Staff breakfast 17 July 2013: Coins and the Bible
At this week’s staff breakfast, colleagues from the department of Coins and Medals introduced their new exhibition entitled Coins and the Bible.
The exhibition highlights the references to, and use of money in the Bible, as well as the influence of the Bible on the design of coins. Through this, the exhibition maps a history of Christianity from pre-coinage Old Testament weights, such as shekels, through to depictions of Judas’s 30 pieces of silver, and references to Roman, Jewish and Greek currency in the New Testament.
The centrepiece of the exhibition is a stunning early edition of the King James Bible from 1672, which has been kindly lent to the museum for this exhibition.
You can read more about the Coins and the Bible exhibition here:
http://www.britishmuseum.org/about_us/news_and_press/press_releases/2013/coins_and_the_bible.aspx
Gold coin.(obverse) draped bust of Christ, with flowing hair and beard, facing with cross behind head, in act of benediction and holding Gospels.
(reverse) diademed and draped standing figure of Justinian II, holding cross potent and mappa. 1852,0903.23
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