Praise of numismatics. Elogium nummophiliae
Damiano Cappellari
Publisher : AlboVersorio
Year of issue: 2015
Pages: 200 p., Ill. , Paperback
EAN: 9788899029111

The goal of this work is the praise of numismatics, but perhaps more than nummophilia, which is the vibrant vibration of joy that shines in the eyes and waves in the chest of the nummophiles (thatis, antique coin amateurs). Damiano Cappellari, in an original way, tells centuries of history in which the passion for coins accounted for more money

For more information, or to order, see:
Elogio della numismatica. Elogium nummophiliae (https://www.ibs.it/elogio-della-numismatica-elogium-nummophiliae-libro-damiano-cappellari/e/9788899029111)

Do you know Guillaume Apollinaire's 'The Flâneur of Paris'? At the beginning of the 20th century, artists still took the time to wander through their urban environment without any particular aim,to be inspired by their surroundings, to gather impressions. And sometimes they immortalized this strolling in a literal form, as Apollinaire did. I felt reminded of this when I read the curious book'Elogio della numismatica' by Damiano Cappellari.

Right at the start, I noticed two things. Firstly, the table of contents doesn't reveal any content structure. And secondly, the book is written in an Italian language that is often poetic,sometimes self-mocking, and always sounds like a slightly out of date scholarly high-level language, recalling the great masters of the past.

In his second book, the young Italian explains why he wants to distinguish between 'numismatics' and 'nummophilia': While numismatics can also be pursued as pure science without any emotions, withnummophilia he rather emphasizes the enthusiasm for coins that opens up whole new worlds for the relevant followers. By that the author of course polemizes. Yet you don't hold this against him forthere is one element that runs through his book like a recurring theme, so undividedly excited and exciting: the love for coins.

The quotations make it clear - this is not a numismatic book, which can be classified according to any common pattern. It thrives on its enchanting language and can be described more appropriatelyon the basis of what it does not do: This Elogium is not an introduction to numismatics, no analysis of a historical subject-matter, not a manual or a catalog. It's nothing less than a declaration oflove. And similarly to the love between people, within the front cover and the back, this booklet evidences that the love for coins also has no meaning (and doesn't have to have), it simply is.

To read the complete CoinsWeekly article, see:
Praise of coin enthusiasm or: strolling through the world ofnumismatics (http://www.coinsweekly.com/en/News/Praise-of-coin-enthusiasm-or-strolling-through-the-world-of-numismatics/4?&id=4718)

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