The original Coin Registry

shirohniichan

I just read an article in an old auction catalog about Jacopo da Spada, and Italian numismatist and antiquarian (among other things) who lived in the 16th century. He traveled Europe purchasing coins for wealthy aristocrats (he was an early wholesaler in the days before coin shows). He cataloged inscriptions on and descriptions of ancient coins. By the time he died in 1583, he had collected 29 volumes of coin descriptions with over 9,000 illustrations, along with Roman coins from every emperor.

I wonder if collectors used to say, "Buy the coin, not the description."

steventheyn

I think I've heard of him. I remember reading somewhere about an Italian numismatist who wrote the first numismatic "book".

shirohniichan

I read that one of his books was published by his son 30 years after his death, but I can't remember if it was his book on ancient coins or his book on hydrology.