Hadrien Rambach forwarded this invitation for an April 2020 conference in Tübingen, Germany. Thanks! -Editor
Hadrien writes:
"My friend Stefan and I are organizing a conference next April in Tübingen. We already received support from the University of
Tübingen, the International Numismatic Commission, and the International Association of Professional Numismatists. We would be very happy indeed
if you were willing to participate!"
COLLECTORS AND SCHOLARS: THE NUMISMATIC WORLD IN THE LONG 19TH CENTURY
In the 19th century, developments in the study and collection of coins set the cornerstone for modern numismatics: major steps included the
foundation of learned societies (e.g. Royal Numismatic Society in 1836, Numismatische Gesellschaft zu Berlin in 1843, American Numismatic Society in
1858, etc.) and the publication numismatic journals from the 1830s onwards (Revue numismatique in 1836, Numismatic chronicle in 1838, Revue
belge de numismatique in 1842, etc.) leading to a thriving numismatic community.
The 19th century is also the time when previously private (Royal) collections became public institutions (e.g. in Paris following the French
revolution, or the Münzkabinett Winterthur in 1861), and when new museums were created (e.g. the Capitoline medagliere in 1873,
Kunsthistorisches Museum Wien in 1891, etc.). Subsequently, museum curators began publishing scholarly catalogues of their collections, such as the
British Museum's seminal catalogue series (e.g. Greek Coins from 1873 onwards, or Oriental Coins from 1875 onwards). Some of the works published in
the 19th century were aimed at collectors, such as Théodore Mionnet's or Henry Cohen's reference works, but it is notably thanks to their
publications that scholars were able to process coin finds as source for dating archaeological sites and discussing social history (e.g. Theodor
Mommsen identifying Kalkriese as site for the battle of the Teutoburg Forest, as early as 1850, on the basis of numismatics).
At the same time, large and famous collections evolved, were traded, or finally bequeathed to museums leading to new research on the subject.
Whilst earlier collectors were almost always generalists (coins being one collecting field among others such as antiquities, paintings, gems, etc.),
collectors such as Hyman Montagu or Virgil Brand devoted themselves only to numismatics. These famous collectors were sometimes scholars themselves,
writing noteworthy articles. The names of John Evans, Friedrich Imhoof-Blumer, William Henry Waddington, Archer Huntington and King Victor Emmanuel
III are the most prominent examples of illustrious collectors with expertise and the desire to promote numismatic scholarship through their
collections.
The 19th century is also the time when collectors started paying greater attention to the condition of a coin, and to their provenance, while the
new medium of photography and improved book-illustrations allowed for the documentation and recognition of individual specimens in auction catalogues
and scholarly works likewise. In the same spirit, numismatists themselves became focus of interest: medals and tokens were struck in their names, and
books were written about them (e.g. Médailles et jetons des numismates in 1865).
We may also think of the institutional development of archaeology out of philology around the 1840ies to become a discipline of its own that
triggered a shift in perceiving coins predominantly as material manifestations of the past. In addition, we need to take into consideration the large
scale professional excavations of the century (e.g. the foundation of the Reichslimeskommission in Germany in 1892) that enabled new methods in
studying coins from an academic perspective. Ultimately, this pathed the way for numismatics to become a university subject with the evolution of
university coin collections. The 19th century was also a time that saw the growth of nationalism, which was accompanied by a focus on one's history
as mirrored in the practice of collecting and trading coins. Questions may also include to what extend numismatics was received in the realm of
contemporary art such as Eugène Delacroix's engravings, and literature – for example with the many coin references found in the work of Victor
Hugo. These are some of the various new avenues and perspectives the symposium wishes to explore.
Our aim is to explore the numismatic world in the long 19th century – including both, the sphere of academia, and that of collecting and dealing –
with a focus on ancient numismatics but also on medieval and modern numismatics, with an interest for the political, cultural, economic, and social
changes of the era. Thus, a wide range of international experts, including numismatists, historians, archaeologists, anthropologists, and art
historians are invited to present their research. Papers that explore specific case studies are particularly welcome, and talks on non-Western
numismatics and on medals are hoped for.
Organizers:
Stefan Krmnicek (Tübingen) & Hadrien Rambach (Brussels)
For more information, see:
COLLECTORS AND SCHOLARS: THE NUMISMATIC WORLD IN THE LONG 19TH CENTURY
(https://uni-tuebingen.de/collectors-and-scholars)
Wayne Homren, Editor
The Numismatic Bibliomania Society is a non-profit organization
promoting numismatic literature. See our web site at coinbooks.org.
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at this address: whomren@gmail.com
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