Erich Wodak was born on 11 October 1902 in Uherské Hradiste, Austria-Hungary (later Czechoslovakia, now the Czech Republic), as the second of three sons. He obtained a Science degree from Prague University in Electronics and Mechanics.

He married Helen, a doctor, and they left Europe in the 1930s with the rise of Fascism, moving to Singapore. They sought refuge in Australia in 1941 before returning to Singapore in 1947. Erich was the Honorary Curator of Coins and Medals at the Raffles Museum (now the National Museum of Singapore). He and Helen had three sons, Thomas, Jack and Alex.

The family emigrated to Australia in 1951, but Erich remained in Singapore, where he had work. The family saw him during his annual leave, which he spent in Australia.

He became heavily involved in numismatic associations and publications and was very well regarded. Renowned numismatist Major Fred Pridmore held him in esteem and stated that he 'published several important papers on the Siamese and Far East Coinage' and ambitiously attempted to update the Indian and Far Eastern section of James Atkins' 1889 The Coins and Tokens of the Possessions and Colonies of the British Empire. He was a member of the Numismatic Association of Victoria and of the Numismatic Society of South Australia, an honorary member of the Australian Numismatic Society (N.S.W.), a Fellow of the Royal Numismatic Society of London, and a member of the British Numismatic Society.

In 1955 Erich moved permanently to Australia and in late 1956 was made Curator of Coins and Medals of the National Gallery of Victoria, working part time on Mondays, Wednesdays and Friday mornings.

He died in East Malvern on 14 September 1958. Fred Pridmore wrote his obituary, published in the Spink and Son Numismatic Circular and said: 'The loss to numismatics, and to the writer, is very great.'

After Erich's death, his family, with the assistance of good friend and numismatist John Gartner, decided not to keep his coin and stamp collections. Part of it was sold at auction and another part (over 2,000 numismatic items along with research notes and unpublished manuscripts) was donated to the Science Museum of Victoria between 1982 and 1992.

The collection comprises mostly coins from China, India, Japan and Vietnam, tokens and trade tokens from Great Britain, and four commemorative medals from Great Britain, as well as other items.

Erich Wodak's collection was noted in the 1982/83 Annual Report from the Science Museum of Victoria as further enhancing 'the standing of the State Numismatic Collection, described as being of world standard by Mr. R.A.G. Carson, Keeper of Coins and Medals at the British Museum, following his extended visit in August 1982.'

References:

Day, B 2019 'Compassionate and human understanding of human frailty - Obituary: Jack Wodak, December 29, 1942 - May 6, 2019' Sydney Morning Herald, 17 July, accessed online 25 July 2023

Sharples, J 1986 'The Numismatic Collection of the Museum of Victoria', Journal of the Numismatic Association of Australia, vol. 2, pp. 37-52.

Science Museum of Victoria 1982-1983 Annual Report, Melbourne, p. 2

Mitchell PD 1981 'Obituaries: Major Fred Pridmore RAPC' British Numismatic Journal, vol. 51, pp. 213-14

Pridmore, F 1958 'Obituary: Erich Wodak, B.Sc., F.R.N.S.', Spink and Son Numismatic Circular, Dec, p. 257

Wodak, Tom 2023 Email correspondence, 18-19 July 2023

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