'The Cera-tali incorporating ROMAN COINS AND CULTURE
• Classical Numismatic Group Sale 30 Saturday· June 11, 1994 • 6 PM in conjunction with the NEW YORK INTERNATIONAL (
Featuring the Collection of Alexander Hannah Scottish Coins· Tokens· Paper Money In Addition Greek' Roman Republican • Roman Imperial Byzantine' Early Foreign British (Celtic· Hammered· Milled) OUR CURRENT LIST TIle Classical Numismatic Review Featuring over 400 coins at fixed prices is now available Our current BOOK LIST is now available. Write for a complimentary copy of both
Catalo ue with rices realized 15 £10. Contact either our U.s. or U.K office. Seaby Coins Eric J. McFadden, Senior Director 14 Old Bond Street London W1X 4JL, United Kingdom (071) 495-1888, Fax (071) 499-5916 Classical Numismatic Group, Inc. Victor England, Senior Director Post Office Box 479 Lancaster, Pennsylvania 17608-0479 (717) 390-9194, Fax (717) 390-9978 INSIDE THE CELATOR...
Vol. 8, NO.6 June 1994
6 Spiritual energy served rrTie Ce[ator as a foundation for Publisher/Senior Editor mythological symbols Wayne G. Sayles by G. Derk Dodson Editor Steven A. Sayles Office Manager PageS 14 Italian Renaissance Stephanie Schultz Spiritual energy and portrait medals: 1438·1450 RCC Liaison mythological symbols James L. Meyer by G. Derk Dodson by Virginia M. da Costa Production Asst. Nick Popp 34 An unofficial survey of An " 12 Caesars" portrait denarii Parnell Nelson
by Mark A. Edwards The Gelator (ISSN #10480986) is an independent journal published on the firsl day of each month at 141 Lodi Street, ::: Lodi, WI 53555. It is circulated internationally 2 The Celator's Point of View through subscriptions Page 14 and special distributions. Italian Renaissance 4 Letters to the Editor - Quotes from the Past Subscription rates, portrait medals: 1438·1450 payable in U.S. funds, by Virginia M. da Costa 12 Through the Looking Glass by David Vagi are $27 per year (second class) within the United 27 Just for Beginners by Wayne G. Sayles States; $30 to Canada; $48 per year to all other 30 Coming Events addresses (Air Printed Matter). Advertising 31 A bird's eye view from London by Richard Swan and copy deadline is the first of each month. 32 People in the News· Profiles in Numismatics Unsolicited articles and news releases are 33 Art and the Market welcome, however publication cannot be 40 Long Before Columbus by Joe Rose guaranteed. Second class postage paid 42 Antiquities by David Liebert (USPS #006077) Page 34 at Lodi, WI 53555. An unofficial survey of 43 Book News Copyright ©1994, "12 Caesars" portrait denarii Celator, Inc. Postmaster: send address by Mark A. Edwards 44 Coins of the Bible by David Hendin changes to P.O. Box 123, Lodi, WI 53555 About the cover: 46 Coin File - Trivia· Humor 608-592-4684 A tessalated mosaic with 47 Professional Directory (same tor FAX. alter hours a centerpiece depicting activate with asterisk the gorgon Medusa's head. 56 Index of Advertisers - Classifieds on touch tone phone)
Deadline for the July issue is Wednesday, June 1 ellce, is a prime example. Following on the heels of a successful program in Washington, D.C., the ANS teamed up with the Graduate Group in Ancient Hi story and Mediterranean Archaeol ogy at the University of California at • • Berkeley (isn't that a mouth full?), and with the San Francisco Ancient Nu Commentary by Wayne G. Sayles mismatic Society (now that's better) to offer a day of fun and enlighten ment. n lasl monlh's issue we pub siderations, accessibility must be a The Berkeley conference was held lished a press release from paramount factor. Apparently there al the Alumni House on campus, and Ihe American Numismatic arc at least some within the inner circle consisted of a very balanced program. • SocielY which publicly rec of the Society's governorship who per Among the speakers were profession ognized some concern for Ihe Society's ceive th is need. or the suggestion of als from the University and the ANS, museum and its location. Memhers of considering a move would never have along with local collectors. Three Ihe ANS have long been aware of the been made public. Berkeley grad students, who had all difficulties in making the present fa Feelings on th is point are undoubt completed the ANS summer seminar, cility accessible and functional, not to edly divided. If the membership docs were also included in the roster. Over mention popular. In decades past. not speak out on this issue, the deci 160 registrants took part, and the room when the collecting fraternity in New sion may well be driven by rather pa was still full at the end of a very long York was more active and Broadway rochial interests. Our feeling is that day. I found the presentations inter at 155th was more hospitable, the ANS the Society should