HEBERDEN COIN ROOM

The ‘Wine Cup’ portrait of Jahangir coin detail

HEBERDEN COIN ROOM

The Heberden Coin Room is one of the leading international coin cabinets with particular strengths in the fields of Greek, Roman, Celtic, Byzantine, Medieval, Islamic and Chinese coinages. It also holds collections of paper money, tokens, jettons and commemorative art medals.

The Coin Study Room is open to the public by appointment. You can also discover some of the Coin Room treasures on display in the Money Gallery and in other galleries of the Museum.

24 OCTOBER 2022

On 24 October 2022, the Heberden Coin Room celebrated its centenary.

On 24 October 1922 about 100 people, including the Vice-Chancellor and eminent numismatists, assembled at the Ashmolean Museum to mark the public opening of the University of Oxford's newly-constituted Coin Room. It was the culmination of a 40-year campaign by Sir Arthur Evans to bring together the coin collections of all the University colleges and libraries.

Discover the history of the Coin Room

Image: Working in the Coin Room in 1955

Montage of coins in the timeline featuring coins, medals and banknotes

TIMELINE OF COINS

Trace the Heberden Coin Room's global collection in this timeline of 16 coins and objects.

VIEW THE TIMELINE

Gold stater of Alexander the Great from the Amphipolis mint

RESEARCH PROFILES

View staff who conduct, and facilitate, research in the museum

PROJECTS

Browse the Coin Room research projects.

THE HISTORY OF THE COIN ROOM

The Coin Room opened in 1922, but its history goes back to the 17th century

PORTABLE ANTIQUITIES SCHEME

The Ashmolean’s role in a national project recording archaeological finds discovered by the public.

A horseshoe-shaped brass ‘Manilla’ – pre-colonial money in West Africa

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West Africa's colonial currency: the brass manilla

Delve into the story of this traditional form of West African money, which was used from the 16th century primarily for exchange in local agricultural and luxury products, but also became a principle currency in the West African slave trade.

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Recently-acquired Iceni coins

Uncover the Iceni collection of coins the Museum recently acquired. These ornately designed gold and silver coins were minted between c. 100 BCE–50 CE by the Iceni in East Anglia, the community of famous ‘queen’ Boadicea (Boudica). This is a rich resource for the understanding of the Iceni and an exciting acquisition in the Coin Room's centenary year.

Bottom third of a silver coin with dotted edge detail and words EID MAR

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The Ides of March coin

The 15th of March has come to be known as an ill-fated day when, over 2,000 years ago, Roman general Julius Caesar was assassinated at a meeting of the Senate. The 'EID MAR' coins were introduced by Brutus as an audacious celebration of the assassination of Caesar. This rare one in our collection was struck in a mint travelling with Brutus’ army in the late summer of 42 BC.

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Queering currency

This rubber stamp in the Coin Room, small though it is, has a signiﬁcant social story behind it. Alongside the USA $50 banknote with the ink inscription ‘Lesbian Money’ (also in the collection) they bear testimony to an important juncture in the Queer Movement.