Eustachijus Tiškevičius ir numizmatika : tęsiant sąlyčio taškų paiešką
LTReikšminiai žodžiai: E. Tiškevičius; Kolekcija; Lietuvos nacionalinis muziejus; Numizmatika; Tiškevičius E.; Vilniaus senienų muziejus; Collection; E. Tyszkiewicz; Lithuania; National Museum of Lithuania; Numismatic; Numismatics; Tyszkiewicz E.; Vilnius Museum of Antiquities.
ENMore than two decades ago, the numismatist of the National Museum of Lithuania Vincas Ruzas compiled a catalogue Eustachijus Tiškevičius ir numizmatika ("Eustachy Tyszkiewicz and Numismatics", Vilnius, 1990), in which the numismatic collection of Eustachy Tyszkiewicz (and the Vilnius Museum of Antiquities) was discussed, the count himself was presented as a researcher of medals, and memorial medals dedicated to him were listed. How ever, archival data and new publications have provided additional information. Tyszkiewicz grew up in the Lahoysk manor, where the collections of his parents, Pius Tyszkiewicz (1756-1858) and Augusta z Platerow Tyszkiewiczowa (1782 1834), were held and fostered. While attending the Vilnius gymnasium, he was attracted by the monuments of material culture, visited various cabinets of Vilnius University, and quite possibly even got acquainted with its diverse numismatic collection exhibited in the library. When creating a public museum in Vilnius, Tyszkiewicz compiled a list of the collected "rarities", which had to become the nucleus of the museum. The list contained 2,062 coins and medals, of which 829 items were Lithuanian and Polish. Most probably at some point the count was planning to give his entire collection to the museum, as the inscription about his gift initially read "Zbior 300 monet i medali [sic!] zlotych i srebrnych" ("A collection of 300 coins and medals, gold and silver"); however, later the word Zbior ("collec tion") was crossed out. The fact that at first he assigned only 300 items to the Vilnius Museum of Antiquities might have been determined by the circumstance that the newly established institution received abundant gifts from other patrons. For example, the collection donated by Michal Tyszkiewicz (1828-1897) consisted of 1,000 items. It is not known what coins and medals were included in Eustachy Tyszkiewicz's collection.It also remains unclear if the number 2,062 also included 1,140 coins and medals, which are mentioned in the collection of the Lahoysk manor in 1853-1855. In 1858, the numismatic collection of the Vilnius Museum of Antiquities had 3,247 coins and med als, and this number grew to 8,110 in 1865. Numismatic items were held in ten glass boxes, sealed with Tyszkiewicz's seal. Duplicates and prints of medals and coins were held in a wooden chest with pull out drawers decorated with the counts coat of arms. It is known that during the museums reorganisation 5,995 numismatic objects were taken to the Rumyantsev Museum. The lists of 1865 found in the Manuscript Department of the Library of Vilnius University allow us to reconstruct, although partly, the structure of the collection. The documents have not survived in full, but we can see that the collection contained not less than 843 coins of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, the Kingdom of Poland, and the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth from the late 10th - late 18th centuries, of which six silver ingots and 188 coins were from the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. Although no gold coins were found among the Lithuanian coins, there were several valuable items: three grouts of Sigismund Augustus of 1566 with a motto, a counterstamped half-thaler of Naples of Philip II, and 6 grouts of Augustus II of 1706. Among the Polish coins and coins of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth were 15 gold coins, 1 double thaler, and 25 thalers. Of the latter, the following items are valuable: a thaler of 1580, a half-ducat of 1660, a double thaler of Gdansk of 1650, 2 ducats of Torun of 1665, a 5-ducat coin of 1733, etc. 1,050 duplicates of Lithuanian and Polish coins were registered.Tyszkiewicz devoted more attention to collecting numismatic objects than their research and publishing. As few as two of his works are dedicated to so called pure numismatics, and in others he analyses this topic in the context of archaeology. In his article "O kilku nowo odkrytych monetach litewskich" ("On Several Recently Found Lithuanian Coins") (Athenaeum, 1845, t. 4, p. 5-22) published in 1845, he analysed the images on the coins, described the finds, discussed Lithuanian numismatic terms, and published Vytautas's penny of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania of 1843 and a hoard of Casimirsdinars found in 1844. However, the author of the article could not avoid errors and romanticising, which was quite typical of that period. Numismatics received some attention in his ar chaeological works Rzutoka na zrzodla archeologii krajowej ("A Glimpse into the Country's Archaeological Sources", Vilnius, 1842) and Badania archeologiczne ("Archaeological Excavations", Vilnius, 1850). In the first work, where numismatics is described chronologically from "bracteates" to Napoleons I coins, coin finds are briefly discussed, the reasons of their spread are analysed, etc. In the second work, which is important because of the publication of 5 silver bars found in Veliuona, numismatics is presented as a composite part of archaeology as a branch of science. Tyszkiewicz encountered numismatic finds while carrying out archaeological excavations, e.g. exploring the ruins of the Kiszka Palace in Markučiai near Vilnius in 1853 together with Adam Honory Kirkor (1818-1886). [...]. [From the publication]
