalogue raisonne in numismatics is a
  catalogue that would be definitive for a given series, life
  work, or specialty.   I suppose this would be appropriate
  for the Breen Encyclopedia volumes on 1793-1857 half
  cents and 1793-1814 cents, or Tony Carlotto's text on
  1785-1788 Vermont coppers, to mention just three of
  many examples. A catalogue raisonne would give just
  about all the historical and technical information available
  concerning a specialty, except that market prices,
  anecdotes, and casual commentaries might not be included."

  Wayne Homren, Editor

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