establish a plan to esting, digestable (for the most part), enjoyed an impressive home. Today, relocate from its current facility to a and quite respectable. fewer collectors visit the facility, and site which is capable of promoting a Another ANS program of this Iype those that do can't help but feel a little broader range of acti vities, and is like! y is planned in conjunction with the Bos insecure. Not only is upper Manhattan to serve a larger segment of the mem ton International Numismatic Conven less desirable 10 visit, the entire city of bership. It may be that a more practi- tion in Septemher. Of course there is always value gained from hearing the presentations at such an event. but the "we would encoura ge the ANS leadership to examine greatest value is the interaction with possible sites outside of the Ne w York metropolitan area ... academia that collectors have craved, and been denied, forso long. We heartily applaud the efforts of all involved, hut New York is becoming less accessible cal site is available within the city of especially the effort orthe ANS which to thc average collector. It's very New York, but we would encourage truly offers the only possible bridge difficult to find lodging for less than the ANS leadership to examine pos across a very traditional gap. $ 100 per night, and the public trans sible sites outside of the New York • Since there are a few inches of portation system is a disaster. Al metropol itan area. space left here, we should mention though taxis arc the preferred mode of In the past year or two the ANS has thaI the often requested Celator bind transportation within the city, anyone become a sort of catalyst in bringing ers are now in stock. These are very who has tried to nag down a tax i in logether the academic community and attractive covers in a rich hrown Manhattan after 3:00 p.m. oron a rainy the collecting community within the leatherette with gold stamping. Each day will find them rather elusive. The United Slates. This is nosmall achieve binder holds 12 issues of The Cefalor. only time that collectors normally visit ment. For as long as we can remem They may also be used for the Best of New York is during a major numis ber. there has been a chasm between The Cefator. !talo Vecchi recommend matic event, and then it is extremely the two communities- sometimes bor ed a supplier in England and we found difficult to do anything productive at dering on hostility. It was this "cold their work 10 be superb. We have the museum because of the number of war" which actually served as the about 50 binders currently on hand people seeking access and the limited spawning ground for The Celalor. and have already placed a reorder due staff to serve them. Consequently, we are very pleased to to their popularity. Sec the ad within It seems to us that the time has see an organization of academic stat for ordering info or give us a call. come 10 focus on the purpose of the ure such as the ANS providing oppor We'll be in New York for IheSpring ANS and embark upon a program of tunities for interaction with serious International, Detroit for the ANA. revi talization that will make the Soci collectors and for taking collectors Boston for their first International, and ety and its premier collection avail seriously. The recent program at Ber then thesummer'sover-Gee that went able to the rank and file of the collect keley, AI/cient Coins and Ancient H is by fast! In the meantime we'll be watch ing fraternity. Among the many con- tory: A Classical Numismatic Confer- ing the mailbox for your point of view!
~ ;"'n7T""' - ;;x;;; WJ:it=== ~ = " =' ~ " 1 uJ_ ~ fJfu: 6lafOt 14 namd p. "~.~ to tk a;>(n. dk~ of.~ I ::!::= atJ; wnaln4. Q4 .~ rmJ ~ I:otky Q4 (n. t/'w" own· #OrnE.. m 2 The Celator Benefit from a 200 Year Old Numismatic Tradition
Aureu. of Clodiu. Albinu, St~tcr of Ddo. Aure", of D;oe]etian Sold on behalf of a New York Colle ctor Sold o n b<:half o f 1I1)'n Maw r .."li ege Sold as par! of the Mc Lendon (,,,,,,Hection ;n 1991 [or $137.500. in 1992 for $4 I ,ROO. in 19<)3 for $38.!)OO.
Christie's tradition of great ancient coins sales began with our first numismatic auction in London in 1770. In 1982 we began holding regular sales in New York City and, as the highlights above show, we've gone from strength to strength. The benefits of market knowledge and expertise developed over two centuries are nm\' available to collectors of ancients in the U.S.A.
Whether you are building a collection or thinking about a sale, we will be delighted to hear from you. The direct line to the Coin Department is 212 546 1056; or write to us at 502 Park Avenue, New York, New York 10022. Specialist.-in-charge James L1.mb and Assist.ant Specialist Laura Celesia will be pleased t.o assist you.
