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Description: | The Department of Coins and Medals was established in 1856, following a large donation of Greek and Roman coins from the University. The Ancient Greek coin collection now contains approximately 35,000 items, primarily coming from three major private bequests to supplement the original holdings.
The McClean collection of over 10,000 Greek coins was formed by Frank and John McClean (father and son). This collection was assembled at a time when important prior collections such as those of Carfrae, Ashburnham, Montague and Bunbury were being dispersed and while prices were still relatively low, meaning that a fine general collection was created, including long series of similar issues for comparative study. 3,000 of the McClean coins form an almost definitive group of coins from Sicily and Italy. Although the importance of the McClean collection is its breadth it still contains highlights such as the tetradrachms of Segesta with a nymphÃ's head and of Messana in alliance with Lori or by Kimmon. It also contains a variety of the Ãscare and interestingÃ' tetradrachms created by Samian exiles on their flight from Darius.
The RevÃ'd Samuel Savage Lewis (1836-1891) gave his collection of around 2,000 Ancient Greek and Classical coins to Corpus Christi college (University of Cambridge) who have loaned it to the Fitzwilliam Museum Department of Coins and Medals to form a part of the comprehensive study collection curated there. Remarkable for scope, breadth and also quality and individual interest, many of the pieces selected relate to one of the more neglected areas of numismatics Ã- ÃGreek ImperialÃ' (Roman provincial) coinage. The coins from this group are especially important as they illustrate a variety of coin types and cities in the Graeco-Roman world Ã- highlights of the collection include a rare shekel from the time of the first Jewish revolt, a coin depicting Hector fighting Ajax over Teucer at Illium, one with Pythagoras at Samos and a coin portrait of Agrippa I of Judea at Caesarea Panias.
The Barker coin collections in the Fitzwilliam Museum include more than 900 items although approximately 100 of these are not Greek and are mostly Indian (Kushan) or Indo-Scythian. | Format: | physical | Subjects: | Roman period Antiquities Numismatics Archaeology Greek (classical) Coins | Source: | Cornucopia - Discovering UK Collections | FAX: | 01223 332 923 | Telephone: | 01223 332 900 | Identifier: | oai:www.cornucopia.org.uk:8389 | Format: | physical | Go to resource |
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