History of the prize
The award commemorates Derek Fortrose Allen (1910-1975), elected a Fellow in 1963, who served from 1969 to 1973 as Secretary of the Academy and from then until his death as Treasurer. It was founded in 1976 by his widow, Mrs Winifred Allen, and her sons to provide an award in one of three academic fields in which Mr Allen had particular interest. The prize was first awarded in 1977.

2023 winner

Professor Joe Cribb has been awarded the 2023 Derek Allen Prize for his outstanding contribution to the discipline of numismatics. In particular for his expertise and wide range in Asian numismatics, from the Far East via South and Southeast Asia to the Greek and later coinages of Bactria. His focus on the coinage of the Kushans and their successors, the Kushano-Sasanians and Kidarites, has led to a greatly improved understanding of the history of Afghanistan and adjacent regions in the early centuries CE.

Joe Cribb is a specialist in the monetary history of Asia. He worked as a curator of Asian currencies at the British Museum for forty years before retiring 2010 as the Head of its Department of Coins and Medals. Throughout his career he has been committed to making the Museum's numismatic collections internationally accessible and to training young numismatists from around the world. Since his retirement he has become an adjunct professor of numismatics at Hebei Normal University, Shijiazhuang, and a trustee of the Ancient Indian and Iran Trust, Cambridge

He has authored and edited books on Chinese, Indonesian and Central and South Asian currencies and history, and introductory books on coins. He has also written many articles on Asian coins and numismatic practice. He has curated major exhibitions at the British Museum and Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge University. He is former President of the Royal Numismatic Society, London, and former Secretary General of the Oriental Numismatic Society.

His contributions to numismatics have been recognized by the medals of the Royal Numismatic Society, London, the American Numismatic Society, New York and the Indian Numismatic Society, Varanasi. He has also been honoured by Hebei Normal University, the Ashmolean Museum, the Institute of Silk Road Studies, Kamakura, and the Austrian Numismatic Society, Vienna.

Joe's current research is on the Kushan dynasty in Central and South Asia, the history of numismatic research in Japan and the relationship between money and art.

To read the complete article, see:
Derek Allen Prize(https://www.thebritishacademy.ac.uk/prizes-medals/derek-allen-prize/)

See also:
Joe Cribb is the 2023 Derek Allen Prize Winner(https://new.coinsweekly.com/news/joe-cribb-is-the-2023-derek-allen-prize-winner/)