author
Barclay V. (Barclay Vincent) Head
1844–1914
Best known for making ancient Greek coinage easier to study, this British numismatist spent decades at the British Museum and produced reference works that remained important long after his lifetime.
1 Audiobook
English Coins and Tokens, with a Chapter on Greek and Roman Coins
by Llewellynn Frederick William Jewitt, Barclay V. (Barclay Vincent) Head
About the author
Born in Ipswich in 1844, Barclay Vincent Head became one of Britain’s leading numismatists. He joined the British Museum’s Department of Coins and Medals in 1864, rose through the ranks, and later served as Keeper of the department.
His reputation was built above all on the study of ancient Greek coins. He wrote and edited major catalogues and scholarly works, including Historia Numorum, a landmark manual of Greek numismatics that helped organize and interpret a vast field for both specialists and serious readers.
Head died in London in 1914. Although he was a museum scholar rather than a literary figure in the usual sense, his books remain closely tied to the history of collecting, classical studies, and the careful description of the ancient world through its coinage.