Thomas Snelling


Thomas Snelling was an English numismatist.

Life

He carried on business as a coin dealer and bookseller at No. 163 Fleet Street, next the Horn Tavern. His name often occurs as a purchaser at London coin-sales about 1766, and among his numismatic customers was William Hunter the anatomist.
He died on 2 May 1773, and his son, Thomas Snelling, carried on business as a printseller at 163 Fleet Street, and published posthumously two of his father's works.
Snelling's coins, medals, and antiques were sold by auction at Langford's, Covent Garden, 21–24 Jan. 1774. The coins were principally Greek and Roman, but none of the lots fetched high prices.
There are three portrait medals of Snelling in the British Museum, by G. Rawle, L. Pingo, and Kirk. A portrait of him was drawn and engraved by John Thane, 1770, and William Tassie made a medallion of him. There is also a medallion in the Tassie series of his daughter, Miss Snelling.

Works

Snelling wrote and published many treatises on British coins. The plates of his View of the Silver Coin … of England are coarsely executed, but Edward Hawkins praised them for their fidelity. On the title-pages and plates of his books Snelling usually inserted the advertisement: "Who buys and sells all sorts of coins and medals."
Snelling's works are as follows: