The University of Milan's coin collection and the challenges of digitalizing numismatic heritage in Italy

In the 1970s, with the patronage of the “Istituto di Storia Antica” of the University of Milan, professor Ernesto Bernareggi - driven by a commitment to object-based learning that aimed to bridge the gap between students and the physical objects of their study - began assembling a coin collection that today comprises nearly 500 specimens. The defining feature of this small collection is its variety, which unfolds in two directions: the denominations, diversified by metal and size, allow to define the economic function and the purposes of ancient coinage; at the same time, the typological varieties and the diverse geographical provenance of the coins enable an approach to the ancient world from a multitude of perspectives. Over the decades, the collection has been used for the very purpose for which it was assembled; most recently, between 2021 and 2024, the teaching workshop “LabNum: building a digital numismatic museum” was organized. The title of this workshop reflects the precise objective that the Chair of Ancient Numismatics intends to pursue in the near future. The digitalization of the University’s coin collection presents several logistical and methodological challenges, particularly within the Italian context which still lacks robust infrastructure and established benchmarks, as the digitalization of numismatic heritage - across both national and civic museums and the rare university collections of this kind - is still in its infancy. Drawing upon international best practices of digitalization in the field of numismatics, this paper seeks to establish some “guidelines” for an effective digitalization. It proposes a model that begins with educational practice and culminates in the development of content that is accessible to both academic specialists and the wider public.