The Curious Numismatist: Resources on Vatican coins and medals

William Van Ornum March 21, 2011

The Curious Numismatist: Resources on Vatican coins and medals

William Van Ornum's survey of the Vatican tradition of coin and medal making appears in the March 28 issue. Here he offers additional resources for coin enthusiasts. To browse additional coins and medal produced by the Vatican, view our slideshow.

Books

Papal Coins, Allen G. Berman (South Salem, NY: Attic Books, 1991). The standard reference book on papal coins.

La Sede Vacante Pontificia e le sue Medaglie, G. Boccia (Roma: Edizioni Fragi, 2003). A beautiful book on sede vacante medals, those issued during a time of papal interregnum.

Rome Resurgens: Papal Medals from the Age of the Baroque, Nathan T. Whitman (Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Museum of Art, 1981). Selected papal medals from 1534 to 1747.

Pictorial Catalogue of Papal Medals 1417-1942. As struck by The Mint of Rome for the Vatican.

Web sites

The Vatican Philatelic and Numismatic Office

The Vatican Numismatic Society

A selection of photos and information from Peter Jencius.

Photo: courtesy Q. David Bowers, Stacks Bower's Galleries, New York City.

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This article also appeared in print, under the headline "The Curious Numismatist," in the March 21, 2011 issue.

William Van Ornum

William Van Ornum, a regular blogger for America's "In All Things," is a professor of psychology at Marist Colleg

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