John Philip Cozens Kent, (28 September 1928 – 22 October 2000) was a British

numismatist A numismatist is a specialist in numismatics ("of coins"; from Late Latin ''numismatis'', genitive of ''numisma''). Numismatists include collectors, specialist dealers, and scholars who use coins and other currency in object-based research. Altho ...

and archaeologist. He was born the son of a railway official in Hertfordshire and educated at

Minchenden Grammar School Minchenden School was a mixed secondary school situated in Southgate, North London, established in 1919 with 90 pupils. It merged with Arnos School in 1984. History The school was established in 1919 in Tottenhall Road as a mixed secondary sc ...

and

University College, London , mottoeng = Let all come who by merit deserve the most reward , established = , type = Public research university , endowment = £143 million (2020) , budget = � ...

, where he was awarded a BA in 1949 and a PhD in 1951. After two years

National Service National service is the system of voluntary government service, usually military service. Conscription is mandatory national service. The term ''national service'' comes from the United Kingdom's National Service (Armed Forces) Act 1939. The ...

he was appointed Assistant Keeper in the

British Museum The British Museum is a public museum dedicated to human history, art and culture located in the Bloomsbury area of London. Its permanent collection of eight million works is among the largest and most comprehensive in existence. It docum ...

’s Department of Coins and Medals. There his main interest was the coins of the late Roman period, contributing to the reference book on ''Late Roman Bronze Coinage'' which was published in 1960. Other work covered the reclassification of imitative early medieval coins of the 5th century, assisting on the dating of the

Sutton Hoo Sutton Hoo is the site of two early medieval cemeteries dating from the 6th to 7th centuries near the English town of Woodbridge. Archaeologists have been excavating the area since 1938, when a previously undisturbed ship burial containing a ...

burial ship and the use of gold coinage in the late Roman Empire. However his major published works were Volume VIII and X in the ''Roman Imperial Coinage'' series. Volume VIII, published in 1981, covered the period from the death of the Emperor

Constantine Constantine most often refers to: * Constantine the Great, Roman emperor from 306 to 337, also known as Constantine I *Constantine, Algeria, a city in Algeria Constantine may also refer to: People * Constantine (name), a masculine given name ...

in AD 337 to the accession of Valentinian in AD 364. Volume X, published in 1994, covered the period from the division of the Roman Empire in AD 395 to the accession of Anastasius in AD 491. He also completed two volumes on the Continental Celtic Coins in the British Museum and other collections left incomplete by the death of previous keeper

Derek Allen Derek Fortrose Allen (29 May 1910 – 13 June 1975) was Secretary of the British Academy from 1969 to 1973 and Treasurer of that organisation from 1973 until his death. Born in Epsom, Surrey, Allen joined the British Museum staff in 1935 as ...

, which were published in 1987 and 1990. Between 1960 and 1967, Kent directed excavations at South Mimms Castle in Middlesex. The results were published in 2013, after Kent's death; the book was based on drafts prepared by Kent and Anthony Streeten and updated by Derek Renn. In 1974 he was promoted Deputy Keeper, and in 1983 Keeper, of the British Museum's coin and medal collection, a post he held until his retirement in 1990. A commemorative medal was struck to mark his retirement. He died in 2000. He had married Patricia Bunford in 1961 and had a son and a daughter.

Honours and awards

*1961 Elected

Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries A fellow is a concept whose exact meaning depends on context. In learned or professional societies, it refers to a privileged member who is specially elected in recognition of their work and achievements. Within the context of higher education ...

*1974–1978 Elected President of the British Association of Numismatic Societies *1986 Elected

Fellow of the British Academy Fellowship of the British Academy (FBA) is an award granted by the British Academy to leading academics for their distinction in the humanities and social sciences. The categories are: # Fellows – scholars resident in the United Kingdom # C ...

*1990 Awarded the Silver Medal of

Royal Numismatic Society The Royal Numismatic Society (RNS) is a learned society and charity based in London, United Kingdom which promotes research into all branches of numismatics. Its patron was Queen Elizabeth II. Membership Foremost collectors and researchers, bo ...

*1993 Awarded the Huntington Medal of the

American Numismatic Society The American Numismatic Society (ANS) is a New York City-based organization dedicated to the study of coins, money, medals, tokens, and related objects. Founded in 1858, it is the only American museum devoted exclusively to their preservation ...

*1984–1990 Elected President of the Royal Numismatic Society *1985–1988 Elected President of the

London and Middlesex Archaeological Society The London and Middlesex Archaeological Society (LAMAS) is a society founded in 1855 for the study of the archaeology and local history of the City of London and the historic county of Middlesex. It also takes an interest in districts that were ...

*1986 Member of the Council of the International Numismatic Commission

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kent, John Philip 1928 births 2000 deaths People from Hertfordshire Alumni of University College London British numismatists Fellows of the British Academy Fellows of the Society of Antiquaries of London Presidents of the Royal Numismatic Society Scholars of Byzantine numismatics