Revue belge de Numismatique

Revue belge de Numismatique
Title	Revue belge de Numismatique
Abbreviation	RBNum
Discipline	Numismatics
Language	French
Country	Belgium
History	1835–present
Frequency	Annual

Revue belge de Numismatique is a Belgian scholarly journal devoted to the study of coins, medals, tokens and monetary history. Founded in the nineteenth century, it has published research on Classical, Medieval, Early Modern and Modern numismatics, engaging specialists working on examples from Greece, Rome, Byzantium, Belgium, France, Netherlands and beyond. The journal has been associated with national and regional societies and has reported on collections held by institutions such as the Royal Library of Belgium, the Royal Museums of Art and History (Brussels), and university cabinets.

History

The journal was established in the context of nineteenth‑century scholarly societies in Belgium and Western Europe, contemporaneous with the founding of the Royal Numismatic Society in London and the Numismatic Society of France in Paris. Early contributors included curators and antiquarians affiliated with the Royal Library of Belgium, the Musée du Cinquantenaire, and the university museums of Leuven and Ghent. During the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries the periodical reflected the rise of archaeological fieldwork linked to excavations in Italy, Greece, Asia Minor, and colonial contexts, and published reports intersecting with the research agendas of the École française d'Athènes and the British Museum. The journal continued through both World Wars, recording numismatic losses and salvages relating to events such as the Battle of Belgium and the German occupation of Belgium (World War II). In the postwar era the publication engaged with systematic cataloguing projects carried out by national institutions like the Royal Museums of Art and History (Brussels) and university departments in Leuven and Ghent.

Scope and Content

Articles cover Classical numismatics linked to the coinages of Athens, Alexandria, Syracuse (ancient) and Hellenistic kingdoms; Roman issues from the periods of the Roman Republic and Roman Empire; Byzantine coinage under rulers such as Justinian I and Heraclius; and medieval numismatics, including Carolingian and Ottonian coinages associated with the Carolingian Empire and the Holy Roman Empire. The journal also addresses Early Modern monetary history touching on issues connected to Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor, the Spanish Netherlands, the Habsburg Netherlands and coin reforms of the 16th century. Modern numismatic studies engage with nineteenth‑century mint practices in capitals such as Brussels and Paris, as well as token and medallic studies tied to institutions like the Royal Mint (United Kingdom). The journal publishes catalogues of collections from museums including the Royal Museums of Art and History (Brussels), university holdings at Leuven, and private collections formed by collectors comparable in stature to Baron de Géradon and other European connoisseurs.

Publication and Editorial Information

The periodical has historically been associated with learned societies and institutional presses in Belgium and occasionally co‑published with university presses in Leuven and Ghent. Its editorial board traditionally comprises curators from the Royal Museums of Art and History (Brussels), academics from universities such as KU Leuven and Ghent University, and independent scholars with links to the Royal Library of Belgium. The journal is principally published in French, with occasional contributions in other scholarly languages familiar to numismatists, and follows the conventions used by international periodicals like the Numismatic Chronicle and the Revue numismatique. Publication frequency has varied but in modern decades it appears on an annual or biennial basis, mirroring specialized journals such as American Journal of Numismatics and Journal of Roman Archaeology.

Notable Articles and Contributions

Over its long run the journal has featured monographic studies and find reports of broad importance: catalogues of coin hoards comparable to those reported in volumes of the British Numismatic Journal and analyses of hoards discovered in the Low Countries akin to finds from Hainaut and Flanders. It has published typological essays on issues of rulers such as Philip II of Spain and Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor, metrological studies resonant with work on Athenian tetradrachms and discussions of iconography comparable to scholarship on Augustus and Constantine the Great. The journal has also carried important provenance studies of collections related to figures in the history of collecting similar to Sir John Evans and A. H. Sayce, and catalogues that assisted research published in comparison with catalogues from the Bibliothèque nationale de France and the British Museum.

Indexing and Availability

Back issues are held in national repositories including the Royal Library of Belgium and university libraries at KU Leuven and Ghent University, and appear in the holdings of major research libraries such as the Bibliothèque nationale de France and the British Library. Selected articles are indexed in bibliographies and databases used by numismatists and historians of antiquity and the Middle Ages, similar to coverage in indices that include the International Medieval Bibliography and bibliographies maintained by the International Numismatic Council. Physical runs are commonly found in the numismatic libraries of museums like the British Museum and research institutions such as the École française d'Athènes.

Reception and Influence

Scholars in Numismatics and related fields such as classical archaeology, medieval studies, and economic history have cited the periodical for primary reporting of hoards, careful typologies, and museum cataloguing that informs comparative work published in journals like Numismatic Chronicle, Revue numismatique, and the American Journal of Numismatics. Its role in documenting Belgian and Low Countries material has made it a reference for specialists studying coinages of the Seventeen Provinces, the Spanish Netherlands, and the monetary transformations associated with rulers including William of Orange (Prince of Orange) and Philip IV of Spain. The journal remains part of the ecosystem of European numismatic scholarship alongside institutions such as the Royal Swedish Academy of Letters, History and Antiquities and national societies like the Royal Numismatic Society.

Category:Numismatics journals Category:Belgian journals Category:Academic journals established in 1835