Why is Petrarch important in the history of coin collecting?

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Ancient Roman coin — coin collecting Obverse of a silver denarius showing the mythical hero Aeneas.

Petrarch (1304–1374) is significant in the history of coin collecting because he formed a notably scientific and artistic collection of ancient coins during the early Renaissance.1

As a famed humanist and scholar, his interest in these artifacts reflected a broader intellectual movement that prioritized the study of Classical antiquity. By assembling a collection that was both scientific and artistic in nature, Petrarch helped elevate the appreciation of ancient coins beyond their mere value as currency, establishing a precedent for the scholarly and aesthetic interest in numismatics that would later flourish among European nobility and collectors.123