Fig. 23. — The Austrian Abbot Joseph I lilaiins 

 Ecklicl (1737-1798), father III aneieni nuiiii--- 

 maiics (plioto courtesy Kunsthisiorisehes 

 Museum. \ ienna). 



pacitN fur synthesis which \isunhzccl the s;cneial imt- 

 Hncs of ancient coinaije in its ninijnitncle, a metiiudical 

 mind w hich estabhshed the basic principles on which 

 to build a tlawless scientific arrangement— these are 

 Eckhel's outstanding characteristics. With him began 

 a new era in the study of ancient numismatics: rigid 

 scientific methods entered the field of research, 

 supplanting the casual approach of ihe amateur with 

 his haphazard search for answers. 



"Prolegomena generalia," tlie first 24 cliaplers of 

 volume one in his Dnitriiiu inmiininuiii, can lie C(jn- 

 sidered a basic introduction to niuuismalics. I'or tlu- 

 first time in its histor\- the basic elements of ancient 

 Greek and Roman numismatics metals, jxmderal 

 systems, organization of mints, significance ol coin- 

 types, coins in their relation to the his|oi\ ol art 

 are amph' discussed. In dealing witii aiu ieiil (hcek 

 numismatics (in the first four \-olnmes ol his work), 

 Eckhel adopted a geographical arrangement instead (j1 

 tlie alphabetical grouping generalK in use tip to his 



time. 1 his s\s|rm, |)re\iousl\ adsdcaleil b\ ilu- 

 I'reneh collector and scholar Joseph Pelh-riii '" but 

 ne\cr worked out in (jei.iil, remains the fouiularioii of 

 Cireek numisiiialii s to ilir pnsiTit d,i\. Modern 

 schi.ilars also follow I.ckliil in otln'i' nspects: maiu' 

 ol his findings or altribiilions ha\c never li<-en ques- 

 tioned. In the field of Rom, in niimisnialii s, to which 

 he de\xitecl the last four vdIuhh-s ol his Diuiinin iiiini- 

 iiionim, Eckhel systematizi'd an immense treasure 

 house of information, setting up a scientific, chrono- 

 logical sef|uence of coin issues in a basic arrangement 

 which has not essentially altered during a hundred and 

 fifty years of numismatic work. 



Although his fame cannot comp.Tre with Eckliel's, 

 Joseph \'on Mader ^'' (17.S4-181.Sj, professor at the 

 University of Prague, must lie considered eciuallv a 

 pioneer in his own lield. lie succeeded in |3utting 

 onto a scieittilic basis medie\al numismatics, which 

 until then had not progressed beyond the preparatory 

 phase of random listings, i lis "essays" on liracieates, 

 ] tr sue h iilicr die Brnhtc^iliii (17''''), ^irrilir I'nsiuh uhrr 

 die Braklcalen (bSd')), and especialK his six-volume 

 Kiiliuhe Beiliaae zur Miiirjjiiide ,le\ M illehilln<. (1803- 

 1813) changed the basic approaih to this held of 

 stud\ . 



FAMOUS COLLECTIOXS OF THE CEXTURY 



.■\t this point a lnief survey of the major cafiinets in 

 Etn'ope during the 18th century will disclose not only 

 information about the growth of important museum 

 collections but also facts about numismatics as a 

 favorite pastime of the intellecttial elite. 



It is onlv natural that Italy, the iierpetual source of 

 antiquities, should account lor some ol llie oulslanding 

 collections of coins. Here, as in other le.iding 

 countries of Europe, countless person, iges ol renown 

 in the social pages or in the world ol lellers and science, 

 collected, exhibited, studied, and tliscussed coins. 

 A deeplv felt love for art and art objeels and a genuine 

 understandinL; for hislorieal .ind s( ienlilie prolilems 

 inspired Italian collectors. The dukes of Tuseaiiy '"' 

 and the princely families, the ('hiyi, the (^oioiuia, the 

 liarberini, the Pamphili, .ill h.id iheii .in lie.isures. 

 Names such as Prince Eivio ( )desealelii, C.irdinal 

 Massiiui. Cardinal .Mbani, Prince Borghese. i'rinee 



I'APER 



NUMISM.A.TICS AN ANCII'.NI SCIl'.NCK 



"liAHIHlN, /).»/-'. vol. l.lllis. I'd 177. 



■■' Hi KCM.VN.N, "I'llcui- (I. 1 .Xilinisnuilik ilir)sliri<-i( h" (IS61). 

 p. 33. 



'"'(iiiRI, Anlir/tM inimisniilhl . . . in ni;iii l/irullim .\l,l!;ill l>:iil\ 

 F.liunue (iilsi-iniilllir (1"-Ill). 



29 



