« ... e non vi vien voglia di venir a veder tante gran cose delle quali son certo che ne resterete pago? ». Fortunato Mandelli (1728-1797) : collections et correspondances numismatiques

At present, Fortunato Mandelli (1728-1797) is almost unknown or just mentioned in some sporadic notes about the collecting of ancient coins in Venice during the second half of the Eighteenth century. The research in several archives, on the contrary, has revealed a quite reserved person with a special interest in numismatics. On the one side, he had his own collection and, on the other side, he followed the formation of those of some of his contemporaries, such as Giacomo Gradenigo, Antonio Savorgnan, Tommaso degli Obizzi, and in particular that of Giacomo Nani of St. Trovaso. Mandelli exchanged many letters and had contacts also with other distinguished savants as Annibale degli Abbati Olivieri, Simone Assemani, Girolamo Ascanio Molin, Mariangelo Fiacchi and Giovanni Cristofano Amaduzzi. In order to construct his solid knowledge of ancient coins he elaborated a scheme of classification based especially on the observation of coin reverses, through it he managed to identify different regions and mints. This methodology was probably applied for the catalogue of Giacomo Nani’s collection: an enormous work, very detailed, a real iconographic lexicon with full indices and bibliographical references that may consent to reconstruct, at least ideally, a great part of this famous collection. Above all emerges his strong attitude for the scientific classification which was developed in two big manuscripts, a concrete proof of the aims and methods that he shared with other numismatics of his time.