Jacob Spon, George Wheler i jedna zadarska numizmatička zbirka iz 17. stoljeća
Jacob Spon, George Wheler and a 17th century numismatic collection in Zadar

Author(s): Ivan Mirnik
Subject(s): Archaeology, Economic history, 17th Century
Published by: Hrvatski institut za povijest
Keywords: Jacob Spon; George Wheler; numismatic collections; Antonio Soderini; Zadar;
Summary/Abstract: Two learned gentlemen, Jacob Spon, a Frenchman, and George Wheler (later Sir George), an Englishman, set off to a voyage in 1675, which was to take them to the eastern Adriatic coast and the Levant. Having returned home in 1676, first Spon (joining his name to that of Wheler; 1678), and later Wheler (1682), published a widely read illustrated report on what they had seen. Both works were printed in several editions. In Zadar, where they stayed between July 5th and 10th, 1675, they visited the museum owned by Giovanni Antonio Soderini, the hospitable conte, or governor of the city. Here they also saw a valuable coin collection, which is the theme of the present article. Among others in that collection there were several bronze coins struck by Otho (for instance Cohen I, 352, 4-5), an Alexandrian issue of Lucius Verus, with Orpheus playing the harp, surrounded by various animals (BMC Alexandria, 169,1372), and a homonoia coin of Laodicea and Smyrna (BMC Phrygia, 326, 275). In addition Spon’s contribution to numismatics, both in the work presently discussed (Voyage d’Italie) and in the archaeological monograph (Miscellanea eruditae antiquitatis) is mentioned.

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