pronch to nature and tlir chiltlish desire fur |>u/,/ling 

 wonders was replaced by a mature jileasure in e\c]uis- 

 ite art objects or interest in documents of the past. 



One of the famous "Wunderkamm<'rn'" of the Ifith 

 century was in the castle of Ambras near Innsbruck 

 (fio;. 6). Here Archduke Ferchnand {\?2'> 15''5), a 

 son of Emperor Ferdinand I, accunnilated an ex- 

 tensive collection of historic objects.''' Fhninij; its time 

 the fame of the Ambras museinn s|)read far anions; 

 contemporaries, and many scholars and Iravelint; 

 nobles considered it a worthwhile attraction. Among 

 other things, the Archduke had an excellent collection 

 of Greek and Roman coins, which apparently he 

 enjoyed and studied frequently since he hail con- 

 structed two elaborate coin cabinets w herein he could 

 store his treasures (hg. 7). ,\fter his tlealh llie coins, 

 with the rest of the collections, were sold by his son to 

 Emperor Rudol]5h II. In 1713, durinc; the rc-ign of 

 C'harles \'I, many of the coins were selected by 

 C. Mcraeus for the Vienna cabinet. 



Durinc; the late 14th century, France could claim 

 the most famous art collector and patron ol the age in 

 John the Duke of Berry ( 1 341)-! 41 (>), brother of King 

 Charles VI. The fame of his art treasinvs, which he 

 kept in the castle at Mehu^-sm■-^'e\■re, tr.ivelled far, 

 and even a half century later an Il.ili.m scliolar 

 oljserved that the Duke was well known as an art 

 lover and no sum of money was too hiyli lor him to 

 acquire an important work of art.''^ The inventory 

 of his collection, made bv Jules Chiillrev beiwcen 

 1401 and 1416, inchided, in adtiilion lo a notable 



collection ol Roman gold ,md siht-r coins. ti\i 

 gold med.dlions with various scenes on the \i 

 'I he Duke liad p\H( based these ])ieces foi a Lnu 

 in Italy witli the inlenliijn of illuslralinu llic I 

 ol Christianitx dm in'.; the Koman {'.mpire. 



laiue 

 ■\erse. 

 e sum 

 listorx' 



Fig. 7. — Coin C.\Fii\r r or AReuin ki. Ferdi- 

 nand <jf 1 \r(jl (phnid (()iirles\ Kurislhis- 

 tnrisches Miisciiiii, X'ieiiii.i). 



RENAISSANCE AND CINQUECENTO 



When the mysticism of the Middle Ages had faded collected and studied with increased intensity, in- 

 and more empirical thinking had set in, the past and tcrprcted and sometimes misinterpreted. Because the 

 its lunnnous world of the ancients came to life through outburst of this resplendent, vi-orons, and vnnililnl 



historical and philological re.seaich. Classic. il anlliors 

 were studied, interpreted, and imitated, .\n\lhing 

 that could bring quattrocento man nearer lo the 



coins often were regarded as a key lo the mysterioirs 

 world of the past. The pre-Renaissance and the 

 Renaissance itself were, therefore, a i;old<n a'.;e loi' 

 the de\'elopment of nmiiismatics - when coins wt-re 



■" Sc:nLnssKR, np. rit., pp. M> (>(r. Nmi:ki i.ici, M :iu'i„^i,,pln,i, 

 p. 21. 



■''< .ScMI.OSSI Ti. op. lit., p. 26. 



inlellectualil\' was not liniiled lo a selei I numb<-r ol 

 scholars but flowed in .1 l)ro,i(ler i nrrent whiih broke 

 through social barriers, tin- nmnber ol dexotees crew- 



ancient sources of knowledge was valued liighl)', and rapiilK . 



.Mlhough I'elrarch's bro.id onllook and seliol.nU 

 .ippro.ieh confeired upon mmli^m.lli^ s the dicinl\ oi 

 a re.il seien<c ,ind allliongh popul.n- preoccnp.ilion 

 wilh coins took ,i more eiudite Inrn, learned .ibsnidi- 

 lies were not r.nc. With ( iuK iibeic's in\c-nli(m, 

 Ixjoks containing pictures bee.ime popular, and. .is a 

 result, ieonogr.iphic studies of .ini ieul ruleis .and 

 liter.il piesenlations of anc iein m\llis were pnlilishetl 



PAPER 32: NUMIS.VIATICS AN ANCII.Nl SCIENCE 



