The Moens Collection

Now in the spotlight: the Moens collection

Jean Moens was born in Lede on 23 March 1841 and died there on 9 January 1922. By profession, he was a Doctor of Laws and a solicitor, but his passion lay primarily in the past. He remained unmarried and, as a local historian put it, was able to devote himself to his hobby like a monk. The results were impressive: he founded two museums and published his *Promenade archéologique* in 1904–1905.

His method was as direct as it was effective. When the Scheldt was straightened near Wichelen in 1892, and later during dredging works in Wichelen, Schellebelle and Grembergen, Moens stood by the dredgers to buy finds directly from the workers. In addition to excavations, Moens also purchased a great many coins at auctions. After his death, a large proportion of these archaeological treasures disappeared into museums in Aalst and Brussels. In May 1922, at least 1,500 objects were auctioned by Philippe Duprez, the curator of his private museum. But anyone leafing through the catalogue will search in vain for coins. Where had they gone? 

The answer: they remained in the family. The coins stayed with the heirs for decades, and as a result, the accompanying paperwork was also preserved. Moens mainly collected coins from the Burgundian and Spanish Netherlands, with a clear preference for the Bruges mint. In addition, he purchased jetons, tokens, prison coins, coins from antiquity and the Middle Ages and, from the late 1890s onwards, Greek staters as well. He acquired the bulk of his collection in 1874, 1875 and 1876, at auctions in Ghent, Brussels, Antwerp, Leuven, Tournai and Paris. He was a regular customer at Verhulst and Vyt in Ghent and at Olivier and Dupriez in Brussels.