5th Plate, Featuring 10 Coins Issued by European Princes in the 16th and 17th centuries, from Les Monnaies (The Currencies)

Art Historical Context

This etching by Jacques Callot and Israel Silvestre, created around 1630, belongs to the series *Les Monnaies* (The Currencies). It presents ten meticulously rendered coins issued by European princes during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. Working in the medium of etching, the artists captured the intricate details of each coin’s obverse and reverse, transforming numismatic artifacts into a cohesive visual record. Callot, renowned for his precise line work and technical mastery, brought a sense of clarity and elegance to these small-scale objects, while Silvestre’s contributions helped expand the project’s scope. The print reflects a growing seventeenth-century fascination with collecting and studying coins as both historical documents and works of art. By grouping specimens from various European courts, the plate offers viewers a miniature treasury that connects political power, portraiture, and metallurgy across regions. Its careful arrangement encourages close looking, inviting museum visitors to appreciate how these everyday objects of exchange also served as portable symbols of authority and cultural identity. Today housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Department of Drawings and Prints, the etching demonstrates how printmaking democratized access to rare coins, allowing scholars and enthusiasts to study them without handling the originals.

About the Artist

Jacques Callot|Israel Silvestre · 1592–1635

Jacques Callot (1592–1635) was a French printmaker and draftsman from the Duchy of Lorraine, widely regarded as one of the first great artists to practice the graphic arts exclusively. His more than 1,400 etchings chronicled the breadth of 17th-century life, from Medici court festivities to the brutal realities of warfare. Callot revolutionized etching through technical innovations including the é...