The total consistency of the collection counts almost four hundred thousands units. The main collections are composed of the pontifical coins and medals, the Greek and Roman coins and other modern coins; other important collections are composed of bulls and pontifical plumbeous seals, Roman plumbeous cards and the coins of the Italian "Comuni" from the Medioeval to the Modern time. In the Vatican Numismatic Collection are also preserved coins and medal collections of foreign countries, and in some cases they consist of extremely rare peaces, Roman and Eastern gems and a very rich collection of cameo casts and ancient gems, mostly realized in the Neoclassic time.
A detailed history of the Vatican Numismatic Collection, written by Msgr. Stanislao Le Grelle, is contained in the introduction to the four volumes of the Catalogue of the coins and pontifical plumbeous bulls of the Vatican Numismatic Collection, drawn up by Camillo Serafini, in the years from 1910 to 1928.