CHRISTIE'S
June 1994 3 hand of the original artist. But so few there are many instances when the res have been able to leave well [enough) toration of an arlifact, even by an ama alone. teur, is perfectly appropriate. What dif But conservators are leaning farther ference can it make to posterity and the in that direction every day. The new halls of academia if a $25 pot is glued school of thought among COnservators together with PVC?· W.G.S.) would today likely be to reassemble or repair the object using a solution of PVC beads dissolved in an organic Urartu, not Uratu solvent, or some other suitably revers Norman Rubin's article on Urartu ible adhesive. Filling and in-painting (May, 1994) provides a good introduc Is restoration ethical? of missing areas is becoming less com tion to this advanced metalworking civi· mon, for the obvious reason that such lization which flourished in ancient Ar Regarding Mr. Rose's article on reconstitution, even in the hands of an menia nearly 3,000 years ago. "Repairing Antiquities" [May, 1994], I expert, is at best an educated guess. I hasten to point out. however, that feel obliged to comment upon several In the hands of someone less expert, all of the scientific literature I have seen of the techniques recommended by the guess would be probably less edu on this topic consistently refers to Ihe him. As both a collector and a museum cated. The integrity of the object can civilization as Urarlu, not Uratu. The bibliography below lists several readily professional with training in conserva not help but decline. tion, I see a need to ask, and attempt Irreversible, inexpert repair of an available reference sources, all of to answer, a question Mr. Rose does tiques and antiquities can only damn which use this form. Two kings of not even mention: How ethical is the us collectors further in the eyes of Urartu whose names are misspelled in "restoration" and "reconstitution" of academia. Collectors already face Rubin's article are Argishti (not Argishi) antiquities by modern hands using the controversy in the press and from other and Sarduri (not Saduri). home remedies suggested by the au sources regarding provenance, au It should be noted that Armenia's thor? thenticity, legal or illegal import and ex antiquity as a center of metalworking Home remedies unfortunately, more port, and so on, ad nauseum. We who far predates the Urartian period. About often than not, degrade the inherent in collect or deal in antiquities need to 30 years ago, a metallurgical workshop tegrity of ancient objects. White glue, educate ourselves more thoroughly dating to the 3rd millennium B.C. was for example, is a Polyvinyl acetate about conserving our prized collections discovered in the Ararat Valley at emulsion (i.e .. PVC in water). As it through their safe handling, storage, Metsamor (near Yerevan). Burney and dries, cross linkages occur among the and repair. We could all, no doubt, Lang (p. 68) point out that this site is molecules, preventing the entrance of benefit by raising our standards to remarkable, and indeed unique, for its any solvent. Over time, then, the bond those set by museums for their collec· complexity and long life. Studies to becomes permanent. Any break inex tions. date have shown that ancient metal pertly repaired will stay that way, for There are things each of us can do workers at Metsamor experimented ever. If I have misplaced a section of to ensure the safety of his or her col with various alloys of bronze, includ pottery, or worse, pulverized itto fill in lection. How many coin collectors still ing the use of tin to replace arsenic as another area, the damage done is per use vinyl flips? What about acid-free a alloying metal. They applied other manent. paper slips inside inert polyester flips? innovations as well, such as the use of So, too, are the stains left by rub Just as we now cherish the continuity clay pipes inserted into the furnace for ber cement and the damage done from of history in tangible form, should we use with bellows, and the use of phos salts in beach sand. Spackling com not also ensure that further generations phorus to smelt cassiterite (tin are). pounds and plaster often have differ will be able to share our pleasure? Isn't It is possible today to visit Metsamor ent porosity than the surrounding ce that part of why we collect? as well as several important Urartian ramic material. With changes in rela We owe it 10 ourselves, to poster sites in the Republic of Armenia. No tive humidity, the ~ reconstituted" areas ity, and to our collections to educate visitor to Yerevan should miss the act as weak spots and at times actu ourselves about what we can do now Erepouni Museum, built at the foot of ally cause further breakage. Most of to preserve the past. a well-preserved Urartian citadel, which the methods outlined by Mr. Rose in possesses a rich and remarkable col his well-intended article can end up N.L. Sparks lection of artifacts (metal as well as causing more problems over time, Texas stone. ivory, clay, etc.) from th is period. In my experience, objects which Numismatists wilt be interested to have been merely reassembled with (We always urge extreme caution when learn that the archaeological discover out "reconstitutionW do not suffer aes cleaning or repairing/restoring coins or ies at Erepouni include two archaic sil thetic degradation simply because they antiquities. Our feeling, stated many ver coins of the city of Miletos, which have visible cracks, holes, or chips. times in this publication, is that one Dr. Khatchadour Mousheghian (late Far more often I have seen a poorly should never attempt to clean or re numismatic curator of the Armenian "restored" vase which would have been store an object that one cannot afford State History Museum) dates to the far more beautiful showing only the to, or prefers not to, lose. However, 6th-5th centuries B.C. These are the oldest actual coins attested to date on Armenian territory,
