As has been frequently discussed on this site, there is a fear that coin hoards will disappear into a museum’s storage room, never to been seen again. Historian and TV host Tony Snow is working to preserve coin hoards and allow proper presentation: “Mr Snow previously helped the museum to raise the money to buy a collection of 1,608 Roman coins found in a field in Boldre in 2014. (See picture above). A recent hoard of Celtic coins is now up for auction: “The unique, 2,000-year-old cache of 269 Celtic coins contains some that are thought to have never been seen before by historians” “ TV historian Dan Snow has now joined the challenge of helping to raise £7,500 towards the cost of securing the treasure trove from the metal detectorists who discovered it and the owner of the land where it was found.“ https://www.advertiserandtimes.co.u...old-celtic-coins-found-buried-in-new-9227496/ Article on a Roman hoard acquired by the museum a few years back: https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-hampshire-37708385.amp It’s good to see that some historians appreciate the historical context and significance of local coin hoards.
I disagree. The photo shows five coins displayed and the rest heaped in a way that no one can tell if they are real or replicas. My wife went to the British Museum and came home with photos of 'exhibits' of heaped up gold coins. Years ago before the Smithsonian tore down their extensive display of Ancients, there was a very nice aureus of Septimius Severus glued to a board so you could see the obverse. When our club got a behind the scenes tour, I asked what the reverse was. No one who worked there had any way of finding out. The exhibit had been there for years before any of them were there. In my opinion, responsible museum work is the publication of photos of the collection online as is being done by the BM and BnF. Heaps of coins and coins glued into position is grandstanding. People not interested in coins don't care and people who care about coins don't need to see piles. If the coins in question were previously unknown, I would have expected them to be taken by the government when they were reviewed rather than trying afterward to buy them from the finders. Spending money to buy yet another pile of coins to display in yet another local museum does not seem necessary.
I like your ideas, Doug. It seems like, if a museum has coins, then the coins should be displayed, so that the general public can see the coins. Otherwise, the coins are being wasted. They could set up a display, which allows each coin to be rotated, so that the public can view the obverse and reverse. And the coins should be near the glass, so that people can see the coins, up close. And the coins should be viewable on the museum's web site, with high resolution photos. Let the museums use cast copies, made of lightweight aluminum or plastic, painted gold or silver or bronze if necessary, and dirt or fake patina sprayed on them if necessary, with the word "COPY" stamped on both sides of each fake coin, for their piles of coins.
There are some who wanted the coins to be “stored” at the British museum. If that were the case, they certainly would never have been seen by the public. Quote from the second article about a previous hoard in the area that was finally put on display at the local museum St Barbe. “The hoard has officially been defined as "treasure" by the British Museum and Coroner. Some of the coins have been released to St Barbe Museum and Art Gallery for its appeal, with the others are being stored in a "secure location", a spokeswoman said.” At least now the coins will be displayed at a smaller local museum. There is at least some hope that the presentation will improve with time. The local museum will at least take pride in the coins and appreciate the historical significance. They will display the coins with both pride and care. Quote from first article: “It is considered to be so important that Lymington’s St Barbe Museum has launched a fundraising appeal – dubbed the Celtic Countdown – to ensure it stays close to where it was discovered and available for local people to study.“ If the coins had stayed at the British Museum:
Significant hoards rarely end up in museums these days. Most museums lack the funds to compete with private collectors. Even well-heeled institutions must be selective at 21st century prices. In the UK, if a hoard is declared 'treasure' the Crown is required to either reward the finder and landowner with realistic market value or return the find. Seldom does the Crown choose to pay. Instead, the hoard is returned and off it goes to the auction house. In countries with more draconian laws, finds typically bypass any formality and go directly onto the black market. Personally, I consider it a victory when one of these small museums is able to mount a successful fundraising campaign and bring a hoard with local interest 'home'. By the way, "stored" simply means that the BM is holding (and studying) the find while the treasure process runs its course. If the local museum can't raise the funds to buy the hoard within a certain time frame, it will be returned to the finder and landowner to do with as they please.
Glued? Good God. I wonder what ended up happening to that coin. I read somewhere that there are well over 10 million uncatalogued ancient coins in the basements of museums in Italy.
