Masterworks of Ancient Art
Roman marble sarcophagus relief section: nude Attic large black-figure hydriafrom the helmeted horseman fighting warrior (head only) Leagros Group. Dionysos and Ariadne in with shield; attendant .standing behind. Ca. 210-220 quadriga; behind, Apollo, goddess. JJermes. AD. Width 35 3/4" (90.8 em.) Height 25 112" On shoulder: Dionysus reclining, satyrs, (64 .8 em.) mGenad.\", Ca . 520-500 B.C. J-IeighI20" (50.1 em.)
We feature over 3500 works of art ranging from $100 to The following full-color publications are also available; $1,000,000 and more, taking great pride in our expertise, connoisseurship, and competitive pricing, all in an open and ONE THOUSAND YEARS OF GREEK VASES friendly atmosphere. (1990),52 pp ...... $ 4.00 GODS & MORTALS: Ancient Bronzes (1989), j2 pp .. $ 4.00 Send for our NEW (May 1991) FREE full-color 32- THE AGE OF CLEOPAT RA (1988), 32 pp ...... $ 2.00 page brochure! ART OF THE ANCIENT WORLD, (198 5), 208 pp,.,. $15.00
GREEK, ETRUSCAN, ROMAN, EGYPTIAN & NEAR EASTERN ANTIQUITIES EUROPEAN SCULPTURE THROUGH 1800 • OLD MASTER PRINTS & DRAWINGS ISLAMIC, SOUTHEAST ASIAN & ORIENTAL WORKS OF ART PRE·COLUMBIAN & TRIBAL ART. GREEK, ROMAN & BYZANTINE COINS
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Vol. 5, No.7 C:~::: July 1991 6 Concensus challenged Silvered bronzes of Diocletian: A comparative analysis of denominations by James Meyer Publisher/Editor 12 Coinage commemorates Pius II and Wayne G. Sayles his attempts at launching the Office Manager Page 6 Ninth Crusade against the Turks Janet Sayles Coinage of Diocletian by John C. Ryan by James Meyer Associate Editor 26 A coin's point of view Steven Sayles Tribute penny explains his Distribution Asst. Biblical claim to fame Christine Olson by Bob Levy Art 30 Ancient drama provides Parnell Nelson insight into the use of coinage by common citizens The Celater by Robert W. Seibert (ISSN #10480986) is an independent journal 39 Inscriptions found in the exergue published on the first day of each month at provide vital information for 226 Palmer Parkway, Page 12 the student of ancient coinage Lodi, WI. It is circulated The Ninth Crusade by Giorgio Mig/iavacca internationally through by John C. Ryan subscriptions and special distributions. Subscription rates, payable in U.S. funds, DEPARTMENTS are $24 per year (second class) within the United States; 2 The Celator's Point of View $30 to Canada; $48 per year to all other 4 Letters to the Editor addresses (Air Printed Matter). Advertising and 20 Antiquities by David Liebert copy deadline is the second Friday of each 21 Book News month. Unsolicited 22 People in the News articles and news Page 26 releases are welcome, Tribute Penny of the Bible 23 Art and the Market however publication by Bob Levy cannot be guaranteed. 24 Coming Events Second class postage paid (USPS #006077) 29 Just for Beginners at Lodi, WI 53555. Copyright©1991, About the cover: 32 Coins of the Bible by David Hendin Clio's Cabinet. Portrait of Diacletian 36 Reference Reviews by Dennis Kroh Postmaster: send address changes to P.O. from a large bronze 40 Coin File - Quotes - Trivia - Humor Box 123, lodi, WI 53555 issued during his reign. 41 Professional Directory 608-592-4684 (same for FAX, after hours 48 Index of Advertisers · Classifieds activate with asterisk on touch tone phone)
, Deadline for the August issue is Friday, July 12 Mr. Berk to challenge the NGC position. and of World Coin News to run the adversarial article mentioned in Mr. Berk's letter, I do nol feel it is appropriate for reprinting in The Celator in light of • • NGC's announced decision to withdraw from this venture. The issue. after all, has been settled. Commentary by Wayne G. Sayles Finally, "If everyone took !my] position" in this issue there would never be a slab sold in this country - there Open Letter from Harlan J. Bcrk: winds of change to subside. Rather, the simply wouldn't be any buyers! voices of many cause ears to listen and Mr. Berk's leiter really addresses an Dear Editor, minds to react. This is exactly what issue much broader than that of slabbing happened with the recent NGC proposal ancient coins, that is, the editorial I have read your editorial in The to slab ancient coins. Although I did not philosophyofthispublicalion. Wehave Celator on page 2 and I find it personall y or professionally reaci as an been chided in the past, by a few of our disheartening thllt someone of your "incensed, upset, angry and readers and a few dealers, for not taking stature in our little community would disagreeable" party, I did quietly and a more vocal stand on certain issues, and take such a weak stand on such a clearly express my views to NGC, eNG for not sensationalizing certain market potentilllly dlllnaging program as the and the numismatic fraternity. Because events. While we certainly have strong slabbing of ancient coins. And then at many of our readers did Ihe same, the personal views on some of these issues. the end of your editorial taking the decision of NGC to slab ancients has it has been our policy to consciously blasphemous position of wishing the slabbers "GOOD L UCK" . It is unbelievable that you could do that "We have been chided . .. especially when you normally put for not taking a more vocal stand" yourself in the position of being impartia l. All of the collectors and dealers I spoke to were incensed, upset, been reversed. This does not mean that avoid confrontational issues because we angry and disagreeable to the idea of NGC will never slab ancients, or that no prefer to emphasize and promote The slabbing ancient coins. one else will ever slab ancients, but for Celator as an "entertaining and I am enclosing my article published the time being, the issue has been laid to infonnative" publication. The type of in the last issue of World Coin News rest. Ken Krah, of NGC, told me "investigative" reporting and news which I give you permiss ion to print as personally that the decision not to feature reporting found in publications I own the rights to all my articles. This proceed was made in response to literally like World Coin News and Coin World wi ll explain why slabbing would have "hundreds" of letters from concerned is not our "cup of tea". We have neither been a bad thing. collectors. Indeed, we received many the staff, nor the budget to support this Wayne , if everyone took your letters here, some of which are included type of reporter-intensive editorial position, slabbing would be a real ity. in this issue. We simply did not have conlent. Therefore. we are pleased to My article and the reaction of many room to print them alL leave this type of news in the hands of pcople who care about our field have I feel that NGC has acted responsibly those who can do it much better than we caused the cancellation of the slllbbing and fairly in this regard and that they can. We do not apologize for this facl, program. Now rather than it being a should be applauded for Iheirsensitivity we simply choose this route as an reality, it's only a bad dream. to the wishes of the collector fraternity. editorial policy. Let there be no mistake about my On a happier note, the ANA Sincerely yours, position in this matter- I do not support Convention in Chicago promises to be a the slabbing of ancient coins, will not speclacular event and we are looking Harlan J. Berk utilize such a service myself if it ever forward to spending several days there HARLAN J. BERK. LTD. becomes ava il able, and will not - hope 10 see some of you al the many recommend such a service to those who activities. Thanks to the aspiring (and might solicit my opinion. Neither, veteran) authors who have sent us To those whom it may concern: however, will I use the power of this manuscripts Ihi s past month, we have a press to interfere with the legitimate very strong and exciting line-up for the While it is flauering \0 be thought of business practices or ambitions of olhers rest of the summer. If you enjoy their as a person of "stature" in our fraternity, simply because I disagree with their work or have feed-back to offer take a I fear that one voice does not cause the philosophy. While I respect the right of moment to share your point of view.
Clhe {!.elatot i, named/a. and dedicated to the ' coin die-wfj,afJE.H of antiquity who,e att ai poun'fu[ an.dapp£aUnfj today a, in the!. time. 2 The Gelator Christie's Fall Auction Schedule Ancient, Foreign and United States Coins Friday, September 13th 10,00 A.M., and 2,00 P.M. Consignment Deadline Monday, 15th July, 1991 Catalogue Available Mid.August Ancient, Foreign and United States Coins Monday, December 9th 10,00 A.M., and 2,00 P.M. Consignment Deadline Monday, 7th October, 1991 Catalogue available early November For further consignment details contact James Lamb or Christine Deussc n in New York at 212/546-1056.502 Park Avenue. NY, NY 10022 Catalogues subscriptions arc ava ilable from Christie's Publications, 21-24 44th Avenue, Long Island City, NY 11101 tI CHRISTIE'S JUly 1991 3 margin (I.e. common). U's hard to lose I wish to respond to your editorial 01 money on these. June 1, 1991 regarding the slabbing of Thinkof the issues involved yourself ancient coins. and make up your own mind. I would not I got oul of the American coin markel listen too much to the ancient dealer overten years ago because the majority community's response since they have of American dealers: (a) went to a a vested interest either way. If they ridiculous numeric grading, and (b) later aren't making money off the bandwagon, went to slabbing of coins. r they will certainly oppose it! If they are, Anyone with a fair amount of } ( they will certainly (at least passively) knowledge and experience knows that favor it. grading is very subjective. The issue A. Peter Weiss, M.D. becomes more complicated where Dear Editor: Rhode Island ancients are concerned, as an EF ancient coin may be off center, weakly It was a pleasure to receive your struck, etcetera. As you and I and most handsome publication and I look forward dealers know, slabbing can be a one· to future issues. Informative and I am writing in hopes that you or one sided affair - in lavor 01 the dealerwho authoritative articles are a welcome and of your readers may be able to help submits coins for grading and slabbing rare commodity. I bel ievethat there is a clear up an area of confusion for me. It when he is a co-owner of the grading fertile middle-ground between the concerns Caurausius the Usurper and service or gives the grading service a Numisma tic Chronicle and the American what his origins are. In the book Roman great deal 01 his business. Journal of Numismatics on the one hand Britain by Plantagenet Somerset Fry, I hope most collectors of ancients and The Numismatist on the other. the author states that the Roman fleet will do as I shall do and re fuse to buy was placed under the command of M. slabbed ancient coins for the above Bruce R. Brace Aureli us Mausaeus Caurausius, a reasons , as well as forthe esthetic points Canada Menapian Gaul from w hat is now made in your commentary. southern Holland. It is also slated in the book The Age of Consta ntine the Great Harold H. Wedig by Jacob Burckhardt that Caurausius Louisiana I would like to share my thoughts was a "M enapian (Brabant) of regarding the recent decision by NGC to mysterious, possibly un -Roman origin". begin slabbing ancient coins with your Now here is where it really gels readers. Ancient coin collectors and confusing! Seumas Macmanus in his With you I share some grief overthe students are truly purists al heart and, book Story of the Irish Race quotes possibility of slabbed ancients, for two yes, maybe even a bit elilist with regard Tacitus the historian in thai Caurausius specific reasons. I l ind so much joy in to the numismatic community as a whole. was a native of an Irish city called hunting tor a new addition to my But Ihis characterization does not alter "Menapia". A loolnote on the same collection simply in Ihe joy of handling the virlue we hold our hobby in. We love page states that Ptolemy mentions and assessing a coin. Developing an to experience with the coins collected. "Menapia" two centuries earlier, but eye for ancients - specifically The nooks and crannies; the massive gives no clue as to its location. The Byzantine, which I collect - is a carefully feel of th e thick flan; the wonderful toning author also claims that Irish regiments nurtured skill developed by involvement prese nt. And, above all, the joy of were recruited by the Romans for use with the pieces and the dealers who holding (the true essence of possession) on the continent. help hunt for history incarnate. I am not a piece of history. These are the reasons Whal this comes down 10 is three certain that I know how to look at an that we collect ancients. Making money? questions: ancient surrounded by a stable and inert Yes, that is atways nice but it is not what plastic shield. Ught reflects off of the we are about. Do we need a slab to Where exaclly did Caurausius hail plastic before ever reaching the surface make us feel good about our purchases? from? of the coin, so a slab can only remove No! One just has to study, study and 2 Did the Roman army recruit Irishmen the colleclor from the object of one's study until the knowledge of what you for Ihe legions? collection. are collecting will make one comfortable. 3 Why did the legions stop short of But my most sincere concern in this I can', blame CNG for what is a occupying Ireland when this would issue is with grading. In the US market clever marketing move in th e chance have solved some of the problems where the difference in grade from an that the new service takes off. I, in fact, wilh raiding parties and piracy? MS 63to MS 65can mean thousands of hold the principals in CNG as close dollars, I fear that ancients slabbing will friends and colleagues. But that doesn't I hope that somebody may be able to affect ancients grading in a way that will mean I (and all of you) can't resist th is clear this up for me or at least point me promote a search lor bag marks, rim move 10 encase our hobby. It all comes in the right direction. Perhaps this could nicks, or "rubs" rather than the down 10 demand for Ihe new service be the basis of a future article? Thank illuminating history of a unique work of which equals money. Ifwe, as a group, you for taking the time to read this and art which is each ancient coin. For do nol utilize the service, it won't be 1 look forward to future issues of your example. I have in my collection a 1/8 around long. Will "i nvestors" use the magazine. stavralon of Constantine Xl (ref. my service for common Alexanders, etc. article in The Numismatist, February Nol if we don't buy the coins in the long Charles L. Decker 1991). It is an ugly, slovenly, poorly run and we certainly don't need a slab California for coi ns which have a low mark-up Please turn to page 34 4 The Gelator Numismatic Fine Arts I N IER NAT I ONAl , " c AUCTION XXVI The ANA Centennial Sale OF ANC IENT GREEK AND R OMAN C O INS WEDNESDAY EVENING AUGUST 14TH, 1991 HELD IN CONJ UNCTION W ITH THE AMERICAN NUMISMATIC ASSOCIATION' S 1 DOTH ANN IVERSARY CONVENTION AT TH E R A DISSON SUITES O 'H ARE , CHICAGO, IL HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDE AN IMPORTANT COLLEC TION OF ANCIENT JEWIS H COINAGE AND A FI NE ASSEMBLAGE O F ROMAN GOLD CATALOGUES W ILL BE AVAILABLE IN EARLY JULY AND ARE PRICED AT $20 TO NON-SUBSCRIBERS. ~------, : ~l¥P!S.n?~~i~ F!r:e M~ ., : I 10100 Santa Monica Boulevard, 6th Floor Telephone: (213) 278-1535 I I Los Angeles, CA 90067 Fax: (213) 785·0457 I I I I 0 Please send me the Auction XXVI ANA Centennial S:l lc or Ancient Greek I I and Roman Coins catalogue @$20percatalogueiru:Judillg pricesreali zed. I N'me: ______I I ~ Acldresss: I 'S~m="~------C~'"~------.~=~~------~~·------I I I I I I Phone: -'.( __-'-) ______Method or Payment: 0 Me DAMX I I I o Visol o Check : I Cocd #, ______Expiratioll Dale: ______I I I I Sig"a/uu: Required/or credit card purchase5. AmericanNumismatic I ~ISOC'''' I O N L ______~ July 1991 5 Concensus challenged Silvered bronzes of Diocletian: A comparative analysis of denominations by James Meyer sion originally applied to the As. In Diocletian 's silvered bronze reform) in The problems associated with marks deed, in the earliest legal documents,3 which a teacher of rhetoric thanks Em of value on Roman coins of the third and the pound of bronze (As) was the prin peror Constantius for the new salary fourth century have generated a large cipal monetary unit. With the effects of given to him. This teacher had previ corpus of literature which is growing inflation, the term nummus was eventu ously been the Emperor's Secretary:6 even today. On one point, however, it ally redefined to signify sestertius soon appears most numismatists have reached after the sestertius replaced the As as the . The extreme liberality of the a consensus: the large silvered bronze principal unit of reckoning. This change rulers has given me ... 600,000 coin originally introduced under had occurred at least by the time of NUMMI . .. that is not all they gave Diocletian is now identified with the Cicero.4 me, but they wanted to honor my term 'nummus' ,I a word which appears Having been subject to one redefini position as private teacher by add in various documents of the period. At tion during the late Republic, it is not ing in equal measure and thus dou the same time, this silvered bronze coin difficult to envision others, especially bling the 300,000SESTERTlII had is also recognized as being a multiple of during the financially turbulent 3rd and previously received as Secretary. debased denarii, but opinions vary as to 4th centuries. Nevertheless,alaw in the its value. Previously, the large silvered Codex of Justinian (mid 6th century) Since the speaker states that 600,000 bronze coin2 had been known as the stated that the nummus was (still!) a nummi is double the amount of300,000 folie or follis, though the latter term sestertius.5 An interesting piece of in sestertii, the conclusion is inescapable: apparently describes a "standard bag" formation, but a sceptic could always In A.D. 298, a nummus is still a of coins, presumably containing silvered argue that the definition was merely an sestertius, just as it had been in the time bronze pieces. anachronism which some Byzantine of Cicero. The term nummus, which means lawyer forgot to purge. Does this mean that Diocletian's "coin" (especially in the sense of a stan There is a well-known text, dating large silvered bronze coin is a sestertius? dard coin) is an old Republican expres- from A.D. 298 (thus well after Not really. There is another document, arelatively famous papyrus dating from around A.D. 300 (the exact date is not important here) which provides another Have your coins professionally piece of the puzzle. It is a letter from researched and catalogued through the some petty bureaucrat infonning his agent of an imminent currency devalu DAVID R. SEAR ation:? .. . The divine fortune of our mas Ancient Coin Certification Service ters has given orders that the Ital ian coinage be reduced to half a (A.C.C.S.) nummus. Make haste therefore to Each coin submitted will be graded, carefully examined spend all the Italian money you have and purchasefor me all kind... and described, with full references, and will receive a ofgoods at whatever price you can detailed commentary on its historical background. find them .. . The infonnation will be presented on an attractive laminated certificate, complete with photograph. The recipient of this letter is in Egypt. a Roman province which had its own currency (tetradrachms) up 10 A.D. 296, when Diocletian made the mintat Alex Fee: $25.00 per coin (any metal) andria confonn to the norms of the rest of the Empire, i.e. It now produced the large silvered bronze. Thus, the "Italian Please submil by registered or certified mail, and add sufficient coinage" mentioned in the leiter is a to your remittance 10 cover cost of return postage. reference to the Imperial coinage. As Checks and M.D. 