Princeton’s Numismatics Collection Enters a Period of Transition
Princeton University’s numismatics collection, the oldest coin collection held by an educational institution in the United States, is entering a period of transition.
After more than two decades as curator, Dr. Alan Stahl will depart the role in June, concluding a tenure that began in 2004.
According to Stephanie Oster, a spokesperson for the Princeton University Library, the future of the curatorial position remains undecided.
“We are still trying to navigate through what the University is expecting, from a hiring perspective,” Oster said. “If we’re able to, we will post the position.”
A Collection Founded in 1849
Established in 1849 and housed within Princeton Library’s Special Collections, the numismatics collection currently includes approximately 115,000 objects, encompassing coins, paper money, tokens, and medals. Among its most significant holdings are two particularly extensive areas: Byzantine coinage and early medieval Persian coins.
During Stahl’s tenure, curatorial priorities emphasized both acquisition and access. A central objective involved expanding the collection while also increasing its digital availability.
“Over the past 20 years that I’ve been here, we’ve gotten about 20,000 coins cataloged and online,” Stahl said.
Building the Collection
Much of the collection’s growth has come through alumni donations. At the same time, Stahl regularly attended auctions to pursue material aligned with Princeton’s teaching and research needs. While the collection maintained its own acquisitions budget, Stahl occasionally secured external funding from academic departments, particularly for rare or costly material.
Acquisition timelines could extend well beyond the auction floor. Stahl cited one instance in which a group of German coins purchased in December 2024 arrived nearly a year later due to federally imposed tariffs.
Reflecting on the collection’s expansion since 2004, Stahl identified the Wu collection of Chinese coins as an early milestone. Donated by an alumnus, the collection spans Chinese coinage from its earliest forms through the 20th century.
He also oversaw the acquisition of a substantial group of Crusader coins, as well as two large assemblages of Byzantine material. Stahl stated that Princeton claims to hold the largest collection of Byzantine coinage in the world, a claim reflecting the scale of these holdings.
Scholarship and Student Engagement
Stahl holds a Ph.D. in history from the University of Pennsylvania, specializing in archaeology and art history. Before joining Princeton, he worked at the American Numismatic Society, where he developed expertise across Greek, Roman, Islamic, and Chinese coinage.
In 2010, the Royal Numismatic Society awarded Stahl its medal for his book Zecca: The Mint of Venice in the Middle Ages.
Teaching and student engagement remained central to his work at Princeton. Over a 22-year period, Stahl met regularly with more than two dozen classes and precepts, often focused on Greek, Roman, East Asian, Near Eastern, and art history topics. He also lectured in the Departments of Art and Archaeology, Classics, and History, teaching courses on medieval history, Italian city-states, international commerce, and medieval democracy.
Faculty members emphasized his impact on student learning. Associate Professor Jack Tannous highlighted Stahl’s ability to bring historical material to life, while Teresa Shawcross and Harriet Flower praised his commitment to accessibility and scholarly rigor.
Looking Ahead
After leaving Princeton, Stahl plans to continue his research, including further work on Venice. He recently published a book examining a 14th-century Venetian family.
At present, Princeton University has not announced whether the curatorial position will be continued. Spokespeople for the Departments of Classics and History did not provide comment before publication.
Prior to reading this article, I was not aware that Princeton University collected such items, nor that it retained someone with a PhD to oversee its collection.