The Callataÿ’ file of counterfeit Greek coins
The file of counterfeit Greek coins transmitted in 2023 to the center established in Sofia was created in the 1990s by François de Callataÿ, after his arrival at the Coin Cabinet of the Royal Library of Belgium (Brussels).
With 1,242 counterfeit Greek coins, the Coin Cabinet in Brussels may possess the largest collection of its kind among museum institutions worldwide. This collection is mainly the result of two massive donations generously made by professional numismatists: Paul Tinchant, through regular shipments between 1935 and 1952, and Druso Franceschi on January 30, 1992 (Inv. II 80.482: 101 counterfeit Greek coins).
Convinced of the importance of studying counterfeits and aware of the significant resources of the Brussels coin cabinet in this regard, François de Callataÿ undertook in the early 1990s to create a comprehensive file that gathers specimens from various backgrounds. Targeted photographic campaigns focused on Greek counterfeits were conducted in a series of major coin cabinets: London and Oxford in the summer of 1992, Paris in March 1993, Vienna in October 1994, Cambridge in January 1995, and New York in the summer of 1995.
To this rich material, the analysis of literature was naturally added. The works of famous forgers such as Becker, Caprara, and Christodoulos contributed to the database. Other publications were also utilized. Unsurprisingly, the richest source proved to be the Bulletin on Counterfeits. The Callataÿ’s file also includes, albeit in a limited and non-systematic manner, counterfeits published in sales catalogues or personal communications. In total, the file of counterfeit Greek coins contains 2,496 entries.
For more information, see Fr. de Callataÿ, “The Cabinet of Medals in Brussels and the Counterfeit Greek Coins,” Schweizerisches Numismatische Rundschau, 88, 2009, pp. 289-297.
Achaean League – 1 card 
Achaios – 1 card 
Aegina – 9 cards 
Amastris – 2 cards 
Amisos – 1 card 
Arcadia – 1 card 
Areos of Sparta – 1 card 
Argos – 10 cards 
Athens – 52 cards 
Corinth – 44 cards 
Corinthe ou Leucas – 19 cards 
Corinthia – 28 cards 
Dia – 1 card 
Dia or Dium – 1 card 
Eleans – 1 card 
Elis – 5 cards 
Elis-Lysimachos – 1 card 
Elis-Olympia – 28 cards 
Epidauros – 4 cards 
Heraia – 2 cards 
Heraclea – 6 cards 
Hermione – 2 cards 
Kleitor – 3 cards 
Lacedaemon – 2 cards 
Lysimachos – 11 cards