Roman coins from the Masson and Mackenzie collections in the British Museum

Abstract

• The British East India Company’s Museum in Leadenhall Street housed an eclectic range of objects that were predominantly collected by those associated with the Company. Charles Masson and Colin Mackenzie were two such individuals. Their collections were acquired by the EIC, and after the closure of the museum in 1878 the majority of the collections were dispersed to various institutions, including the British Museum, the Fitzwilliam Museum, and the Indian Museum in Calcutta. While some coins were transferred to museums, most were sold at auction. In 1995, approximately 10,500 coins were discovered in the British Library's India Office Collections. Some 7000 of these came from Masson’s collection, and in December 2011 the majority of the remaining c. 4000 coins were traced to the Mackenzie collection. Among the India Office coins were 117 Roman and Nabatean bronze coins. This article examines them in more detail, also considering by whom, where, and when they were acquired, thus shedding considerable light on Masson and Mackenzie’s travels and collecting practices. Furthermore, it highlights the many thousands of late Roman bronze coins, from the fifth to seventh century AD, that were discovered in South India. It also brings out the urgent necessity of conducting a more detailed study to understand this period of Indo-Roman trading relations and the role of the late Roman bronze coins in South India.