's payable 10 "David R. Sear" Further information, we know, the Imperial coinage after specimen certificafe and submission forms sent on request. A.D. 300 consisted of a gold coin, a silver coin and three bronze denomina tions, of which the largest was silvered.8 P.O. Box 5004, Chatsworth, CA 91313 The text says thai the "Italian coinage is to be reduced to half a nummus". Ob Phone (818) 993-7363 / Fax (818) 993-6119 viously, he does not mean that the gold, silver and bronze coins will all be tar- 6 The Gelator iffed at 1/2 a nummus. What he means the United States: the combined intrin which formed the debased denarii se to say is that, with respect to the nummuS. sic value and manufacturing costs con ries. Did they have names other than the Ita lian currency has lost 50% of its tained in an "old" copper penny exceed ones referring to their value? (One value. Fu rthermore, he must have its present face value. could envision a "fi ver", a two-piece something specific in mind. In view of Still, the sestertiusdid not completely and so on,) Unfortunately, the edict of the inflation raging at this time, neither die with Gallienus. When Aurelian re Aphrodisias (which probably explained gold nor silver coins were likely to have formed the coinage. he reissued purely all the aspects of the currency changes been devaluated. In fact, papyri and bronze coins (no silvering but large before and after I September, 301) is a inscri ptions show that gold and silver sizes). They were minted in such small jumble of fragments with most of the was being revaluated with respect to the numbers, however, that their presence pieces missing, When, in the larger debased denariu s (denarius communis). was merely symbolic. Likewise, Tacitus fragments, it refers to money, it uses the Thi s leaves us with the silvered bronze and even Diocletian issued purely bronze general term pecunia. There is one wh ich, in three denominations. embod coins (in even smaller numbers) and the place where the editors (Erim, Reynolds ied the debased denarius. The text would sestertius thereby continued a ghostly and Cmwford) see a possibility of a thus ind icate that the silvered bronze physical existence up 10 Diocletian's reference to pecunia maiorina (="the was being devaluated by 50% with re si lvered bronze reform. After this time large coin") as the word maiore appears spect to the nummus. (around A.D. 294), the seSlertius sur at the edge of the fragment, but they Whether this interpretation is ac vived only in documents as an ethereal admit it could be something else. The cepted or not, there is one crucial piece but familiar unit of account. term pecunia maiorina is attested later of information provided by the text What about the large silvered bronze but not during Dioclctian's time. which is irrefutable: if the Italian coin coin introduced by Diocletian? What If I had to guess, I would say pecunia age is being reduced to half a nummus, was it called? Thanks to new fragments maiorina sounds about right as it de then the "nummus" and "Italian coinage" ofDiocletian ' s edict of Maximum prices, scribes one aspect (the size) of must be two separate entities. The we know the gold coin struck at 1/60 of Di ocletian 's large silvered bronze. corollary is that the nummus is not a part the Roman pound was (already) called a Unless new information turns up. we of the Italian (Imperial) coinage. The solidus. The same edict in forms us that may never know what Diocletian 's large silvered bronze is part of the " Italian the debased denarius WliS known as the sil vered bronze was really called, but at coi nage" and therefore the large sil vered denarius communis. The edict of the very least we should not confuse it bronze piece cannot be a nummus. Aphrodisias informs us that the silver with the nummus!sestertius. Well then, what of the nu mmus! coin was called a (denarius) argenteus.9 Without knowing its name, we can sestertius that was mentioned in the fi rst As mentioned above, there were three still learn a few interesting things about text considered above? If the nummus di fferent silvered bronze denom inat ions it. The key is buried in Aurelian's (sestertiu s) is not part of the Imperial coinage at this time. but nevertheless continues to appear in Roman texts as a O~------__ O Roman monetary unit, then it can only be a unit of reference. useful for ac counling, but without physical existence. Who would want to use as a unit of Spink reference a coin which no longer ex isted? It sounds rather impractical. Yet, we have an example of such a situation The oldest in Great Britain before their coinage • went to a decimal system. According to com my unabridged Webster, the guinea was first minted as a gold coin in 1663 and last mimed in 18 13. It was worth (a in the somewhat impractical)21 shillings and continued to be used as a measure of cost up to (at least) the first world war, or 100 years after the last guinea was Coins from ancient to modem bought and sold· minted. I believe its continued use, long Free verbal valuations · Expert impartial advice given after its physical disappearance, can be Coins bought outright, or sold on commission ' ascri bed to the familiarity people had Regular auctions held - please send for dctails . with the unit . After all, the guinea was Publishers and stockists of numismatic books· minted for 150 years. Publishers of The Numismatic Circular since 1892 · Advice and purchase at auction sales on collectors' behalf - all major sales anended. The seslertius, in the form of a large For fu rther informarion on ancient cairn contact John Petl or Laura Shen·dan. brass or bronze coin, was likewise minted for over 250 years. Eventually, Quote 11M: Q:lator for a free: c:dilion oflhc: Numismatic: Circula r, our fIXed I?rlcr tiS{ o f coins of aU smcs and a fOnlm of numismatic debott . SllbsoctiJl1ion $45 (10 "'mes). the declining value of the denarius was such (note: I denarius =4 sestert ii) that it cost more to manufacture a sestertius than it was worth "face value". There · k .,=-.~=_ ...... 0=_.- .._'t..,=. =. . . . fore, after suffering a number of weight S I n _.. PSpink I Sol. ltd. S. G& 7 King Streel .SI I. mel's. l.o ndun SWIY 60S. reductions, it finally disappeared under 0'-______Thl______: 071·930 78811. r.. : 07H J9 .en. Tt lto: 9__16711____. ______--' 0 Gallienus. A similar situation exists in July 1991 7 have generated over a dozen contradicting theories. One of these. published in 188110 and subsequently forgonen. stated that because of a rampant inflation, Aurelian had turned things around and his markings meant that 20 new silvered coins marked XX I equalled I old silver (of Caracalla) which was no longer being minted. More recently in 1979, CaUu. Brenol and Barrandon 11 performed metallurgical analysis on both the XXI coins and the rarer XI coins of Au relian, Tacitus and Caruso They discovered that the XI coin (l 0% si lver) contained twice the silver of the XXI coin (5% silver). As typically both the XI and XX I coins weighed about the same they deduced Ihat 10 coins marked XI (lOx 10% )equalled a theoretical pure silver coin ( 100%), just as 20 coins marked XXl (20 x 5%) equalled the same theoretical silvercoin.12, 13 WithoU! metallurgical investigation. the same conclusion can be reached with algebra if one considers Caruso silvered bronze coin bearing the XI on the reverse and a double radiate crown on the obverse. 14 Some of Diocletian's silvered bronze coins also Figure 1 contain the XXI mark of value (See Figure I). Whereas Large silvered bronze from the mint of Afexandria Aurelian's coinage only had an imaginary silver coin (ALE in exergue). The t in field at right indicates the (of reference), Dioclet ian had a real silver coin. the fifth officina (workshop). The XXI is the mark of argenteus. as the higher reference unit. The inscription value invented under (or by) Aurefian. from Aphrodisias tells us that one argenteus equals 100 debased denarii. TIle XXI inscription on the large -- --- sil vered bronze tells us 20 silvered bronzes equals one monetary refonns. Before Au relian. when Roman coins received a argenteus. Therefore, since one argenteus equals 100 mark of value. it referred to the amount of smaller units contained in debased denarii. one sil vered bronze coin equals 100 the coin. Thus the denarius originall y bore an "X" to indicate il was divided by 20, which is 5 debased denarii. worth 10 smailerunits (As). Aurelian's refonnedsilvercoinage bears A few of Diocletian's si lvered bronze coins go one ei ther the Roman numerals XXI (20 and I) and XX (20). or the Greek step further. They use both the old method of value numerals KA (20 and I). (In the case of the shorter XX marking. the marki ng (pre-Au rei ian) and the new method introduced " I" side of the "XXI" equation was merely implied). These symbols by Aurelian (See Figure 2). The Roman numeral V indicates that Dioclet ian's large silvered bronze is worth 5 smaller units (debaseddenarii). Thisconfinns the results obtained above. The Greek numeral K indicated it took 20 large silvered bronzes to make a higher unit (argenteus).15. J 6 Having now a value for Diocletian's large silvered bronze of 5 debased denarii (denarii communes), let's consider the nummus/sestenius again. Back in the "good old days" before the innationary bust of the third century, thesesiellius was wOIlh 1/4 of a silver denarius. Assuming Diocletian's nummus/sestertius of account was based upon his silver argenteus in the traditional manner. I? then the nummus/sestertius would also be worth 100/4= 25debaseddenarii (denarii communes). A PllPYruS of A.D. 301 (PS I VIII 965) infonns us that some monetary unit passed from 12.5 denarii com munes to a value now lost 18 Assuming this unit (too big for a large silvered bronze, too small for the argenteus) is the nummus/sestertius (indeed. there is nothing else left) and keeping in mind the 50% devalu ation of the debased denarii (another way of saying the 100% revaluation of the nummus) described in the Ryl:mds papyrus. then the missing value of PSI VIII 965 would seem to be 12.5 x 20r25 denarii communes. FI{}ure2 This figure (25 denarii) also seems to appear in the Large silvered bronze from the mint at Antioch (ANT in exergue). fragmentary inscription from Aphrodisias ( ... [v igin] The r at the upper right indicates the third officina. The K and V TI QVIQVAE DENARII POTENTIA ..) 19 and it matches the "tradit ional" value computed above. are marks of valus. The choice of Greek and Latin numerals was intended to segregrate the two systems of value marking. These val uations. iffunher ind ications were needed, flW""" at the very ~ 8 The Gelator Superior is Now Accepting Ancient Coin and Antiquities ConsignlDents for our December 7-9, 1991 Auction Sales at the New York International Numismatic Convention Co nsign your ancient as we ll as foreign coins to Superior's December sale. held in conjunction with the largest and most important ancient and foreign coin show held in the United States. Whole Collections & Selected Consignments of: • Choice Greek, Roman & Byzantine Coinage in all metals • High Quality Greek • Republican & imperatoriai • The Twelve Caesars in Gold & Silver • Choice Roman Imperial • World Gold and World Crow ns and Minors Are Now Being Accepted We're also accepting consignments for Superior Galleries' December Antiquities Sale to be held in New York. (Date to be announced.) Competitive Commission Rates· Cash Advancements Available Don't Delay! Act Now! This coupon entities the owner to consign one Ancient or Foreign Coin to Auction with Superior Galleries An Affiliate of Superior Stamp & Coin, Co., Inc. LOT SHALL BE SOLD AT AUCTION TO HIGHEST BIDDER WITHOUT COMMISSION CHARGE TO OWNER • Acceptance of 101 i$ conditional upon acceptance of our standard auction contract by both parties. • Auction lot "lUSI have minimum market value of $2500.00 .• Cash advanttmente available. Valid throughout 1991 Superior Galleries lI. Goldbe'J An Affiliate of Superior Stamp & Coin Co., Inc. l.w, July 1991 9 least demonstrate that the nummus. was with a white metal (silver and tin). See thin spongy crust of mostly (80-90%) in Diocletian's. time still a s.estertius, Cope,L.H., "TheArgentiferous Bronze silver. The flan is then gently hammered and certainly not the same thing as his Alloys of the Large Tetrarchic Foiles of to compact th e surface and the flan can large silvered bronze! A. D. 294-307", Numismaric Chronicle, now be re-heated and struck, The result- VIII, pp. 115-149. In earliertimes, say ing coin appears to be of si lve r, ofCaracal1a, the coins contained enough J See "Law of the Twelve Tables"; Lewis Footnotes: silv er (about 60%) to permit a method and Rheinold, Roman Civilization - To mention only the most recent ex called surface enrichment, achieved by Sourcebook I: The Republic, 1955. ample ] have seen: Haley Evan, "The removing th e unwanted metal (Note: at 4 Crawford, M .• Roman Republican Roman Bronze Coinage in Britain and 60% silver. 40% copper, the alloy is Coinage. Vol. 2. p. 632. Monetary History". American Journal yr:llowish). Surface enri chment isdone 5 Code ofJustinian, VIII, 53. 37. of Numismatics, 1989. by slightly ox idizing the blank flans in a 6 Latin Panegyrics. translated byGalletler; 2 Diocletian's si lvered bronze typically fire, This oxidizes more copper than Vol. I , "SpeechofEumenius", para. 11, contained only 2 to 3% silver. In order silver. Then the flans are soaked in an Editions Belles LeUres, Paris. 1949. to give it a silvery appearance. the mint acid (I used hot wine vinegar with suc 7 Rylands papyrus n607; see p. 463. Lewis masters were requ ired to pl ate the blanks cess) and the oxides dissolve, leaving a and Rheinold, Roman Civilization - Sourcebook II: The Empire. 1955. 8 Of the three post reform bronze coins, only the la rgest one was sil vered and only it contained any silver in its core. Yet, the radiate and small laureate were derived from the pre-reform si lvered radiates and the very rare silvered laure ates. SceC.E. Kingand R.E.M. I·ledges. Bank Leu Ltd Zurich "An analysis of some third century Ro man coins for surface silvering and sil ver percenwge of their alloy content". Numismatics Arc/weomerry 16.1974. 9 K. E,im, J. R,y"old" M. C,"wfmd, " Diocletian'sCunency Reform: A New inscripl ion". Journal ofR 0111011 Studies. 1971,pp.17I- I77. 10 Rohde, Th., Die MUI/ zen des Kaisers Aurelianus. seiller frau SCI'erina und der Furstell \'on Palmira. 1881 . 11 Callu, J .P., Brenot. C.L.. and Barrandon. J,N., "Anal yses de Series Atypiques (Aurelien, Tacite. Carus, Lici n iu s)", Quaderni Tici nese . N umi s malic eAlltiquiro Classiche. 1979, pp. 241 ff. 12 Ibid., p. 248 and note 27. 13 The theoreti cal silver coin need not itself be of pure si lVer. The exact amount of silver involved (about 3.06 gram) indeed points to Caracalla's antoninianus. Aurelian also copied Caracalla's aureus struck at 50 to the Roman pound. 14 Meyer, J" "The Monetary Reforms of Aurelian and Diocletian",Romon CoillS andCullure. Vo l. 3, No.2, 1987. , ,, As with certain coins of Aurelian sim ply marked XX, this large sil ve red bronze bears only the left side of the K Every year we have an auction of very imporlant ancient coins A (XX I) equat ion. In both cases the in spring. right side of the equation (th e "]") is We issue occasional lists. implied . Our stock ranges from Hemitartemoria to Oekadrachmai, and 16 Some large silvered bronzes have only from Ouadrantes to Multiple Aureus Medallions. the Roman numeral V. By the end of A.D. 301 the number VI appears, but We actively buy and sell at all price levels. that's another story! 17 This can be shown to already be the case between Aurelian's sestertius and his theoretical silver coin of account. Bank Leu ~ 18 PSI VIII. 965. discussed pp. 27-28 by Bagnall. R.S" CurrellcyanJ Inflation Numismatics @ ill FOUr/II Century Egypt, 1982. - - -==-- 19 Reconstructi ng the text in English with Bank Leu Ltd about the same amount of un certainty In Gassen 20 CH-800 1 Zurich Switzerland we would have: .. (.~o me thing ) is Telephone (from the US) 011 41 1 21924 06 Telefax 011 411 2193306 worth (twenJty five denarii ... 10 The Gelator • If you're buying Ancient, Medieval or World coins you should be subscribing to our mail bid and public auction catalogs • If you're selling all or part of your collection you should seriously consider consigning to our well publicized sales At Ponterio & Associates your coins are always in good hands For information write or telephone: PONTE RIO & ASSOCIATES, INC. 1818 ROBINSON AVENUE SAN DIEGO, CA 92103 800-854-2888 or 619-299-0400 ~",,,, Licensed AIiClion ComlJallyJl968 ~,: ,,~"(I'I.~,", P .N.C. 11308 Richard H. Ponte rio - President L.M.#2163 July 1991 11 Coinage commemorates Pius II and his attempts at launching the Ninth Crusade against the Thrks by John C. Ryan the Turks had captured Constantinople and grew up. His family still retained its On August 19. 1458. Aeneas Silvius on May 29, 1453. The Byzantine Em beautiful coat of anns: a blue cross Picco lomini (1405-64), Cardinal Bishop perorConstantine IX ( 1448-5 8) had died decorated with six golden crescents, all of Siena, listened in astonishment as fig hting, survivors were butchered or on a while background. Years later Cardinal Prospera Colona rose and sa id, enslaved, and the fabled Church of Santa Aeneas placed thai coat of arms on mosl "I accede to the Cardinal of Siena." Sophia was now a mosque. Aeneas of his coins, after he was elected Pope. Aeneas had gained the twelfth vote from Silvrius Piccolomini wrote the reigning But, that was many years in the fulure. the 18 sealed in conclave. "1 make him Pope, Nicholas V (1447-55), a letter He spent his early years doing back Pope." 1 added Colona. breaking fann work, listening to stories When the chamberlain asked by of the family's knightly past, and study wh ich name he wished to be known, ing Latin with the parish priest. Aeneas replied "Pius." Pius! The sur Aeneas proved himself a scholar with prise winner, now Pius II, was one of a disciplined mind, and he attended the Europe's leading human ists. a man who Studio of Siena. After that he held had travelled from Scotland to Naples. a increasingly important diplomatic posts celebrated novelist and poet, and he through which he travelled to many even climbed mountains fo r recreation countries and met many rulers, includ in his youth. The ne w 209lh Pope could ing the Kings of England and Scotland surely not be naming himself after the and the Holy Roman Emperor, Frederick long forgotten. totally obscure, 51. Pius III. Frederick thought so much of I (140-155), who reigned for a decade Aeneas' poetry that he crowned him and a half during the reign of the Roman "poet laureate of the Holy Roman Em- Emperor Antoninus Piu s (138-161), plre. " The more educated of the murmur Aeneas avoided the priesthood until ingcardinals whispered around the room A medal by Andres Guacialoni after 1446, but once a priest. he rose in that Aeneas, hero of Virgil's epic poem, (1435-1495/1497) shows a portrait of the church as fast as he had in diplo The Aeneid, carries the epithet, pillS, Pius If on the obverse. Pius If, Pope macy. Also, an old friend of his became throughout the poem. The new Pope 1458·64, has no coins with portraits. Pope Nicholas V, so Aeneas was on was making a clever literary allusion. The medal's legend translates: good terms with both Pope and Em Few noticed that the word, pius, meant ~Aeneas of Siena, Pope Pius the peror. "faithful" in Latin. Pius quickly swore Second~. Photo courtesy ofrhe Nicholas V's appeals for a crusade that he would remain faithfultothe acts National Gallery of Art, Washington, led to several ineffectual meetings, dur of his predecessor- the chief of which D.C, Samuel H. Kress Collection. ing one of which, at Frankfort in 1447. was the effort to drive the Turks from news of Nicholas V's death arrived. Constanlinople. ForPius, keeping fai th that lamented, "Of the two lights of The news broke upthe meeting. Every meant the launching of an enterprise Christendom, one has been put out." one returned home saying that they had that is sometimes called the Ninth Cru Aeneas Silvrius Piccolomini was changed their minds about a crusade. sade . born in 1405 into a family that had long The Holy Roman Emperor conspicu The story began in 145 3, and the been noble in Siena, but fifty years ously avoided all involvement with the effort is marked by some of the earliest previously Siena had expelled most of project. He wanted a guarantee that a commemorati ve coins issued by a Euro its nobles and become a repUblic. The holy war would add Hungary to his pean nation. Piccolomini had been reduced from empire-fighting Turks took a backseat. The grim news took a month to reach wealth to one rather meager farm at The next Pope, Calixtus III ( 1455- Venice-Rome heard it a week later- Corsignano, where Aeneas was born 58) came from Spain, where crusading was a way of life. Calixtus' arms dis played an ox and eight barley sheaves ROMAN EMPIRE, Antoninus Pius, that commemorated eight ancestors who 138-161 A.D., AE Sestertius (32.2 mm & drove the Moors fromJaliva in Aragon. 