Сoins and medals in the State Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts

Coin collection of the State Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts is one of the best in Russia. At the present time the Coins&Medals Department totals over 200 000 items - both originals and copies. The basis was formed by the numismatic collection of the Moscow Imperial University at the end of the 18th century, which became part of the University Department of Fine Arts and Antiquities.

Coin collection of the State Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts is one of the best in Russia. Nowadays the Coins&Medals Department totals over 200 000 items, both genuine pieces and copies. Its basis was formed at the end of the 18th century by the numismatic collection of the Moscow Imperial University, which became part of the University Department of Fine Arts and Antiquities.

The fact that numismatic collection belonged to the University defined its structure and characteristic features. Coins and medals were being used mainly for educational purposes. It is well known that courses in numismatics and heraldry were already taking place at the University as early as 1757. In 1803/04 academic year the University opened classes on the history of trade with special focus on the acquainting Moscow public with the coins.

Unique anonymous donations were made to the University in 1770 and 1772. Unknown benefactor presented Lippert's Dactylioteca numbering c. 3800 casts made from carved stones and gems stored in various European museums as well as group of European coins and medals.

In the beginning of the 19th century, donation by Pavel Demidov (1738–1821) became one of the most remarkable contributions to the University collection. Circa 4000 coins and medals were presented by him to the museum during 1803–1806. This gift comprised a group of rare Swedish coins and medals dating from the 16th to the 18th centuries and coming from the former collection of the founder of the Swedish numismatics, Elias Brenner (1647–1717).

The University numismatic collection did not suffer in the fires of 1812 as it was moved to Niznii Novgorod. Thanks to this, highly artistic medals from Demidov's collection as well as Lippert's Dactylioteca and rare numismatic books were safely added to the University collection after Patriotic War of 1812.

Numismatics has always been attracting a great deal of interest both on amateur and professional levels. When the state collection was created not only educational institutions and societies were interested in its development but all those who understood and valued Russian culture and its legacy. Prominent persons, priests, civilians and academic officials, students and ordinary Moscovites are among those who are in the lists of donors presenting numismatic items to the University. In due course a wonderful collection of coins and medals, which was reorganized in the special Münzkabinett came into being. It happened after the Patriotic War of 1812. Pieces from this collection quite soon became a subject of the scientific investigations. For example, in 1830s the well-known academician H. Fren published Oriental coins from the Moscow University collection.

In the middle of the 19th century the Münzkabinett was included within the structure of the University Department of Fine Arts and Antiquities, which was organized in 1852 due to the initiative of Professor Pavel M. Leontiev. 

Centenary of the Moscow University in 1855 was marked with considerable enlargement of its numismatic collection. Due to the mediation of the University’ patron, Count Sergei G. Stroganov, 6000 Roman coins from the collection of Russian consul in Genoa, K. Heidecken were acquired for Münzkabinett. By this time its numismatic collections numbered circa 14 000 items. Apart from donations and acquisitions, coins obtained during archaeological excavations conducted by the University’ professors became an important source of replenishing numismatic collections. The Moscow University Münzkabinett collection had always been depictured by the leading numismatic specialists of the time. A. Podshivalov compiled manuscript of the catalogue of the Roman coins in the 1880s and catalogue of the Ancient Greek coins by A. Oreshnikov came out in 1891. The same importance had manuscript of catalogue written by curator of the collection, K. Goerz, who ran the Cabinet of Arts and Antiquities from 1861 to 1883. Greek, Roman and West-European coins and medals from the Münzkabinett made up the basis of the collection of originals in the Alexander III' Museum of Fine Arts, founded in 1898 by professor Ivan V. Tsvetaev. According to his plan, the new museum was to contain an Antiquary, Library and Auditorium as well as Sculpture, Architecture and Art Departments. It was namely in the Antiquary that the Numismatic Cabinet was to be placed. When in 1912 the Museum was open West-European medals and Roman coins donated by the Russian ambassador in Vatican Konstantin Gubastov were exhibited in the Museum Italian court. 

In the 1920s Münzkabinett was included in the Classical Sculpture Section and was reorganized into an independent Numismatic Cabinet only in 1930. In 1945 it became Coins&Medals Department of the Museum.

The years after the First World War and the Civil War were the time of large number of acquisitions made for the Museum both by State and charity organizations. The most interesting and rare numismatic pieces came from the State Museum Depository, where known private numismatic collections (such collections of Counts Stroganov, Bobrinsky etc.) were accumulated after the revolution of 1917. One should mention Classical coins from sixth to third centuries BC, early Medieval and Oriental coins. A collection of the casts made by English engraver James Tassie originated from the collection of Brockar, and represented a reduced version of the Hermitage Cabinet of casts counting around 12000 pieces.

An entire row of other interesting collections was received by the Museum from owners who had specialized in the collecting specific groups of numismatic material.

In 1924 and 1939 part of Vasilii Rozanov's former collection of antique coins (about 1500 specimens) was partly given to the Museum by the Institute of the Classical Orient and partly purchased from his daughter.

It is worth mention as well a notable donation of the collection of Alexander Golikov (1865-1940) given to the Museum by his widow in 1941 and in 1947 in accordance with his will. Golikov's collection was exceptional in both size and quality since it numbered 10618 Classical, Russian and Medieval coins and gems.

The donation from Golikov can be compared only with the arrival of parts of Evgenii Pakhomov's collection in 1966 and 1971. Professor E.A. Pakhomov (1888-1965) headed the Archaeology and Numismatics Department of Baku University and was one of the organizers of the Azerbaidjan Museum of History. Numismatics was Pakhomov's passion and the subject of his scientific works. He gathered his collection over a period of 65 years. This collection, exceptional in the size and scope of the various fields of numismatics, was divided according to the last will and testament of the owner among four museums: the Azerbaijan Museum of History, the Georgian State Museum, the State Hermitage and the State History Museum in Moscow. The Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts acquired around 10 000 Russian and 2 000 Oriental coins from the collector's widow (Evgenia Batalina). They comprised rare pieces and coin hoards as well.