Keen collector: coins and medals by Sarah Banks

Sarah Sophia Banks was an English numismatist who collected tokens in addition to coins, and was also interested in printed products (newspaper clippings, engravings, posters). Born in 1744 in the family of William banks, who held a seat in the British Parliament for several years, she worked with her older brother, Joseph banks. Before her death, she left all her coins and other materials to him, which later became an exhibition of the British Museum. Some of the rarities were given to the Royal mint.

In the collection of Sarah banks, collected at the turn of the XVIII and XIX centuries, there were more than 30 thousand copies. Among other things, the number of coins and tokens reached 9 thousand copies. Sarah is described as a woman absorbed in her hobby, who often disregarded the simple rules of politeness and was cut off from the life raging around her. In the collection of Sarah banks, you can find coins from different parts of the world: there are British pennies, Maltese scudos, Bavarian ducats, etc. Her interests intersected with those of her brother, but Sarah's collection still requires a separate approach to study, as it demonstrates an individual approach to the acquisition of interesting specimens.