Coin Collection

About the Collection

The University of Freiburg houses an extensive collection of ancient coins. With over 14,000 specimens, it ranks among the largest university coin collections in Germany. A particular focus lies on coinage from the Principate and Late Antiquity, comprising approximately 12,000 coins. The collection was originally compiled by Heinrich Wefels and was acquired by the university in 1961, thanks to the initiative of the Department of Ancient History.

The department’s extensive numismatic collection offers students exceptional learning opportunities. Through regular integration into teaching, students gain hands-on experience with coins as a source category and can work directly with the objects. Additionally, some specimens are discussed as sources in research projects.

Experiencing the Collection Digitally

Screenshot of the interactive coin catalogue's search bar.

All holdings of the Freiburg Coin Collection are accessible via a digital interactive coin catalogue, which serves as an essential research tool for anyone interested in numismatics. Further information and references are provided to guide you in your research.

To the Catalogue

Digitisation

Research and Digitisation Project NUMiD – Minting History / Preserving Values

The NUMiD network was founded to connect university coin collections across Germany, establishing a sustainable and shared knowledge base for teaching and research. Between 2017 and 2020, several students and research assistants worked on digitising Freiburg’s collection, making it systematically searchable and accessible online. The catalogue provides detailed information, references, and high-resolution images, enabling the examination of even the finest details. The project also integrated the collection with international numismatic databases, such as OCRE and CRRO, facilitating comparisons between specimens of the same coin type.

This initiative was made possible through funding from the StuRa of the University of Freiburg and the State Initiative for Small Subjects in Baden-Württemberg.

Contact

Image of a blue coin tray with numerous coins from the Freiburg coin collection.

Simon Schall

Research assistant

numismatik@geschichte.uni-freiburg.de
Office 1188