Exploring the Vatican library: Collections In The Vatican

Manuscript and Archival collections

80,000 manuscripts and 100,000 archival units,

Family archives: Not only containing documents of the family it came from, but also documentation on matters of state.
Roman Basilicas
Notai’ De orange: includes the entire notarial archive of the Principality of Orange
Raccolta Patetta Collection:
Federazione Universitaria Cattolica Italiana
Illuminated Manuscripts

Printed book collections

1,600,000 printed books

Prints and engravings

150,000 prints, drawings and engravings that go back as early as 1773

Stampe 1 collection: Small prints
Stampe 11 collection: Small to medium prints
Stampe 111 collection: Medium prints
Stampe 1V collection: Large prints
Stampe V collection: Contains the rarest and most precious collection of prints
Stampe V1 collection: contains large engravings of the Speculum Romanae magnificentiae by Antonio Lafréry
Stampe V11 collection: Prints from the 17^th- 18^th centaury
Geographic prints collection
Copperplate collection
Photographic collections

Coins and Medals

300,000 coins and medals
Roman coins of the Republican Period
Roman coins of the Imperial Period
Coins found in the Roman Catacombs
Byzantine coins
Pontifical coins (the largest collection in the world)
Coins of the cities and dominions of Italy
Coins from other countries, including a large number of Oriental (especially Chinese) coins
Papal medals (the largest and most complete collection in the world)
Italian medals, from the Renaissance to the present day
Medals from other countries, from the Renaissance to the present day
Pontifical lead bulls
Seals
Roman lead tesserae
Roman engraved stones from the Imperial Period
Sulphur and plaster casts of gems, coins and medals
Plaques
Tablets

Refrences:

The Vatican, Vatican Library Collections, viewed 15 October 2011,
< http://www.vaticanlibrary.va/home.php?pag=storia>

Browning, D 2011, A Visit to the Vatican Library, viewed 15 October 2011,

Exploring the Vatican library