Antiquarianism and Numismatics
Interest in the origins of numismatics has surged worldwide in recent years. After all, numismatics stands at the beginning of many antiquarian sciences. Books on coins have been found in the libraries of all educated people since the 16th century. An exhibition curated by Bartosz Awianowicz is dedicated to them in Toruń.
Torun and Numismatics
The name Torun, also known as Thorn in Germany, has a special resonance among coin collectors. Not only were beautiful coins minted here, but Nicolaus Copernicus was also born here in 1473. He is, of course, best known for his astronomical research. But those interested in the history of money know that in the year 1522 he wrote a memorandum on coinage and circulation for the Prussian State Parliament. This is remarkable. In it, long before Sir Thomas Gresham—after whom Gresham’s Law is named—he describes how the law works.
Books from the Library of Nicolaus Copernicus University
In this exhibition, Thorún’s eldest son plays no role for once. Instead, the focus is on the great antiquarians and numismatists who stood at the dawn of our science. Under the title “Two Sides of the Same Coin: Numismatic Antiquarianism of the 16th–18th Centuries as Reflected in Old Prints and Ancient Coins” 28 key works of early numismatics are on display at the University Museum in Torun, including many monographs on ancient coins.
From Goltz to the First Auction Catalogs
Anyone familiar with early numismatic literature knows how magnificently illustrated it is for the most part. The large-format volumes on Greek and Roman numismatics compiled by Hubert Goltz (1526–1583)—a rather mediocre painter but brilliant engraver—were particularly famous. Some of these are on display at the Toruń exhibition. They served the same purpose for early coin collectors as RIC and BMC do for us today: Goltz’s catalogs were used to identify their own coins. His (highly imaginative) book on Greek numismatics, in particular, was the most important tool for identifying Greek coins in his day.
Books by Charles Patin (1633–1693) and Louis Jober (1637–1719), as well as early numismatic auction catalogs from the 18th century, are also on display.
They are complemented by 76 ancient coins and medals from the early modern period. Coins and books: for early collectors and antiquarians, they belonged together just as much as the two sides of a coin, which is what the exhibition’s title refers to.
An exhibition catalog written by Bartosz Awianowicz
Bartosz Awianowicz authored an exhibition catalog to accompany the exhibition. It can be ordered for 120 zloty + shipping (approx. 28 euros).
Text and images: Ursula Kampmann