Bibliography on Urartu: QUOTES FROM THE PAST G. Azarpay. Urartian Art and Artifacts: A Chronological Study (Berkeley: Univer· "Pessima sit, nufli non sua forma placet. " sity of California Press, 1968). C. Burney and D.M. Lang. The Peoples of (Hideous though she be, there is none her own looks do not please.) the Hills: Ancient Ararat and Caucasus Publius Ovidius Nasa - Ovid (43 B.C. - ca. A.D. 17) (New York: Praeger, 1971), esp. pp. 127- 182. Please turn to page 46 4 The Gelator 'lfcuu ~~ ~a ~ ~ ~ at PONTE RIO & ASSOCIATES
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June 1994 5 Spiritual energy served as a foundation for mythological symbols
by G. Derk Dodsoll
Throughout history people have small coin . The "visual" contact pro Zoroastrians and Hindus, the "foun been making offerings to the gods. vided the focus of the negative emo tain of youth", the "life blood". The Some people went so Car as to offer the tions. In many cultures, visual contact wine of libations sanctifies the sacri ultimate sacrifice of human blood. can be seen with the "evil eye" and the fice and provides the focus, showi ng Blessings rained down and crops voodoo doll representing the object the priest that the food /drink is meant never failed when the gods were well of hate. for the gods. fed. The importance is shown by how h depends on the direction th at The religious significance of wine often the ancient Roman gods and emotional and thought energy is sent. (as life force food for gods) can also goddesses are associated with patcras, In ancient Lim es. we might view each be seen with the Latin VINVM (wi ne) simpuiums, offering bowls, and altars desire as a type of "desire globe". The and VITA (life), cognates and words where sacrifices and offerings arc more we feed the desire, the more it wi th the prefi x "vi, 'li n, 'len, and viet". made. grows and becomes an obsession. "Ven"us is the goddess of love, and The intent was for the supplicant to The desire is circled off (VINCIO) to love is a very powerful emotional en focus hi s attention (thoughts and de protect it from evil. and from the in ergy. The life blood flows through our sires) towards the spiritual. Thoughts fluence of those who doubt (loss of veins (Latin "VEN"A). Life means of good opened a path to the good, and belief means loss of force). We wou ld "vi "tal forces or"vi"tality. If we have returned good 10 the sender. For thi s then send the globe to a god (let's say a lot of energy we arc "vi "brant. reason, Roman visualization gods were Soli, in the Soli Invicto series of "Vi"olenl is intense hurl from the always personifications of virtues coins). Soli would hold the "desire Latin "VI"OLENTVS, or strengt h and and a happy life. globe" in one hand , and with his other great force. Contact with the gods Evil was sent and returned to evil. hand held up in a benediction, provide binds ("VIN"CIO) us ( 0 the gods, One interesting form of this can be the blessing necessary for the desire to and thi s makes us in"vin"cible. The seen by a Diocletian AE antoninianus come true. sacrificial "vict"im is a nourishment I once boughl from the Vienna, Vir We animate something by giving ("vict"ual) to the god/goddess, open ginia coin show. Diocletian's portrait it life from our thoughts and des ires. ing a path 10 blessings and "vict"ory. was deliberately defaced. I could This life fo rce can be viewed as wine, In (he Punic wars, the Carthagi nians imaginesomeguy in his mud and stone water, or blood. Our thoughts are were so desperate that they began to house, standing over a thick wooden seeds, which we water with our emo offer up their first born children in table, taking his knife, and stabbing al tional force. It is the "wineoflife", the sacrifice, 10 turn defeat into "vict"ory. Dioclctian's face portrayed on this ambrosia of Greece, the soma juice of All of these words arc relatcd in the sense that they deal with nourishment, life blood and veins, cmot ional en ergy, strength, and the blessings de CALVIN ROGERS rived from the sacrifice. J. If it is the "wine of life" for emo Classical Numismatist tional and thought fo rce, then the source of the wine is the grape. Wine looks like blood (life force), and the Fully illustrated symbology of a "desire globe" looks list free upon request like a grape. If we have a multitude of "desire globes", we have a cluster of grapes. If we have an evil thought or Ancient & P.O. Box 7233 desire, it is cal led a sour grape (Jer 31 :30). The Iype of grapes loved by ,ill, Medieval", Redwood City CA 94063 (415) 369·1508 Bacchus were lusts and licenti ous ness. The more Bacchus drinks of the life blood, the more the victim weak- 6 The Celator Left: New Zealand Maori god Tangaroa (National Geographic, October 1984, Standard Greek grape vine motif, picture from Auckland Institute and Museum). ~VIN"CIO or being bound, as in Center: Aztec sun god Tanatiuh protected, but also can be as a slave (The Aztecs: Rise and Fall of an Empire) . Right: Lesbos billon stater, ens and has a dissipation of energy in mid 6th century B.C., gorgoneion, 5 .3484. a drunken stupor. Another symbol of this energy was the serpent. The Hindus in particular Geographic has a photograph of a something that seems so beautiful at portrayed this as the serpent power of wooden Maori priest staff with a carv first, only to turn into the chains of "Kundalini". For the Romans, the fe ing of the god Tangaroa sticking his habit and a horrible existence. The male goddess not only "feeds" the ser tongue out. When the priest held (e .g. men in Medusa's life "spent" all they pent, but also holds a patera, meaning made "contact" with) the staff, the god had in lust and revelry. Medusa suck that the energy is to be as an offering was said