CCNB Newsletter No. 39 November 2006 The Newsletter of the Coordinating Committee for Numismatics in Britain The CCNB Newsletter is supported by the British Museum, CONTENTS the Royal Numismatic Society and the British Numismatic Society. The Newsletter appears triannually, and is received FOCUS ON ORIENTAL NUMISMATICS by those members of the RNS and BNS resident in the United The History of the Oriental Numismatic Society Kingdom, and by others with an interest in numismatics and The Michael Broome collection of Islamic coins related fields. The Muslim World on your Doorstep Contributions and information will be gratefully received. Sikh Heritage Items for the next issue should be sent to Richard Abdy or NEWS Richard Kelleher, Department of Coins and Medals, Roman Provincial Coinage Online British Museum, Great Russell Street, London WC1B 3DG, BANS Autumn Lecture Course tel: 020 7323 8255/8640 fax: 020 7323 8171, Subject Specialist Network for Numismatics e-mail: [email protected] or Double Florin on loan at the Fitzwilliam [email protected]. Anyone in the UK wishing to be added to the CCNB BNS NEWS Newsletter mailing list should send their name and address to EXHIBITIONS Richard Kelleher at the above address, or alternatively e-mail him at [email protected]. DIARY FOCUS ON ORIENTAL chosen, and by April 1970 the Society comprised 21 members with Michael at the helm. A newsletter was started, more of NUMISMATICS which below, and there were plans to start publishing information sheets and occasional papers on various Oriental THE ORIENTAL NUMISMATIC SOCIETY: series. It has to be borne in mind that, at that time, there was very little modern published material on Oriental coinages. A BRIEF HISTORY There were various museum catalogues, mostly written It was back in 1970 that the late Michael Broome wrote a decades earlier and a number of other works, mostly out of letter that was published in Seaby’s Coin & Medal Bulletin. print and hard to find - plus, of course, such general works as He wrote: Craig and Yeoman. During the early years, the membership grew as news of the Society spread. Everything was done on It seems possible that there is an increase of interest in the a voluntary basis (as it still is); the organisation was loose and coinages of the Near and Far East. The article by Rev. R J informal, and a system of Regional Secretaries was set up to Plant and Dr. M L Smith’s letter (in previous Bulletins) are look after members in various parts of the world. Right from encouraging signs, as is the impending reprint of W H the start, membership was not limited to those resident in the Valentine’s “Catalogue of Modern Copper Coins of the UK but was open to anyone anywhere in the world with a Muhammedan States”. genuine interest in Oriental coinage. A small subscription was As a beginner struggling in this field, I have been very charged to cover costs. conscious of my isolation from other students and from In the London area, meetings began to be held at the homes comprehensible books and it is possible that others share the of certain collectors. At these, coins would be shown and same problems. I wonder, therefore, if it would be worthwhile discussed and exchanges of duplicates or unwanted items setting up a list of students of the various Oriental series who made. It was not too long, however, before the number of would be willing and interested to correspond with each other people attending the meetings outgrew the ability of and with beginners wishing to learn. individual collectors to accommodate them, so the then UK A small group of people with a like interest could provide a Regional Secretary, the late Ken Wiggins, took to hiring a focus for such work as, for example, a listing of museums church hall in the Bayswater area for the meetings. By this whose collections contain Oriental coins or a note of the time, meetings had become more formalised with a small various sources where standard reference books can be number of talks being arranged each time. In due course, the obtained on loan. London meetings were transferred to the British Museum, While in no way qualified to the role, should no other first in the Department of Conservation then from 1985 in the volunteer appear, I would be prepared to act as temporary Department of Coins & Medals, with whom the Society has secretary to such a group if it would fulfil a need. I should be always had a cordial relationship. Ever since then, meetings interested in the opinions of those of your readers who have have taken place at this venue 3 or 4 times a year and the studied, or have wished to study this field. Society is very grateful to Joe Cribb, the present Keeper of Coins & Medals for allowing this arrangement to continue. Twelve people responded to this letter, nine of whom agreed Elsewhere in the UK, meetings have been held at the to join a loosely knit group and to state their interests. A short Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge, the Ashmolean Museum, while later the name “Oriental Numismatic Society” was Oxford and, once, at the Blackburn Museum. Such meetings 1 make it easier for members living in other parts of the country the issues were of four pages but could be as much as eight, to attend and get to know each other. with a good use of illustrations. From June 1985 the Elsewhere, a regular series of meetings has been taking editorship was in the hands of the present writer and Howard place in the Netherlands and Germany. The former, arranged Simmons. This arrangement lasted for just over a year, when by Jan Lingen, the Regional Secretary for Continental Howard had to bow out for pressure of other work. It is then Europe, have for some years taken place, in collaboration with that the present editor took over the job single-handed and has the Royal Coin Cabinet, at the Museum of Antiquities in the continued in that role ever since, for many years with the delightful university town of Leiden. From next year the production assistance of Paul and Bente Withers at Galata venue will be Utrecht, at the newly formed Money and Bank Print, and latterly, of Pardy & Son Printers of Ringwood. Museum. In Germany there have been an annual series of During that 20 year period, the newsletter developed meetings in Cologne, arranged by Nikolaus Ganske, for considerably, aided by the advances in computer technology. collectors of Indian coins, while in Tübingen and Jena, a It became a quarterly publication, one where articles could be series of meetings, under the aegis of Lutz Ilisch and Stefan published quickly. As a result it grew both in size and in Heidemann, was inaugurated several years ago for those stature, with issues of up to 48 pages. Whereas previously, interested in Islamic coinage, the meeting venue alternating lengthier articles had been published as occasional papers or each year. In the USA, there have been annual ONS information sheets, these could now be published as separate gatherings at the ANA convention in New York. Some years supplements to the newsletter. Because of the authoritative ago, a successful meeting also took place in India. From time nature of the growing number of articles, the newsletter to time, other meetings and symposia take place in became a publication of academic importance, so that recently collaboration with the Society. a decision was taken to change its name to the Journal of the Oriental Numismatic Society. Formalising Things In 1997, Michael Broome, who had been the Society’s The Future Secretary General for 27 years, passed away. During this Information technology, the Internet, and easy world-wide period, the ONS had published some 150 newsletters and communication are making the dissemination of knowledge more than 60 other publications in the form of Occasional and discussion easier and faster. The ONS has a website Papers and Information Sheets. The Society’s membership giving information about its activities and a cumulative index had grown to around 500, in many countries. Yet, the of all articles and other matters of interest published in the Society’s organisation had continued on a very informal basis newsletters/journals (http://www.onsnumis.org/). There are without a written constitution. At a meeting of a number of active newsgroups on the Internet for South Asian and Islamic Society officers and members, it was decided that the time had coins these are not operated by the ONS but its members are come to put the Society on a more formal footing, with a active in them. Various members have their own websites governing council and a written constitution. This was dedicated to their collections or collecting interests. It would achieved with the approval of the membership. Officers were be good to be able to re-publish all the newsletters and other elected to the various council positions and a copy of the publications on CD at some stage for reference. There is still constitution sent to all members. From then on, there was to much to publish. Whereas in the past twenty years or so there be an Annual General Meeting in London and the election or has been great progress in the publishing of literature on the re-election of officers every three years. Nicholas Rhodes, the coinage of South Asia and the Far East, there are still vast well known authority on the coinage of Tibet, Nepal and swathes of Islamic coinage that are waiting to be studied and north-east India, was elected Secretary General, a position he published.