The numismatics collection of “Ettore Pomarici Santomasi” Foundation is composed by 1608 coins, classified according to the following chronological periods:

Period

Classification of coins

Greek

from n. 1 to n. 107

Republican Roman

from n. 108 to n. 423

Imperial Roman

from n. 424 to n. 559

Byzantine

from n. 560 to n. 592

Medieval and Modern

from n. 593 to n. 1608

In the display stands the coins are divided in the following way:

  • Stand n.1: coins from n.1 to n.252
  • Stand n.2: coins from n.253 to n.555
  • Stand n.3: coins from n.556 to n.1033
  • Stand n.4: coins from n.1034 to n.1608


The collection has a great importance for the general artistic and historical interest, as it deals with the History of coins from the VI century B.C. until to the birth of the Reign of Italy. This offers an outline of the ancient monetary production, beginning from the birth of the idea of coin to its introduction in the Greek world and the impact on indigenous populations.

Remarkable are the coins of the Greek period (nr.24, 25 and 26 of the III century B.C.), related to the Greek settlement of Sidion, on the Botromagno hill, where on the right side Zeus is portrayed and on the back Hercules. The introduction of money is vital for the Republican Roman period: here we have the monetary system, the mints of production and the spread of the portrait, as regards the Imperial period.

As for the Mediaeval Age ample space of the collection is constituted by the Byzantine, Arabian and Norman coin, and the coining of Frederick II the Swabian. Of great value is an “augustale” coin (n.612), minted under the reign of Federico II the Swabian (1231) where an eagle with open wings is portrayed on one side and the image of the Sovereign in imperial dress on the other one.

The final part of the collection deals with the Neapolitan monetary production, from the Dukedom to the Reign of Two Sicily, with a small section of coins of the Pontificate of Benedict XIII (1724-1730), born in Gravina in 1650; other coins of the Reign of Italy and of foreign countries complete the exhibition.