Helen Wang

Helen Kay Wang (born 1965) is an English sinologist and curator specializing in East Asian numismatics. She earned a BA in Chinese from SOAS University of London in 1988, which included a year of study at the Beijing Language Institute, and a PhD in archaeology from University College London in 2002 with a dissertation titled Money on the Silk Road: the evidence from Eastern Central Asia to c. AD 800. She joined the British Museum in 1991 as an assistant in the Asian section of the Department of Coins and Medals and became Curator of East Asian Money in 1993.

Wang’s work focuses on East Asian numismatics, the history of Silk Road coinage, and the collections of Sir Aurel Stein, including their use of textiles as money. She has contributed significantly to the field through research on the collection history and development of numismatics. Wang has also held various professional roles, including joint Honorary Secretary of the Royal Numismatic Society (2011–2016) and Honorary Vice President since 2018. She is an honorary member of the editorial board of Zhongguo Qianbi (China Numismatics) and an individual member of the International Association for the Study of Silk Road Textiles (IASSRT).

In addition to her curatorial work, Wang has gained recognition as a literary translator, particularly of Chinese children’s literature. Her translations include award-winning works that highlight her linguistic and cultural expertise. In 2017, she launched the web resource Chinese Money Matters, further promoting the study and understanding of Chinese numismatics.