author
Ernest Babelon
1854–1924
A leading French numismatist and classical archaeologist, he helped turn the study of ancient coins into a more systematic field. His work at the Bibliothèque nationale de France and later at the Collège de France made him an important scholarly voice in archaeology and monetary history.
1 Audiobook
Manual of Oriental Antiquities
by Ernest Babelon
About the author
Born in Sarrey on November 7, 1854, Ernest Babelon became one of France's best-known specialists in ancient coinage. He trained at the École nationale des chartes, earning his archivist-paleographer diploma in 1878, and built a career that joined careful historical research with a deep interest in the ancient world.
Babelon worked at the Cabinet des Médailles of the Bibliothèque nationale, where he rose to lead the department. He was also active in the world of learned journals and academies, and he became a member of the Académie des inscriptions et belles-lettres. His scholarship focused especially on Greek and Roman coins, and his catalogs and studies helped shape modern numismatics.
Later in his career, he taught at the Collège de France, where he held a chair connected with numismatics and archaeology. He died in Paris on January 3, 1924, leaving behind a body of work that remained useful to historians, archaeologists, and collectors long after his lifetime.