Numismatic Museum of Athens
The Numismatic Museum (Greek Νομισματικό Μουσείο ) in Athens where the production and distribution of coins as well as the payment being in Greek antiquity. On 2nd floor medieval European coins are issued. A new section is dedicated to the monetary union. The museum is now housed in the former residence of Heinrich Schliemann, the Iliou Melathron, which was designed by Ernst Ziller.
History
Shortly after the independence of Greece in the 19th century first coin collections were compiled in Aegina by the state. The collection has been expanded continuously by archaeological excavations, purchases and donations. The foundation of the museum dates back to 1834, at that time, the National Archaeological Museum was established.
Over the years the museum has various regulations and laws to an independent institute. Initially, the collection was part of the National Library of Greece, where it was first presented. 1946, the collection was integrated into the National Archaeological Museum. The museum was the first time in 1893 and then again in 1965 declared an independent institution. Since December 1998, the exhibition at the current place is.
Directors
Directors of the museum in chronological order:
- Andreas Moustoxydis (1829-1832)
- Christian Giede (1834-1836)
- Loudovikos Ros (1836-1837)
- Kyriakos Pittakis (1837-1842)
- Georgios Gennadius (1842-1843)
- Georgios Kozakis (1843-1856)
- Achilleas Postolakas (1856-1888)
- Ioannis N. Svoronos (1890-1922)
- Georgios Oikonomos (1923-1928)
- Konstantinos Konstandopoulos (1928-1940)
- Ioannis Miliadis (1940 )
- Irini Varoucha - Christodoulopoulou (1940-1963)
- Mando Oeconomides ( Μάντω Καραμεσίνη - Οικονομίδου ) ( 1964-1994 )
- Ioannis Touratsoglou (1994-2002)
- Despina Evgenidou (since 2002)
Equipment
The museum's collection includes over 600,000 individual pieces, mainly coins as well as medals, standard weights, stamping dies, trademarks and other pieces from the 14th century BC to the present day. The collection was arranged within the history of coinage in chronological order. The museum holds a very important collection of coins from the 6th century BC to the end of antiquity prepared from the period of Greek poleis up to the Hellenistic and Roman period, besides also the Medieval and Byzantine main collection of Western and Eastern Europe and the Ottoman Empire, as well as from all over the world.
Much of the collection is made up of coins that were discovered in hoards, while the rest comes from the original collection of Aegina or comes from recent excavations on the mainland of Greece and donations.
The collection of Heinrich Schliemann located in Room II, this department appreciates his life, presents its numismatic collection and the work of Ernst Ziller, the architect of the building. The collection of Schliemann, who was the museum by his wife Sophia Schliemann (Greek Σοφία Σλήμαν ) donated mainly consists of 166 coins from Troy.
In addition to the collection are in the house a library for coinage (12,500 books), an archive, and a private elaborately equipped laboratory for classification and conservation of historic coins.
A small selection from the collection
Alexandrian coins from the time of Ptolemy III. Euergetes - Collection of J. Demetriou
Solidus of Byzantine Emperor Heraclius, the Early Middle Ages
Chinese Coin, 1st half of 19th century
1200 Brazilian Réis, 1840
Cup with inlaid Prussian medals, 1866
Location and Visitor Information
The Numismatic Museum is located in the Panepistimiou ( Universitätsstr. ) 12 near the Syntagma Square, there is also the metro station Syntagma. There is a museum shop and a cafe in the garden.