Robert Anthony "Tony" Merson (1950âÂÂ2016) was a British numismatist and philatelist, with a particular interest in the coins of medieval France.
Life
Robert Anthony Merson F.C.A. was born on 22 May 1950. He attended Farnham Grammar School, 1961âÂÂ1968. He was an accountant by profession, but is better known for his contribution to numismatics and philately. He was an active member of numismatic and philatelic communities, and a member of several specialist learned societies, including the British Numismatic Society (from 1970, silver membership medal, 1970), the Royal Numismatic Society (from 1973, Honorary Fellow from 1999), the Société française de numismatique, and was chairman and honorary treasurer of the Surrey Postal History Group. He was particularly knowledgeable about medieval French coins, and made a significant contribution to the study of the gros tournois (published in The Gros Tournois, Oxford 1997). He died on 24 December 2016.
Publications
Source:
Abbreviations: BNJ = British Numismatic Journal (British Numismatic Society) // BSFN = Bulletin de la Société française de Numismatique // NC = Numismatic Chronicle (Royal Numismatic Society) // NCirc = Numismatic Circular (Spink & Son Ltd) // SCMB = Seaby's Coin & Medal Bulletin, Seaby Coin & Medal Bulletin (B. A. Seaby Ltd)
- 1971a Exhibitions: âÂÂLe Trésor des PiratesâÂÂ, a series of uniface reproductions..., BNJ 40 (1971), 192.
- 1972a Exhibitions: âÂÂAnglo-Gallicâ¦âÂÂ; âÂÂBritanny [i.e. Brittany]â¦âÂÂ, BNJ 41 (1972), 207.
- 1974a Exhibitions: âÂÂFrench feudal coins attributed to Nicholas BriotâÂÂ, BNJ 44 (1974), 94.
- 1974b âÂÂThe Crondall hoard, 1828âÂÂ, Quarterly NewsletterâÂÂFarnham Museum Society, 3 no. 9 (March 1974), 17âÂÂ20; see also 1977f.
- 1974c âÂÂA preliminary note on the Farnham seventeenth-century tradersâ tokensâÂÂ, Quarterly NewsletterâÂÂFarnham Museum Society, 3 no. 10 (June 1974), 18âÂÂ19.
- 1974d âÂÂNeatham âÂÂa link with Rome: the restoration of the Temple of Divus AugustusâÂÂ, ibid. 20-21: illus.
- 1975a Exhibitions: âÂÂTwelve jettonsâ¦âÂÂ, BNJ 45 (1975), 112.
- 1975b Exhibitions: âÂÂReproduction of a medal struck⦠France in 1451âÂÂ, BNJ 45 (1975), 115.
- 1975c âÂÂA curious aspect of monetary history: the use of Roman coins in later agesâÂÂ, SCMB no. 680 (April 1975), 115âÂÂ17.
- 1975d âÂÂNoahâÂÂs Ark on coinsâÂÂ, SCMB no. 679 (March 1975), 77âÂÂ78. See also 1976a.
- 1975e âÂÂUn gros de Jean IV de BretagneâÂÂ, BSFN 30 no. 9 (Nov. 1975), 837 fig. B, 839âÂÂ40.
- 1975f âÂÂEmissions de liards sous Louis XIVâÂÂ, BSFN 30 no. 9 (Nov. 1975), 840âÂÂ41.
- 1976a âÂÂMore NoahâÂÂs Arks on coinsâÂÂ, SCMB no. 690 (Feb. 1976), 45âÂÂ46. Cf. 1975d.
- 1976b [A find of clippings in Farnham Park], Farnham Herald, 25 June 1976. [See also 1977d, 1979a].
- 1976c âÂÂJohn PinkertonâÂÂ, SCMB no. 699 (Nov. 1976), 421âÂÂ23.
- 1976d âÂÂLocal numismatics [of Farnham]âÂÂ, SCMB no. 700 (Dec. 1976), 470-74: illus.
- 1977a-b Exhibitions: âÂÂTwo medals, 1. By Paget, 1928; 2. Possibly by P. Metcalfe, 1930âÂÂ, BNJ 47 (1977), 160.
