International Numismatic News Letter 12 (Spring 2012)

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Contents

International Numismatic

International Numismatic Council (INC) Conseil International de Numismatique (CIN)

The President’s Note 1 Reports from institutions 1 Announcements 2 Colloquia and Meetings 3 Exhibitions 4 Websites 5 New books 7 Personalia 8 Obituaries 9 Survey of Numismatic Research 2008-2013. Contributors 11 INeN Contribute & Subscribe 16

I n t e r n a t i o n a l N u m i s m a t i c e - N e w s l e t t e r ( I N e N ) - N o 12 - F e b r u a r y 2 0 1 2 Electronic Newsletter of the INC/CIN - ISSN 1662-120

The President’s Note Dear INC members, dear colleagues and friends, First I want to wish you all a very happy and productive numismatic New Year! 2012 brings us closer to our XVth International Congress in Messina/Taormina and you will read the progress we have made in this issue. The Survey of Numismatic Research 2008-2013 is one of our major tasks and services to the discipline: Maria Caltabiano and I have selected the sections editors and planned the structure and timeline D r . C armen A rnold -B iucchi for production and publication, as you read in the previous INeN. They have now in turn worked on finding contributors for the different areas, among the best specialists in the field and you will find here an almost complete list. There have been many activities, exhibitions, publications that show that numismatics remains a broad topic of scholarly activity at all levels. It is our job, all together, to continue to foster interest and collaboration. As usual I also have some sad news: the passing of some of our colleagues to whom we wish to pay tribute. The most alarming news are the effects of the economic crisis, in particular the financial problems within the EU, on many of our member institutions. There have been lay-offs and forced early retirements at the Numismatic Museum in Athens for instance. The most drastic cuts are taking place as I write at the Geldmuseum in Utrecht, where practically the entire staff seems to be on the way out. We want to express our deep concern and our support for our colleagues. We are shocked that numismatics and an institution like the Geldmuseum can be considered “dispensable.” It seems shortsighted: the cultural consequences of suppressing “small fields” can be disastrous for our society. To quote the late Elvira Clain-Stefanelli1 numismatics is: “a historical investigation that traces cultural evolution through one of 1

the basic aspects of everyday human life: money.” Money museums can do so much for our youth! As the motto of the ANS proclaims: “Parva ne pereunt,” let not the small things perish, for it would undermine our future. My words of sympathy won’t do much for those losing their jobs. Let me know what action we can take: the INC will offer whatever support it can.

Reports from Institutions Severe Cutbacks at the Geldmuseum Utrecht Since the merger of the Royal Coin Cabinet, the Dutch Mint Museum and the numismatic collection of the Dutch Central Bank in 2004, the new Geldmuseum has struggled with serious budgetary problems. Soon after the opening of the museum in 2007, the attitudes of the Founding Fathers, the Dutch Ministry of Culture, the Dutch Ministry of Finance and the Dutch Central Bank, appeared not to be as required for a healthy future. Especially the rental fee for the building is excessively high. This resulted in 2008 in the lay-off of 6 employees of the Department of Collections and Research. The Ministry of Finance was so kind to come to the rescue, and promised to pay € 750,000.- extra for 3 years, on the condition that the museum would be self-supporting in 2011. In 2009, the new director, Heleen Buijs, was confronted with this problem. She has not been able to find new sources of income. In the Fall of 2011, the Ministry of Finance decided not to continue the extra money. There was no other option than to reorganize the staff. Since the opening, it was obvious that the focus of the museum was no longer on numismatics, but on financial education. This already resulted in a permanent exhibition without collection, and in the end we can conclude that this change of direction made it easier to decide to cut off the research department. The director has chosen to keep the public side of the museum intact and sacrifice the scientific side, the Department of Collections and Research.

Numismatics: an ancient science (Washington, 1965), p. 2

International Numismatic e-Newsletter — No 12 — February 2012 - p.1


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