NEW BOOK: MINING COINS AND MEDALS

Publications of the Institute of Numismatics and Money History 17

Bernhard Prokisch
The collection of mining impressions of Karl Ritter von Ernst. Coins, stamps, medals, raffles and tokens from the 15th to 20th century 476 pages, 210 x 297 mm, paperbound ISBN 978-3-9501987-6-8 (ÖFN) and 978-3-902183-24-8 ( TMW), price € 68, - plus postage.

In August 2016, after a long period of preparation, the band appeared in our series "Publications of the Institute of Numismatics and Money History". It contains the stock catalog of a collection of mining impressions, which in the later 19th and early 20th century was brought together by the mining engineer and the high ministerial staff Karl Ritter von Ernst (* 1833, † 1911) and after his death via detours into the Technical Museum Vienna. The largely completely preserved collection contains a total of 1142 coins, medals, stamps and rake pennants, all relating to the mining industry. The main focus of the collection is on monuments from the Austro-Hungarian monarchy and the German Reich, but is supplemented by material from the different mining areas of Europe and outside Europe. Even though the collection does not reach the large mining collections (Schmula-Krappitz, Vogelsang, Preussag AG), it contains a number of remarkable, including so far unknown pieces.

The work on the collection began with two courses in the winter semester 2007 and summer semester 2009, during which part of the material could be determined and cataloged. In the following years, the catalog was completed and the collection history clarified. Particular attention was paid to the personality of the collector, who is one of the Austrian numismatics, who are largely forgotten by now. Apart from his collecting activity, he was often active as a journalist (the publication list listed in the book has an impressive scope), and worked on the board of the Viennese Numismatic Society in Vienna, among the founding members of which he was a founder. He also served as editor of the "Numismatic Magazine" and the "Monatsblatt" for many years.

Karl von Ernst was thus an exponent of that upscale middle class of the second half of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, which - scientifically and liberally oriented - combined scientifically oriented collection activities with social commitment and literary work.

The book was realized in close collaboration between the Technical Museum of Vienna and the institute, financing was achieved not least through private support.

The company, which has now been closed with the publication, can be regarded as a successful cooperation between the University of Vienna and one of the leading federal museums. We would like to thank Dr. Helmut Lackner, Dr. Susanna Heinz, and Dr. Ursula Emesz, the scientific deputy of the management of the Technical Museum, without whom this publication could not have been realized.

To read the CoinsWeekly article, see:
The collection of mining coins and medals of Karl Ritter von Ernst (www.coinsweekly.com/en/News/The-collection-of-mining-coins-and-medals-of-Karl-Ritter-von-Ernst/4?&id=4536)

For more information, or to order, see:
Publications of the Institute of Numismatics and Money History 17 (http://numismatik.univie.ac.at/institut/veroeffentlichungen-des-instituts-fuer-numismatik/vin-17/)

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