John Allan (numismatist) John Allan (numismatist) John Allan, (8 August 1884 – 29 August 1955) was a British numismatist and scholar of Sanskrit. Allan was a noted numismatist and produced the first systematic study of the coins the Gupta Empire, which remains a standard reference today. Allan was born in Bolton, East Lothian. His father, John Gray Allan, was the local schoolmaster. After studying at the universities of Edinburgh and Leipzig, Allan took up a position at the British Museum in 1907, eventually becoming the Keeper of the Department of Coins and Medals in 1931. He was also a lecturer in Sanskrit at
Robert Carson (numismatist) its council for many years, as librarian, secretary and finally president (1974–79). He was elected to the British Academy (1980) and made an honorary doctor by Glasgow University (1983). He was also awarded medals and honours by France, Austria, Finland, the United States, Luxembourg and Australia, and was president of the International Numismatic Commission (1979–86). Robert Carson (numismatist) Robert Andrew Glendinning Carson, FBA (7 April 1918 – 24 March 2006) was a British numismatist. Robert Carson was educated at Kirkcudbright Academy, He was awarded a first in classics at Glasgow Caledonian University where one of his teachers was Professor Anne