Network
MONEY & MEDALS
Grosvenor Museum
27 Grosvenor Street
Chester
CH1 2DD
tel: +44 (0)1244 972197
website: www.cheshirewestmuseums.org
email: elizabeth.royles@cheshirewestandhchester.gov.uk
Contact details: Elizabeth Royles
Date of visit: 25th April 2013
Nature and extent of collection
The museum will acquire by purchase, donation or bequest numismatic items which fulfil one of the following criteria:
a.) Coins with a local provenance, including excavated items and stray finds.
b.) Roman coins with special relevance to events in Roman Britain.
c.) Anglo-Saxon coins, particularly those which fill strategic gaps in the existing collection.
d.) Coins from the Chester Mint.
e.) Tokens, medals and commemorative medals illustrating aspects of the history of Cheshire West and Chester. Items may also be collected related to the historic county of Cheshire and the adjacent areas of North Wales, subject to there being no conflict of interest with another museum which more properly collects from those areas. It will also collect English and British coins and commemorative medals of a more general nature, where they supplement the existing collection.
All numbers below are estimated
Greek coins: 70
Roman coins: 5,000
British coins: 1,000 Anglo-Saxon; 750 medieval; 600 British
British tokens: 300
World coinage: 500
Modern and paper money: 26
Medals: 230
Paranumismatica: 30
Specific strengths: Anglo-Saxon coins from the Chester Mint.
Library: a moderate sized library that includes general reference books on numismatics and paranumismatics and specific volumes on Anglo-Saxon coins – sylloge. Library has specific strenghts in Roman coins and silver hammered coins and features several volumes of Roman Imperial Coinage.
Databases
Database used: MODES
Proportion of collection on database: around 85%
How much detail in database entries? Detail varies – newer acquisitions are much more detailed than older ones.
Are images incorporated? Yes, in some cases but not many records include them at present.
Is the database accessible to the public? Not at present, but we are starting to roll out our online database later on this year so over the next 5 years, the collection will become accessible online.
Is the database publicly accessible online? What is the URL if so? Not yet.
Display
Are there permanent numismatic displays? No.
Is numismatic material incorporated into more general displays? Yes, there is one small permanent display of Roman coins in the Roman gallery.
Is there a facility for temporary exhibitions? Yes.
Have there been numismatic exhibitions in the past? If so, what? No.
Access to the collection
Is there a study facility? Visitors can access the collection by appointment.
Is equipment (balances, magnifying glasses, etc.) provided? Magnifiers and balances can be provided if necessary.
Public engagement with numismatic collection
Is there a handling collection? No.
Are numismatic collections used in Education sessions? No.
Do numismatic collections feature in gallery talks, lectures? Yes, sometimes – particularly Roman and Early medieval events.
Are there other engagement activities based around numismatic collections? Yes – Roman and Anglo-Saxon coin striking.
ID and public enquiries
Does the museum offer a service for identifying objects and other public enquiries? Yes – curators offer this service by appointment, and the local PAS Finds Liaison Officer is based at our museum once a month.
Curatorial knowledge
Is there any numismatic expertise in-house? If so, who, and in what areas? No.
Is there access to external expertise? If so, who and in what areas? Keith Sugden from Manchester Museum occasionally provides some expert help.
If there is expertise in-house, is there a willingness/capacity to share that with other museums? N/A
