South Asian Coins in the UK and Proactive Repatriation & Justice-Seeking

The Story of South Asian coins in UK Museums

In this talk, Shreya Gupta will outline the history of coin collecting in colonial India, discussing how British civil service and military men got interested in collecting and studying Indian coins during their postings in India. Influenced by their background in Classics, they formed huge collections of 'Greek-looking' coins which, on their return to the UK, they deposited in the Ashmolean, the British Museum and the Fitzwilliam. Shreya will recount the story of their journey to UK museums in this lecture.

This talk will be presented by Shreya Gupta, University of Exeter and Ashmolean Museum, Oxford

Shreya is a third year PhD student at the University of Exeter and the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford. Shreya is working on the AHRC funded Collaborative Doctorial Project 'Decolonising Collections: Investigating Knowledge Formation Networks in Colonial India'. In her research she studies the role of Indian actors in creating coin collections now housed in UK museums as well as the role of networks of British and Indian actors in producing knowledge on Indian history and numismatics on their basis.

Edinburgh University’s Anatomical Museum’s “Skull Room” holds the cranial remains of nearly 1800 individuals, stolen by phrenologists, anatomists and graduate students in the 19th and 20th centuries. This lecture reflects on a collaborative project of reparative justice that sought to reconnect First Nations and Inuit ancestors to their living descendants. It explores the importance of proactive repatriation and knowledge-sharing with descendant communities, the challenges of working with incomplete provenance, and the responsibilities inherent in bearing witness to colonial collections by researchers and academic institutions.

This talk will be presented by Nicole Anderson, University of Edinburgh

Nicole Anderson (she/her) is a doctoral candidate in Social Anthropology at the University of Edinburgh, and was recently appointed as Curator of the Americas at National Museums Scotland. She has a Masters degree in Social Justice Education from the University of Toronto. Her doctoral research involved facilitating the first proactive repatriation of ancestral (human) remains at the University of Edinburgh’s Anatomical Museum by connecting First Nations and Inuit ancestors to their living descendants. Her other research interests include anti-colonial pedagogies, care ethics and the politics of emotion.

These talks will be followed by a Q&A. Attendees are also welcome to stay for a free drinks reception from approximately 7pm where you can discuss the lecture and other interests with the speakers, Society Fellows and other attendees.

This will be a hybrid event which will take place both in Augustine United Church and online. Please keep an eye on the Society website, e-newsletters and your email inbox for the latest news and further information on Society events.

The Society has a zero-tolerance policy on harassment and bullying.

All attendees are requested to act with respect to one another during this hybrid event.

Anyone making comments which we believe to be inappropriate (e.g. offensive or abusive) will be removed from the event immediately. Equivalent procedures (e.g. with regard to spam) will apply online.

Please note, the hearing loop facility at Augustine United Church is currently unavailable. The venue is working to get this fixed as soon as possible. We apologise for any inconvenience caused.

The main entrance to the church is up four steps with a handrail.

Step free access is available via a door to the right of the building - please ring the bell for attention. Please note there is a tight turn in this passageway.

A standard accessible toilet is available on the ground floor and lower level (accessible via lift).

Assistance dogs are allowed inside the venue.

If attending via Zoom, captions are included.

You can find further information on Accessibility here.

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Header image credit: View of exhibition hall in the Medical School at Edinburgh University, Teviot Place, Edinburgh, 1895, courtesy of HES and Gold ‘Zodiacal’ Mohur of Jahangir (r.1605-1627) © Ashmolean Museum  

Host or Publisher Society of Antiquaries of Scotland