Fig. 24- — "C^\eini;t Lchis X\"' at the CLibimi dcs Medaillcs in Paris (phuto courlcsy 



Biljliiilli<''(|uc Xaliuiialr). 



to the prestige of Austrian luiniisniatics. Aimtlier 

 collection of repute, during tlie rei'gn of Ciharles \'I, 

 was the C(jin caljinet of Apostolo Zeno of \"enice, 

 historian to the Emperor. Tiiis famous collection nl 

 ancient Greek and Roman cnins |jassed in 1747 to tiie 

 monastery of St. llorian in L pper .\ustria, where ii 

 remained for over two hundred \cars until it w.is solil 

 at auction in \ ieiuia after Wiirld \\ ,\v II. f)urini; 

 the Na])oleonic era. the .\uslri.ni ( h.mcellcjr Metter- 

 nich liuilt a comprehensixe collec lion ol coins and 

 medals in his Konigsherg Gastle. 



In France, Louis XV continued only half heartedly 

 the interest which the Sun King had shown for coins. 

 .After 172(1 the ro\'al caljinet'"' was transferred from 



Versailles to Paris and set uji in a lavish arrangemeiu 

 in the librar\ of the king in the ancient palace ol the 

 Marc|uise de Lanilierl, where it can he seen in its 

 original setting to this d.i\ digs. 24, 25). 



'I'he little |)rincii).ilit\ ol S.rxe-( njlh.i couUl claim an 

 important colleclion \\ hii li li.id lieen .isseniMed l)\ 

 its princes (fig. 2()). I'lcdcriik II (Id'M I7.i2) pro- 

 cl.iini<-d thai he cic.Hed ihis ( .iliincl '"lor llir repiu.i- 

 licju of ( )nr I'rineiK llipu^i-, .md Inr ihe good ol the 

 piililir." ''' 



Among the inslructions i;iven in 1744 I )y his suc- 

 cessor I'lcderick III to Pi of. Si lil.ii-uer, curator of the 

 collection, the following seems |)erfeclK' to deline 

 cnralorial duticrs: "I'he curatoi' is su|)i)osed to show 



9«J. Bahi i.oN, Lrs hew,, ,!„ Cahw.i </r > ,nil„i„.'. (l')27); s.-r .ilsu « Pick, "Die Miinzkahincttc" (l')20); «■<• ;its,, ih,- (o.,l<Mii- 



Calnml ilrs „i,y/,ull,-s . . . ouidr dii nul.iu (r)24; l')2')). poraiy catalog of I.MHI., (hdha iimnmi,: (r.^n). 



PAPER 32: NUMLSM.-XTICS AN ANCIENT SCIENCE 



31 



