Largest numismatists of France and the world

According to Les Echos, there would be more than 80,000 numismatists in France. Those study and collect the coins. Passion for the history, artistic interest, simple leisure… The motivations are numerous and the collectors too! But which is the most known numismatists? Here portraits of the largest numismatists of France and the world.
Numismatics as of the Rebirth

Famous collectors:

With the Rebirth, the cabinets of the currencies were very in vogue. Among the famous collectors of this time, were Christine of Sweden, Pétrarque, the Médicis family of Florence, the pope Paul III or Charles VI of the Holy roman Empire. For this time, other collectors have marked the history:

European numismatists

- Hans Sloane (1660 - 1753), doctor, naturalist and numismatist Irish. Its collections of coins (among so much of other collections) were bequeathed to the nation after its death. They are at the origin of British Museum.
- Joseph Pilgrim (1684 - 1782), French numismatist. This former general intendant of the French Armies contributed to the development of the numismatics thanks to his writings of a high degree of accuracy. Whereas it became gradually blind, it continued to be devoted to its passion by touching the parts.
- William Hunter (1718 - 1783), surgeon of Georges III, king of the United Kingdom and Hanover. The anatomist and Scottish doctor were impassioned by the ancient coins. The king Georges III had given him an Athenian gold coin besides! The Hunter Corner Collection, exposed to Hunterian Museum of London, is one of the most important collections of coins in the world.
- Victor Emmanuel III (1869 - 1947), former king d' Italie. This last published the Corpus Nummorum Italicorum, a work in 20 volumes where are classified and described the Italian coins. It also received the medal of Royal Numismatic Society in 1904. Lastly, Victor Emmanuel II emitted coins in limited edition and only intended for the numismatists. Bequeathed to the Italian people according to his will, its collection of coins is currently exposed to the basement of Palazzo Massimo Terme ale of Rome.
 - Ernest Babelon (1854 - 1924), librarian, historian and numismatist French. It occupied of the important stations such as assistant editor of the cabinet of the medals and director of the numismatic Review. Ernest Babelon encouraged the modern numismatics.
 - Rainier III (1923 - 2005), former sovereign prince of Monaco. That which one called the “prince builder” plays a decisive part in the radiation of the currency of the principality. Impassioned by the numismatics, it privileged small pullings and encouraged the emission of collector's items. A museum of the stamps and currencies are opened with the public in Monaco

Known American numismatists

- Nelson Bunker Hunt (1926 - 2014), chief of an American oil company. Nelson and his brother William Herbet Hunt held an immense collection of coins. Kimball Art Museum, in Texas, organized a traditional exposition with their collection in 1983: this one included more than 100 old coins. Following a personal bankruptcy, the two brothers were forced to put at the biddings their collections coins Greek, Roman, Byzantine or Islamic. The price reached 30 million dollars.