Central Asian Numismatic Institute

Board of Trustees

· Dr. Siddharth S. Saxena (chairman)

· Dr. Allison Ohta (secretary)

· Dr. Mark Blackburn (treasurer)

· Dr. Fatemah Jazayeri – London

· Dr. Alexander Kamyshev — Bishkek

· Dr. Nasim Khan – Peshawar

· Dr. Vladimir Nastich — Moscow

· Dr. Robert Wicks – Oxford (Ohio)

Director

· Dr. Judith Kolbas

o jgkolbas@yahoo.co.uk

Objective

The purpose of the institute will be to engage in research, collect data, encourage systematic methods, enhance interest in numismatics, disseminate information to specialists and educate the general public. It will not acquire for itself physical numismatic specimens. It will aim to bring together the various programmes, institutions and individuals concerned with the peoples of Central Asian and the monetary and economic development of Central Asia, the region defined in the broadest geographical and cultural sense, from the beginning of numismatic activity to the present day.

Activities

International Community: The institute aims to be the first organisation to actively include the valuable knowledge of collectors and scholars. In addition, keepers of public holdings in small or remote areas would be involved for the first time in international projects. The institute would try to support valuable local activity. Therefore, members of the institute would benefit from an international, low-cost resource and a wide interchange platform.

Education: The educational value of the institute would reach a wide public in a variety of ways. The foremost means would be a website with various tools and bibliography as well as photos of coins with identifying information. Then comments and discussions on the site would meet individual needs’ for specific information. A regular series of small conferences or colloquia with targeted subjects would supplement the activity of international groups.

Also, the institute would act as a referee for experts to lecture or give a paper to interested groups. Numismatic courses could be offered if requested and costs covered by an outside institution.

Archives: Creating a useful archive is a main priority. The institute would endeavor to locate museums, collectors and associations that have Central Asian material, ascertain the amount, time period, state of identification and degree of study of each holding. From this survey, the institute would try to promote a group of affiliate members to provide contact names, photographs and printed material, hopefully in digital form, whenever possible for the archive. The idea is to share information, not to have the institute appropriate it. Moreover, the institute would endeavor through its consultant affiliates to keep the record updated and include reports about hoards before they are dispersed in the market’. There is no other body that attempts to gather detailed coin information into one accessible location. The institute would act somewhat like a national library does by consolidating information from various locations as much as possible.

Research: The institute would establish and develop advanced studies of numismatics by identifying needs, seeking solutions and exploring new questions in the field. A consortium of leading numismatists would ensure the integrity of the process. By selecting Central Asian material only, researchers would achieve quicker results than is currently possible. Another aim is to create a basic structure for the field by producing catalogues of types followed by specialised references. The institute would be unique by being able to source information internationally to produce fairly universal or comprehensive works. This process will often require co-operation with local museums and possibly joint online publications.