Speaker
Description
Throughout his life, the Roman merchant, antique dealer and scholar of the first half of the 19th century, Francesco Capranesi acquired an extensive original numismatic collection, now lost. The existence of this collection is confirmed by his will, preserved today in the State Archive of Rome. After outlining the general features of the said numismatic collection, this paper aims to examine one specific group: coins minted by the Allies at the time of the Social War (91-88 BC). In addition to other pieces of direct evidence which characterize Capranesi as the first owner of a unique gold coin minted during the Social War (today preserved at the Cabinet des Médailles in Paris), this core group substantiates his activity as a first-class antique dealer and collector of unique coins deriving from Samnium.
