MONEY & MEDALS
Guildhall Road
Northampton
NN1 1DP
tel: +44 (0)1604 838111
website: www.northampton.gov.uk/museums
email: [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]
Contact details: Jane Seddon; Paul Robinson
Date of visit: 28 April 2016
Nature and extent of collection
16,580 pieces. Comprehensive and extensive numismatic collection featuring a wide range of world currencies and a large number of commemorative medals. The coin collection has specific strengths in Roman and medieval periods and there is a locally-relevant collection of medals and tokens associated with the manufacture of shoes.
All numbers below are estimated
Greek coins: 100
Iron Age coins: 20
Roman coins: 4,500
British coins: 2,700
British tokens: 1,900; 2,000 tokens relating to shoe companies
European coins: 180
Asian coins: 50
Middle Eastern coins: 15
American coins: 15
Modern and paper money: 10
Medals (commemorative or military): 5,000 Northamptonshire Regiment, Northamptonshire Yeomanry and social history/sporting medals; around 50 Shoe company related medals
Other: 40
Specific strengths: Roman coinage,British coinage and British tokens.
Library: Around 100 books with specific strengths in Roman and British coinage.
Databases
Database used: MODES
Proportion of collection on database: 5%
How much detail in database entries? 100%
Are images incorporated? No.
Is the database accessible to the public? No.
Is the database publicly accessible online? N/A
Display
Are there permanent numismatic displays? No.
Is numismatic material incorporated into more general displays? Yes.
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? Yes.
Is equipment (balances, magnifying glasses, etc.) provided? No.
Public engagement with numismatic collection
Is there a handling collection? Yes: Money, Money, Money: facilitated Gallery Handling session using 10 coins
(another handling session is currently in development).
Are numismatic collections used in Education sessions? Yes: around 50 non-accessioned coins in facilitated education handling collections.
Do numismatic collections feature in gallery talks, lectures? Not in recent years.
Are there other engagement activities based around numismatic collections? No.
ID and public enquiries
Does the museum offer a service for identifying objects and other public enquiries? Yes (work with PAS Finds Liaison Officer).
Curatorial knowledge
Is there any numismatic expertise in-house? If so, who, and in what areas? We have no coin expertise but we do have some in-house
shoe and medal and token expertise from Rebecca Shawcross, our Shoe Heritage Resources Officer.
Is there access to external expertise? If so, who and in what areas? Yes (with PAS finds liaison officers and also local coin collector).
If there is expertise in-house, is there a willingness/capacity to share that with other museums? Yes.