- 1977c âÂÂTwo groats of Edward III with altered diesâÂÂ, BNJ 47 (1977), 159âÂÂ60.
- 1977d âÂÂFarnham, Surrey, England, 1976âÂÂ, Coin Hoards 3 (1977), 134, no. 346. [See also 1976b, 1979a].
- 1977e [1625 list of documents in the Bailiffsâ Accounts], Quarterly NewsletterâÂÂFarnham & District Museum Society, 4 no. 10 (June 1977), p. 193.
- 1977f âÂÂThe Crondall hoardâÂÂ1828âÂÂ, SCMB no. 705 (May 1977), 173âÂÂ7; reprinted from 1974b with an appendix.
- 1977g-h âÂÂPlus ça changeâÂÂ, SCMB no. 711 (Nov. 1977), 388âÂÂ90; no. 712 (Dec. 1977), 424âÂÂ25.
- 1978a Exhibitions: âÂÂA medallion of Sir Isaac NewtonâÂÂ, BNJ 48 (1978), 143.
- 1978b âÂÂThe coinage of France in the Middle AgesâÂÂ, NewsletterâÂÂLondon Numismatic Club, 6 no. 14 (July 1978), 305âÂÂ11.
- 1978c-d âÂÂ"WellingtonâÂÂs mint": coinage and the Peninsular WarâÂÂ, SCMB no. 721 (Sep. 1978), 272âÂÂ74; no. 722 (Oct. 1978), 302âÂÂ05.
- 1979a-b âÂÂA small hoard of clippings from Farnham Park, [and], Alderwasley, Derbys.âÂÂ, BNJ 49 (1979), 127âÂÂ28. [See also 1976b, 1977d].
- 1979c âÂÂA Tudor brass on the tomb of an auditorâ¦âÂÂ, BNJ 49 (1979), 140.
- 1979d Exhibitions: âÂÂThe 25th Anniversary medal of Southampton Numismatic SocietyâÂÂ, BNJ 49 (1979), 141.
- 1979e âÂÂFarnham, Middle Church Lane: â¦the coin weightâÂÂ, Quarterly NewsletterâÂÂFarnham & District Museum Society, 5 no. 6 (June 1979), 104âÂÂ06: illus.
- 1979f âÂÂA borough inventory of 1662âÂÂ, Quarterly NewsletterâÂÂFarnham & District Museum Society, 5 no. 7 (Sept. 1979), 136âÂÂ37.
- 1979g âÂÂA vieil heaume dâÂÂor of Louis de Maele of Flanders in copper?âÂÂ, NCirc 87 (1979), 292.
- 1979h âÂÂA bronze medal of the London InstitutionâÂÂ, NCirc 87 (1979), 500âÂÂ01.
- 1979i âÂÂLouis XVIII 1815R 20 francsâÂÂ, SCMB no. 733 (Sep. 1979), 293 (Letters to the editor, from the press, etc.).
- 1980a âÂÂMaterial for the study of seventeenth-century Farnham: Harley MS 6166, art. 35, ff. 119âÂÂ120âÂÂ, Quarterly NewsletterâÂÂFarnham & District Museum Society, 5 no. 11 (Sept. 1980), 8âÂÂ10: illus.
- 1980b âÂÂHere we go round to MabberleyâÂÂs "Bush"? : notes on a Farnham seventeenth-century token issuerâÂÂ, Quarterly NewsletterâÂÂFarnham & District Museum Society, 5 no. 11 (Sept. 1980), 229âÂÂ37.
- 1982a âÂÂExcavations at Park Row, Farnham, Surrey: the coinâÂÂ, Surrey Archaeological Collections, 73 (1982), 112.
- 1982b âÂÂLead tokens: an introductionâÂÂ, Quarterly NewsletterâÂÂFarnham & District Museum Society, 6 no. 7 (Sept. 1982), 151âÂÂ52.
