Ancient Coins from the Collection of the Late Robert Erskine

Hon. Robert William Hervey Erskine

The Hon. Robert William Hervey Erskine was born on the 13th October 1930, to Lord John Francis Ashley Erskine and Lady Marjorie Erskine (née Hervey). His early years were spent between London, Madras - where his father served as governor between 1934 and 1940 - and Ickworth House, his mother’s family seat. An education at Eton ensured a good grounding in the arts, aesthetics and history. Coins however, came first. Even as a boy at Summerfields, Robert had begun to collect. From the start this was no mere process of habitual accumulation, but rather a serious academic pursuit. His scholarship at Cambridge - to read archaeology at King’s - was won through a demonstration of his prodigious knowledge of Anglo-Saxon coinage. If only such a thing were still possible today!

Following his studies Robert went on to explore other fields. He founded the influential St George’s Gallery Prints, helping to inspire a revival of the British printmaking scene. Alongside this he pursued an ad-hoc career as a collector-cum-dealer in antiquities. This pursuit culminated in the discovery and reconstruction of the famed Sophilos vase, a signed...