Leonard Forrer or Leonhard Forrer (7 November 1869,

Winterthur Winterthur (; ) is a city in the canton of Zurich in northern Switzerland. With over 120,000 residents, it is the country's List of cities in Switzerland, sixth-largest city by population, as well as its ninth-largest agglomeration with about 14 ...

, Switzerland – 17 November 1953,

Bromley Bromley is a large town in Greater London, England, within the London Borough of Bromley. It is southeast of Charing Cross, and had an estimated population of 88,000 as of 2023. Originally part of Kent, Bromley became a market town, charte ...

, United Kingdom) was a Swiss-born

numismatist A numismatist is a specialist, researcher, and/or well-informed collector of numismatics, numismatics/coins ("of coins"; from Late Latin , genitive of ). Numismatists can include collectors, specialist dealers, and scholar-researchers who use coi ...

and coin dealer. He was later naturalised as a British subject. Herbert A. Cahn: ''Leonard Forrer senior †''. In: ''Schweizer Münzblätter'' 4, 1954, S. 71-72

Life

He came to study in England in 1887 and two years later began working for Spink and Son, an art dealer's in London. He soon became responsible for their sales of coins and medals and developed that sector of their business to a world-class level. From 1893 onwards he was editor of the Numismatic Circular. As well as several other publications and numismatic catalogues, he was most notable for his eight-volume biographical dictionary of medallists and mint magistrates from classical antiquity to 1900, still an important work. In 1944 he was awarded the

medal of the Royal Numismatic Society The Medal of the Royal Numismatic Society was first awarded in 1883. It is awarded by the Royal Numismatic Society and is one of the highest markers of recognition given to numismatists. The president and Council award the medal annually to an "in ...

. His sons Leonard Steyning Forrer (1895–1968) and Rudolph Forrer (1896–1974) also became coin dealers.

Publications

* ''Biographical dictionary of medallists, coin-, gem-, and seal-engravers, mint-masters, etc. ancient and modern. With references to their works, B. C. 500 – A. D. 1900.'' London 1902–1930. 6 volumi. *
Volume 1, (A–D), 1904
(University of Michigan) *
Volume 2, (E–H), 1907
(Internet Archive) (not «1907», but 1904!) *
Volume 3, (I–Maz), 1907
(Internet Archive) *
Volume 4, (M.B.–Q), 1909
(Internet Archive) *
Volume 5, (R–S), 1912
(Internet Archive) *
Volume 6, (T–Z), 1916
(Internet Archive) ** Supplement: ''Biographical notices of medallists...'' London 1924–1930. 2 volumes. *** reprint of all 8 volumes: London 1979–1981, , . *** with J. S. Martin: ''Index to Leonard Forrer's Biographical Dictionary of Medallists''. London 1987.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Forrer, Leonard 1869 births 1953 deaths Swiss numismatists British numismatists British people of Swiss descent People from Winterthur Swiss emigrants to the United Kingdom