Pierre Bastien

Pierre Bastien (1912–2010) was a French surgeon and numismatist renowned for his expertise in Roman imperial coinage. Born in Lille on March 9, 1912, he practiced surgery in Dunkirk until his retirement in 1977, after which he moved to the United States, settling near Princeton, New Jersey.

From 1955 onwards, Bastien dedicated himself to numismatics, specializing in the study of coins from the reign of Emperor Magnentius. He authored numerous publications, including an eight-volume series on the Lyon mint and a three-volume study on the coin busts of Roman emperors. His work made significant contributions to the understanding of Roman imperial coinage.

In addition to his research, Bastien served as treasurer and later president of the Société Française de Numismatique from 1965 to 1967. He received several prestigious awards, including the Huntington Medal from the American Numismatic Society in 1976, recognizing his major contributions to the field of numismatics.