Publications of the Clan Lindsay Society - Electric Scotland

80 JOHN LINDSAY, THE NUMISMATIST.
never practised. ITe devoted himself instead to the
more congenial study of liistory, arclueoh)gy, and
numismatology, until he became, of the last subject
at least, perhaps the greatest master of his time.
His remarkable taste for ancient coins showed
itself when he was quite young, and in later years he
used to point out with pride among his numismatic
treasures the very respectable C(jllection of (Iveek,
Roman, and Saxon coins that he had formed while
yet a boy. After a while he begun to contribute
papers on this and kindred subjects to the Gentleman's
Magazine and other periodicals. His correspondence
with collectors through Europe steadily grew, and as
years went on he was acknowledged to be one of
the most learned and accurate authorities on coins
then living. He was a good classical scholar, and
united wide historical reading with a remarkably
retentive memory. He was a very considerable expert
on most branches of archaeology, but numismatics most
fascinated him, and his other studies chiefly interested
him by their bearing on that. Throughout his long
life he continued to add to his own collection, until
at the age of 78, yielding to the wishes of his family,
he consented to the sale at Sotheby's in London, of
the greater portion of it.
His first, and to his countrymen his most interest-
ing work, was published in 1839. Like all its suc-
cessors, it was printed and illustrated in Cork. Its
title was A Vieio of the Coinayc of Ireland from the
Invasion of the Danes to the Reiyn of Geonje IV., ivith
some account of Ihny Money, and Tables, Lists, and
Descriptions of IIiherno-Danish and Irish Coins, with