25.6 g). Obv. ANTONINVS.AVG. Calixtus wholehean edly preached a PIVS.P.P, laureated head 01 crusade; however. he was 77 years old Antoninus Pius to right. Rev. when elected. FELICITAS.AVG.COS.It. S·C. Felicitas standing left holding Lukewarm responses from European caduceus and cornucopia. princes may explain the meaning of a Cohen 368 & RIC 535. coin Calixtus III issued to advertise the lovely green patina crusade. The reverse of a sil ver grosso EF------$2,500 and a gold ducat both show St. Peter William B. Warden, Jr. sitting in a boat that supports a large Classical Numismatist. Specialist in tltt Coins of tht Roman Empirt cross. The Latin legend reads MODICE P.O. Box 356, New Hope, PA 18938 U.S.A. 1-2 15-297-5088 FIDEI QUARE DUB ITA TIS, "Oh you of little faith, why do you doubt?" The obverses display Calixtus' coat of anns 12 The Celator a ruler of any time: he struck a coin in a state he did not rule. Mantua lay outside the Papal States. He struck a gold ducat that resembled a standard issue of Rome. The obverse displayed Pius' coat of anns and title, PIUS PAPA SECUNDUS. The reverse shows St. Peter. asdo Roman issues, but the legend reads, DIETE MANTOV A, "The Diet- Mantua"(CNI: 21; M: 38: The obl'6T$e 01 this grtJS$() (CNI: 19: R, 14). M: 6; R: 3) ehows thIt anna 01 CalWuti III Pius opened the Diet with a June I (1455058). Ox Qruing on " temtG'e sum:HJI'IdtJd by • bMtJut-. 01 ..,hr barl6y high mass, which important Mantuans sh6aves. The fBVIHU dlaplaya St. Peter plus a few notables from neighboring In a boat. Thtt legend translates: cities attended. Otherwise, no other Pius II issued a gold coin at Mantua "You oIlit1f8 faith, why do you doubt?" delegates appeared. Thecardinals asked to advertise a meeting there to pro CaNxtus 111 also Issued a gold ducat each other, "Have we been brought here mote the Ninth Crusade. The obverse (CNI: 4; M: I: R: 4) tha t doS6/y to discuss a crusade with Mantuan (not shown) contains Pius fl's coat of res(imblfl$ the grosso. Photo courtesy arms. The reverse shows St. Peter of Classical Numismatic Auctions. frogs?" In his speech at the mass, Pius said: "We see that only a few are here. and the legend: S PETRVS 0- We have been mistaken. Christians are (IE)TE MANTOVA. Here, (IE) means (eNI, 4 & 19; M, 1 & 6; R, 4 & 3). not so concerned about religion as we the f and the E are combined into After his election, Pi us IT acted believed .. . We shall soon perish, unless one figure. The legend translates: quickly. By October 22, 1458, he had we can summon up a different spirit. "4 WSt. Peter, the Diet, Mantua. W selected Mantua for a congress, called Delegates trickled in slowly. The the Diet of Mantua, that would rally Emperor Frederick sent men of such ri ng speech. Pius looked to the crusad Europe to fig ht the Turks. Incidentally. little authority that Pius sent them home. ing council of Clermont, four centuries Pius II coined the word "European" to Two English priests arrived , but they earlier. and passionately hoped he could describe the civilization he was defend were of so little consequence that no· rekindle the vital spark. Everyone ing. Letters were sent to all Christian body recorded their names. The official agreed: Pius spoke like a Pope . kings and princes announcing that the English delegate, Sir John Tiptoft. Earl Pius left Mantua January 24, 1460 diet would begin on June 1, 1459. The of Worcester, hovered in a neighboring and headed for several spas and mineral cardinals begged Pius toremain in Rome. city, probably in Ferrara. That was the baths to relieve his ever worsening gout, because they feared that anarchy wou ld English diplomatic way of saying "No." neuralgia and other ailments. In the arise ifthe Pope left town. Pius replied The French arrived with an impor next year, his scientific interests deliv to them, " I would rather see the church tant message from their king: the French ered the Turks a stunning economic spoiled of her temporal goods than her would join the crusade, if Pius deposed blow. At the time. the only source of honor...If we go, it is true the temporal the reigning Ki ng of Naples and de alum was Turkey. "Every year they [the power may toner; but this has been clared a scion of the French royal house Turks] wring from the Christians more often lost and recovered. "2 heir to the Neapolitan throne. Pius said than 300,000 ducats for alum with which "No," and wrote, "In France, madness we dye wool various colors," wrote Pius. Pius, suffering from gout, left Rome has long been king. There, it is pro ver In 146 1. one of Pius' scholar friends January 22, 1459, the dead of winte r, bial to say when making excuses fo r discovered a huge deposit of alum in the and headed into the ice and snow of madmen, ' It 's no wonder. They're all Papal States. The mines soon brought in Italy's Apennine Mountains. Heplanned of royal blood ... ' about 100,000 ducats a year to the cru · a tourthrough Italian cities to preach the The diet showed a few rays of hope. sader fund, and the Turks were denied crusade. He was greeted by crowds Both Philip, Duke of Burgundy and large revenues. eager for the papal blessing and civil Francesco Sforza, Duke of Mi lan, In 1461, Pius created several new rulers who evaded all involvement with pledged support. Pius delivered a sti r- cardinals, one of whom was Jean a crusade. For example, the people of Florence - Eu rope's banking center were exuberant , but o ld Cosmo de 'Medici (1389-1464), who controlled Aorence and much of its money, pleaded illness and avoided the Pope. A polite Meet Your Match but blunt banker. Cosmo said that Pius was an old man engaging in a young man's game. Pius noted. "Many said .Al'HlENET that Cosmo pretended to be iU so that he Datab a a. of Dealer. might not have to wait on the Pope."3 In Anc ien t Coins and Antiquities Pius reached Mantua, a city with good transportation links, shortly be oC;qPrM Write (or our fl't.'C hrochure. fore June J. "The cit y itself lies in a P.O. Box 11 35, Charlottesville, VA 22902 swamp and can only be reached by MEMBER bridges or boats," Pius noticed. At Mantua, Piu s did something unusual for July 1991 13 is a heedless pernicious fellow ... He will be an enemy to us and you." Pius made Arras a cardinal. and the new cardinal proved to be eve!)' bit as detestable as advertised. Moreover. Arras, as an in tennediary between the papal and French courts was in a position to do the Ninth Crusade a great deal of hann. Whatdid Pius think of Jean Joufrroy, Cardinal Bi shop of Arras? He wrote of him in his autobiography: " He [Arras] would perform mass in the Basi lica of SI. Peter. .. by express ion and gesture he would actually appear rapt, [he] would heave sighs from the bottom of his heart; The obV8J'S8 of thIs gold ducat would weep and pretend to talk to God. (CNI: 3; M: 2: R: 7) ahaws Pius Irs But before he had .. .left the altar, he Th6 double ducat of Pius /I coat of arms; cross with fivtJ Cfesronts. struck with his fi st one or other of the (CNI: 1; II: 1; R:8}showa: Pius' fl8mf1 ThIs rf/verse, IOtrnltimes cafl9d ·POP6 attendants who had made some minor and title. pIu, th619(}f1a1 dam, AN VI, In II boa!", has II varian! legend from mistake ... one of the attendants had his year 6 ( t4631'64), on tfIs lllde of a boat. the Ontl quottld Tn thfJ srtic16 for the ",WlfS" ears boxed so hard ... that he fell down."5 The shows Pius' coat of arms gmsso: NRO ntads NROS. Th6 ducat between Saints Petei' and Paul, thtI dosely resamb18s the silver {JJTJSSO Despite diffi culties caused by Arras. patron $Sinl' of the city of Rome. of Pius II (CNI: 24; M: 10: R: 5). the year 1463 proved a good one fo r the crusade. Duke Philip repledged sup port, and because the Emperor settled The gold ducat and the silver grosso Jouffroy, Bi shop of Arras. Both Louis his differences with Hungary, Venice (CNI: 3&24;M: 2& IO;R: 7 &5)show XI of France ( 1461 -83) and Philip the felt free to ally itself with the Hungar Pius' anns and title on the obverse; on Good. Duke of Burgundy (1419-67). ians for the crusade. On June 18, 1464, the reverses, they show the Pope sitting pressed Arras upon Pius. and afler all Pius II took the cross in the Basilica of on Ihe deck of a ship blessing a chalice Phili p of Burgundy was Ihe main hope St. Peter's. and three coins seem to mark that holds the Eucharist with the legend of the crusade. Arras' countryman, Alain the occasion, a ducat, a double ducat, DIRIGE DNEGRESSV NRO, Latin for Cardinal of Avignon warned Pius: "He and a grosso. "Lord, direct our flock." ~ First Jewish Revolt Shekels in Superb Condition "Shekel of israel, Year Two" "Jerusalem the Holy" We have just acquired superior examples of "Year Two" (67/68 A.D.) thick silver shekels. Condition: Extremely Fine to Lustrous Mint State Price: $2,100 to $2,500 Our complimentary Fall Ca talogue of quality coins and antiquities is available upon your request. New acquisitions will include a fine selection of Alexander tetradrachmas, Biblical City coins, "KP" Jerusalem shekels, Roman coins, and Holy Land antiquities. Please specify your wants. Southland Antiquities & Numismatics, Ltd. Attention: Todd A , Herring Route 3, Box 398 Starkville, MS 39759 (601) 324-2517 14 The Gelator is pleased 10 announce its SUMMER MAIL BID SALE ANCIENT AND MODERN COINS OF THE WORLD AND THE UNITED STATES Closing Date: Wednesday, July 17, 1991 Nearly 600 Lots of A ncient CO;'IS FEATURING: • Greek and Early Roman Imperial gold, an ex ten sive group of Late Roman and Byzantine gold; • An excell ent offering of Greek silver coins, ranging from moderately priced items to rare coin s of the finest quality; • Ancient Judaean coins; • Wide-rangin g collection of Roman Republican and Imperial sil ver and bronze. A wille r(llIge of coil/s ill olf prict! rO/Ices to appeal 10 bolh Ihe aOl"ol/ceO {lml beginning Colleclor, (IS ... ell us /0 Ihe geller(ll SlUdeJ/l of Anciell! Hislory. "" Profusely Illustrated Cata lQgues Available Now! e. The Price of$10.00 Q) Includes the Prices Realized Coin Galleries has been conducting Mail Bid Auctions featuring Ancient coins for ovcr35 years. Our sales are quarterly, in the Spring, Summer. Fall and Winter. with the next one scheduled for November 13, 1991. Those wishing to consign material {erthal sale should contact us as soon as Iii'\ possIble. Coms for Inclusion in our November sale should be in ou r h July 1991 15 The double ducat (CNI: I; M: I; R: coast, and the main city in a province 8) placed the Pope in a boat on the called Marchia, or the Marches. Pius obverse , and added a cardinal to allend took the precaution of setting up a papal Pius. The Latin legend translates: "He mint at Ancona, which had issued city arose and his enemies were scallered." coins for several centuries. Pius ' Ancona Pius' name and ti tles and regnal year issues definitely belong to the time of appearon the sideofthe boat. This large the Ninth Crusade, and they were gold coin is dated to Pius' yearsix, "AN probably issued as part ofthe war effort. VI,"on the obverse, dat ing it to between Three denominations. all silver, re August 1463-Augu st 1464. se mble the issues from Rome: agrossa, The reverse of the double ducat shows a half grosso, and a Roman bolognino. Pi us' coat of arms between Saint s Peter The grosso and half grosso (CNI: 90 & and Paul standing. The legend trans 98;M: 31&32; R: 1O&II )both show lates: "Avenge, Lord, the blood which Pius' coat of arms on the obverse and is shed in you r behalf." Thecoin alludes Grosso of Ancona. Alfhough Ihis silver Saints Peter and Paul on the reverse, but to one of the attitudes that Pius expressed grosS(} looks like a product of the Rome there is no mention of the city of Rome. in a speech he made in 1463: "We shall mint, the exergue marl< - cross atop a The bolagninoshows a mitered bust and shield containing an f - belonged to stand on a high stern ... and holding be Francesco Nicolai, a mintef al Ancona. Pius' titles on the obverse and the leg fore our eyes the Holy Eu charist...we II shows on the reverse Saints Peter and end ECCLES IA RO with the letters shall pray for the safety and victory of Paul and reads: S PETRVS S PAVL Vs. MANA cruciform - arranged in the our fighti ngsoldiers."6 All three of Pius' The obverse shows Ihe arms of Pius /I. form of across (Ecclesia Romuna = the crusader coins show the Euchari st above Thegrosso(CNI:90; M:31;R: II) Roman Church). All three coins bear a chalice, which sits to the front of the fesembles a half grosso (CNI: 98; M: 32; the privy mark of Francesco Nicolai, boat. But Piu s intended to do more than R: 10) also issued by Pius /I from Ancona. who was a known minier at the Ancona pray; he would go on the crusade him mint and whom Pius probably ordered se lf. follow you, 1 do not agree. To go to to start stri king money for the crusade. Arras bu rst into Pius' speech: "You martyrdom is a matter for counsel not The mark shows a cross atop a shield have promised to set ou t and you must command."7 Pius had longbcen used to that contains a smallieller f. go ... They will say you have devised Ihis Arras' opposition, now he thought he The Ancona mint continued to strike scheme to block the French designs on was actually insane. coins for the Popes till just after 1585, the Kingdom [of Naplesl As to your Sold ie rs were headed toward one of the few lasting effects of the saying that the cardinals are bound to Ancona, a seaport on Italy's eastern Ninth Crusade. -+ J{anner 2Wo~ (ja[[eries 'Esta6{isfiec£ 1905 YLbsentee YLuction 41 erosing 'Date: JU[y 2~ 1991 Featuring a Qllality Selection of Classical Amiquitiesfrom Egypt, Greece. Rome and the Ancient Near East; Pre-Columbian Art; Tribal Arts-Indian and Ethllographic; Oriental Antiques; Ancient Numismatics. Caralogut' & Price.s Realized $/5 ppd. Harmer Rooke Galleries, 3 Eas. 57.h 5 1. , New York , NY 10022, Call: 212-751-1900, FAX 212-75 8- 171 3 16 The Celator lMPERIAL C oins and Antiquities present s: Two Roman Coins In• The Finest Style Lucius Verus, co-emperor A.D. 161-169- Gold aureus. OB: Laureate, Actual size draped bustlo right. REV : TRP V IMP U COS II , Victory attaching shield L. Aelius Verus, Caesar A.D. 136- marked VIC A VG to palm tree. RIC 138- under Hadrian. Bronze drachma 533. Conditio n: Choice Very Fine of Alexandria, Egypt. OB: Bare head Plus, with considerable mint lu ster in right. REV: Homonoia seated left , arm fi elds. This lovely aurcus marks the resting on cornucopia, holding patera. success of the Roman expedition against Dattari 2076. Condition: C hoice Ex the Parthian forces that had invaded tremely Fine, with a spl end id olive-green Armenia. The oustanding portrait has patina. Rare! Luc ius Aelius Caesar , ., frosted" surfaces which stand out Hadrian's short-lived designated succes sharply against the lustrous fi elds. sor, is one of the most elusive portraits in Price: ...... $5,500 Egyptian bronze. This spectacular piece is the best bronze drachma of Aelius we Satisfaction guaranteed. To order have encountered , and rank s among the using VISA or MasterCard, please give best Egyptian bronzes we have seen, us a call at (209) 732-2026 . To order by mail, pl ease send your cheek or money period. The portrait is superbly styled , order (adding $6 for postage and in sur and the surfaces are free of pitting or ance) to: problems. Truly a museum piece! Imperial Coins and Anti(luities Price: ...... $985 3296 S. Mooney Blvd., Su ite 105 Visalia, CA 93277 A few announcements: Thanks to all our friends who stopped by our table in Long Beach. We had another great show , thanks to you! If you aren't already on our mailing list, be sure 10 call or wri te fo r a free copy of our Bid-Or-Buy Sale catalog. Our nex t sale closes August 26th. We are now accepting consignments for our Novembe r Bid-Or-Buy Sal e. If you 'd like to get top prices for your coi ns or antiquities, put them in the HOTTEST CATA LOG in the ANCIENTS MARKET! Our deadline fo r accept ing consignmen ts is Sep temhcr 2nd for the sale closing in November. Call or write today! Upcoming show schedul e: We will be attending the IOOth Anni versary ANA Con vention August 13th through 18th at the Rosemont/O'Hare Conference & Exhibition Center in Chicago. We will be at table 957 in the Ancients & Foreign section . This should be a spectacular eve nt and should not be missed! July 1991 17 Soon after taking the cross, Pius de "European," but he believed more in the Ancona, invading the crusading host parted Rome fo r Ancona, but Pius was concept of Christendom. As Pope, he and even the Cardinals' households.''8 ill , and the memoirs, or autobiography, could not believe that the Christian The harbor of Ancona resembles the break off. The enterprise became grim . princes would ignore his unselfish ex floor of a gigantic amphitheater. and the Troops had gathered at Ancona , but no ample. As one of the most infonned lown sits on hills that seem almost to leaders. In early 1464, Louis XI of men of his age, he could not believe that surround it. Pius was lodged in the France forbade Philip, the Good, of the rulers would ignore the threat of bishop's palace adjoining the Cathedral Burgundy to lake any part in the cru Turkish conquest. of St. Cyriacus, which stands on a hill sade. Philip could have opposed hi s After his arrival at Ancona, the Ve overlooking the harbor. The Venetian king, but he was ailing, so he did not netian ships that would transport the fleet made port on August 11, and Pius' come. FrancescoSforza, Duke of Milan, troops delayed their arrival. Some of attendants lifted him to the windows of fou nd difficulty allying himself with the troops began to suffer; many left fo r the bishop's palace, and he saw the Venice. so he defaulted on his promise home. "As July me lted into August,and splendid sight. "The sight gave him no to lead. the heat became unbearable, pestilence joy. All this time he had waited for the Pius might have coined the term did indeed sweep through the March of fleet for his expedition: now that the ships had come, the expedition had melted away.''9 Suffering from stones, gout, inabil ity to sleep and fever, Pius began to sink CALVIN J. ROGERS on August 13. The Venetian com mander, Doge Christoforo Moro, be Classical Numismatist came highly annoyed, because Pius would not receive him. He did not Fu lly illustrated believe the Pope was ill . Pius died on list free upon request August 14, 1464, and with him died the last crusade. The cardinals hurried back to Rome. Ancient & P.O. Box 7233 The election of the next Pope, by law, Redwood City CA 94063 had to begin in 10 days. The Venetian Medieval fle et crept oul of the harbor. The Vene (415) 369·1508 tians had transported no one, but they had collected the fees. The only monu ment to the Ninth Crusade, on the head lands at Ancona, was destroyed by a bombardment during World War H. If you aren't seeing this symbol on Footnotes: catalogues you are currently receiving I Pi us II. Memoirsoja Renaissance Pope. tfans. by Florence A. Gragg, New York, G.8. Putnam's Sons, 1959, p. 87 . Pius II wrote a readable. detailed and intimate autObiography, which often expresses his innermost thoughts. Quotations not specifically identified as from a letleror document are all from the Gragg trans lation. 2 Pius II . Memoirs, p. 97. 3 Pius II, Memoirs, p. lOS. 4 Pius II . Memoirs. p. l IS. 5 Pius II , Memoirs. p. 365. 6 Pius II. Memoi r.~, p. 360. 7 Pius II , Memoirs, p. 36 1. 8 R.1 . Mitchell. The Laurels and the Ti ara: Pope Pius II, /458-/464, New York, Doubleday & Company, Inc., p. 236. 9 Mitchell. lAure/sand Tiara. p. 236. Write for our membership list The Celator Is your Jean·Paul Divo window to the world of Secretary, I.A.P.N. ancient numismatics and L6wenstrasse, 65 antiquities, Don't miss an CH·8001 Zurich, Switzerland Issue - Subscribe Today! 