The E-Sylum:  Volume 6, Number 5, February 2, 2003, Article 8

TIOLIER COLLECTION CATALOG SOUGHT

  Richard Margolis writes:  "Can the catalogue of a highly
  important numismatic collection, the publication date and other
  details of which are known from other sources, disappear
  off the face of the earth? This seems to be the case with a
  catalogue of the great Tiolier collection.  Pierre Joseph Tiolier
  was Engraver-General of France from 1803 to 1816, his son,
  Nicolas Pierre succeeding him in this position until 1845.
  Occupying this privileged  position at the Paris Mint for so
  many years they were in a unique position to put together a
  marvelous collection of essays and special strikings by
  themselves and by preceding French engravers.

  Based on information appearing primarily in Conbrouse's
  Maison de France (1845), and a few fleeting references
  elsewhere, this is exactly what they did. In 1840,  according
  to Conbrouse, a small catalogue of the Tioliers' collection
  was printed by H. Fournier (a well-known Paris publisher),
  "petit in 8o de vingt-quatre pages".  It is known from other
  references by Conbrouse to the catalogue that it contained
  at least 320 numbers. I think it highly unlikely, however, that
  the catalogue would have borne the Tioliers' name as owners
  of the collection, which was sold in 1841 to Rousseau, one
  of the two leading Paris dealers of the period.

  Unfortunately, despite having fairly exhaustively researched
  the French numismatic literature of the 19th century (primarily
  in the library of the Paris Mint, and even more extensively in
  the library of the Cabinet des Medailles of the Bibliotheque
  Nationale), I have been unable to locate a single copy of this
  catalogue, nor any reference to it anywhere, other than
  Conbrouse's mention of it.

  Apart from the small number of coins and essays that I know
  from other evidence were included in the catalogue, it must
  have listed a great many of the great rarities of the period that
  interests me (the French Revolution and Napoleon). It
  therefore goes without saying that I would give my right arm
  or any other appropriate part of my anatomy for even a
  glimpse of it. Any thoughts as to how or where to search
  further for this numismatic will-o'-the-wisp would be most
  welcome."

  Wayne Homren, Editor

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