12 July 2025 The Future is the Product of the Past

Trier University’s Digital Coin Cabinet is Now Accessible

Historical coins are much more than just pieces of jewelry for collections and exhibitions and are of particular interest for research. The University of Trier has had a collection of mainly ancient coins for several years. The more than 500 copies have now been digitized and made accessible in portals.

“The digitization of coin collections is a great benefit for science. Integration into databases and permanent access to a large number of coins opens up new options for research, but also for teaching,” explains Prof. Dr. Frank Daubner, the ancient historian responsible for the collection at Trier University.

Researchers can derive insights into the economy, trade, mobility, and cultural and social phenomena of the time from the design of coins, for example how rulers are depicted on them, from their distribution, and from the depiction of historical events.

The more than 500 coins in the Trier collection, most of which date from the Roman period, were photographed with a special camera and described scientifically in an accompanying information text.

“There are some very beautiful coins, for example, one with a portrait of Emperor Constantine,” explains Professor Frank Daubner.

Photo: University of Trier

However, ancient historians are more interested in coins as a source of data and information than aesthetics. A special feature of the Trier collection is that the place where most of the objects were found – predominantly in Trier and the region – is known. The comparison between the place of origin of the coin, the mint, and the place of discovery can reveal information about trade relationships and travel routes at the respective time.

The digitization of the Trier coin collection is also an enrichment for studying and teaching in history. In addition to student teaching and research projects, the digitized objects from the databases can be used to create virtual exhibitions, for example.

The collection is represented on three online platforms under the name “Digital Coin Cabinet of the University of Trier”. At www.ikmk.uni-trier.de, those interested can only find objects from the Trier collection.

The University of Trier is also a partner in the “Network of University Coin Collections in Germany” (NUMID), which was founded in 2015. To date, 34 universities with 42 coin collections belong to this research and digitization network. NUMID uses the “Interactive Catalogs of Coin Cabinets” database provided by the “Münzkabinett Staatliche Museums zu Berlin”.

In addition to the NUMID collections with a total of around 30,000 objects, other large non-university collections are integrated here, for example over 40,000 objects from the numismatic holdings of the Coin Cabinet of the State Museums in Berlin. When the portal opened in 2021, a total of more than 90,000 data sets on objects were available, and there are now more than 130,000. All three portals can be used free of charge and the photos can be used freely for teaching and publications.

Cover Photo: Sophie Kröner – University of Trier

Related Articles

Archaeologists have unearthed a stone chest containing the ritual deposit of 15 anthropomorphic figurines

1 September 2023

1 September 2023

Archaeologists have unearthed a stone chest containing the ritual deposit of 15 anthropomorphic figurines that were placed as votive offerings...

1,800-Year-Old Sanctuary to Mithras discovered in Spain

8 February 2023

8 February 2023

Archaeologists excavating at Villa del Mitra in Cabra, Spain, have uncovered a sanctuary dedicated to the god Mithras, along with...

Evidence of Early Forms of Pottery Production and 8,000-Year-Old Buildings Belonging to the Elite of the Time Discovered in Iraqi Kurdistan

9 January 2025

9 January 2025

Archaeologists from the University of Udine have uncovered two ancient human settlements in the Rovia sub-district of Dohuk province in...

4000-year-old Palace complex dating from China’s earliest known Xia dynasty unearthed

30 December 2023

30 December 2023

In Xinmi, in the Henan Province of Central China, a four-courtyard style palace complex from the Xia Dynasty (2070BC–1600BC), China’s...

The Basilica cistern, which is said to have the sarcophagus of Medusa or the Mysterious Snake Woman, was restored

21 July 2022

21 July 2022

The Basilica Cistern, one of the magnificent ancient structures of Istanbul, was restored. Besides being the greatest work of the...

Archaeologists have found a fort that the Romans built to protect their silver mines, complete with wooden spikes

23 February 2023

23 February 2023

Archaeologists have discovered wooden defenses surrounding an ancient Roman military base for the first time in Bad Ems, western Germany....

1500-year-old Elite tombs were discovered vicinity of the ancient seaport of Berenice Troglodytica in Egypt

22 May 2022

22 May 2022

Polish archaeologists have discovered a tomb complex near the ancient port of Berenice Troglodytica in Egypt. Archaeologists from the University...

World treasure that cannot be displayed in the Local Museum in Pljevlja, Montenegro

30 July 2023

30 July 2023

Despite representing one of the most valuable portable cultural assets of Montenegro, the Pljevlja Diatreta is not accessible to visitors. The...

Earliest Multiplication Formulas Discovered in a 2,300-Year-Old Chinese Tomb

27 December 2023

27 December 2023

Archaeologists excavating a tomb in the Qinjiazui archaeological site of Jingzhou City, Hubei Province, China, have found the earliest multiplication...

A 2700-year-old collection of more than 60 bronze and iron objects found in Bükk in northwestern Hungary

2 October 2024

2 October 2024

An excavation project led by a university team specializing in the Bronze and Iron Ages in Bükk in northwestern Hungary,...

1,800 years old Sewer system found in ancient city of Mastaura

17 May 2022

17 May 2022

Archaeologists found an 1800-year-old sewer system during excavations in the ancient city of Mastaura, in the Nazilli district of Aydın...

8,000-year-old Musical Instrument found in northwest Turkey

4 July 2021

4 July 2021

Archaeologists in northwestern Turkey’s Bilecik on Tuesday discovered a musical instrument that dates back to an estimated 8,000 years. During...

Archeologists unearth largest rare wooden “Haniwa” Statue in Japan

10 December 2022

10 December 2022

The remains of a 3.5-meter-tall wooden “haniwa” statue have been discovered at one of the “kofun” ancient burial mounds that...

In the Mediterranean Oldest Hand-Sewn Boat is Preparing for its Next Journey

25 January 2024

25 January 2024

The oldest hand-sewn boat in the Mediterranean was discovered in the Bay of Zambratija near Umag on Croatia’s Istrian peninsula....

Evidence of Intentional Roman Use of Narcotic Seeds, Found in Bone Vessel in the Netherlands

8 February 2024

8 February 2024

Archaeologists have discovered the first conclusive evidence of the existence of a hallucinogenic and poisonous plant thought to have been...