18 The Gelator CLASSICAL NUMISMATIC GROUP, INC. QUARRYVILLE,, PA· HEVERLY HILLS, CA· LONDON, ENGLA:'IID PLAN NOW TO ATTEND AN IMPORTANT SALE OF CLASSICAL COINS Featuring several prominent American Collections. Highlighted by an important offering of Roman Imperial & Classical Greek Bronzes. SALE XVI August 16, 1991 6PM Hotel Sofitel Rosemont, Illinois Across from the Expo Center Catalogue and Prices Realized $10.00 CLASSICAL NUMISMATIC GROUP INC. Box 245, Quarryville PA, 17566·0245, USA (717) 786·4013 July 1991 19 Antiquities Cameos became a medium of Hellenistic artistry by David Liebert was cut away. leaving the design in The earliest instances of cameo work Many months ago I wrote an anicle relief, rather than hollowed out. How- appear in the Sumerian period when on ancient intaglios in which I promised banded stones were cut to enhance their to write a companion piece on cameos. appearance in jewelry, but no relief Well, the mills of my mind may not carving was used. While they may be gri nd exceedingly fi ne, bul allimcs they regarded as distant ancestors of the seem to gri nd exceedingly slow. Any cameo, they are not true cameos. way, on the principle of"beuer late than Ailhough small relief carvings never", here it is. (amulets and the like), often in precious Although the basic principles of both or semi-precious stones, are not uncom cameo and intaglio cutting were known mon in the ancient world, actual cameos from remote ant iqui ty, the actual manu appear fllst in Greece following the fac ture of cameos as we know them did conquests of Alex.ander Ill. nol occur before the Hellenistic period, They may perhaps have come into about the th ird century B.C, ex.istence under eastern influences, By definition. a cameo is a precious which reached Greece from Alexander's or semi-precious stone orobjeci of other far flu ng empire. Certainly such influ material which has been carved in relief ences played a role in the development for use as an ornament. of Hellenistic jewelry. Cameos were usually sct in jewelry, It seems far more likely to me, how but sometimes had other uses, such as Zeus depicted on an ancient cameo ever, that the cameo, as we know it, furniture ornaments. Often they were developed as a result of the surge of made by the same celators who en ever, the intaglio technique was much art istic activit yon a small scale, brought graved coin dies. more functional and it was in use for about by the increasingly profi cient Like intaglios they were mostl y cut seals throughout ancient history, celatorsofthe Hellenistic age. Surely it on the wheel. The differe nce between whereas the cameo onlydcveloped from is no accident that the cameo was in cameos and intaglios is that the cameo the Hellenistic pe riod as noted. vented at the very same time someofthe most exquisite coins of antiquity were being produced. It is not hard to imag ine some unknown master celator in The venting the cameo in an effort to get the same effect in stone as he did in metal. Time Machine Company By the 2ndcenturyB.C. the Romans is always eager to aid beginning collectors with moderately priced coins and had also adopted the fashion of wearing antiquities. Gall David Liebert direct to discuss your interests and needs. cameos as jewelry and also for other ornamental purposes. The emperors wore them as ceremonial insignia. Ac Classical pottery cording to ancient accounts, some of the heads, Ptolemaic finest examples known from the Roman period probably served this function. to Roman Period Cameos were also popular among from ancient Eg ypt, the masses, as we can see from the fact many varieties, that many were made of less pre cious material such as glass. 1" to 3", mostly The subjects were often similar 10 F+ or better those found on intaglios, with portraits of dieties such as Eros predominating. $18.99 each Unfortunately, they were not produced While They Last in the great numbers which intaglios were. and relat ively fewer have survived to find their way into modem collections. Production. with some exceptions, We have many more interesting antiquities and ancient coins in stock. If you are not on our mailing list, you are missing some of the best buys in particularly amu letic and other inscribed ancient art. Send for your free catalog today. For more information contact: gems, seems to have waned by the 2nd century A.D. in the Roman world. They The Time Machine Co. were still prized, however. in post Ro p .0, Box 282, Flushing Station, man times, and often fine examples from Queens, NY 11367 earlier periods were reset into contem (718) 544-2708 porary jewelry. In addition. they con tinued to be manufactured in greater or lesser quantities into modem times. 20 The Gelator Book News HCS debuts their AtheNet Reports newsletter Hill Communications Strategies and antiquities, introduce d the currently list their services in the AtheNa! recently announced the debut of its newsletter as a free service to AtheNal database. "We will be writing stories AtheNat Reports newsletter. HCS, dealer/subscribers and collectors. about Ihedealers, focusing on the areas which operates the AtheNa! database The quarterly newsletter will feature in which they specialize, the services of dealers and services in ancient coins slories exclusively on dealers who they provide, and on any interesting facls about their businesses," said Jim Hill, President of HCS. "The newsletter Baltimore coin club isourwayofgaining increased exposure for AtheNel-lisled dealers - with no publishes The Coin Courier extra cost to them .w And, adds Hill, the newslellerwill help col1ectors learn about The Coin Courier. the official each. Both Greek and l atin names are new dealers and services. publication of the Baltimore Coin Club, given The newsletter, which wil1 be is instituting a special Spotlig ht section Following the article are book review provided free to AtheNet customers. will which will , each month, focus on a and trivia sections. The newsletter also also feature dates of upcoming events different area of numismatics. Their contains classified advertising and such as coin shows and major auctions. latest edition includes a Spotlight on minutes from club meetings, which are Hill Communications Strategies is a Ancientsl held twice a month. consulting firm dedicated to fostering The article presented was written by For more informatio n about the effective comm unications among small L. D. Mitchel1 and is titled 'A Guide to Baltimore Coin Club or TheCoin Courier, busi nesses, organizations and clubs. Deitiesand Personifications on Classical conlactlarry Mitchel1, Editor, The Coin For further information contact James Coinage'. Included is a list of Greek and Courier. P.O. Box 5100, l aurel Centre Hill at P.O. Box 11 35, Charlottesville, Romandeities, with brief descriptions of Station, laurel, MD 20726. VA 22902 Inaugural issue PRICE, The Coinage In the Name of Alexander the Great of Annotazioni and Philip Arrhldaeus. The entire coinage in all metals, both lifetime and postumous. Over 4,000 different types arranged Numismatiche by mint. 149 plates. Indexes of over 900 issue marks and monograms. Concordances with earlier works. A massive is released two-volume set which is a major work and an essential Rossi Numismatica is currently reference on these coins. #8-100. $300. publishing Volume 1, Number 1 of Annotazioni Numismatiche. The publication is divided into fou r sections: GRIERSON, Coins of Medieval Europe. A new edition Contributions. Updates, Discussions, and the first one in English. A companion volume to the and Bibliographic Notes. new edition of Jenkins Ancient Greek Coins. 224 p. The Contributions section will identify 478 black & white illustrations piUS eight pages of important events, such as previous or forthcoming projects or announcements color plates. 246 x 189 em. #897. $70. of numismatic news. In the Updates section, articles and monographs will WRITE FOR FREE, be added to and expanded upon. • Fixed price catalog of quality coins. Indepth examination of views and • Auction of medium-priced coins. opinions on numismatic articles and • Catalogs of books about ancienl coins. projects will be included in the Discussions section. Works appearing Please add $4 for postage in magazines or other publications will U.S.P.S. Special Handling $2 additional be indicated in the Bibliographic Note s. Single copies of Annotazioni Numismaticheare available for £15. An THOMAS P. MCKENNA annual subscription, consisting of four P.o. Box 1356-F - Fort Collins, CO 80522 issues, is priced at £50. For more information, contact Rossi Numismatica, 303-226-5704 Via Roma, 2fA. 46100 Mantova, Italy. July 1991 21 People in the News Ancients club elects officers, plans Fake Fair At a recent meeting 01 the Ancient an era when the portrait of the emperor real. Some members have collections Numismatic Society of Washington, was on the anvil die and the "reverse" of Beckers and the products of Padua, D.C., Joseph Daragan became the first was on the spike die. This reversal and they volunteered to make these president emeritus of the club. The made for some strange looking coins. "classical" counterfeits available for the previous two presidents, Arthur Leo Cancio began the lecture by fair. Johnson, USN, and Grant Edwards died holding aloft a recent auction catalog in office. from "the greatest auction house in the Douglas Smith, th e vice president, world", and began: "This month's auction Montreux is host was elected president by a unanimous contains only two counterfeits that the vote. Doug's articles on coins have auction house had to withdraw." There to 40th General appeared in The Celator and in the followed an extraordinary give and take publications distributed by Victor seminar. Assembly of IAPN England from Quarryville, Pennsylvania. After the lecture, the members The 40th General Assembly 01 the Robert Pick was elected vice president. decided that a si milar presentation on International Association of Professional Wayne McGovern was re-elected counterfeits would be the club's effort at Num ismatists (IAP N) was held at the secretary·treasu rer. a July 11·13 show to be held by the Montreux Palace Hotel in Mon\reux, At the May meeting, Leo Cancio Metro Washington Numismatic Switzerland. Fredy AIt , the Mayor of presented a seminar on counterfeit Association in lanham, Maryland. The Montreux, officially inaugurated the ancient coins. All anending had brought effort will be a Fake Fair. Members of Assembly, which consisted of 581irms in fakes or presumed fakes. One very ANSW will bring counterfeits, sit at in attendance. odd looking Marcus Aurelius sestertius separate tables, and show collectors The founding member, Emil Bourgey was pronounced genuine. It came from the difference between counterfeit and from Paris, was made Honorary President. Mr. Albrecht and Robert Schulman were made Honorary Members. The General Assembly discussed the association's calendar, JrllfHrs in which will be published for 1992. Four new member firms were admitted. ROdiger Kaiser of Frankfurt, ~umi13mafit13 Jesus Vieo of Madrid, and Edward Ludvig Mu ller Waddell of the United States became 1809-1891 regular members, with Credit de la Bourse of Paris being admitted as an One of the leading names in 19th century associate member. numismatics. Ludvig Muller was perhaps the The 1991 Book Prize went to the foremost of an impressive list of Danish nu catalogue 01 the Calousta Gulbenkian mismatists. His research set standards and Collection ofGreBk. Coins. Part If, edited resulted in reference works that only now, by G.K. Jenkins and M. Castro Hipolito. after more than a century, are being replaced. The book prize is expected to be MUlier was in charge of ancient coins at the Royal Coin Cabinet in Copenhagen and presented to the authors at the end of was responsible for much of the initial cataloging of that collection. In 1855, his October during the 20th International doctoral dissertation presented the b:lsic chronology :md uttrihurion of coins of Coin Convention in Zurich. Phi lip II of Macedon. Following up that work, in 1855/6. Muller published his In addition to electing a new groundbreaking analysis of the coinage of Alexander the GreaL For this effort, committee, the topics of early warning, which employed a unique classification system of hi s own devising. he won the public relations and advertising were Numismatic Prize of the French Academy. In 1856n he applied the same discussed. sys tematic approach to the coinageof Lysimachos, K ing ofThrace. Although time The General Assembly in 1992 will and modem research has revealed much new infonnation about these issues. be held in Stockholm. For 1993, Muller's studies layed the groundwork for much of our understanding of th e Budapest was confirmed as a venue. complex Macedonian coinage. Between 1860 and 1874. Muller produced a Paris has been suggested as the site for comprehensive study of the coinage of Carthage and North Africa. Nllmismatiqlle the 1994 Assembly. De CAncienne Afrique. which is still an important referen ce today. For further information or a list of member dealers, contact IAPN This feature is prov id ed courtesy of Secretary, Jean·Paul Divo, at The c.n. Byers Corporat ion, Newport Beach, CA L6wenstrasse 65, CH-8001 , Zurich, Switzerland. 22 The Celator Art and the Market NGC reverses decision to slab ancient coins The following letter was recently sent by of numismatic interest throughout the standing suppon. We will continue to Numismatic Guaranty Corporation of world. However, when many of you introduce innovative ideas to the world America to NGG Members. vocal ized your conce rns over the of numismati cs and plan on your encapsulating of ancient coins. we participation in O Uf future objectives. TO: NGC Members: listened. We have taken YOUl" concerns We will want to hear from you - the "Our foundation was built on our to heart, and will discontinue the collector , the educator ,the inves tor, and commitment to the numismati c Ancient Coin Certification Program. the dealer. community. Since our inception. we NGC would like 10 express our Forthose of you who have submitted have worked hard to SI imu late the growth appre ciation for your counsel and long· ancient coins, wewillrefund yourmoney and credit you with an Express slot for each coin submitted. Auction results We hope NGC's expansion into the ancient coin industry has renewed Active bidding highlights Malter sale interest in the ancient history from which numismatics wa s born. Malter and Co., Inc. has released the Prices quoted do not include the Good luck and great success to Hll of results of their public auction held in los 10% buyer's premi um. No date has those now discovering ancient coi ns and Angeles June 6th, 1991 . been set for Malter's next auction, but to all of those who have remained loyal The Greek coins had spirited bidding consignments are eage rly sought. For to their hobby. If we are persuaded to with a lovely silver tetradrachm from fu rther in formation contact Malter grade ancients in the future. we would Katana, Sicily bringing $1,700 and a Galleries, P.O. Box 777, Encino, CA hope to do so with the blessing of the gorgeous gold stater of Alexander the 913 16 or call (818) 784-7772. ancient numismatic community." Great fetching $2,800. Two beautiful silver drachms from Larissa brought $700 and $550 respectively. An attractivesilverstaterfrom Boeotia was hammered down al $625. A beautiful Are you interested in silver letrobol from Paphlagonia realized $775 while a Judaean 2nd Revolt silver CHOICE WORLD COINS? tetradrachm sold for $1 ,600. You should be receiving our publications Egyptian coins saw a gold tetradrachm of Ptolemy It realize $2, 100, MORE THAN THREE with a gold hemidrachm of Ptolemy III MAIL BID CATALOGUES ANNUALLY selling for $1,650. A superb gold octodrachm of Ptolemy VI realized $5.250. A rare silver denarius of Cleopatra VII with Mark Antony realized Featuring RARE and CHOtCE gold and silver coins of $2,600, while a silver tetradrachm of the world as we ll as ancient coinage and wo rld paper Augustus sold for $1 ,075. money. A sample catalogue is $15.00 postpaid . A choice silver denarius of Otho brought $1 ,050, with aurei of Trajan Includes Prices Realized being hammered down at $2,300 and $1,700. The large and attractive run 01 Hadrian cistophoric lelradrachms saw a An annual subscription is also available. The cost is $45 particularly nice example with the cult within the U.S. and $60 outside the U.S. statue of Diana Ephesia selling fo r $850. An aure us of Marcus Aurelius in VF+ brought $2 ,750, with an equally fine Ponterio & Associates, Inc. aureus of lucius Ve ru s selling for 1616 Robinson Ave. $2,950. A rare sestertius 01 Gordian I in VF realized $1 ,700. r:::'I ~-;;;;;;:" San Diego, CA 92103 Bulk coin lots were eagerly bid upon . .~ ~~,:'~ 1-600-654-2666 or 619-299-0400 by both dealers and collectors. The line ~ e Licensed Auction Company #968 collection of Pre-Columbian artifacts LM.#2 163 surpassed expectations, with a large P.N.C.'JOB Richard H. Ponte rio - President and competitive crowd bidding. July 1991 23 NFA to conduct ancients auction Coming Events .... at the lOOth ANA Numismatic Fine Arts International will be conducting a special ancient Jul. 7 Antiquities Fair Greek and Roman coin auction sale as Intercontinental Britannia Hotel, London part of the official agenda of the American Numismatic Association's 1 DO th Jul. 11 ·13 Metro Washington Show Anniversary Convention in Chicago in Landham, Maryland August. The one -session sale, officially Jul. 19 • 21 NASC Show sanctioned by the ANA, will be conducted on the evening of August Cathedral Hill Hotel, San Francisco 14th at the Radisson Suite Hotel near Jul. 26 • 28 NE Ohio Show O'Hare Airport. The sale will include significant Cleveland. Ohio collections of Greek silver coins from Sicily, mainland Greeceand the Seleucid Aug. 11 Superior Auction kings of Syria. Highlighting the sale is Embassy Suites Hotel, Chicago an important collection of Judaean coinage, including seldom-offered Aug. 13 • 18 ANA Convention rarities and featuring a year 1 Rosemont Convention Center, Chicago tetradrachm from the Bar Kochba Revolt. A fabulous collection of Roman Aug. 14 NFA Auclion bronze sestertii, which includes all of the first century emperors, is also slated Radisson Suites O'Hare, Chicago to be auctioned. A highlight 01 this collection is a sestertius of Augustus Aug. 16 CNA XVI with provenance to the famous D'Este Hotel Safite/, Chicago Collection. Also notable among the offerings is a superb collection of Roman Aug. 25 Rare Coin Expo gold assembled for over 40 years by an Holiday Inn - Airport, Bloomington, MN important European collector. Traditionally, the ANA has awarded Sep. 5·7 Greater New YorkiAINA only one official auctioneer the privilege of conducting their sale as part of the Omni Park Central, NYC ANA Convention agenda. NFA Sep. 5 • 8 Renais sance Show approached the ANA with the idea that, since their firm deals expressly in ancient Detroit, Michigan coins and antiquities, there would not be a contlict orcompetition with Bowers Sep. 8 • 12 International Numismatic Conference and Merena Galleries, who were Brussels. Belgium awarded the 100th anniversary ANA auction sale. NFA's auction will allow the ANA convention agenda to offer something especially forthe collectorol classical coins. Catalogs of NFA's ANA auction sale will be available in early July and are offered for $20 including prices realized. For further information contact Numismatic Fine Arts, 10100 Santa Monica Boulevard, 6th Floor, los Angeles, CA 90067 or call (213) 278- 1535. Say you saw it in 'The Ce[ator 24 The Celalor A Small Selection of Greek Coins Bruttium, Terina. 445-425 BC. AR State r. Head of Nymph Terina with hair tied by ri bbon decorated with Meander pattern I Nike sealed on cippus, both wings spread (which is unusual and dr.unatic). SNG.Cop. I999 Nice VF, Good Style! $1200. Thracc, Thasos. 41 1-350 Be. AR Tetradrachm. Bearded head of Dionysos wreathed with ivy I Bearded Herakles in lion-ski n, kneeli ng and shooting a bow, club leaning against knee (apparently unrecorded with club). S. 175 1var (£2500) VF, Rare! $ 1950. Macedon, Kingdom. Philip V. 304-167 Be. AR Tetrndrachm. Macedonian shield, at the center of which is the head of the hero Perseus wearing winged helmet with crest of griffin: harpa behind head I Club in oak-wreath. 5 .6791var VF-XF. $2750. Attica, Athens. First Century BC. AR "New Style" Tetradrachm. Helmeted head of Athena I Owl on prostrate amphora. Artemis with torches in fi eld to right; all within olive wreath. S.2559var VF +. very powerful owl!. $595. "Quality Coins for Discriminating Collectors" Our Immediate Convention Schedule NE Ohio in Cleveland. July 26-28. This show is the best summer show in the area ANA Chicago. August 13-18. The IOOth ANA - NOT TO BE MISSED!! Greater NY. September 4 to 7. Visit us in "Ancients Alley" Renaissance Show (Gr. Detroit), September 5 to 8. A major Michigan show Subscriplions are available to our publications: $30 in the US and $40 for fo reign addresses. Subscription includes our quarterly fi xed price lists, auctions, and supplements on Medieval coins, antiqui ties and books. Pegasi Coins P.o. Box 4207, Ann Arbor, MI 48106 Vi sa & MasterCard Postpaid. 