About the Author

Frederik Tielens is Professor of Chemistry at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel. Alongside his academic career, he has been active for more than forty years as a coin collector and independent numismatist.

He has published in Belgian and British numismatic journals and is a full member of the Royal Numismatic Society of Belgium. His numismatic work focuses especially on the monetary history of colonial Africa, combining historical sources with the study of coins and related material evidence.

His wider interests include African history, travel writing, academic cooperation with the Global South, and the cultural meaning of objects, landscapes, and encounters.