Add MS 8796

CATALOGUE OF THE COLLECTION OF ANCIENT COINS AND MEDALS OWNED BY THE MEDICI, GRAND DUKES OF TUSCANY; 17th cent. Italian, Latin, and Greek. Other catalogues of the same collection in Add. 8794 and 8795. Neither of these catalogues is mentioned by Giovanna Gaeta Bertelà in 'Le fonti d'archivio per il medagliere mediceo', Appendix to J. G. Pollard, Italian Renaissance Medals in the Museo Nazionale of Bargello (Florence, 1984), pp. xlv-xlvii. Title (f. 1) 'Liber continens nummos antiquos Romanos, Grecos, ac diversorum Regum et Civitatum qui reperiuntur in Gazophylacio Serenissimi Magni Ducis Aetruriae'. The text is divided into sections according to the size and material of coins and medals described. Within each section the items are ordered under the name of the historical, mythological or symbolic character they represent. Sections are divided as follows: - (a) ff. 3-9v, 'Nummi aenei magni Reipublicae Romanae ante fundatam Monarchiam', title repeated on f. 4, inc. (f. 4) 'Caput Romae gemmatum'; - (b) ff. 10-32v, 'Nummi anei antiqui Imperatorum Romanorum alias Medaglioni', inc. (f. 11) 'Medaglioni / Numisma Plumbeum figura Cupidinis stans iuxta aram'; - (c) ff. 33-139v, 'Index nummorum antiquorum qui reperiuntur in Gazophiilacio S.C.S', inc. 'i. Caput Mercurii copertum Petaso Media Navis'; - (d) ff. 140-271, 'Nummi Aenei Antiqui Imperatorum Romanorum Mediocris Magnitudinis', inc. (f. 141) 'Caput Romae galeatum'; - (e) ff. 272-292, 'Nummi Aenei Antiqui parvi Imperatorum Romanorum', inc. 'Nummi Aenei Romani parvi / Roma / Caput Mercurii coopertum petaso alato'; - (f) ff. 293-298, 'Nummi Aenei Maximi vulgo dicti Crotoniatae', inc. 'Caput Romae galeatum Inscriptus'; - (g) ff. 299-342v, 'Nummi Greci Argentei qui vulgo dicuntur Medaglioni', inc. (f. 300) 'Index Nummorum Grecorum Argenteorum qui vulgo dicuntur Medaglioni / Affricana / Caput Cereris ornatum spicis'; - (h) ff. 343-347, 'Nummi Aenei Greci partim Regum, partim diversarum Urbium Magni', inc. 'Antiochus / Antiochus Deus Epiphanes'; - (i) ff. 348-368v, 'Nummi Aenei mediocris magnitudinis partim Regum, partim diversarum Urbium', inc. 'Hiero primus / Caput Hieronis cinctum Corona laurea'; - (j) ff. 369-385, 'Nummi Aenei Greci partim Regum, partim diversarum Urbium Parvi', inc. 'Tomus / Caput imberbe cinctum diademate Inscriptum'; - (k) ff. 386-390, 'Nummi Aenei Peregrini', inc. 'Sammaritani / Palma. Inscripta'. With contemporary table of abbreviations (f. 2), table of contents (f. 2v), and list of names of towns and islands mentioned in the text (ff. 391-403). Occasional marginal maniculae. Stamp (f. 1) 'biblioth / h.f. / J770', probably from the Biblioteca Falconieri (possibly identifiable with one of the Falconieri MSS. listed in Guilford's catalogue Add. 8220 on f. 17 as nos. 66, 67 and 69). Owned by Frederick North, 5th Earl of Guilford, but lacking his armorial bookplate. '265' in pencil in top left corner of front pastedown. Purchased, together with Add. 8730, 8792, 8793, 8794, 8795, 8797, and 8798, from R. H. Evans, 8 Dec. 1830, lot 265 (part).

Paper; ff. 404+iv, with three unfoliated interleaved blanks after f. 32, and one after f. 139; 48 blank leaves in three quires added at end. Modern foliation in pencil '1-403' (followed here), repeating no. 6. Original quire signatures in arabic numerals '1-27' at beginning of quires. 232 x 165mm. One Italian hand. Original full vellum binding on extremely thin pasteboards.