15-day return period. Phone: (3 13) 434-3856 July 1991 25 A coin's point oj view Tribute penny explains his Biblical claim to fame by a Tiberius denarius metal composition. Do you know what his predecessor. In modem tenns you as told to Bob Levy their problem is'? It 's very simple. They humans would say that he cu rbed the "At limes it can be rather hard 10 are jealous of me. 1 have a personal "population explosion" or "baby boom fi gure OUI some of these coins in the history like no other ancient coin in of design types" with "design engraving collection of which I am part. I mean, existence in the world. Now 1 don' t control" ! As for my type, the obverse they always seem to be telling the truth mean the history of my type, I mean my design of the emperor, Tiberius, and about the history of their personal coin history! I'll fill you inon it now - from reverse design of his mother, Livia, type - what year seated as Pax they were struck, (Peace), was why they were mass-produced struck, the sig ~. throughout nificance of their '... Tiberius' reign. obverse and re The most notable verse and so on. event occurring Buttheirpersonal during this time hi stories - their was the ministry travels and inter and crucifixion actions in antiq of Jesus of uity, how they Nazareth. Actu we re found in ally mycointype modern limes, is commonly famous collec known to history ti ons to which as "the tribute they can be traced penny of the - that 's whatl' m Denarius of Tiberius (A.D. 14-37) Bible" due to an not so sure about. association with O ne thing you Jesus. Therein humans simply have to Jearn about an the coin's point of view." lies the source of my fame and the jeal cient coi ns, if the truth be told, is that "I am a denarius of the second Ro ously that it has spawned. For you see, some coins have a knack for not telling man emperor, Tiberius. Tiberius, as I am not just the tribute penny of the the truth. Nowdon ' t get me wrong. J'm many of you know, was the step-son of Bible - I am THE tribute penny of the not say ing all coins are li ke that. The the first Roman emperor, Augustus. Bible!" Boscoreale aureus of Nero that 1 know Upon the death of Augustus in A.D. 14, "After being struck at the mint in in this collection is telling his story just Tiberius, at the time fifty-five years old, Lugdunum in Gaul in the year now as it happened - I know that for a fa ct. became emperor. He had been a very known as A.D. 28, I soon circulated to I try to discuss my opinion with other able military commander and was a Rome. I was given in change to a man coins but they· all tell me that I'm full of sound administrator although, based on named Valerius who, unaccustomed to hot silver. They tell me, since 1 can't comments I've heard from other coins, having denarii since he was a man of re member the details of my uncovering he was not terribly popular with [he very modest means, decided 10 hold on or any notable collections of which I've Senate or the Roman people. Tiberius to me for as long as he could. I guess in been a participant, that I' m the one who was not too imaginative when it came to human tenninology you would say he isn' t truthfu l. They say 1 must have coinage designs, using only an extremely was "saving me for a rainy day". received quite a hard knock in antiquity small numberof designs when compared Valerius had heard of the teachings of at some point that rearranged my mental to the hundreds of types employed by one Jesus of Nazareth in Galilee who, unlike many of those claiming to be the long-awaited messiah, claimed to be the "son of Man". Valerius decided to seek out this Jesus and we began our long Ancient Coins trek to Galilee. Being prone to sea • Mail Bid Sales sickness, Valerius had no choice but to • Fixed Price Lists take the arduous land route as opposed • Buy or Bid Sales to the quicker sea route. We passed • Numismatic Literature through Salonae in Dal matia, Thessalonica in Macedonia, Perinthus Specializing in moderate priced Judaean coins in Thrace where Valerius was almost (serious want-lists solicited) run-down by a runaway ox-cart , Pergamum and Ephesus in Asia, Tyre in William M. Rosenblum /rare coins Phoenicia where I was briefly lost in the p.o. box 355, evergreen, colo. 80439 dirt, and finally on to Capemaum in 303-838-4831 Galilee. It was there that Valerius first met Jesus." 26 The Celalor "Jesus had been baptized, we learned, when he was thirty years old and had chosen Capernaum, near the Sea of Ga Damascus _ lilee, now known to you humans as Lake Gennesaret, as his headquarters. SYRIA Jesus' mission, as I surmised from hi s words, was to announce that the King dom of God was coming. By this " Kingdom of God", he meant a new MEDITE RR ANEAN state of affairs on Earth, which God SEA would bring about. He stressed in his TETRARCHY tcachings that people should love God OF PHILIP and their neighbors. treating others as he or she wished to be treated. Soon after we arrived at Capernaum, Jesus Capemaum moved his ministry south to Jerusalem Sea of in Judaea. As he trave lled, many fol GALILEE Galilee lowers were attracted by his parables and teachings. That is where I attained my brush with fame and immortality." "One day Jesus was asked in a crowd of people by a Roman soldier if lribute, Caesarea DECAPOLIS which was a tax of one sil ver denarius al that time, should be lawfully paid to :;; • Caesar, who in this case was Tiberius > Caesar, the emperor on my obverse. If SAMARIA ii' c Jesus answered yes, th:Lt tribute should m "E be paid. the Jews of whom Jesus was ,0 one, would label him blasphemous 10 God. If Jesus answered no, Ihattribute should not be paid, the Romans would PEREA label him treasonous to the emperor. JUDAEA 'Show me a penny', asked Jesus. Valerius reached into his pouch and pullcd me out. Jesus gazed at my ob Jerusalem _ verse. 'Whose image and inscript ion is upon it? " ' Caesar's', came the collec NABATEA tive reply. 'Render therefore to Caesar Askalon • Bethlehem the things that are CaeSar's and to God Ihe things that are God's. ' All marvelled at the answer for neither side could be offended. As for me, I fe lt pretty proud of myself for havi ng been the center of attention. To think that the incident of blasphemy and subversion, claiming that man governor of J udaea. who felt Jesus 'the tri bute penny' has now become one he wished to overthrow Rome and es was innocent of all charges and should of Ihe more well-known of Biblical tabl ish himself as " King of Ihe Jews", a be freed after a nogging. However, stories isamazingtome. What happened claim never made by Jesus. Jesus was finding out that Jesus was a Galilean, next is a matter of historical record." handed over to Pontius Pilate, the Ro- Pilate sent him to Herod Antipas. the "This Kingdom of God seemed a good idea to many people and Jesus' followers continued to grow into large numbers. Hi s ideas caused much con ROMAN EM PIR E, Trajan, sternation among the Jewish leaders, 98·117 A.D. AE Sestertius (33 mm & 24.63 g) however. They were upset that Jesus Obv. tMP.CAE S.NER.TRA1ANO.OPTtMO. changed accepted religious practices AVG.G ER .DAC.P .M. TR. P .COS. VI. P.P.taurealed head 01 Trajan 10 such as the Sabbath laws. Moreover, right. Rev. SENATVS.POP· they feared Jesus' growing popularity VLVSaVE.ROMANVS, S·C, would encourage a rebellion against the Felicitas with caduceus & cornu· Roman Empire, leading to the destruc copiae. Cohen 354 & AtC 634. tion of the Jew ish nation by the fonni lovely green patina dable Roman legions. He was arrested EF-----$1,875 on April 6, A.D. 30, and tried by the William B. Warden, Jr. Jewish council on blasphemy charges C/(lSsical N,mrismOlisr, S{ndolisr ill rhe Coins of /he Roma" Empire since, when asked if he were Ihe mes P.O. Box 356, New Hope, PA 18938 U.S.A. 1-2 15-297-5088 siah, he would not deny it. The high priest, Caiaphas, declared him guilty of July 1991 27 ruler of Galilee, to be dealt with. Herod who were claiming to be the messiah. how widespread the belief in the leac h played the role of the mocker by send Jesus was not the only one crucifi ed for ings of Jesus had become. And to think ing Jesus, dressed in a kingly robe. back his beliefs or for other reasons, for thai thai I was a witness to all that had to Pilate." matter. It was a common occurrence transpired. It is not up to me to decide if "Upon Jesus' return the Jewish lead back in the harrowing times of the A.D. Jesus of Nazareth was or was not the ers demanded the death penalty and let 20's and 30's. One must remember that messiah that had been foretold -that is Pilate know that the gathering mob during this pe ri od of the reign of a human issue which. if asked of any would most likely riot if Jesus were not Tiberius, there were many mysterious number of races and religions of today, put to death. Beingthe Passover season, tragedies within the emperor's own would receive as many different an it was customary for the Roman gover fam ily and treason tria ls were an all ~ swers as there are letters on my obverse nor of Judaea to release one Jewish t oo~~o mm on event. In fact, hile J and reverse legends. But now thai I've prisoner in honor of the holiday. Pilate circulated at Caesarea, I heard of the told you my tale you can understand took Jesus and a condemned mu rderer execution of Lucius Aelius Sejanus, the why those other coins are jealous of me. named Barabbas onto the steps of his Praetorian Prefect in charge of the No matter what story they have to lell, palace and asked the crowd wh ich one emperor's protectors, the Praetorian none is more impressive than mine. I should be freed. The crowd chose Guard. It seems that while Tiberius was have had a true impact on the history of Bara bbas and Pilale then sentenced Jesus at Capreae, where he had decided to live Man - even so far as having been to die on a cross, the common form of in A. D. 26 as opposed to Rome, Sejanus personally referred to in ''The Bible". Roman execution. On Apri l 30, Jesus had cultivated his own power in Rome I' ll just have to keep enduring the slings was crucified on a hill outside of Jerusa and had set his sights on the emperor and arrows aimed in my direction. II lem cal led Golgotha. The next day I was ship for himself. Tiberius was informed can be so hard sometimes when one is so fin all y exchanged in a food transaction of this subversion by his sister-in- law, famous. Everyone is just waiting for you as Va leri us treated fifleen of his fellow Antonia, and Sejanus. even though he to slip and fa ll , hoping thai you get a fo llowers 10 a mid-day meal. Some was consul with Tiberius at that time in scratch or a dented flan. I'll continue to friend! After all we had been through! A.D. 31, was summarily executed. BUI, hold my head up though - as long as I then circu lated fi rst to Gaza, Ihen that 's another long, complicated story one remains honorable, there is never a Askalon and fi nall y 10 Caesarea on the which some other coin will have to tell. doubt that he tells the truth. Hey, I just Mediterraneancoasl. I was losl there by My point is that the limes were rife with thought of something. Do any of you a clumsy pottery maker and not uncov executions by various means including humans need a vehicle for transporta ered until lhe mid-1900's." many crucifixions." tion? I can get you a great deal on thi s "At the lime of the tribu te penny "After being uncovered after so many used chariot i j usl found out about. It's incident, there were a nu mber of people years of being buried, I was amazed at only had one owner ... " gn A Revolutionary New Reference On Roman Imperial Coins!! 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WHY YOU NEED THIS IMPORTANT NEW REFERENCE: • With over 6,000 types and varieties of ALL the issuers listed in attentive detail, absolutely no other one-volume catalog gives you as thorough an overview of Roman lrT!perial coinage. • Large format (8 1/2 " x 11") and liberally illustrated pages make it easy to find and read the entries. • Explanatory notes on the significance of historical types, to include expansions and translations of legends, are included in th e individual entries, allowing you to better understand the coinage. • Photographs of over 1,000 coins enable you to beHer appreciate the art of Roman coinage. • Realistic, approximate value ranges help you plan your acquisitions with confidence. Order this valuable book todayl Only $24.95 plus $3 shipping. UUI 28 The Gelator Martin catalogue presents a diverse JUST FOR BEGINNERS assortment of items by Wayne G. Sayles C.J, Martin (Coins) Ltd , London Questions Answers ba sed specialists in an cient and medieval coins and antiquities, offer a How can a person with Fortunately, one's wealth (or lack of it) has very wide variety of coinage and antiquities 8 very limited budget little to do with the pleasure of collecting. One can in their latest catalogue. collect match book covers, butterflies, used Ancient gold leads off with an collect ancient coins? stamps or myriad objects found freely in nature at elect rum 1/6 slaler from Cyzicus, Mysia. no cost at all other than the lime invested in Important Roman aurel of Claudius , accumulating, cataloging and displaying. It is not likely that one can collect anci ent coins without at Titus. Hadrian and Lucius Varus are least some expense, but the expense can really represented as well. Offerings of be quite modest. It Is possible to build a serious Byzantine solidi include examples of collection fo r under $2,000 or even $200 with Phocas, Tiberius III, Basil I, leo IV, and some patience and hard work. Heraclius. How can a person build a collection for under Greek silver is highlighted by a $2001 I can hear the guffaws already I (1) Find an are a that is under-appreciated. Might I suggest a Tarenlum slater, drachms of Byzantion, few: late Roman bronzes, Byzantine bronzes of Abdera, Larissaand the BreWan League. the Paleofogans, Islamic bronzes of the pre-Seljuq Five Athenian telradrachms, ranging in era, Roman Gallic Empire antoniniani, low grade price from £12510 £460, provide a nice Greek Imperials, coinage of ancient India and variety. Silver issues from Ionia, China. (2) Borrow the books necessary to learn these coins from your local library (inter-library Rhodes, the Seleucid Empire and Pers ia loan), a local coin club, fellow collectors, or visit are listed here as well. Runs of bronze the libraries of associations like the AN S, ANA, coinage from Chalkis and Judaea RNS, etc. University libraries are usually good dominate the selections of Greek and sources. (3) Forget about condition and accept Greek Imperial types. Also prominent the fact that your collection is never going to be worth more than $200. Buy coins based on your are Seleucid and Sicilian issues. collection's needs - nol on your personal Fourteen Roman Republican and attachment (4) Attend every coin show you can Imperato rial denarii are featured in and go to every flea marKet yO U can - even the Martin's catalogue. Roman Imperial ones where ancient coin dealers don't congregate. denarii range from the time of Augustus Everyone who handles coins will have an ancient Ihrough Crispina. Several examples of coin or two at some point and often they are VERY cheap. (5) NEVER pass up a Ju nk box. But, Augustus are featured, as well as good please don't occupy the only empty seat at a selections of denarii of the Twelve dealer's table for two hours pouring over $2 coins Caesars. An tinonius Pius and Marcus - the poor guys need to make a living, (S) Zero AUrelius are also well represented. The in on a particular aspect and stay with it, for Severan pe riod includes denarii of example, all the mints of one ruler or all the coins of one mint, or all the varieties of a particular Pertinax, Septimius Severus, and issue. Don't try to build type sels because the Severu s Alexander. collection will always seem inferior. If that kind of Coinage ofthe House of Constantine collection is too esoteric for you, try this; collect begins with a run of bronze types of one Greek bronze coin depicting each of the Constantine I and continues through Olympian gods, then you can always upgrade Constantine 11 and Constantius II. without changing fields completely. There are many approaches and many possibilities. Oth er types of coinage offered by I am so sure th at this can be done that I will Marlin include Sasanian silver, ancient offer a little challenge. One year from today Chinese coinage, and various medieval (July 1, 1992) I will judge the best such collection British issues. presented (actual coins, casts, or clear photos) A diverse assortment of antiquities and will publish that collection in The Celator. The also appears prominently in the catalog. contest winner will also receive a complimentary one year extension of theIr subscription to The Good selections of Greek terracottas Celator. The only rules are that you must present and Syro-Hitlite fertility goddesses are legitimate receipts for each coin purchased and highlights. Roman glass and terracottas the total amount expended on the collection may from throughout the ancient world, as not exceed $200. (This does not, of course, well as a wide assortment of other prohibit you from buying other coins - you simply exclude these from the collection), In the antiquities are also included. meantime, I'll build my own little $200 collection For catalogues o r subscription and see how weill can do. This contest will not be information, write toC.J. Martin (Coins) announced anywhere else, so only those reading ltd., 85 The Vale, Southgate, London these lines will be participatingl N14 SAT. July 199 1 29 Ancient drama provides insight into the use of coinage by common citizens by Robert W. Seibert what chauvinistically, he also effuses peculiar gods-the new mintage". Base The Greek and Roman playwright's that Athenian coins are "the most beau metal coi nage was finally demonetized attitude toward their coinage is an inter tiful", an opinion that not even the mosl in 393 B.C. when Athens regained some esting sideliglilio the study of ancient ardent admirer ofc lass leal Athens would power with a naval victory over Sparta numismati cs. admit. During the Peloponnesian war, at Cnidus. Silver was returned to its In a superficial exposure to this lit Aristophanes laments that Athenian traditional prestige, and fl at bronze erature one leams of the "tortoises" money was rendered virtuall y worthless (chelonia) of Aegina. the "horses" or overnight. This event may be alluded to "colts" (polon) of Corinth and the in "The Ecclesiazusia": "For when I just "owls", " Pallases" o r "maidens" sold some grapes and made away with (parthenous) of Athens, popular, con my mouth full of brass, the herald gave temporary coin names derived from their a cry that no-one should accept brass designs. Greek drama refers specifi coins anymore, silver only was legal ca ll y only to the coinage of the three tender". cities, (Aegina, Corinth, Athens) which is undoubtedly a reflection oE the wide There are many references in Greek spread circulation Drachm of Athens (X2J Maine Classical Numismatics salt fish accord ing 10 Alexis. Greek and Roman coins available at Theopompus staled that a woman could be "kept" in fourth cent ury Athens fo r Bowley's Route #1 two obols a day. By Aristophanes' time, innation had increased a day's pay Warren, Maine 04864 for ajury or assemblyman to th ree obols (207) 273-3462 • 7 AM - 5 PM weekdays {t ribolon}. Antiphanes ment ions three obol prosti tutes (pornoi) and Sorry, no lists available Theopompus, "half- stater" girls. In Write for our show schedule some contemporary references, how ever, the three obol coin is treated with contemptible scorn. For example. Aristophanes' "Plutus": "What do you think the sovereignty of Zeus and his Pto lemy V (204-180 BC) of Egypt thunderbolts amount to a three obol Silver Tetradrachms - $500 each pence!" Fou r obols, however, seemed Autllc"tlCQlcd alld Gradcli by David R. Sear to be regarded with more respect. A tetraobolon each day could maintain a # I - cr. SG 7867 - good VF and rare fam ily and was a wage of a mercenary #2 - cr. SG 7866 - good VF/nearlyEF, soldier or sailor by the late third cen and rare, obve rse a little w eakly tury. Six obols, of 90urse, equalled one struc k as usual with this issue drachma or "handful". The term was derived