Marion MacCallum Archibald (1935 – 23 April 2016) 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 ...
, author and for 33-years a curator at 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 ...
. She was the first woman to be appointed Assistant Keeper in the
Department of Coins and Medals and is regarded as a pioneer in what had previously been a male-dominated field. Her 70th birthday was celebrated with the publication of a book of essays authored by 30 of her colleagues, collaborators and former students for whom Marion's name was "synonymous ... with the study of
Anglo-Saxon coins at the British Museum".
Biography
Marion Archibald was born in 1935. She started her numismatic career at the
Birmingham City Museum in 1958.
She joined the Department of Coins and Medals at 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 ...
in 1963, and was appointed Assistant Keeper in 1965; she retired from her post in 1997.
Beyond the immediate study of Anglo-Saxon coins and monetary systems, her interests extended to dies, coin weights, trial pieces and lead strikings, and coin jewellery. She worked to advance the scientific analysis of coins, and as a member of the Royal Numismatic Society's scientific committee organised a conference on, and co-wrote a text, on the application of metallurgy in numismatics. Her responsibilities at the museum extended to fielding
treasure trove
A treasure trove is an amount of money or coin, gold, silver, plate, or bullion found hidden underground or in places such as cellars or attics, where the treasure seems old enough for it to be presumed that the true owner is dead and the hei ...
finds, whether coin hoards, excavation coins or single-finds; these gave her ample subject-matter for a prodigious output of articles, notes and reports. She was a pioneer in the systematic recording of finds, as well as the application of an understanding of coin circulation histories on the dating of excavations; more generally, she worked to integrate numismatic and monetary system studies with archaeology and historical research, to the benefit of all these disciplines. She was reputed a superb lecturer.
Throughout her career Archibald worked as an officer and council member of the
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 ...
and the
British Numismatic Society
The British Numismatic Society (BNS) is an organisation for promoting and realization of the study of British coins and medals. It was founded in 1903.
Publications
Its principal publication is the ''British Numismatic Journal'', (published from ...
, both electing her Honorary Fellow, the former in 1996. She was elected Fellow of the
Society of Antiquaries of London
A society is a group of individuals involved in persistent social interaction, or a large social group sharing the same spatial or social territory, typically subject to the same political authority and dominant cultural expectations. Societ ...
in 1974. She held the post of president of the British Association of Numismatic Societies from 1986 to 1991; each year it sponsors a Marion Archibald Memorial Lecture at its annual conference.
Her work was widely recognised, and she was awarded the
Sanford Saltus Gold Medal
The John Sanford Saltus Medal is the premier distinction of the British Numismatic Society
The British Numismatic Society (BNS) is an organisation for promoting and realization of the study of British coins and medals. It was founded in 1903.
P ...
of the British Numismatic Society in 1980, the
Jeton de Vermeil
The Jeton de vermeil is an award recognising scholarly achievement in numismatics. It is awarded by the annually to a foreign (non-French) numismatic scholar, and every three years to the outgoing president of the society. It was formerly known as ...
of the
French Numismatic Society in 1988, and the
Medal of the Royal Numismatic Society The Medal of the Royal Numismatic Society was first awarded in 1883. It is awarded by the Royal Numismatic Society and is one of the highest markers of recognition given to numismatists. The President and Council award the Medal annually to an "indi ...
in 2011. She continued to write after retiring from the British Museum.
Archibald was the secretary of the
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 ...
Scientific Research Committee from its inception in 1976 until 1997. During this time three volumes of ''Metallurgy in Numismatics'' were published by the Society (MIN 1 in 1980, MIN 2 in 1988, MIN 3 in 1993), Archibald co-editing the third volume with MR Cowell. The fourth volume (MIN 4 1998) included a dedication to Archibald highlighting her work as secretary, her editorship of MIN 3, and her work in organising the symposia which formed the basis for the MIN series.
Archibald's 70th birthday year was celebrated with the publication of a book of essays, ''Coinage and History in the North Sea World, c. AD 500-1250'' integrating an understanding of numismatics, monetary studies, archaeology and history, with papers from 30 of her colleagues, collaborators and former students. She died ten years later on 23 April 2016.
Publications and exhibitions
Marion Archibald, with co-authors, published three books; some 21 long articles and book chapters, and very many short articles, notes, and archaeological reports. She also contributed to the organisation and production of catalogues for five exhibitions.
Books
*
*
*
Exhibitions
*The Vikings (1980)
*English Romanesque Art 1066-1200 (1984)
*The Golden Age of Anglo-Saxon Art 966-1066 (1984)
*The Making of England (1991)
*Heirs of Rome: the shaping of Britain AD 400-900 (1997)
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Archibald, Marion
1935 births
2016 deaths
British curators
British numismatists
Employees of the British Museum
British women curators
Women numismatists