Sponsored by: Archaeological Institute of America
Large and active numismatic collections are far and few between: in the United States, there are only a handful of actively managed ones, with most being housed in a university. Yale University’s Numismatic Collection is preeminent and is unquestionably the largest University collection in the country. Although there are many numismatists and specialists of the ancient world who study coins, numismatic curators who work in the United States are much fewer in number.
This presentation will explore the history of the Yale Numismatic Collection, including coins from the Dura-Europos excavations, as well as the historic and present curation of the collection, including the management of physical storage, coin identification, publications, acquisitions and donations, exhibitions, and teaching. A behind-the-scenes overview of the first and only permanent numismatics gallery at an American university, which opened in May 2022, will also be presented.
Metcalf lecture