from the iron roasting spits Michael & Sandra Wolf (obeloi) of archaic times used as articles P.o. Box 233, Dewey, AZ 86327 of trade. Six spits wou ld constitute a handful so that six oboloi (the second (602) 772-7 144 vowe l changing from e to 0) came to be the standard drachma coin. The drachma was always of silver and in Athens, maintained a high degree of purity (.985 fin e) th roughout its history. Mulliples of the drachma, up to twelve, were occa WHOLESALE TO ALL! sionall y mentioned, especially a two 100 ancient coins in flips and attributed. A diverse lot drachma or "fat drachma" coin. In the difficult and inflationary period fo llow including Nero , Caesar Augustus, Alexander the Great, ing the Peloponnesian war, a coat could Biblical "Widow's Mite", etc. Only $475.00 postpaid, with cost 20 drachmas and a pair of shoes satisfaction guaranteed! eight, wh ile a large dinner party might cost 100 drachmas or more. The mod ern traveller will appreciate the ancient London Coin (ja((eries description of the expense of fish, in Mission Viejo Mall, Mission Viejo, CA 92691 spitcofGreece'sclose association with 1-5 at Crown Valley (71 4) 364-0990 the sea. Apparentl y other fonns of sea food were cheaper: "three times as July 1991 31 Coins of the Bible Forgeries of Menorah coins deceive collectors by David Hendin Mattathias Antigonus. He also realized porary forgeries of the Antigonus The Menorah coins of Mallathias that the reverse design was really the Menorah coin. Anligonus, last of the Maccabean rul Table of Showbread and not a row of Right up until 1967, when Ya'akov ers, are among the most interesting and trees. Meshorer's book Jewish Coins of the sought-after coins of ancient Israel. Be Second Temple Period was published, cause of their great value they are often few other references were widely avail copied, sometimes with the intent \0 able. Thus both the Jewish and Islamic deceive unwitting collectors. Menorah coins were known from draw However, these coins were also cop ings and nor from photographs. ied in ancient times, and a famous Is Thus many collectors who purchased lamic "Menorah" coin dates to the realistic forgeries of these coins could Umayyad post-refann period after A. O. compare them only with adrawing -to 696 (This is often referred 10 as the which they compared favorably - and "poor man's Menorah coin"). not with good quality photographs. The Islamic coins, several modern Further confusion is added, of course, forgeries. and an error in a I 25-year-old by the extreme rarity of these coins and (but widely-used) book on Jewish nu also the high value ascribed to them. mismatics. have caused significant con Madden's 1864driJw;ngs of the The situation was ripe for unscrupu fu sion on the subject and we have heard Islamlc{top)"andJewrsh lous forgers, and they showed up just as from several Celator readers with Menorah you might expect. In 1967 I purchased questions. This month we'll do our best a forgery of the Mattathias Antigonus to explain the situation, helped along by People who have used the 1864 coin in Jerusalem. I was told it was a information from a paper to be pub Madden, which was been widely re forgery, but I doubted if I' d ever be able lished in the forthcoming issue number printed and is an excellent resource, to afford the real thing, so what the heck. 10 of the Israel Numismatics Journal by have been confused by Ihi s early mis I later learned that this was an especially Dan Barag, professor of archaeology at attribution. tricky forgery, since it was stru ck upon Hebrew University, Jerusalem. Profes We tend to forget that much of the an ancient bronze coin of approximately sor Barag, also editor of the INJ, kindly significant research in Biblical nu mis the correct size. supplied me with advance galleys of his matics has been done either in our time, Also in 1967 I purchased a bronze article on "The Islamic Candlestick or relatively recently. After all, the cast of this coin which was not made to Coins of Jerusalem", when I told him I coins are nearly 2,000 years old - it's deceive collectors, but as part of a legiti was preparing to answer Celato,. read hard 10 realize that our knowledge of mate set of replicas. ers' questions on the subject. them has basically been derived only in Interestingly, some months after I In 1864 Frederic Madden published the last 125 years. bought that set, a rather shady dealer of his book History ofJewish Coinage and Madden corrected the error he picked antiquity called me into the far-back of Money in the Old and New Testa up from the Count in his I R81 edition. room of his shop in Jerusalem's Old ment. In it, Madden accepted the 1860 But his 1864 book is the one that is now City, opened a huge safe, and took out a view of Count Melchiorde Vogue, who widely reprinted (probably because of nicely patinated coin of Mattatyah attributed the coins with a 7-branched the smaller fonnat) and this is espe Anligonus. He explained that I could Menorah and "a row of four parallel cially confusing to modem collectors get a "great deal" on this coin because of trees" to Abd ai-Malik, Islamic ruler of because the coin with a seven-branched the circumstances under which he had the mid-seventh century. It was only in Menorah and Show bread Table was acquired it. I was naive, but not stupid. 1871 that Felicien de SauJcy showed shown in a line drawing. That line When I first saw the coin, I assumed it that this coin was actually a coi n of drawing is strikingly similar to contem- was genuine. I also believed this fellow was my friend and was really trying to give me a good deal - lucky for me I ANCIENT & couldn't afford it. But something about the coin rang a bell, and when I returned MEDIEVAL home that evening, I looked at my cast COINS, replica. Sure enough, it was exactly the BOOKS & same - same shape, same centering, same strike. It was only missing the ANTIQUITIES patina. I never saw that coin again (or bought from that dealer again), but I L.R. LANTZ assume that in a beller lighlthe telltale traces of casting - pinholes and file marks on the edge would have been CMV NUMISMATICS more easily noticed. Nowadays, the Islamic Menorah PO BOX 1699, ALAMEDA, CA 94501 USA· 415769-1037 coins are rarely mistaken for the Jewish variety, but I have met several collec- 32 The Gelator tors who have insisted that the fo rgeries Cast copy, which is cast from agenu are actually "Mohammaden" or " Is inecoin. Upon close inspection you lamic" coins. will find "pinholes" from the casting In fact. the Islamic Menorah, or process as well as a telltale rim on the "candlestick" coins, are easy to distin edge, of file marks where someone guish from those issued by Antigonus. tried to obliterate it. First of all, the style of the Menorah is 2 Struck copy. often struck upon an totally different. Most Menorahs on ancient bronze coin. I have heard of these coins have five branches, but there at least one example struck upon a Genuine M. Antigonus is a rare variety, apparent ly struck earl y late Roman bronze coin which could Menorah coin in the series, with seven branches. Sec still be identified! If the coin does ondly, the Islamic coins carry a reverse not have a tapered rim and has a inscription in Arabic ("Mohammad is series of unifonn hair-like cracks Allah's messenger") instead of the directed inward from the edge, you Showbread Table. should be suspicious. 3 Recently I was offered a third type of The Islamic coins are nevertheless forgery. This one is actually "en of real interest to collectors of Biblical graved" on an authentic Maccabean coins. prutah. At first look it really appears Professor Barag explains that "It is to be a Menorah coin, but at second of course undeniable that by choosing Copy of Menorah coin struck glance one sees that the design is in on an ancient bronze planchet the candlestick, and at firs t a seven incuse rather than in relief. branched candlestick, the mint authori ties adopted the ancient Jewish Menorah, I do not know of any forgeries of the albeit changing it slightly (e.g. the fl at Islamic Menorah coins. base). There is no way of detennining how this influence was effected and © 199 1 by Dav id Hendin whether Jewish die-makers or mint masters were involved in the production (Send questions to David Hendin at of these coins . . . Does the preference of P.o. BoxB05, Nyack, NY 10960. Those a five· branched candlestick demonstrate of general interest will be answered in Cast copy of Menorah coin more than the mere wish to move away future issues.) from the Jew ish prototype? The intro duction of (a variety with) the two leaved stcm may indicate the accep tance of Christian trad itions concerning the Menorah." ANCIENT COIN SPECIALIST Professor Barag also suggests the GREEK, ROMAN, BYZANTINE COINS inlrigu ing possibility that "the incep AND CLASSICAL ANTIQUITIES tion of this series was connected to a particular event. The construction of the Dome of the Rock was finished in 691-2, a date by far too earl y fo r the series. The construction of the second Agea mosque around 715-l6could have prompted the striking of such coins, but there is no positive indication that this was the case." "After awhile," Barag notcs, "the Moslem authorities of Jerusalem aban doned Ihis unusual experiment, leaving to posterity a series of coins which tes tify in their own modest way of the stru ggle for Jerusalem." Finally, let me offer you a few tips to SEND $2.00 FOR SAMPLE CATALOG help determine the authenticity of a par OR $25 ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTION ticular Menorah coin. A Menorah coin of Mattatyah Anti gonus is struck on the typical EDWARD J. WADDELL, Ltd. Maccabean coin planchet. It should have clear signs of being cut from a strip 7910 Woodmont Avenue, #1104 of planchets. The rim should be ta Bethesda, MD 20814 pered. Forgeries of this coin are of three (301) 654·0470 FAX: (301) 654·0730 basic types: July 1991 33 Letters Continued from page 4 struck little beggar which was hammered articles seem timely and educational. doing either reading an article thai reads into a dollop of silver during the final Hopefully, we will be able to work toward like footnotes1l Don't ever change. siege of Constantinople, possibly hours the common goal of educating the before the city's fa ll. The coin probably collector and advancing numismatics Bob Levy never circulated. In my collection. it is as a hobby. Tennessee one of the ugliest, poorest excuses for a coin I've gal. II is possibly among the Ken Krah ugliest , poorest excuses lor a coin to Numismatic Guaranty exist on the lace ollhis planet. But it is Corporation of America Occasionally others have written in a parlously rare, minI-state wonder, aboulthe lack of "collectorR or Rmodeslly" saturated with the history 01 its empire priced coins advertised in The Celator. and hertermination. The coin is not just The reasoning ofte n given is Ihallower a coin, it is an event from history. How Just a note to say how much I enjoyed priced materiat just doesn't pay for the could such an event be encompassed Mark Aakicic's article in IheJune Celator cost of advertising. This trend of very by a plastic slab or limited by a about his ~ trip~ back to the time of few lower priced coins being individually constraining "grade"? Alexander the Great. Although a offered by your advertisers continues My IiUle 1/8 slavraton will never be collector and enthusiast of ancient even thoug h observations such as "Non slabbed while I own it. But other little Roman coinage, his article not only investor coins are top performers at historical events could be engulled by taught me about cerlain points of Greek CICF" (April 1991 issue of The Ce/ator) trendy plastic, because NGC is willing history but entertained me as well. That are prevalent in the coin press. to envelop them for a fe e. But it makes is precisely what I try to do when I write Obviously there is a stro ng, but me sad, and makes me hope that even an article for The Celalor-I hope I am neglected(?) collector base and it is a though NGC is giving this party, no as successful with others as Mark fact that ancient coins are quile common ancient coins will come. Rakicic was with me. and very inexpensive for certain periods That is what makes The Celator so and in lower grades - especially Christopher T. Connell enjoyable to me and, t'm sure, hundreds bronzes. A casual review of your May New Jersey of other subscribers. The magazine issue reveals that your advertisers prints articles that are entertaining as offered 47 coins individually. Of these well as educational. When was the last only 9 were less than $250 with only one Ron Kollgaard's article on Egypt's time someone picked up the SANjournal being less than $90. The vast majority nineteenth dynasty [April, 1991] was or the old Ancient Coins and Cullure (33) were over $1 ,000 with over len of outstanding. It was not only coherent and was entert ained? Educated, Ihese being in excess of $10,000. and interesting but was packed with perhaps, but not entertained. These In contrast various advertisers more pertinent data in its few pages other publications are and were fine for offered 94 books and videos. 01 these than most Egyptian texts in theirenlirety. scholars but, personally, t feel thai they only 6 exceeded $90 while the vast are a bit too technical for my enjoyment majority (67) were $30 or less including Victor A. Kess and that of many everyday collectors. 11 for$100rless. California In summary, keep The Celatorjust as This tends 10 indicate Ihat the book it is even though it now incorporates advertisers are trying to appeal to I want to thank you for your fa irness Roman Coins and Culture. Keep on someone other than exclusively "high and respect for NGC's point of view on printing sometimes "off the wall" stories rollers". Perhaps the book advertisers the certification issue. from a scholar's point of view but just don't have the same cost basis as I lind The Celator a very enjoyable entertaining ones from a COllecting the coin advertisers? Or perhaps more publication and will recommend it 10 perspective. We collectors want to learn and more of the dealers are becoming collector inquiries we receive. The and have fun - I have a tough lime like attorneys (my profession) exceedingly consumed by th eir own egos and greed. ROMAN EMPIRE, Claudius, 41-54 A.D. __~_ AE Sesler1 ius (36 mm & 27.8 gm). Obv. TI. Hugh H. Saum 11/ CLAVDIVS.CAES AA.AVG.P.M·ITA.P. Texas IMP.I, laureated head of Claudius 10 right. With PROB (fo' PROBATVS _approved) cmk at 3 \0 S o·cIock. (Thanks for the analysis, however, what Rev. ex.SC.O.B.CIVES. it tells me is that a $30 book ad can be seRVATOS w ~hin wreath. filled an infinite number of times but an Stn.oek ea. 41 A.D. al Rome mill\. RIC 96 & BMC 115. ad for a $30 coin can only be filled once Nlc:e VF, brown-green patina, - unless one advertises very generic coins with superficial descriptions and few col/ectors will buy from such "grab Cla ...,ira/ Numismalisl, Sprci(J lisr in rhe Coins oflhe Ranmn Empire bag" ads. We have had ads for P.O. Box 356, New inexpensive coins in the past, and if they were sel/-outs the adverlisers would obviously be back. Col/ectors seeking 34 The Celator Letters inexpensive coins should write to dealers there is a most modern, up-tO-date way same kind of problem that exists with advertising in the Professional Directory to look at the matter. well made counterfeits. Such coins will and explain their interests and desired be a danger to other collectors Very few collectors of modern coins price levels. By the way, in leday's permanently into the future. would have a coin that has been epoxy market a $250 coin is not a parlicularly altered in their collection because they I think that many collectors of modern expensive coin and a $1,000 coin is not would not be able to think of it as coins might benefit from the "Look at the necessarily limited in interest to "high "original". In other words, it would seem coin ratherthan the imperlection" advice rof/ers".) less than entirely genuine. This is how too. Be they ancient or modern, for I look upon ancient bronze coins with every collector who takes a hard to what I have to call deceptive modern please attitude, a few more coins are coatings on them. To me, they just going to be altered, whether or not the Of course there are and always will aren't entirely genuine. I believe that in collector does the work himself. be differences between the fields of this day and age most ancient coin ancient and modern coins. For one collectors would agree with me. I admit thing, the criteria used to rank ancient that many of them probably started Thomas R. Truscott coins in their order of desirability are collecting modern coins years before Arizona and always will be different from those discovering ancients, but I see nothing used to grade modern coins. II's simply wrong with allowing the experiences of not realistic for a collector of U.S. or modern co in collectors to influence the other modern coins to expect to be able field of ancient coins in some ways. It's I am trying strenuously to find bronze to judge ancients by the same standards a part of evolution. coins of the Achaian League for my he's used to using for his modern coins. catalogue. Although rare, Ihey are the So what do I do with an ancient Bullhis and the fact that ancient coin sort of coin which attracts the attention of bronze that has some pitting? My collectors have been around for many collectors who are interested in coins as interest is in the history behind my coin centuries, and that their pursuit is in historical objects rather than simply as so I concentrate my attention on that, on some ways (I think, anyway) a more investments. the fact that the coin "was there" (in sophisticated one than that of the The type is Zeus Nikephoros standing ancient Rome or wherever) and I look at modern coin collector, does not mean left holding a long sceptre/female seated the overall coin without concentrating that the former can never learn anything left holding wreath and sceptre, ca. 18- my attention on the imperlections. I am from the more recently acquired 20mm, as BMC Peloponnesus pI. 3. If then able to enjoy the piece just as it is. experience and beliefs of the latter. anyone has one and was kindly willing to If you look at the imperlection rather allow me to include it, if there is no other In numismatics, as in any other than the coin, it will bother you no mailer easy solution 10 cast making, possibly I specialized field, and as with societal how minor it is. I recommend looking at could send some plasticine for making beliefs in general, it's right and natural the coin rather than the imperlection. impressions. I should be grateful indeed that attltudes evolve and change under As to coins that are just too far gone for if you could help. various influences over the years. you to ever be able to enjoy, I As you pointed out in your ed itorial in recommend passing them by. Anycoin the May issue of The Celator, for a long you fix up, innocent though your Jennifer Cargill Thompson time it was common practice for intentions may be, may result in Department of Coins and Medals collectors and others to spruce up their someone somewhere down the line British Museum ancient bronze coins by filling in and being very disappointed when they Great Russel Street hiding pitted areas with epoxy coatings, discover the alteration and it may cause London WC1B3DG and even by making over the entire them to take a monetary loss as well. surlace of a coin with a semi-transparent You will have, in my opinion, created the or opaque coating that imitates natural patina. This is still being done by some today. You also pointed out that museums have often done these things. This is true, but I think that museum displays are usually meant more to illustrate a time and place in history than STEPHEN M. HUSTON to emphasize the coins and other Cfassica£ 9{.umismatist artifacts themselves and, more importantly, museum displays are aimed P.O_ Box 193621 at the general public, not numismatists. San Francisco. CA 94119 USA As to the acceptability of such altered (415) 781·7580 coins to collectors, while I don't want to try to tell anyone what they can and '£vtry win iIlustrateti actual size. can't collect, and while I do believe a Write for a WFY ofour TU;rJ. catafog!U. person has the right to do as he sees fit with his personal property, I believe that July 1991 35 Reference Reviews Books on The Greek Coinage of Syracuse, Sicily by Dennis Kroh most published collections. Sti!l, there are 80 reverse dies are examined in 292 pages There are 20 times more reference works and many gaps in the available literature. and i!Iustrated on 7 plates. A FORNI Olher books on Ancient Coins available IOday reprint is available for about $50. than just Iwenry years ago. Very few numis Hoehringer **** malis/s know how 10 uriliu these references. or The classic Die Manzen von Syracuse by Jenkins **** even where 10 sian looking for certain items. Erich Boehringer was published in 1929. Coins oj Greek Sicily by Kenneth Jenkins Many of these books are essential for Ihe Contrary to its lille, il does nol cover Ihc (lAlndon, 2nd edition, 1976) is a smaU well collector 10 own, others worthy of ont! reading cntire Syracusan coinage, but is a die-corpus illustrated 64 page booklet that imparts (and are never again consulted), and some are of the early silver issucs from 510 to cA15 much valuable infonnation on these issues. obsolete and ponderous t!.urcises in futiliry. BC. Over 733 die-couples are listed, with Unfortunately, it is now OOP. This rmmlhly colulI1l1 explores most references 364 obverse and 500 reverse dies illustrated. on AncienT Coills (by city-state or li~ period). Such is the quality of his research that over and will rate them according 10 their useful sixty years later there are very few new dies Barclay V. Head's On the Chronological*** ness, darify, illustrations, and availability, or die-combinations to add to this impressive Sequence oj the Coins oj Syracuse was utilizing a five-star system similar to that used jar movies, restaurants, and hote/s. Prices are list and the dating criteria needs to be only published in the 1874 Numismatic Chroniele also given wherever available. It is highly slightly adjusted. 