Design Studies Technologist Crafts Ancient Coin Replicas to Bring History to Life

Rohit Harip, our Creative Technologist within the Design Studies department, worked with the Classics and Ancient History department (University of Warwick) and the Chau Chak Wing Museum (University of Sydney) to create scaled-up physical replicas and accessible digital versions of Ancient Greek and Egyptian coins. The project – which was funded by the Arts and Humanities Impact Fund - aims to raise awareness and educate on the methods to which ancient coins were originally manufactured.

The original coins – some of which were estimated to have been created around 450 BC – are currently preserved in the Chau Chak Wing Museum in Sydney. Using 3D scanning and printing techniques, Rohit created replicas of these coins to a ‘1:3 scale’ (three times their original size) to allow easier observation of the coins’ engravings, which feature hammer-stamped engravings that often contain unique misaligned stamps and other notable human errors due to the stamps originally being hand placed.

The reconstructed coins have been showcased with an accompanying booklet (written by Clare Rowan of the Classics and Ancient History department). 10 boxes of these coins were produced, one of which was kept by the Chau Chak Wing Museum for future exhibitions whilst seven were donated to British schools across the country. The remaining two boxes have been kept by the University of Warwick and will be used in upcoming presentations for educating the general public about the ancient world. This project also plays an important role within museum preservation techniques and protecting ancient artefacts, as using modern technology to create replicas allows museum visitors to learn from and interact with items from the past without risking deterioration from exposure.

Rohit commented:

“Design is deeply contextual, yet we often forget how naturally it can connect with other fields. Through working with Clare, I ended up learning so much about Ancient History, it gave me an opportunity to showcase the impact design can have in bringing the past into the present. This project was a perfect example of how design can translate history into something tangible, engaging, and accessible."

You can access the digital versions of these coins (along with others) here.