to speak through the priest. ed their life blood, wasting their en and an opening of a path to the spiri On Aztec Calendar stones, some gods ergy on the demons of her mind. They tual. are shown with their tongues sticking were emotionally drained. Materially The messenger of the gods, Mer out, demanding human sacrifice (life they had nothing left. Their lust turn cury, could travel through this open blood). The mouth is important, be ed to fear as they felt their li ves sl ip path, shown by the "serpent" staff cause it is where you "feed" the god away in a depraved and degraded caduceus with wings (meaning spiri and goddess. position. tual freedom). If the spi ritual path is Medusa was beautiful in youth. Perseus, on the other hand, refused open, there is no sickness. Therefore, The contact was made by seeing the to look on her beauty with lust. He did Asclepius, who was renowned for the beauty as something desirable (They look at her in the mirror of his shield, healing arts, also carries a serpent "looked" at her). Her suitors were but the mirror revealed that his emo staff. There are also fertility god then bound ("VIN"CIO) to her by their tional energy was redirected within desses holding up serpents in each desires. Drugs are a good example of and through himself to the true spiri- hand, symbolizing the necessity of making offerings to increase thc num ber of children born, and to insure Religius EnergyNitality good crops. Terms: Medusa had serpents for hair. (No Manna (Hidden Manna, Rev 2:27) tice how Samson lost strength with the Ambrosia (Greek food/drink for the gods and "immortality") cutting of his hair. Both the Maoris of Soma Juice (Hindu drink of ~immortality") New Zealand and the Incas of Peru Frana/Shakti/Kundalini (Hindu Vital Forces and Energies) also revered the hair in a religious context.) Medusa's hair may either Symbols: represent the gathering of energy, or a Wate r (also light and Air in Vital Flow of Energy; Water Welling Up to diffuse wasting of thought energy. Eternal life, John 4:14; Fountain of living Water, Jer 2:13, etc.) With one look (evil eye) contact is Fountain of Youth made, and Medusa drinks all the Wine of life liquid life blood from the person,turn life Blood ing them to stone. Sacred Trees (Tree of life, Hindu Kafpataru, Inca World Tree, tec.) Medusa is sometimes portrayed Produced By: with her tongue sticking out. In Hindu Emotional Energy (Love towards God-prayer, Yoga practice, sticking the tongue out Hate towards Evil-curse) is part of the Yoga lion posture. Yoga Sacrifices is dealing with the energy aspect of Offerings the body. The New Zealand Maoris Alms (Religious Giving and repentance also helps overcome Guilt which stuck their tongues out to show fierce blocks the path; perhaps Samson also felt guilt for breaking his bond ness and strength in the face of en wit h God by the cutting of his hair) emies. The October 1984 NationaL June 1994 7 tual beauty of Athena (the shield was demons, control desires, to not feed The lower, material world is the from Athena), not the material beauty desires until we become shackled to more feminine in nature, and has a of Medusa. Athena punished Medusa, our obsessions, and turning our atten "feline" symbol of a lion. The word because Medusa believed material tion away from evil to the good. material is from Mater, or mother. It beauty was superior. Perseus, how is mother earth. The colors of red, ever, refused to be bound to Medusa Spi ritual Energy orange, and yellow are seen in solid, (the mirror), and used Mercury'ssword One of the central tenets of mythol liquid, and gas, or as the ancients to "cut orr' her energy supply, saving ogy deals with levels of existence. For would say, "earth, water, and air". others from her evil. Not only was example, consider the rainbow with its Red is bound to desires, such as lust the evil in the world killed, but Medu seven colors. The three lower colors (body). Orange is ambition and con sa's "blood" (life blood redirection), are emblematic of the material world, nict (emotion). Yellow (as in gold, the when mixed with "water", was used hy and the three bigber colors are the highest material level) is obtained Poseidon to form Pegasus, represent correspond ing spiritual side. The through worldly knowledge (mind). ing the ushering in of a new world. middle color, green, is the unifying The eagle is the symbol of the The moral of the story is to confront point between both worlds. spiritual father, Zeus or Jovi. Zeus is the spiritual seed consciousness, which nies down to earth, impregnat ing the womb of the material earth mother. Notice how often Zeus im pregnates the daughters of the mate rial world. The corresponding colors are the opposite of the material side. Leu Numismatics Ltd. The first level , blue, directs thoughts away from lust of the body to devo Zurich, Switzerland tion of a higher good . Indigo is the positive emotional side of conflict, and is the parental love towards chil dren. Finally, violet (purple, the em peror's color) is the wisdom side to knowledge. Green is the color of life. It is the unification point where the two worlds meet. Because fire is the means of chan ging and combining aspects. it can also be a symbol oflhe green level. Absence of fire (heat) in a material body means absence of life. Con versely, great fires of conflict mean total awareness, and the total experi encing of life. Fire is included wilh earth, water, and air because it is the catalyst that moves objects between levels , just as fire changes ice to water, and then to clouds. Fire, distress, and conflicts provide the impetus to either change the self or move beyond, to the realm of soul. This is the same fire seen on the altar reverses of Sassanian' AR dirhams. Every year we have an auction of very important ancient coins This is also the fire of the