Would you ever lend an expensive coin to a museum?

^The best reason not to in this thread.

And also, no, I enjoy looking at all of them at my own leisure whenever I want. Photos just don't cut it.

 

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I would.

Edit: maybe not if coins suddenly become considered as looted antiquities.

 

If I was asked it would be an honor but in reality my answer would be NO!

 

Yes without issue.

Additional provenance for the collection.

 

Yeah, great point. I was all in with a YES until I read your thread. I do have some items that could be of special interest to certain museums, (my "true cross" tokens for example), but after digesting your post might be more leery. Actually, my 4 "true cross" tokens are one of the few things I have considered leaving to a church or museum instead of selling back to the hobby if I believed they would be appreciated and used educationally.

 

Yes, with an added condition "Hands off and secured under locked viewing case."

 

I guess it depends on where you live. I would imagine if I were living in London Paris, Berlin or any other major center with large numismatic holdings there would be little or no need for me to do so. I have in the past lent out coins to museums here in Edmonton as well as in Calgary and in Saskatoon in Saskatchewan. I have never had any problems. The only issue that I did have was that one of the displays lasted for something like three years. That was a bit long. I know that one of the displays actually travelled and it might have made it to Sweden. Not all of the coins that were in the display were expensive. In fact two of the displays were on Christianity and thus consisted mostly of Late Roman bronzes. One display which looked at portraiture in the ancient world featured this coin.
Tetradrachm of Ptolemy I 300-283 BC Obv. Head right diademed aegis tied around neck. Rv Eagle standing left on thunderbolt wings folded CPE 132 14.01 grms 27 mm Photo by W. Hansen

 

That's a cool coin. I did not know there was a gold 1 of these coins. Thanks for showing it.

 

Most things can be safely loaned. The museum probably has more security than you. The museum is probably insured. The coin might increase in perceived provenance value, having been displayed in a museum.

Sometimes you have something that is incredibly rare, and cannot be replaced. This coin https://news.artnet.com/art-world/berlin-coin-theft-1783515 had a mintage of six. It was stolen by some kids with a skateboard and a wheelbarrow!

 

If I had coins worthy I would be honored to loan them, with the conditions you state.

 

I would be willing to lend coins to an institution like the ANA's Money Museum, because I trust their views on cultural property and I trust their ability to handle ancient coins. The ANA not only has existing holdings of ancient coins but they consistently speak out against MOUs and in my opinion are the perfect example of a pro-collector numismatic institution. Visitors to the ANA museum also actually appreciate coins, which would make me feel better about not having them for some period of time. I would not be willing to lend anything ancient to any institution that doesn't already have a collection of some number of ancient objects or whose views on cultural property could be compromised in any way.

That said, I would want to be absolutely sure that my ducks are in a row regarding provenance for anything I was lending. Most museums today don't want anything that doesn't have a pre-1970 provenance anyways, so they're unlikely to let you lend them something that has any realistic possibility of being seized but even if they were willing to, it would be a good idea to make sure that at a minimum you can prove the object isn't fresh. Obviously no one in the US is going around trying to seize all unprovenanced coins, but there have been enough sporadic ancient coin seizures by customs over the past few years that obviously there are at least a handful of people willing to investigate these things and putting a coin in a museum on display is a wonderful way to make it rise to the attention of people who otherwise would have ignored it. There was actually a ceremony recently where customs officials came together with the Greek ambassador to celebrate the repatriation of a single worn stater of Aegina which goes to show that they're not just interested in stuff on the level of the Euphronios Krater.

 

I often dream of donating many of my decent coins and antiquities to local universities concerned with Archaeology.

 

In Canada we don't have any of those silly MOUs so risk of confiscation is super low. I have lent coins to several special exhibitions at western Canadian universities. All very professional, insured, well protected etc. It was an honour!

For one of them I got to design the displays. Here's an example. Too wordy, but I liked my posters anyway. They were right up against the glass (behind, of course!), and visitors had access to magnifiers so they could see the coins well.

You're thinking of the big museums with extensive collections. University museums and smaller local museums can certainly use what the average collector has, especially in North America (for ancients). Some of them are actively looking for interesting displays. Why not approach them with a proposal?

 

If I were fortunate (and affluent/rich) enough to have coins that such a museum would want and consider for exhibit, then yes, I would, because I would be able to buy an entire and equal or better collection at anytime, insurance or not, in the event of theft, damage, etc...or separation anxiety ...!

 

First hand knowledge, NO,NO. My great gf civil war sword was donated to a Museum in Boseman Montana…..Hasn’t been seen since. They say not in their records.

 

If a museum ever asked, whether I would accept would be on a case-by-case basis. Conjecturing here is a bit of a waste of time.

My suspicion, is even if I did have an extraordinary collection, few museums would even think of asking. From what I've seen, the vast majority of people aren't that interested in old coins. That's why it's actually affordable for us to buy them.

I'd be interested in the following experiment. With random non-ancient-collectors, ask them which of the following coins is more interesting.

1) An owl tet
2) Another tet, denarius, or drachma worth at least $100k

The random person is told where the coin is from and its ancient denomination, but is given no clue about the value.

I guarantee the most people will choose the owl. Museums know this, which is why coin rooms are becoming scarcer and smaller museums are liquidating their coins.

 

I have a coin in my collection that was previously on loan to museum. This coin was part of a 182-coin exhibit at the Cincinnati Art Museum from 1994-2008. The intense, rainbow toning on the reverse can perhaps be attributed to the reverse being the “display” side during that 14-year museum run.



Rome, Moneyer Issues of the Imperatorial Period.
D. Junius Brutus Albinus, 48 BCE.
AR Denarius (3.94g; 20mm).
Rome Mint.

Obverse: Head of Pietas facing right, her hair tied-up in a knot, wearing necklace and cruciform earing; PIETAS behind.

Reverse: Two hands clasping caduceus; ALBINVS·BRVTI·F, below.

References: Crawford 450/2; HCRI 26; Sydenham 942; BMCRR 3964; Postumia 10.

Provenance: Ex Goldberg 80 (3 Jun 2014), Lot 3067; Jacob K. Stein Collection [Gemini V (6 Jan 2009) Lot 246]; displayed at Cincinnati Art Museum, 1994-2008, no. 138.

 

I have one as well from that same collection/display which also developed similar rainbow toning. I find it attractive but concerning that a museum would have such poor atmosphere control!

 

I would never lend a coin to a museum that would have a coin like mine in their collection.

All kidding aside, my grandfather had a specimen (not a coin) on display in the Smithsonian at one time. I know he wanted to loan it, but I believe he ended up donating it. It’s been a long time since I checked so I don’t know if it is still viewable. I would happily loan or donate anything from any of my collections for active research or to be put on display in a museum. Adding it to the stacks, on the other hand, will have to wait until I pass.

 

Sure, why not. I can't see why a museum would want any of my pieces though