South Asian Coins in the UK and Proactive Repatriation JusticeSeeking

**The Narrative of South Asian Coins in British Museums**
In this presentation, Shreya Gupta will explore the historical context of coin collecting in colonial India, shedding light on how British civil servants and military personnel developed a fascination for Indian coins during their time in the region. Driven by their classical education, they amassed extensive collections of coins with ‘Greek-like’ aesthetics, which they later donated to prominent UK institutions such as the Ashmolean, the British Museum, and the Fitzwilliam upon returning home. Shreya will trace the path of these coins to British museums in this engaging lecture.

**Presented by Shreya Gupta, University of Exeter and Ashmolean Museum, Oxford**
Shreya, a third-year PhD candidate at the University of Exeter and the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford, is engaged in the AHRC-funded Collaborative Doctoral Project titled ‘Decolonising Collections: Investigating Knowledge Formation Networks in Colonial India.’ Her research focuses on the contributions of Indian individuals to the creation of coin collections now held in UK museums, as well as the collaborative networks of British and Indian figures that shaped historical and numismatic knowledge through these collections.

**Reparative Justice and Proactive Repatriation at Edinburgh University’s “Skull Room”**
The Anatomical Museum at Edinburgh University houses the “Skull Room,” which contains the cranial remains of nearly 1,800 individuals, taken by phrenologists, anatomists, and students during the 19th and 20th centuries. This talk delves into a joint initiative aimed at achieving restorative justice by reuniting First Nations and Inuit ancestors with their living descendants. It examines the significance of initiating repatriation efforts, sharing knowledge with descendant communities, navigating the difficulties of incomplete historical records, and the duties of researchers and academic institutions in confronting the legacy of colonial collections.

**Presented by Nicole Anderson, University of Edinburgh**
Nicole Anderson (she/her) is a PhD student in Social Anthropology at the University of Edinburgh and has recently taken up the role of Curator of the Americas at National Museums Scotland. Holding a Master’s degree in Social Justice Education from the University of Toronto, her doctoral work centers on orchestrating the first proactive repatriation of ancestral human remains from Edinburgh University’s Anatomical Museum, linking First Nations and Inuit ancestors with their descendants. Her additional research interests include decolonial teaching methods, ethics of care, and the emotional dynamics of political engagement.

These lectures will be followed by a Q&A session.