15 DECEMBER 2009
New Gallery at the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford: "Money: the value of the past"
The Ashmolean Museum reopened to the public on the 7th November 2009 after a £61M redevelopment, which includes 38 new galleries, conceptualised and designed to a display strategy ‘Crossing Cultures Crossing Time’. It was officially opened by HM the Queen on 2nd December. The numismatic collections of the Heberden Coin Room of the museum are chiefly displayed in the new ‘Money’ gallery and also in twenty-five other galleries, where they compliment other objects from the wider Ashmolean collection. Additionally, coins feature prominently in graphic elements that support displays in the entire museum.
The ‘Money’ gallery is composed of object displays and hands-on interactive components, supported by extensive graphic elements. Structurally, the gallery is divided into three main areas viz. the North and South Walls and a central aisle of free-standing cases. There is space for temporary exhibitions on the West wall.
The North and the South walls, which are long, carry two broad themes – the North wall showcases World cultures through the coinages they produced and also doubles to reflect the curatorial areas represented in the Heberden Coin Room. These displays are augmented by graphic elements such as enlarged pictures of coins and images of prints, architecture, icons and sculpture.
The South wall provides an overview of ‘Money’ through thematic displays which emphasise physical, cultural and historical aspects of Money, articulated through a selection of objects and graphic panels.
The central aisle has three important focuses – displays created for Key Stage II learning objectives, concentrating on the Greeks, the Romans in Britain, the Anglo-Saxons, the Tudors and the Victorians. The Victorians are shown through a selection of medals, rather than coins, thus bringing a significant part of the Coin Room’s non-monetary collection into the Gallery’s ambit. There are three cases, which contain ‘vista objects’, significant in their regional as well as collective historical importance, accentuated by large graphics that act as a ‘visual magnet’ for visitors. These are the Oxford Crown of Charles I, the Crondall hoard of the earliest Anglo-Saxon gold coins and the Chalgrove hoard, in which was found the second known specimen of a radiate of Domitianus, the Gallic usurper. This last case is surrounded by other displays of ‘local money’, including the Didcot hoard of Roman aurei. It also includes a section dedicated to the Portable Antiquities Scheme.
The interactive elements offer educational and cultural information through tactile and visual activities such as ‘Design Your Own Coin’ and ‘Magnify Me’. There is also an enlarged model of the Oxford Crown and an electronic map that takes the viewer through Time and Space using coin-like counters.
The gallery also has graphic panels which supplement the temporary exhibition, the ‘Money’ wall and the entrance to the gallery. At the entrance, a board titled ‘What’s it Worth?’ gives an indication of prices through ages using objects on display and also doubles as a chronological guide to the gallery.
12 NOVEMBER 2009
New publication
A new book by N. Klüssendorf, Marburg (Germany), deals with numismatics and monetary history within the “concerto” of auxiliary sciences of history (e.g. palaeography, heraldics, genealogy). This book argues that more work between institutions, like museums, libraries, research institutes, universities, academies, and learned societies, is needed. Though highly specialized, all disciplines dealing with money share an important function in contributing to general history. NIKLOT KLÜSSENDORF, Münzkunde: Basiswissen (Hahnsche Historische Hilfswissenschaften, vol. 5), Hannover: Hahnsche Buchhandlung (2009), 128 pp., 39 figs., Pb. € 14,80.
3 AUGUST 2009
INLN International Numismatic Libraries’ Network
The foundation for co-operation and exchange of information and knowledge
Ans ter Woerds, librarian at the Geldmuseum (Money Museum) in Utrecht, the Netherlands, has sent a survey to all ICOMON members and the members of the German numismatic libraries’ network last March, in order to get information on the numismatic library situation.
Feedback shows that 26 libraries want to become member of the International Numismatic Libraries’ Network (INLN). Aims of the network are to co-operate, exchange information and knowledge, and work in projects together.
The official founding meeting of INLN will be held at the XIVth International Numismatic Congress in Glasgow, on Wednesday September 2, from 11.00-13.00 in the Hunterian Art Gallery Lecture Theatre. Results of the survey will be presented, different participants will give a presentation on their library services, the INLN will be officially established and there will be discussions about the goals and how to realize them.
All congress delegates are welcome to attend the meeting.
There will be another meeting on Thursday September 3rd, from 16.00-17.30 in Wolfson B, with general results of the survey, the outcome of the meeting of September 2nd, including discussions with delegates on how INLN can be of use to them.
For more information, please contact Ans ter Woerds, Geldmuseum, Utrecht (a.ter.woerds@geldmuseum.nl) and Elizabeth Hahn, ANS American Numismatic Society, New York (hahn@numismatics.org).
We hope to see you in Glasgow during our meetings!
8 JUNE 2009
There is exciting news from Washington, as June sees the opening of a new permanent exhivition at the Smithsonian Institution. For the first time in five years, Numismatics will once again have a permanent exhibit site at the National Museum of American History, home of the NNC – National Numismatic Collection.
Under discussion since 2005, the new display is called “Stories on Money”, and it is unlike any previous numismatic exhibit seen at the museum. It presents several insightful views into what money is – what it means, how it has looked in the past and present (and may well look in the future), and the various forms it has taken across the centuries and across the globe.
For more information: Smithsonian NMAH press release