- 1983a âÂÂThe history, architecture and archaeology of JohnsonâÂÂs Corner, Alton: the coins and tokensâÂÂ, Proceedings of the Hampshire Field Club and Archaeological Society, 39 (1983), frames 50âÂÂ51; summary, p. 104.
- 1984a âÂÂUn monnayage anglo-breton au XIVe siècle?âÂÂ, BSFN 39 no. 6 (juin 1984: Journées Numismatiques, Le Havre), 508-11: illus.
- 1986a âÂÂQuelques monnaies rares de Châteaudun et de VendômeâÂÂ, BSFN 41 no. 6 (juin 1986: Journées Numismatiques, Châteaudun), 66-67: illus.
- 1990a âÂÂThe coins and tokens from Borelli YardâÂÂ, in: Excavations at Borelli Yard, Farnham, Surrey, 1985âÂÂ86, [by] Nicholas Riall & Valerie Shelton-Bunn [Farnham, 1990], pp. 31âÂÂ34.
- 1990b-c âÂÂDr G. C. Williamson and GuildfordâÂÂ, SCMB no. 851 (June 1990), 137âÂÂ39; 852 (July/Aug 1990), 165âÂÂ68.
- 1992a âÂÂLe piéfort au Moyen-Age: nouveaux piéforts de deniers tournois de Saint Louis et dâÂÂEudes IV de BourgogneâÂÂ, BSFN 47 (Sept. 1992), 393âÂÂ95.
- 1997a-b The Gros Tournois: proceedings of the fourteenth Oxford symposium on coinage and monetary history, ed. N. J. Mayhew (Oxford: Ashmolean Museum in association with Royal Numismatic Society and Société française de Numismatique). Partial contents:-R. A. Merson, âÂÂThe silver mailles of Philip III (1270-1285) and Philip IV (1285-1314) of FranceâÂÂ, pp. 399âÂÂ419; -R. A. Merson, âÂÂGros tournois: a bibliographyâÂÂ, pp. 467âÂÂ516.
- 1997c âÂÂUne monnaie rare retrouvée: le denier àla tête dite "chinonaise" ou anépigraphique (PA 212) àattribuer àNantes, Xe siècleâÂÂ, BSFN 52 no. 6 (juin 1997: Journées Numismatiques, Tours), 122âÂÂ23.
- 1997d âÂÂDeux deniers rares ou inédits de Richard I, duc de Normandie (942-996)â [par] Merson (R. A.), Woodhead (P.), BSFN 52 no. 6 (juin 1997), 123-25: illus.
- 1997e âÂÂA propos du tournois dâÂÂor àla croix (écu dâÂÂor de Saint Louis)âÂÂ, [par] Bompaire (M.), Merson (R. A.), BSFN 52 no. 6 (juin 1997), 125âÂÂ27.
- 1997f âÂÂFragment dâÂÂune trouvaille de guénars tardifs de Charles VI (1380-1422)âÂÂ, BSFN 52 no. 6 (juin 1997), 157-59: illus.
- 1998 âÂÂGros tournois et mailles tierces: essai de classificationâÂÂ, BSFN 53 no. 6 (juin 1998: Journées Numismatiques, Laon), 134âÂÂ39.
- 1999a âÂÂBinding questionâÂÂ, Coin News, 36 no. 7 (July 1999), 59 (Letters to the editor).
- 2001a-b Exhibitions: (1) âÂÂMedallion dated ⦠1833âÂÂ; (2) âÂÂRoyal Mint internal tokensâÂÂ, BNJ 71 (2001), 213.
- 2002a-b Reviews: Marc Bompaire and Françoise Dumas, Numismatique Médiévale; Jean-Paul Divo, Numismatique de Murbach, NC 162 (2002), 453âÂÂ54.
- 2002c Reviews: Roy S. Hanashiro, Thomas William Kinder & the Japanese Imperial Mint, 1868âÂÂ1875, NC 162 (2002), 457âÂÂ60.
- 2015 The London Mint of Constantius and Constantine, [by] Hubert J. Cloke & Lee Toone (London: Spink, 2015): R. A. Merson collection acknowledged, p. 244.
References
External links