297 pages, 32 plates, there (pages 1-80) and featured 15 plates. It was recommended that at least 10% ojyour collec/ is a FORNI reprint available for about $100. also published as an offprint, and gained ing budgttt be invesud in uference books. quite a few fans for five decades. It is now ***Ih very seldom offered or quoted, & outdated. The coinage of Syracuse is perhaps the most Die Tetradrachmenpragung von Syrakus in artistically bcautiful of any Greek city. der Periode der signierenden Kiinstler by Randazzo **** Many of the coins are such works of art that Lauri O. Th. Tudeer (Berlin, 1913) is the nu Randazzo Hoard 1980 and Sicilian the celators even signed the dies. Scholarly classic standard reference that studies the Chronology in the Early Fifth Century H.C. interest in thcse coins has always bcen very issues struck immediately after Ihe period by Cannen Amold-Biucchi (1990) examines high, and therefore many specialized works covered by Boehringer, that is, the coins a hoard of 539 tetradrachms, of which 308 concerning thcm have been published and with the signed dies struck cA15-390 BC. are from Syracuse. All coins arc very well thcy are always prominently featured in 113 die-couples, combining 43 obverse and illustrated, with the latest dating studied. Hill nit Coins oj Ancient Sicily by G.F. **Hill (Westminster, 1903) is an excellent 264 page study (with 16 terrific plates) that is more of a historical tome than a study of the coinage, but the text does supply quite a bit of infonnation that is not easily available elsewhere. A FORNI reprint is about $50. SPECIALIZED STUDIES Jongkees The Kimonian Dekadrachms, a Contribution** to Sicilian Numismatics (Utrecht, 1941) by Jean ELSEN, s.a. LH. Jongkees is a die-study in English of the famed dekadrachms signed by the artist Kimon cA05 BC. 151 pages, 2 plates, the • Public Auctions Dewing Collection is really more useful due to his large number of specimens, but this • Numismatic Literature should be read by all interested in this series. A 1967 reprint is about $75 . • Monthly Illustrated Fixed Price Lists Gallatin *** • Ancient, Medieval, Islamic and Modern Coins Syracusan Dekadrachfns of the EuainelOS Type (Cambridge, 1930) by Albert Gallatin is a die-study featuring 53 pages of text and Avenue de Tervueren 65 12 excellent plates of enlargements of all 1040 BRUSSELS· BELGIUM types. This is much more useful than the above, but since Gallatin sold his entire Tel: 011·322·734·6356 large collection of dekadrachms to Arthur Dewing, all of these types are very well Fax: 011·322·735·7778 represented in the recent Dewing Collection. Copies of this are scarce, and realize $100. 36 The Gelator J f'nkins. Ekc/rum still available, so therefore it is still used by Grose I McClelln **'h Electrum Coinage al Syracuse by George**** K. most scholars. Forni reprint, about $85. The first volume of The McClean Coilection Jenkins was published in Essays in Greek oj Greek Coins in the Fitzwilliam Museum Coinage Presented 10 Stan ley Robinson ***** (1923) featurcs an excellcnt selection of 385 (1968, pages 145-162) , and features 2 This is an execllent rcfcrence for Syracuse, coins of Syracuse in all metals with good excellcnt plates of photos. It is thc standard as Arthur Dewing had a great fondness for photos (even in the reprint), but has reference and die-study for these types. this series and acquired as many diffcrent outdated chronology (as can be expected). types of silver and go ld coins as possible. 278 coins, including 57 dekadrachms are Holloway .J amesnn *** The Thirteen-Months Coinage ofHieronymos*** illustrated. The scholarship is also first-rate, Spread throughout aU four volumes (1913- of Syra(;use (Bcrlin, 1969) by R. Ross with all of the latest dating criteria and the 32), The Robert Jameson COileClion contains Hol!oway is a study in English of the reign photos are vcry clear and useful. $120. 213 gold & silvcr coins of Syracuse, with and coinage of this undeserving heir of the emphasis on stylc & prcsclVation. Great great Hicron II, who sealed the fate of this photos (even in the reprin!), but no dating Anlikenmuseum Basel und Samm/ung**** Ludwig city whcn he too k sides with Carthage critcria at all. Many of these coins are now (Basel, 1986) publishes 123 coins of during the Second Punic War against Rome Syracuse, nearly all of which are exception included in the Gulbenkian Collection. in 21514 BC . 245 coins in gold and silver ally artistic types of the greatest style. Onc are recorded, from 29 obverse and 50 innovation is that the signatures are cnlarged Roston *** reverse dies. 47 pages, with 12 excellent and shown in detail for aU of the signed 156 gold & silver coins of Syracuse are loose plates in a portfolio. In print, $60. coins. Very up to date research. $50. featurcd in the 1955 edition, with 6 further coins in the 1964 supplement. Very inter esting artistic types, with decent usable Gul benkia n Corpus Nummorum Siculorum, *****The Bronze photos and close to accuratc dating. The 114 gold & silver coins of Syracuse*** *in Coinage is a massive set of three volumes, this collection are exceptional in style and the second of which (1 986) covers only the quality, with great illustrations (in a separate bronze coinage of Syracuse in extreme detail Pozzi *** portfolio of loose plates) and research. This famed Ars Classica sale of 1921 with illustrations of over 2,500 coins (many contained 120 precious-metal coins of with additional enlargements). Thc tcxt is Syracuse of the finest style and quality, and bilingual Italian I English and is on the The first volume of The Weber Coilection** is available in a decent reprint. whole very clear & well written (although (1922) includes 184 coins of Syracuse in all not without blunders in translation), but mctals. The photos are clear enough in the Pnzz i I Routin some of his chronology is currently very **'1.1 reprint to be useful, but has general dating. Serge Boutin's 1979 reconstruction of the controvcrsial. The photos are (cspecially considering their sources) exceptional, and this rightly won the IAPN book prize for 1988. 460 pages listing and illustrating 240 main coin-types, with many sub-varieties for Miinzen und Medaillen AG each, this is a true corpus and will bc long utilized as the primary reference. Large For 45 years we have been serving 12" x 12" fonnat with dustjacket and hard collectors of Ancient Coins ... slip-case, about $180 per volume (ouch). and we would like to serve you too! FlIvorito * 'h TI,e Bronze Coinage of Andent Syracuse (Boston, 1990) by Emilio N. Favorito is a softcovcr booklet of 54 pages and 9 plates. It is basically a record of the holdings of the "Society Historia Numorum", a group of 13 collectors in the Boston arca, as well as some items from price-lists and sales • Monthly Illustrated Fixed Price Lists · catalogues. 104 coin-types (less than half • Public Sales · Appraisals· than Ca1ciati lists) are bricfly dcscribed with concordances and rarity-scales, but not all of • Large Stock in All Price Ranges· these types are illustrated. The photos arc • Buying and Selling · very uneven, and it is not very completc but is easy to utilize. $ 19, but barely worth it. Please send us your want /iSI, We will fill it! Please contact: PUBLISHED COLLECTIONS wilh good selections of Syracusan coins Miinzen und Medaillen AG RMC. Sicily P.O. Box 3647 • Malzgasse 25 Written in )876, this is now a lousy rcfer* CH - 4002, Basel, Switzerland ence fo r these due to the total absence of photos (and lack of reliable dating), but it Tel. (061) 272 75 44 Fax. (061) 272 75 14 does record 723 coins of Syracuse, and it is July 1991 37 Pozzi collcction contains 181 coins of SNG Drlepierre SNG LockNt Syracuse, the additions being the IE coins. Contains 105 choice precious-metal coins*** of Part I (1938) contains 260 Syracusan*** gold Photos are dark but useablc, good dating. Syracuse. Valid dating and excellent illus & silver coins, with excellent variety and trations make this 1983 tome very useful. illustrations, but the dating is lousy. These SNG ANS, Part 5 were sold by Glendining's in 1958, and so The holdings of the American *****Numismatic SNG Evilpidis many ofthese actual coins are in circulation. Society in New York contain 1,264 coins of This is very unusual, as all 95 coins*** of Syracuse, and all are very nicely illustrated Syracuse in this collection (1970) are of SNG Miinchen **** in this 1988 work (the most of any Sylloge). bronze, with many unusual types seldom Part 6 contains 598 coins of Syracuse in al! Great researeh. This is essential. $75 . seen. Grcat photos and rcsearch. metals, with an excellent variety and the best photographs of any Sylloge (1980). SNG Ashmolean Part 2 of this SNG (1969) publishcs*** 221 SNG Fitzwilliam *** SNG Tiihingen coins of Syracuse (gold & silver only) with Part two of this sylloge (1947) displays 286 Part one contains 82 Syracusan coins in all good photos & research. coins of Syracuse in all metals. Good clear * illustrations, but outdated chronology. metals, decent photos but most coins very worn and therefore useless for comparison. SNG Copt'nhllgen ***'h The Danish National Museum, Part 5 (1942) SNG Lloyd contains 302 coins of Syracuse in all metals, Parts 7 & 8 contain 302 silvcr & gold coins quite a good variety. The platcs arc from of Syracuse. A good varicty, but the photos casts, and evcn in thc 1979 reprint arc clcar are not very sharp (madc in 1937 from NEXT MONTH: enough to be useful. Frequently quoted . casts), and only gcncral dating is given. The books on the coinage of the Seleukid Empire. Dennis Kroh is a full-time dealer of ancient Reader Response coins and books about them , as well as a is essential 10 the success of any publication. We are sincerely interested in your free-lance catalogue writer who maintains a comments, criticisms, suggestions and desires. Share your news, views and very large working library and utilit.es many oh.w:n'ations with others who enjoy the/ascination 0/ antiquity as much as you do. coin references every single day. Queries and comments concerning the subject ofthis Write to: The Celator, P.O, Box 123, Lodi, WI 53555 column are welcome. Please enclose SASE and write cia The Celator. SUBSCRIBE TO THIS IMPORTANT NEW PUBLICATION NOW! The International Bi-Monlhly Review of Ancient Art & Archaeology ,..______...... MINERVA is an illustrated news and review magazine, appearing bi-monthly (6 issues per year), devoted to ancient art, antiquities, archaeological and numismatic discoveries worldwide from prehistory to the 18th century. With regular contributors from around the world, MINERVA, published in England, is truly international in style and coverage. Feature articles will emphasize newly discovered works of art and objects of archaeological and numismatic importance leading to a bener understanding of the past. A bi-monthly numismatic column, by Eric J. McFadden, will furnish readers with a lively review of the ancient coin marketplace. Regular excavation reports will include prehistoric, classical, early Christian, medieval, Egyptian, Biblical, Near Eastern, Asian, Oceanic, African and American findings, as well as reports on underwater archaeology. Liberally illustrated with full-color and black and white photographs, it will impress you with the breadth of its coverage, the forcefulness of its reporting, the knowledge and wit of the feature writers, and the sheer usefulness of the many reports and listings for museum and gallery exhibitions, auctions, fairs, conferences, meetings, as well as the abstracts and book reviews. Jerome M. Eisenberg, Ph.D., Editor-in-Chief I SUBSCBIEIIQt!I BATES Sul1ace Mail Airmail 1 year (6 issues) U.S. $27.00 U.S. $39.00 2 years (12 issues) U.S. $54.00 U.S. $77.00 3 years (18 issues) U.S. $76.00 U.S. $110.00 Payment may be made by check or by Mastercard, Visa or Access cards - (please give account no. and expiration date). 7 DAVIES STREET LONDON WIY ILL, ENGLAND T')'phon" (44) 71·495·2590 Fa" (44) 71·491·1595 38 The Gelator Inscriptions found in the exergue provide vital information for the student of ancient coinage by Giorgio Migliavacca they become a feature of Roman Repub abbreviation for "comitatus" (the place The word cxergue is borrowed from lican coinage most often with the names where the emperor resided, thus en the French language and is the result of of moneyers placed in this area. abling him to exercise direci control on the merger of two Greek words: "Ex" In coins of the higher Roman empire the mintage of the most precious of (out) and "Ergon" (work); numis the exergual inscription marks either metals). DB stands for "obryza" or matically speaking, it means the space Consular dates, or Senatorial authority "obryziacum aurum" (refined gold). on a coin (or medal) that is situated "SC", or more importantly, it directly After A.D. 395 the formula COMOS is below the design, between the bottom applies to the subject typified on the regularly featured on Roman gold ~ a of the artwork high rank offi and the rim. cial, the Only learn "comes obry ed numisma Zlacus" guar tists seem to anteed the pay attention 10 quality of the this part of the gold, wherever coin, and yet il was struck. most of the Followinga time itconlains similarpattem, vital infonna the exergual lion that can inscriptions on help to deci late Roman sil pher a tremen ver begin with dous amount of the abbreviated detail. Ex- name of the ergue, or mint followed "Exergum" is a by the leiters separate area of PS "pusu a coi n. It is latum" (pure placed in the silver) ~ the lower part of Maximian Herculius (circa A. D. 294-5) - Follis minted at Ticinum. The exergue on the purity and the design be reverse shows the simplified letter "T~ (or Ticinum(the modern Pavia), RIC 22A The quality of the low the ground reverse depicts the ~Genius Populi Romani~ and reads GENfO POPVU ROMANI. The metal being a line. In fact the genius of the Roman people stands left, modius on head, naked but for chlamys over left fundamental shoulder, holding with the right hand patera and with the left hand a cornucopia. exergue IS usu a factor for the ally divided acceptance of from the rest by a hori zontal line; leiters reverse. In the mintages of the lower the currency. Throughout the Roman or symbols were often placed in Ihis Roman empire, letters or sometimes empire skepticism on the purity and area. symbols (or a combination of both) gen quality of gold and silver had grown Exergual inscriptions can be found erall y serve to indicate the cities in which through the centuries. In fact, in previous on Greek and Roman coins and are they were struck. centuries the central authority, when usually encountered on the reverse; sel Mint marks placed in the exergue faced with financial problems, had been dom on the side of the head (obverse). become thenonnaroundA.D. 250. The meddling with the gold and silver con Although an exergue is featured on sev study of these marks has produced fas tent/alloy of aurei and denarii respec eral Greek coins, most often it docs not cinating theories as well as very amply tively. bear inscriptions; typical examples of documented essays and endless contro this pattern are the stater of Laos, Lucania versies. When a coin bears a mint mark, Bibliography: (BMC I and 2), the stater of Abdera the numismatic attribution is quite easy, Mattingly, Ha rold, Roman Coins From the (BMC 3), the drachm of Larissa (BMC and most collectors will thank Philip I, Earliest Times to the Falf of the Western 7.31 and 7.77), as well as the stater of who inaugurated the system of officina Empire, published by SJ. Durst, New Corimh (BMC 12.162). marks (workshop marks). The innova York, 1987. On the other hand, Greek coins with tion was welcomed by contemporaries Burnett, Andrew, Coinage in the Roman exerguallegends include the silver stater and lasted until the fifth century. The World, published by Seaby, London, 1987. of Sybaris (BMC 1), the silver litra of name of the mint is reasonably spelled Mjgliavacca, Giorgio, "MinI Marks need Allifae, Campania, the silver didrachm out on the coinage of the 3rd and 4th further research" in Moneta Interna· of Phistelia, Campania, and the Katane centuries; thus we can read exergues tional, Vol.I,no.I,July 1989,pp.IO-12. tetradrachm by Herakleidas, whose sig such as: LON (for Londinium), ANT Stevenson, William Seth, A Dictionary of nature is perfectly placed in the exergue (for Antiochia), T (for Ticinum) and Roman Coins, Seaby, London, 1982. below a breathtaking quadriga. many morc. From the late 360's to the British Museum Catalog of Greek Coins. Exergual inscriptions and legends end of the Roman empire the gold coin London 1873-1927. are encountered on early Roman coin age invariably bears the words COM or Sear, David R, Greek Coills OlldTheir Val age, including the pre-denarius period; COMOB in the exergue. COM was an ue.f , Vol. T and II, Seaby, London, 1978. July 1991 39 Royal Athena offers TRIVIA QUIZ The Romans honored Janus with a special important artifacts surname, as the divinity presiding over the four seasons, and erected a statue in Art of the Ancient with four heads in the Forum transitorium. World catalogue What is this surname? Royal Athena Galleries offers a (Answer on page 48) selection of exquisite antiquities in their An of the Ancient World catalog. Full color photographs illustrate each item presented for sale. In addition, QUOTES FROM THE PAST commentary on collecting antiquities is included, as well as descriptions of other "Trying to squash rumor a items available at the galleries. is like trying to unring a bell" An of the Ancient World fealures Shana Alexander Greek and Roman marble sculptures and heads. An impressive range of Greek, Etruscan and Roman bronzes is r------~ an important highlight.. A small selection I of ancient animals completes the : Clip & Save presentation of bronze items. I Adiverse assortment of Greek, South I Italian and Etruscan vases is another : Coin File I important feature, with Greek and Etruscan terracottas also included. The ~------~-:-=-="-~ catalogue offers a variety of Egyptian, Herbessus Asian, Near Eastern, Cypriot and AE - Dilitron Oriental art. Concluding the presentation is a selection of inexpensive antiquities, After 340 BC featuring a variety of vases, fi gurines Slkelia/Man-headed bull and ancient glass. SNG Cop. 293 Royal Athena Galleries has been Little is known of the town of Herbessus and its coinage is rare. The Sikelian dealing in ancient art for 35 years. The Herbessus, to which this coin is attributed by Barclay Head, was located west of firm operates galleries in New York City, Syracuse (possibly at a place called Panlalica) and these coins are restruck over Beverly Hills, and London. In addition to the bronze coins from Syracuse bearing the head of Zeus Eleutherios or Athena. antiquities, Royal Athena also oHers The inhabitants of this city allied themselves wi th the Carthaginians against ancient Greek, Roman and Byzantine Syracuse and after the Punic War managed to remain independent in spite of coins, as well as more recent art from attempts by Dionysius to subjugate it. The obverse of this coin features a female around the world. For copies of An of head, identified as Sikelia, wearing an olive wreath . This may be a representation the Ancient World, contact Royal Athena of a local nymph by that name or perhaps a personification of Sicilia. The man headed bull on the reverse is a typical representati on of the Greek river-god, Galleries at t53 East 57th Street, New stemming from the mythological Achelous, but usually given local names. .J York, NY 10022 or phone (212) 355- L ------2034. 