Rom an in spring. funeral pyre that frees the phoenix We issue occasional lists. soul into rebirth. Our stock ranges from Hemitartemoria to Oekadrachmai, and With this view in mind, we have an from Quadrantes to Multiple Aureus Medallions. important key to mythological sym We actively buy and sell at all price levels. bology. As the great mother subdues the lion, the purpose of the material world is to subdue the lion animal nature. Atli s subdues his lusts with self immolation. Both Herakles (dedi cated to mother Hera) and Samson (sun li ke) subdued lions. The positive side is a lion as a good king. The Leu Numismatics Ltd. negative side is the devil, like a lion, In Gassen 20 CH-8001 Zurich Switzerland seeking someone to devour (I Peter Telephone (from the US) all 41 1211 4772 Telefax 011 41 1211 4686 50S). ~ 8 The Gelator The World's Largest Coin Auction Company Offers Complete Service For The Collector
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IMPORTANT NOTICE! Due to the late arrival of two important consignments, the closing date of our Summer Mail Bid Sale has been extended to August 5th. Call today to receive your free copy of this sale of approximately two thousand ancient and worl d coins . Included are several hundred ancient Greek and Roman coi ns, as well as choice collections of Judaean and Parthian coins and a specialized collection of Trajan. Call toll-free 1-800-421-0754
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II 0 F ! [ V t R 1 r II Il l, II Formerly Superior Stamp & Coill Co., Inc. of f l N[ ,nHllS '"'' """ 9478 W. O lympic Blvd., Beverly Hills, CA 90212 +. "-, ~ UCTIO N HH CO~l~CTl",'" ~ (310) 2038855' OUTSlDECA (800) 421 ·0754' FAX (310) 203 -0496 ~ ...... ~
June 1994 9 The predominate symbol of the Control of Lion Animal Nature material world is feminine. Unti l united with the spiritual side, the ma o terial world is also considered virgin. o This includes both males and females o o in this world. Artemis is the virgin o o living in the animal world. She is the o o huntress, a predator. Bees surround • her, as they surround and serve the o• queen bee, their mother. This is pri o o marily the beginning level. •o Theemotionallevel comes with the o· contrasts of love and conflict. It is .. interesting to note that the Egyptian Sekhmet, the Hindu Kali, and IheGreek Ci{icia Isaura Nova AE19, Imperial times Athena were all female warriors and (#1314, Greek Coin Types & Their Identification, by Richard Plant, Seaby, destroyers, a trait most societies see as London, 1979). Obv. Herakles wears lion body. Rev. The youth rides the lion. masculine. However, since the mate rial world is symbolically female, the means of destruction arc feminine. SOUL The positive female s ide to emotional Mjnd~ destruction is seen with the nurturing and love of the Magna Mater to her MATERIAL (BOdY) ~ SPIRITUAL (Spirit) children. Physical Emotional The final (yellow/vi olet) level is knowledge and wisdom. This can Red: Lust to Body Blue: Devotion to Higher only be obtained through the worldly Orange: Emotion to Destroy Indigo: Emotion as Mother knowledge of material existence com Yellow: Knowledge Violet: Wisdom bined with spiritual insight, under standing, and wisdom. Athena is de Green: Fire as Pivot structive. Magna Mater is nurturing. We experience the contrasts of life and obtain Sophia, but Sophia is still feminine and a virgin. Athena's owls a re the night, or ma terial world versionsoftheeaglc. They arc less bound to earth by their flight, SPINK. TH E OLDEST but they are still limited to the night. They have large eyes to see what is ESTABLISHED COIN going on. and thus have knowledge. Peo ple say "wise as an owl". To reach BUSINESS IN THE the owl levcl, the night virgin must have obtained a lot of worldly knowl WORLD. edge. Flight occurs when knowledge and wisdom are starting to be com bined. Coins from ancient to modern bought and sold , Free verb
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June 1994 11 Through the Looking Glass 4th century drachms of Sinope: Part 1
Dalames had a di stin gui shed career ethni c below the dolphin with hi s ow n by David Vagi under the Persian ki ng Artaxerx es II, name. who entrusted him with command of That Datames' Sinopean issues the Persian conquest of Egypt after the were struck in Sinope by the exi sting (This is the first in a two-part series on original commander of the invasion, mint workers secms beyond dispute. the fourth century silver drachms of Pharnabazos, died in 374 B.C. Whil e The style and fabric of his inscribed Sinop e. This part investigates the type executing the kin g's will, Datames issues are identical to the civic issues inscribed with the name of Dafames in became aware of the grave danger he which dale to the period. Furthermore, place of the city ethnic.) faced if the Egyptian campaign fai led, in one case an identical monogram and so he opted to revolt against the Per li gature (appearing under the wing and Most collectors of Greek coi ns arc sian king rather than fac e his wrath tai l of the sea eagle) are shared by an fam iliar with the silver drachms of after the campaign was recalled. autonomous civic issue and one of Sinope depicting a sea-eagle riding His revolt lasted from ci rca 369 to Datames' inscribed issues. atop a dolphin. At first glance Ihi s 360 B.C., alld involved the collusion More evidence is revealed wh en coinage, struck circa 415-320 B.C" of other satraps in western Asia Mi Datames' Paphlagonian and Cili cian may appear void of di versity, but a nor, in whose names precious few or coinages are compared. Unlike his closer examination offers some excit no coins exist which can be dated to C ilician coinage, which was inscribed ing di scoveries. in Aram aic and struck to the Pcrsic The earliest coins o f Si nopc were standard (certa inl y preferable to thi