Among tlie prominent mnuismatists in Poland 

 should bo mentioned the great medie\ alist Joacliim 

 Lelewel ( 1 780-1 S(.l ),'-' who left his homeland alter 

 the 1S3I ReN'ohition and chose first France and then 

 Bclsium as places of asylnm. iXfost signiheant of his 

 works is .\iiini\iniiliquc dii /)iiiri'ii-iii;r (1S33). His eon- 

 temporary Edward H. Racz\nski (1787-1845), with 



a puhlie.itiijn on Polish historical medals, /., iin'iliiiilrr 

 ill- /'iiliintic (18 iS), as it .ippeared under its IVeiu li litk-. 

 and later (:(jimt lancric Ilutten-Cl/apski (182') 1N')6), 

 \\ilii his lar^e (:,i/i:l,i<;Nr de la ciillrtlinii fl,^ niiiluilln ft 

 miiiiinin's piil(iii,ii\,s (1,S7I I'Md), helped to eslahlish 

 Poland's prestige in raimisinatics. 



MODERN TRENDS AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS 



Since numismatics from the lieginning of the I'Uh 

 centm y presents such a complex picture, it has seemed 

 more advantageous to \'iew the science in three dislinet 

 and consecutive periods: the lailr iighlirn-hutulrols (pp. 

 34-37), a relatiN'cly dormant s|)an, still stronulv tied 

 to its preceding century, hut with a slow, sleadx- 

 awakenini;: the iiuihinhnv (|)p. 37—41), charac- 

 terized by a conscious drive toward higher standards, 

 a preparatory inter\-al for subsecjuent accomplish- 

 ments; and finally, the mndirn mi. which h.is seen the 

 most acUanced work in the histor\' ol numismatics. 

 In this last period, the science has lollowed an un- 

 broken line of CMilution, extendini; Irom the Im.d 

 quarter of the I'lth century to the present chiy. 



While an approach aloni; geot;ra]5hical lines within 

 each historical period has been useful uiuil now in ihe 

 present study — permitting a clearer pielnre of numis- 

 matic e\'olution within each cotnitry —the complexitx' 

 (if modern research makes it necessary, from this point 

 on, to jiroceed on the liasis of specialized fields 

 in the science. Increased international cont.n ts. 

 facilitated through modern ways of life —which kiter 

 on, in the 2()th century, developed into genuine inter- 

 national cooperation through congresses, meetings. 

 and exhifiitions — opened a new era in numism.itics. 

 -Mthough national barriers have ne\'er impeded col- 

 lectors from exchanging specimens heretolore. schol.iis 

 still were tied strongly to local or national traditions. 

 This pattern changed toward tin- end oi the P'tli cen- 

 tury, and ver\ often new trends or methods which had 

 been developed in one country found iinmcdialc 

 response in related circles abro.id. 



Simultaneoush-. the attitude of scholars toward 

 numismatics took a drastic turn, flic lime ol the 

 "Mimzbclustigungen," a leisureK' game with old and 

 puzzling objects, was gone. Cione also was the spirit 

 of Humbold. the miisersal genius who ,ipi)roached 



all Ill-Ids lor the enjo\ni( iit ol a eonliimons accumu- 

 lation of knowled'_;e. .Xuiiiism.itie^ h.id re.iehed the 

 point wherein the hulk of colleeti-d d.it.i. spotl\- as it 

 m.i\ h.i\"e b<'cn. needed to be mili/i-d fir wider con- 

 structive scholarship. I'he deepK penelratinu mind 

 ol the specialist who is thoron'_;lil\ lamiliar with 

 .is])ecls of specific histoi ie.d periods ,md who cm 

 eom|irehend the lunelion of coins within a nuilti- 

 plicits of phenomena had to re|)l,iee the wcll-xcrsed 

 lint olteii sii|)i-rhel.tl am.iteur. " 1 o br .i Ltre.a gcn- 

 er.il nuinismatist is beyond the powi-rs of one man," 

 w.is st.ued as e.irlv as 1883 iiy Stanlev l..iiie-1'oole: '-'- 

 yet this British scholar belie\ed that hi-i'_;ener,uion h.id 

 producetl nuinism.nists who could diLtniK the "science 

 as iieimiiKj longer ser\ile but masterK ." .\umism.it- 

 ics -no longer a mere auxiliar\' to .nx heolo'_;\ .md 

 liistor\' was a science in its own ri^ht .md, .is siu h. 

 h.id to be deliiied .is to scope and method. 



.\nother ehar.ieteristic ol numisiii.itie resiMreh, 

 which li.is emerged in the kist 3(1 ye.ns, is die inereas- 

 iii'.^ numlier of spei i.il stibjet ts th.it .ire beiii'.; embraced 

 b\ the const. mth exp. Hiding r.tn'_;e of numism.itics. 

 .\ew ,ip|)roaches such as the stiidv of teclmic.il and 

 esthetic aspects of coins, the laboratory methods of 

 metalhir^ic.il research .ipplied to coins, the studs ol 

 l.iNilu Mtioiis. the iiiere.isiiiL; emph.isis on |)hotoL;raphy 

 .IS .1 m.ijor instrument in numism.ilie studies .md as 

 an edue.ition.il l.iclor in |jopiil,iri/in'4 coins, the 

 1 ciiiloreenienl ol more lr.iditioii.il siibjecis like 

 metrology and epiL;r,ipliy .ire lindiiiL; wider ami 

 deeper a pplic.ttion. flic icl.ited siiidies of priiniti\'e 

 iiiedi.i of exelian'-;e ,iiid espeei.illy the theory ol the 

 origin of n tones . .i pet snbjeet with ( lerin.m eeonon lists 

 .111(1 immisma lists (hiring the p. 1st ceiitiirv . .ire produc- 

 ing new .md origin. il interpret. ilioiis. i'.iper ( iirren- 

 ciis ,ind \-.irious other (.locuments ol \alue li.iST 

 entered the f leiis i il modern rese.ireh. 



'-'I H.msk;. -I. I,clc\\c-rs Iinpiiil.mc '■ in 1',iiiii|ic.im Numisin.il- 

 ii-s" (r)61 ). 



i;-' Ci(«> .nil/ Miiliil^. |). 2. 



P.'\PER 32: NUMISM.VnCS — .AN /XNCIENr SClENfiK 



41 



