The Numismatic Collection of the Archaeological Museum in Zagreb: Donations 1990-2010
Organised by: Archaeological museum in Zagreb
Venue: Archaeological museum in Zagreb, N. Š. Zrinski Square
19
Duration: December 2010 - March 2011
Exhibition author: Ivan Mirnik
Web address: www.amz.hr
Type: numismatic
Subject:
The exhibition entitled ''Donations to the Numismatic Collection
of the Archaeological Museum in Zagreb 1990-2010'' will be opened
on Tuesday, 21 December at 19:00 in the Archaeological Museum in
Zagreb. Approximately 1000 pieces of ancient and recent coins and
medals were selected for the exhibition, out of a total of 6732
most diverse objects donated to the Museum for its Numismatic
Collection over the last twenty years. The exhibition catalogue
prepared for this occasion contains 835 catalogue units. The
exhibition is displayed in two cases created specifically for that
purpose within the permanent Numismatic Exhibit at the ground floor
of the Museum, as well as on the entire first floor of the Museum
building.
The Numismatic Collection of the Archaeological Museum in Zagreb, which presently contains more than 280000 pieces of coins and medals from various periods, was augmented from the very beginnings mostly due to the kindness of patriotic donors from the homeland as well as from abroad.
The most significant donation to the Collection during the period between 1945 and 1990 was that by Dragica Havliček and Dr. Franjo Ivo Havliček from Novi Vinodolski, who donated their collection of 297 pieces of selected Greek, Roman and Byzantine coins, as well as several objects from Ancient Egypt. The biggest donation in the 1990-2010 period is the collection of medals-Croatian plaques and medals-a fruit of long-term collecting by Viktor and Berislav Kopač, a 2001 gift by-of recently-late Mrs Ana Kopač from Zagreb. The collection consists of 2189 pieces of medals, badges and coins - 1145 medals and author badges, 1021 badges and 5 coins and other relevant material. Since this, in many aspects unique donation, was already exhibited in 2005, no pieces from the rich Kopač Collection are exhibited here in this occasion.
The Museum is much obliged also to Mr Milo Milković (St. Petersburgh, Florida, USA), whose unselfish act from 2003 enriched the Museum with the medals-previously unknown in Croatia-made by Ivan Meštrović in the United States of America. In 2006 Vjekoslava-Slavica-Kerdić, the daughter of great Croatian medalist and sculptor Ivo Kerdić, donated 46 medals, most of which-35-were made by her father in various materials (plaster, bronze, ivory) and techniques. The medals are of various sizes and date from the period between 1910 and 1953.
Other major donations include those made hitherto by Vladimir Mataušić from Zagreb, himself a skilled carver and medalist: his last donation numbered 1056 objects. Due to this, the exhibition could in fact bear the title ''Donations by Vladimir Mataušić and others'', because most of the exhibits originate precisely from his workshop.
The entire material on the exhibit-coinages and tools for medals and medallions, badges and similar objects-provide an excellent picture of the political, religious, cultural and economic circumstances in Croatia and the country of which it once formed part. The most valuable exhibit is certainly the unique Roman mould for the reverse of a bronze coin of Emperor Constantine I (306/7-337) from the famous Siscian mint, made between AD 321 and 324.