40 The Gelator Professional Directory ( Antiquities ) ( .. Antiquities ) C~~~A~.~nt~iq~u=i=ti=es~ __~) ~ ...... z-_~'I) - .... +"..--M-.:-.. 1? MAlL BID AUCTIONS Ancient Coins & Antiquities ; EGYPTIAN & CLASSICAL 1 Greek. Roman, Egyptian, Buy, Sell & Auction I ANTIQUITIES I 'l>\. '\00. Pre Columbian • Ancient, Medieval & Modem Coins r We offu the collector a varied selecllon v Cypriot and Mediaeval • Pre-Columbian Art, Rare Books >J of fine qualily Ancient World Art! J Antiquities-No Coins • Weapons, Orientalia, Old Maps I I Consignments Accepted Seeking coins, artifacts, books and I I more for upcoming auction • • Seven catalog subscription r ~ including 3 priced cata!ogs - $JO.OO JOEL MALTER & Co. , • JEWELRY • SCIJLYTIJRE • BRONZE ! 16661 Ventura Blvd., Suite 518 .5. • POTTERY • WEAPONS • AMULETS ,i Encino, CA 91436 USA W. Fagan & Co. + • FREE: Catalog No. C191 upon ""Iu.. . t ..... 2295215 Mile Rd. MAll: P.O. BOl( 777 ~ Gallery by appoinlmenl • (212) 724·9455 ~ Mt. Clemens. MI 48043 Encino, CA 91316 USA ~ ANCIENT WORLD ARTS, LTD. ~ (818) 784-7772 FAX: 784-4726 (313) 465-4637 J 50 W .. st 76th St. • N .. w York 10023 t :t-.,~ ...... ~-..o":;" 'I) _ '-' + ..... __ ¥-J;.. 20 years serving you... • EVENINGS ;~ _ (301) 876-7140 or • ANCIENT COINS " . (301) 235·1696 • MEDIEVAL COINS HELIOS • ANCIENT ART & oU 'WorU Jilntiquities ANTIQUITIES Ancitlnt Gftltlk, Roman. Egyptian. Etc •Artifacts, Bronzes. Statuettes, PoHery, Write for Free Illustrated Amultlls - Send for fre .. list Catalogues of the Following: Member: Antiqujties Dealers Assoc. • Ancient Coins llII P.O. Box 25 • Medieval Coins XXII Westminster, MD 21157 • Ancient Art and Antiquities XIV ALEX O. MALLOY, {Nc. PHOENICIA Say you saw it in 1/-·"' .. .. "-, I,"S ~ P.O. Bod8 Holyland Antiquities South Salem P.O. Box 692, Gracie Station New York 10590 New York, NY 10028 (212) 722-4603 %e Ce£ator :n'J{'1J 5l!J{{;I'E'J{'T Saaig/i (ja[{ery J-{armer'R,poKs (jaCCeries 'Esta6fisfid1905 'I'1\.'E5t5'U'}('£S .9Lncient .9Lrt • Auctions • Purchases MEHRDAD • Sales SADIGH • Appraisals r!l Egyptian, Pre_Columhian, The Time 303 5th Ave. Classical Archaeology, COins. American Glass. Machine Co. Room #1603 Jewelry, Watches and Other Fine Collectibles Fine Archaeological New York NY 3 East 57th St. Art and Coins 10016 New York, NY 10022 (212)751-1900 P.O. Box 282 - Flushing Sta. FAX: (212)758-1713 Queens, NY 11367 800·426·2007 Catalogs m,·ai/able (718) 544-2708 212·725·7537 Galltri~s Op~/I to Ihe J'ublic July 1991 41 Professional Directory ( Coins & Books ) ( Coins & Books ) ( Coins & Books ) GREEK, ROMAN, eEL.T IC, Ancient & World Coins DAVID P. HERMAN BYZANTINE, and BRITISH Classical Numismatist HAMMERED coins_ PONTERIO CLASSICAL ANTIQUITIES Atlractiv(' coins 01 reasonable prices Over 500 it~ m s per extellsively & ASSOCIATES, INC. Write/or your samplecalOfog: illumated catalogue including trade ofrers. With rait grading'" reasonable prices 1818 Robinson Ave . 1322 35th SI. we are major suppliers to many US dealers. Why nOl. try us? San Diego. CA 92103 Suite 10 1 Payment accepted by US dollar cheque , Visa Orlando, Fla. 32809 and Mastercard. Members of the British (407)422 - 5915 Numismatic Trade Association and the (619) 299·0400 Antiquity Dealers Association. (800) 854-2888 Please write or telephone (or your (ree COpy. Christian 810m JOHN CUMMINGS LTD., PNG #308 PO Box 38, Grantham, ANA-LM Greek, Roman and Lines, NG31 6AA, England. World Coins Telephone 0400-81848 write JorJree sample list Our unique 2504 N. Quantico St. GREEK il bid auctions Arlington, VA 22207 allow you to 703-533-3119 ROMAN PAY THE noon to midnight and PRICE YOU WANTTO PAY WORLD COINS ROMAN IMPE RIAL (>tll"jully i1/" . For -"",.iO"l C ol/('Cfm"S • OCC{lsimml Lil fS WILLIAM n. WARDEN, JR. P.O. BOX 356 NEW I·IOPE, PA 18938 (215) 297-5088 • Buy, sell , trade ancient coins and antiquities C LA SS IC G REEK, ROMAN AN I) ANCIENT COINS 8RITISH COINS AND ANTIQUITIES • All coins and artifacts • Professional ~rvicc wit h a ~rsO ll a l navor fu ll y guaranteed • TltoughlfuJ and cklai led catalogs-h igh Harlan J. B erk, Ltd. quality photographs aoo printi ng. SIKbuy or bid sales per year • Write or call for free Sample issue-$2 Write or call for 'ree catalogue illustrated price list CJJavil;J;OIJ.S 312·609·0016 312-609-00 17 + A - Ud. ~ 3296 S. Mooney Blvd., Suite 105 Co ld Spring, MN 56320 ~~ 31 N. Clark St. Visalia, CA 93277 V Chicago, IL 60602 (612)685-3835 (209) 712·2026 42 The Gelator Professional Directory (~. ;:;;;;~c~oi=ns=&=B=oo~k~S;;:;:;;) ( Coins & Books ) c Coins & Books ) EUROPE'S MAIN SPECIALIST DEALER IN Fred B. Shore J. ORIENTAL COINAGES r.:hur Li~ Classical Numismatics ancient coins Ancient Greek, Roman and Parthian coins of the highest RFD 1, Box 240 quality bought and sold ~ ";:IIIiS, TX 77i~5 ~ PO Box 36 .09) 478.67. Fort Washington PA 19034 Fru ilIustrared sales list 215 { 275 - 3430 available on request. R.C. SENIOR LTD. Ancient Greek & Roman Coins Glenn Schinke Butleigh Court Tower and books about them Numismatist Butleigh Glastonbury Fru sample caTalogs Somerset BA6 8SA England Thomas P. McKenna P.o. Box 1356-E Ancients Tel. 0458 50824 FI. Collins, CO 80522 (303) 226-5704 Medieval Foreign FRANK STERNBERG P.O. BoxCH Numismatist ~mpirt QIoins Rosemead, CA 91770 Schanzengasse 10, CH-B00 1 (818) 446·6775 Zurich, Switzerland Ancient Coin Specialists lei. 01/252.30.88 fax. 01/252.40.67 • Buying · Selling - Want Usts· Books • Appraisals · Consignmems • Referrals • Attendance at all majnr Sh.nws and Sales • Exclusive Auction Bidding Service I~. · ~\ • Sound Advice based on long experience til ,i , i • Subscribers receive six fully illustrated fixed price catalogues of ancient coins ; .9 and books about them, and two major Bought and Sold auction sales per year. • Periodic reference book lists & sales STEPHEN M. HUSTON COINS AND MEDALS C{a-,Jlcll( :\,lImLwUltlst Ancient, Medieval and Modem Empire Coins, Inc. Ole P.O. Box 193621 NUMISMATIC LITERATURE P.O. B()~ 2634 r.iIil San Francisco, CA 94119 USA GEMS, CAMEOS,JEWELRY Ormond Beach, FL 32175-2634 USA ~ Ancient to Modem P!\()ne(904)677-7314 ...L(" (415) 781-7580 Office hou,.. 9 - ~. M·F ,;:,".1 'Write for if{ustrotea catalogue. AUCTION SALES F"(904)617·7324 11 ••••••••••••••••••••• 1•••••••••••••• ECONOMOPOULOS ILLUSTRATED ENTERPRISES PRICELISTS M{~ CLASSICAL Greek NUMISMATISTS Roman Specialists in Greek Byzantine Ancient Coins Roman Request yours today! Auctions and Byzantine Price Lists Bought & Sold Wayne Co Phillips B·A Village Loop SUPERIOR STAMP & Nicholas T. Suite 125 COIN CO .• INC. Economopoulos Phillips Ranch, CA 91766 9478 West Olympic Boulevard P.o. Box 199 (714) 629-0757 Beverly Hills, CA 90212·4236 Holicong, PA 18928 Serving the collector since 1959 (2 13) 203·9855 (215) 794·0406 July 1991 43 Professional Directory ( Coins & Books ) ( Coins&; Books .... ) ( Coins & Books ) Aiga; Numismatics is Clfrrently offering the fine", ancient Gud:, Ruman and Byzantine Lucien Birkler numismatic {HI in the marh:tp/aa today. Be/ore you buy. think qualify and urnem!>cT & Co. ___ . Quality is our hu. Free List of inexpensive ANCIENT COINS FRANKL. Jonathan K. Kern MICHAEL & SANDRA WOLF Bachelor of Arts P.O. Box 233, Dewey, AZ 86327 KOVACS Numismatics (602) 772·7144 Ancient, Medieval, Early Ancient Coins American Numismatics & Antiquities BUYING & SELLING For Serious Collectors WORLD COINS llOO B.C. to Modern P.O. Box 25300 San Mateo, CA 94402 444 S. Ashland (415) 574-2028 Lexington, KY 40502 FAX (415) 574-1995 (606) 269·1614 Write!or Free List: ~ Anything Anywhere For the finest of islamic, Indian, 8aktarian 601 Elm Street numismatic art, Raleigh, NC 27604-1935 write for a Central As'""ian Coinages complimentary copy of our fixed price catalogue. Write for sample I li st P.O. Box 4009 Omar Hamidi Malibu Persic Gallery, P.O. Box 103 17 C,];fom;" 90265 Torrance, CA 90505 ••(!~ (213) 540·1855 44 The Gelator Professional Directory ( C()ins & Books ) ( Coins & Books ) ( Coins & Books )0 NUMISMATIC A Specialist in Ancient Coins ORACLE ARS CLASSICA AG also stock World Minar Coins. Medals. Crowns. Anifacts. Boob and Coin caIe.' ANCIENT COINS ANTIQUE COINS Our invenTory i. among !he rUleSI in America Attractive Ancient Greek AND MEDALS And Roman Coins For The Coll ector GREEK Affordable Prices· Free Lists ROMAN Conservative Grading BYZANTINE MEDIEVAL 539·62 St. Brooklyn, NY 11220 AUCTIONS - PRICE LISTS In ,h~ past "''0 y~ (lrs ..... hal'" e<>mpln~d SENT ON REQUEST ftv~ s~ls o/Ih~ 12 Caesars in gold. VALUATIONS GEORGE M. BEACH NUM ISMATICA ARS CLASSICA AG Numiscellaneous AMPHORA N~, tt • ..., 43 8001 ZORICH. SWHZERLANlJ p.o. Box lD. Owosso, MI48867 T.l Wantlisls selViced. Consulta/ions available. SANTA ROSA, CA. 95407 U.S.A. P.O. Box 2273 Appraisals and eslale evalualions psriorrned. phone: 707-526-3421 Albany, NY 12220 Active buyer of all material. fax, 707-526-3266 July 1991 45 Professional Directory ( Coins & Books) ( Wholesale Coins ) Services ) Greek, Roman, Byzantine ~ou~ou llIoiu (fiall.ries & Medieval Coins Suite 132 Mission Viejo Mall .A:THlENET for the Connoisseur Mission Viejo, CA 92691 Database of Dealers in (714) 364-0990 or 582-3481 Ancient CO'in .••,n,t Ant"q"mesll Occasional Catalogues We can help you find the dealers location, specialization, price range, VIKEN M. HAVANDJIAN The Professional Directory expertise match your collecting needs. P.O. BOX 50417 Is your window to Write fOf free brochure. AUSTIN, TX 78763 a variety of sources P.O. Box 1135 (512)250-1931 and services. c Equip • & Supplies ) ( Shows & Conventions) CShows & Conventions) PHOTOGRAPH GREATER COINS & BILLS NEW YORK BOSTON ... • Instanl Polaroid Prints @@ .~ NUMISMATIC Ancient and Foreign Coin • Color or Black & White ~ CONVENTION Mecca of The Northeast! • Same Size or Enlarged @" SEPTEMBER 5, 6, & 7, 1991 BA Y STATE COIN SHOW @@ OMNI PARK CENTRAL HOTEL 7th Ava. & 56th SI., New Yorl<; City November 22, 23, 24, 1991 Call or Send for Held sl m LJ~8 neou.1y with the AMERICAN ISRAEL NUMISMATIC "57" PARK PLAZA HOTEL Free Brochure F--- ASSOCIATION CONVENTION Room r~serva tion s: 617-482.1800 P.O. Box 2937 ~, CONVENTION FEATURES: Redwood City, CA 94064 " A"<:tiona by Slack'• • anc",nts auction •• -"""iem. Over 25 years ... " Arcade". Med8 ls1Exo .... mia HaJl. m_ing•• lorum •• "New England's Largest Coin Show!.!!" " .... minarS. "xhibil ...... m"mati<: IittI ralu", and .uwrie •. /0 \) too. Nu mismatic 00",,,, in all c.olegories. Bourse space $195 and up. Moe Weinschel Chairman: Ed Aleo P.O. Box 277 ARIES PHOTOGRAPHIC Box 400. Winchester. MA 01890 ['PI Rockaway Park, NY 11694-0277 (415) 854·7662 (l18) 634-9266 617-729-9677 NUMISMATIC VIDEO TAPES Prod-=' by o..id U 46 The Gelator Paid Advertisement : THE BACK PAGE Dear Celator Reader: Walker at leu and have arranged with them to act as....d.i.s: tciblJt.oI: for the few remaining auction catalogues th at they Well the big news is that the good guys have finally won have leM. Since it is easier fo r them to ship them bulk to me one . Apparently NGC got such a barrage of negative and let me sell them , I can now offer you the complete 1991 comments on their plan to slab ancient coins in conjunction Bank leu Auction with prices realized for $.35..!~ idl. If wlth CNG, that they sent out a press re lease saying that the you lack this extremely important catalogue (written in plan has been discontinued_ It is interesting to see how English), you alll:!lJh1a&1immaala.te~ and order one as the the lay media reacts to numismatic press releases. This number is very limited. one got onto the front page of The Wall Street Journal. If you have not done so, you should also conlact You, the collectors and dealers, must all be congratu Sotheby's and see if any of the last Hunt Catalogues are lated. NGC stated that although they ~never cou nted- the available for sale. I recently saw the fi rst catalogue seU fQ( letters received, that a total of more -than several hundred" $.90. at l ong Beach to a very happy new collector. I am had been received from both dealers and collectors alike, al ways amazed to see collectors not realize that the major all extremely negative on the idea of slabbing. Since they sales currently being held will be Ihe classic sales of to felt that "90% of their problems would be associated with morrow. 5% of submissions . ." meaning ancients, they felt that Aecent shows that we did al the Pre-long Beach Show, plans to continue were against the mainstream of numis the long Beach Show, and the Boston Show were all very matic thought. strong (Q[jJs. I know many of my buddies in the busi ness Although editors can editorialize on anything they wish, may have not had very strong shows, but again, the buying I would be not true to form if I did not take exception with a public, who may not be very knowledgeable about ancient recent editorial in The Celatorwhich basically said " . . it was coins, wants very high quality coins which are simply Dll1..aD bound to happen sooner or later . . " I truely disagree with the market at the presenl lime. They want coins which may that. We, the people who buy and sell ancient coins, and not be rare, but th ey want them in simply super condition. those many thousands of you who collect ancient coins, As I hope many of you know, the terms s.uper and ancients are the ones who will determine the future of our hobby I are not always synonomous. do not think that anything connected with ancient coins is. If you have any 12 Caesars denarii in choice VF or inevitable, whether we talk about slabbing, registering better (no matter who) we are in very strong need-the coins, importation restrictions, proof of provenance, proof coins need to be well-centered and problem 'ree - of origin, etc. There are many questions which come up at grade is not the only consideration - please contact various times as concerns ancient coins. Whether these us. turn into problems will depend on how the ancient coin dealers and collectors react to the problem. I feel that nothing is inevitable unless we allow it to happen. FOR THE MONTH OF JULY The groundswell of letters which were written by collec WE WILL BE BASED IN NJ tor and dealer alike both here and overseas, and all within a period of just a few weeks, convinced a multi-million dollar Upcoming Shows: corporation that their proposal was both unneeded and San.francW July 1991 4 7 INDEX OF DISPLAY Celator Classifieds ADVERTISERS Rates: Aigai Numismatics 44 $5.00 for the first 20 words, 204: each additional word. Album, Stephen 45 Amphora 45 Amsellem, Claude 24,44 The other ancients: Africa, Mideast, COLLECTOR WANTS ancient coins Ancient World Arts, Ltd. 41 India, Southeast Asia, the Orient. Primi with any of the following words in Greek Anything Anywhere Ar ies Photographic "46 tive Monies. Books too. Free list. or Latin: Olympia, Pythia, Isthmia, AtheNa! 13.46 Semans, Box 22849P, Seattle, WA Nemea, Actia, Capitolia. Anthony Bank Leu Ltd 10 Bay State Coin Show 46 98122. Milavic, 6861 Elm St. #IA, McLean, Beach, George M. 45 VA 22101, (703) 620-1117. 6erk, Harlan J. Ltd. Cover, 42 Birkler, Lucien & Co. 44 Greek, Roman, Medieval coins, 810m, Christian 42 Monthly catalogs with very reasonable Syrian terracotta oil lamps, 3rd to 7th Syers, C.B. Corp. 22 prices and discounts issued for 24 years. century A.D., completely intact and at Cederlind, Tom 30 Celator 46 Francis 1. Rath, Box 266, Youngstown, tractive. Guaranteed authentic. $35 Christie's 3 NY 14174. postpaid. Somewhere in Time, P.O. Box Classical Numismatic Group Cover, 19 123, Lodi, WI 53555. CMV Numismatics 32 Coen, Joel D. 42 India, China, Persia, Europe, Ancient Colosseum Coin E~change 42 Ancient Greek and Roman coins. Cummings. John Ltd. 42 and Medieval periods. $ payment facil Quality Greek silver up to $500, bronze Davissons Ltd. 42 ity. List: Robert Tye, Loch Eynort, Economopoulos Enterprises 43 up to $90, All Roman coins under $1 00. South Uist, Western Isles, PA81 5SJ, Elsen, Jean SA 36 Conservative grading. Quality and satis Empire Coins Inc. 43 United Kingdom. Fagan, W. & Co. 41 faction guaranteed. Free lists upon re Greater New York Numismatic Cony. 46 quest. D. Bakker, Box 968, Orleans, Hamidi, Omar 44 Wanted: Greek or Greek Imperial Harmer Rooke Galleries 16,41 MA02653. Havandjian, Viken M. 46 bronze coins of Colossae (Kolossai), Helios Old World Antiquities 41 Phrygia. Bart Lewis, Box 32-D, 107RR Herman, David P. 42 Connoisseurs and romantics will love Huston, Stephen M. 35,43 620 So., Austin, TX 78734. Valentine Duval: an autobiography. IAPN 18 Non-fiction at its very best! Send $19.95 Imperial Coins & Antiquities 17,42 Kern, Jonathan K. 44 Free list: Old collection of Greek and for your hardback copy to The Ce1ator, Kovacs, Frank l. Roman coins, reasonably priced. Ap P.O. Box 123, Lodi, W153555. M/Cand Lanz, Hubert " ok. Laurion Numismatics "28 plied Statistics, P,O, 80x453, Oakhurst, VISA link. Anhur J. 43 NJ 97755. London Coin Galleries 31,46 Maine Classical Numismatics Malloy, Alex G. Inc. "41 STILL LOOKING for a special book Maller, Joel & Co. 41 McDaniels. Bill 45 on ancient or foreign coins? We stock July 91 - Trivia Answer: McKenna. Thomas P. 21,43 over 10Cl0 different titles. Please write: Minerva 38 "Quadrlfrons" MClnzen und Medaillen AG 37 A. G. van der Dussen, Hondslraal 5, M & R Coins 45 6211 HW, Maastricht, Netherlands. Numismatic Fine Arts 5 Numismatica ARS Classica AG 45 Oracle Ancient Coins 45 Pegasi Coins 25,45 Phillips. Wayne C. 43 If you buy or sell ancient coins or classical antiquities Phoenicia Holyland Anliquities 41 You should be subscribing to the Popular Award Winning Periodical Ponterio & Associales 11,23,42 Rogers, Calvin J. 18 Specializing in Ancient Numismatics and Antiquities: Rosenblum. William M. 26, 45 Royal Athena Galleries Cover Rynearson, Paul 44 Sadigh Galleries 'The Ce{ator Saslow, Arnold R "47 Schinke, Glenn 43 Sear, David R 6 Offering Monthly: Senior, RC. Ltd. 43 • News· Features · Commentary· Book Reviews· Coming Events · Shore. Fred B. 43 Southland AnHquities & Numis" Ltd, ,. • Letters and Notices· Display and Classified Ads· And much more! • Spink & Son, Ltd. 7 Stack'sJCoin Galleries 15 Write to: Sternberg, Frank 43 ONLY $24.00 The Celator Superior Galle ries 9,43 Time Machine Co. 20,41 for twelve issues (U.S. addresses) P.O. Box 123 Treasure Island 45 (Canada - $30, All other addresses $48, Waddell, Edward J. Ltd. 33 Lodi, WI 53555 Warden. William B. 12,27,34, 42 payable in U.S. funds) (608) 592·4684 Wolf, Michael & Sandra 31,44 48 The Gelato( CLASSICAL NUMISMATIC GROUP, INC. QUARRYVILLE, PA· BEVERLY HILLS, CA· LO:\DO:\, E:\(iLA:\J) Classical Coins of Exceptional Quality Over 15 Years of Service to the Collector • C lassical Greek, Roman, Byzantine, Medieval & British Coins for Collectors • Literature on C lassical Coins • Coins & Books Bought, Sold & Valued • Fixed Price Lists • Auctions • Sample upon request • Annual Subscription $40.00 ($50.00 outside the U.S.A.) On your next trip to London visit our offices: SEABY COINS A Division of C.N.G. Inc. 7 Davies Street London WIY ILL, United Kingdom (071) 495-1888, Fax (071) 499-5916 SUIlSCRIPTION INFORMATION Subscripl iOllS are available to all our public ations: $40.00 in the U.S . • $50.00 elsewhere. Subscription includes public auctions, mail bid auctions, and our quancrly journal and fixed price li st, the Classical Numismatic Rt view, A fTe() copy of the Class ical Numismatic Review is available upon request, Office hours are 9:30 AM - 4 PM Monday through Friday. Marble A mazonomachia } / r Archaized Relief, Hadrianic. 34" Length I P.OR. ------ 31 N. Clark Street, Chicago, Illinois 60602 '-"'" ,111/11510." (3 12) 609-0017 FAX: (3 12) 609-1309 • r ~U!J!ISMRlIlll , ~YllO'I"f ~ ..'''---'' #1 78