s crude issues bearing the head of an Cilician nati ve), Datames main tai ned cagle on the obverse, and a decorated the G reek inscriptio n and the incuse square on the reverse. The Aeginetan we ight standard for his caglc 's head ranges from a bold. ar Sinopc drachms. ti stic de pi ction to an abstract shape With all the evidence weighed. it which scarcely resembles it s subject. becomes clear that Dalames chose not This type was replaced in the hlst to alter the overall appearance o f quarter of the fifth century B.C. with Sin ope's commercially successful the more familiar type showin g th e Upon conquering Sinope, the satrap coinage, and that he allowed the mint head of the nymph Sinope on the ob Datames issued coins at Sinope, workers to continue with business as ve rse, and a sea-eagle ridi ng alOp a replacing the city's name with his own. usual. dolphin on the reverse. This prolifi c Exact dating of the Datames' in coin age lasted onl y about a century the era of the revol!. A majority of sc ri bed Sinope issues is not possible and, like man y other autonomous ci ly Datames' Cilician coinage must be unl il more convi ncing evi dence sur coinages of Asia Minor, ceased shortly attributed to the era of hi s revolt, and faces, but a date of circa 368-365 B.C. after the arrival of Alexander the Great his civic issues at Sinope are most cer seems likely sin ce Datamcs was in and his Macedonian successors. tainly of that era. Sinope ci rca 368-367 B.C. The earliest of these new drachms Early in his revo lt, Datames con When Datames' grasp on Sinope were of crude style and manufacture, solidated his authority across the was broken, two major changes oc with the reverse desi gn sunken in an Ana!Olian hi ghlands. Hi s kingdom curred on the drachms of Sinope: the in cuse square. This prototype was stretched from the Mediterranean in na me of Datames was replaced with soon abandoned in fa vor of coins of the traditio nal city ethn ic, and an elevated style wi thout the sunken re aplustre appeared on the obverse be verse die. Seldom- if ever- arc these fore the bust of the nymph Sinope. issues artisti cally inspiring, but to their T he aplustre re mains o n Si no pe credit, the design is interesti ng, well drachms struck thereafter unl ilthe ces executed. and pleasing to the eye. sation of the autonomous series circa It is with these fourth century is 320 B.C. sues that we find some coins of great Sin ce the aplustre was not a fea historical interest, beginning with the Reverse of a stater of Datames strock tured sy mbol on Sinope drachm s prior issues struc k when this important at Tarsus in Cilicia, and bearing his to the ci ty's occupation by Datamcs, Blac k Sea port was captured by the name inscribed in Aramaic. and is dated stylistically to the period Persian satrap Datames circa 368 B.C. immediately fo llowing his presence in This is the same satrap Data mes the south to the Black Sea in the north . the cit y, it most certainly sy mbolizes who struc k three issues of Persic His prize in the north was the impor the new-found freedom Sinope en staters at Tarsus in C il icia. These tant Paphlagonian city of Sinope. joyed after Datames' armies were ex C ilician staters are more familiar to Sometime after conquering Sinope, pel1 ed. numismati sts, as they arc more pl en Datames struck coins at the city's mint tifu l than Datames' Sinopean drachm s wh ich were identical to the autono Copyri ght © 1994 by David Va gi and form one part of a large series of mous coinage struck prior to his ar satrapal coinage struck at Tarsus. rival, except that he replaced the eity 12 The Cefator THE BOOKSHOP AT eNG Trrles on COIMS Of The 12 CaeSftlRs.
Foss, Clive. Rom an Historical Coins. 1990. Hardbound. 335 pages. 34\ illustrations. Introduction. Descriptive text. comprehensiyc index 0 historical events. An interesting study on how coin types relate 10 Roman ritual and society, with extensive listing of historical types. $65.00 (RIOI )
Levy, Bob. From the Coin's Point of View. 1993. Hardbound. 178 pages, illustrated throughout. The rlfst part of this book contains a series 0 articles, "From the Coin's Point of View", ori ginally published in The Celator. The second, and more important, part of this book is a catalog of the Levy collcction. The collection consists of 63 superb coins, mostly denarii, from 49 BC to 68 AD. Each coin is illustrated and fully cataloged, with historical background given for each coin. $29.95 (R 146)
MacDowell, David W . The Western Coinage of Nero. 1979. Card cover. ANS NNM 161.256 pages, 25 plates. A standard reference on the bronze issues of Rome and Lugdunum. $40.00 (RI47)
Mattingly, H. Roman Coins from the Earliest Times to the Fall of the Western Empire. 1987 reprint. Hardbound. 300 pages, 64 plates. Originally published in 1928, this work is a general SUIVey of Roman coins from the Republic to the late Empire. Still good reading. $35.00 (RI50)
Numismatic Archives. Volume I. Coinage of the Julio-Claudians 27 B.C. - A.D. 68. A Compendium of Auction Prices Reali~.ed 1972-1992. 1993.451 pages. card cover. A compilation of auction prices realized from such firms as CNG, M&M, NFA, Leu and others. A useful tool. $50.00 (R 137)
Numismatic Archives. Volume 2. Coinage of the C ivil Wars a nd F lavlans. A Compendium o f Auction Prices Realized 1972-1992. 1993.359 pages. card cover. A compilation o f auction prices real ized from such firms as eNG, M&M. NFA, Leu and others. A useful tool. $50.00 (RI44)
ROMAN IMPERIAL COINAGE (R IC). The single most frequently cited series on Roman coins. Essential for anyone interested in Roman coins. Gold, silver and bronze coinage cataloged. Each volume includes a general introduction and inlloductio n to each reign, catalog, abbreviations bibliography, lists of sales, and indices of mints, types and legends. Each volume is hardbound.
