During the interwar period, active cultural life in Vilnius grew, and educated people formed the city’s elite. Among the elites, there were also those who liked and could collect money. One of them was Stefanas Syrwidas (1853–1929), who was distinguished as being a fun, communicative, and friendly person. He was known as a numismatist and a pharmacist. He lived in a multi-apartment building on Vokiečių street, where the Lithuanian Mint was previously located. Symbolically, his place of residence was related to his hobbies. He was particularly interested in coins minted in Vilnius. At the end of the 19th century, he was a member of the Society of Numismatics of Krakow, the Vilnius Society of Lovers of Antiquity and Ethnography, the Vilnius Museum of Science and Art Society, and the Vilnius Medical Society. Part of his collection, related to the Vilnius region, was handed over to the Society of Friends of Science of Vilnius. The further fate of the collection is not clear.
Konstantinas Stašys (1880–1941) was born in Panemunė municipality, in Veseliškės. He graduated from the University of Tartu as a pharmacist. He returned to Lithuania in 1918 and was one of the founders of the Lithuanian Sanitary Aid Society in Vilnius. He worked as an educator at the Vilnius Vytautas Magnus High School, was the chair of the Provisional Lithuanian Committee, and in the last six months prior to the Soviet occupation was a burgomaster of Vilnius. Stašys was one of those people who focused not on the quantity of collections, but on quality, so he focused only on very rare Lithuanian prints, numismatics, and medals. He had about 200 very rare thalers from Spain, Italy, Belgium, and the Netherlands. He also had Lithuanian publications from the 17th–18th centuries. However, in 1936, part of the collection was expropriated and taken away by the occupying authority. There were about 150 unique valuables. The other part went to the Lithuanian SSR History-Ethnography Museum (current Lithuanian National Museum). The dispersion of the collection makes it difficult to learn more about the coins and publications.
.jpeg)
Fig. 1: LNMA, f. b-5, ap. 3, b. 1. Near the tomb of Jonas Basanavičius (on the right in the middle stands Konstantinas Stašys). Vilnius, Rasos cemetery.
.jpg)
.jpg)
Fig. 3. Example of Muhammed Giray IV's akche.
.jpg)
Fig. 4. Example of Shahin Giray's ischal.
Literarature:
1. Bartynowski Władysław. Sprawozdanie z czynności Wydziału Towarzystwa numizmatycznego w Krakowie za rok 1890. Wiadomości Numizmatyczno-Archeologiczne, 1890, nr. 1, p. 4.
2. Ilgievič Henryka. Vilniaus senovės ir mokslo mylėtojai XX amžiaus pradžioje. Vilnius, 2019, p. 234.
3. Sulimczyk [Uziębło, Lucjan]. Z Wczorajszego Wilna: ś. p. Stefan Syrwid i inni miłośnicy pamiątek krajowych. Słowo, 1930, nr. 4, p. 3.
4. https://www.vle.lt/straipsnis/povilas-karazija
5. https://www.voruta.lt/kazys-misius-kovos-del-lietuviu-mokslo-draugijos-rinkiniu-issaugojimo-1938-1939-m
6. Žilėnas Vincas. Lietuvos kolekcininkai ir muziejininkai – 11. Povilas Karazija. Kultūros barai, 1983, nr. 10, p. 67–69.
7. https://www.vle.lt/straipsnis/konstantinas-stasys
8. Žilėnas Vincas. Istorijos ir etnografijos muziejus. VUB RS. F328-106, l. 15A.
9. Kauno lombardas. Lietuvos aidas. 1932, nr. 190, p. 5.
10. M. Šlepavičiaus sukaktuvės. Keleivis, 1929, nr. 8, p. 5.
11. http://www.karaim.eu/vilnius/sapsalo-muziejus.html
12. https://www.romanumismatics.com/313-lot-391-crimean-khanate-russian-protectorate-sahin-giray-cu-ischal?auction_id=228&list_type=list_view&lots_per_page=100&sort_by=lot_number&view=lot_detail
13. Pirmoji Lietuvos respublika (1918–1940 m.): Kas, kur, kada? Kaunas, 2018, p. 223.
14. P. A. Mykolo Šlepavičiaus sukaktis. Lietuvos žinios, 1939, nr. 152, p. 6.
15. Toliušis Zigmas. Apie kolekcionavimą, bibliofilus ir kolekcininkus. Vilnius, p. 266, 270.
16. http://www.praeitiespaslaptys.lt/numizmatika/stambiausios-sidabrines-lietuvos-lenkijos-monetos-taleriai
17. Laiko žodis, 1935, nr. 18–19, p. 13–14.
1. Bartynowski Władysław. Sprawozdanie z czynności Wydziału Towarzystwa numizmatycznego w Krakowie za rok 1890. Wiadomości Numizmatyczno-Archeologiczne, 1890, nr. 1, p. 4.
2. Ilgievič Henryka. Vilniaus senovės ir mokslo mylėtojai XX amžiaus pradžioje. Vilnius, 2019, p. 234.
3. Sulimczyk [Uziębło, Lucjan]. Z Wczorajszego Wilna: ś. p. Stefan Syrwid i inni miłośnicy pamiątek krajowych. Słowo, 1930, nr. 4, p. 3.
4. https://www.vle.lt/straipsnis/povilas-karazija
5. https://www.voruta.lt/kazys-misius-kovos-del-lietuviu-mokslo-draugijos-rinkiniu-issaugojimo-1938-1939-m
6. Žilėnas Vincas. Lietuvos kolekcininkai ir muziejininkai – 11. Povilas Karazija. Kultūros barai, 1983, nr. 10, p. 67–69.
7. https://www.vle.lt/straipsnis/konstantinas-stasys
8. Žilėnas Vincas. Istorijos ir etnografijos muziejus. VUB RS. F328-106, l. 15A.
9. Kauno lombardas. Lietuvos aidas. 1932, nr. 190, p. 5.
10. M. Šlepavičiaus sukaktuvės. Keleivis, 1929, nr. 8, p. 5.
11. http://www.karaim.eu/vilnius/sapsalo-muziejus.html
12. https://www.romanumismatics.com/313-lot-391-crimean-khanate-russian-protectorate-sahin-giray-cu-ischal?auction_id=228&list_type=list_view&lots_per_page=100&sort_by=lot_number&view=lot_detail
13. Pirmoji Lietuvos respublika (1918–1940 m.): Kas, kur, kada? Kaunas, 2018, p. 223.
14. P. A. Mykolo Šlepavičiaus sukaktis. Lietuvos žinios, 1939, nr. 152, p. 6.
15. Toliušis Zigmas. Apie kolekcionavimą, bibliofilus ir kolekcininkus. Vilnius, p. 266, 270.
16. http://www.praeitiespaslaptys.lt/numizmatika/stambiausios-sidabrines-lietuvos-lenkijos-monetos-taleriai
17. Laiko žodis, 1935, nr. 18–19, p. 13–14.