Volume I. From 3 1 B.C. to A.D. 69. 305 pages. 32 plates. Covers the reigns of Augustus to Vitellius. $95.00 (R1I4) Volume D. Vespasian - Uadrian. 568 pages, 16 plates. or. $75.00 (RI15)
Seaby, H.A. Roman Sihu COins, Volum e I. Republic to Augustus. Hardbound. 166 pages, illustrated throughout. A listing of all major silver issues of the Roman Republic through the reign of Augustus. Cross referenced to Sydcnham and Crawford. $45.00 (R 106)
Seaby. H.A. Roman Sil ve r CO ins, Vol ume 2. Tiherius to Commodus. Hardbound. 255 pages. illustrated throughout. All silver issues of lhesc rulers listed. Cross referenced to RIC and BMC. $45.00 (RI05)
Scar, David R. Roman CoIns a nd Their Values. 1988. Hardbound. 400 pages, 12 plates. Introduction. history, illustrations, maps, values. index. Over 4,300 coins listed. Probably the best selJing book of all lime on ancient numismatics. A must for every collector of Roman coins. beginning or advanced. After useful introductory ehaplers, lists main types of Roman coinage from its origin in the 3rd century BC to the reign of Anaslasius in the 5th Century AD. Valuable biographical information on each personality. Indispensable. $75.00 (R I07)
Sutherland, C.H.V. Coinage In Roman lmperlal Policy. 1978 reprint. Hardbound. 220 pages, 17 plates. A very readable survey of the propaganda concerns of the Julio-Claudian emperors and their expression on the coinage. Recommended for anyone interested in Roman coins. $25.00 (R 160)
Sutherland, C.U.V. The Emperor and t he Coinage: Julio Cla udlan Studies. 1976. HardboWld. 132 pages, 10 plates. Historical background on the mints. minting practices and coin types in the first century. An excellent companion to RIC I. $25.00 (R 119)
POSTACE :I 'or;t~ge wi U be billed al cost plus a h.andling ch~e. The minimum I' &: H charge for US orders is $5.00. Orden to Canada 57.00. Overseasorders $10.00. I'A YMENT: Payment should be rN-dc In adv~n« of the shipment 0( any books. You may pay by check, money order, or endit card (Vis.. and MastH"Card).1f paying by credit card:;end all raised informat ion. SALES TAX: I'ennsylvania residents must add 6'1\. 5ales u.x. PIe;os.e order by i"venlory I, a"thor I.l\d ti llt'. Every effort is m~d~ 10 ship your or CLASSICAL NUMISMATIC GROUP, INC. Attention: Barry Murphy Post Office Box 479, Department CB • Lancaster, Pennsylvania 17608-0479 (717) 390-9194, Fax (717) 390-9978 June 1994 13 Italian Renaissance portrait medals: 1438-1450 phy, and the drawings This article was prom pted by an exhibition of Renaissance medals which recently closed at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., and opens at the FriC k Collection in Ne w Yor k on May 24. Th e exhibi tion, titled The Currency of Fame: Portrait Medals of the Renaissance. wilt run in New York through August 22. Guest curator of the exhibition is Dr. Stephen K. Scher. An earlier survey of the subject, which Dr. Scher delivered in a paper at the American Numismatic Society, was also published in th e April 1990 issue of The Celator. The ANS is sponsoring a two day symposium in conjunction wi th the current exhibition. The first day, at the Ins titute of Fine Arts (New York University). will consist of lectures by Michel Pastoureau olthe Ecole Pratique des Hautes Etudes (Paris); John Cunnally, Iowa State University; Alan M. Stahl , ANS; Jeffrey Chipps Smith, Un iversity of Texas~Austin; Joanna Woods-Marsden, U.C.l.A.; Luke Syson. British Museum; Raymond Waddington, U.C . Davis: and Philip Attwood , British Museum . The second day, at The Frick Collection. witt include an address by Dr. Scher and a private viewing of the exhibit. For registration information contact Constance Wiesman, Educational Department, American Numismatic Society, Broadway at t55th, New York, NY 10032 oreatt (212) 234-3130. 14 The Celalor but for the purposes of thi s investiga modeled separately and transformed various collections and museums. tion, only a brief interpretation of the \0 the same disk- which occasionally According to the number of extant medals discussed will be attempted in resulted in the inscription being ob bronzes, which often occurs in ten s, terms of elassical allusions, heraldic scured by a too large bust-or mod the hypothesis that medal Iypes were motifs, and allegories, eled together, which combined to form made in a series seems likely, espe That the medals should bear some a more unified composition. A mold cially when the variety of medals made for Leonell0 d' Esle is seen.8 Obvi SOrl of moral lesson associated with would then be made of the two wax the individual portrayed was espoused models-the materials used were a ously, many more medals were made by Petrarch, the first modern collector mixture of plaster of Paris, the matrix than have been preserved. of the ancient coins of the Roman em of a sheep's horn, silica, and pumice The reasons that led to the rising perors. According to a sixteenth cen ground up with water. or any simi lar popularity of the portrait medal among tury book dealing with the topic of type mixture utilizing tufa or sand as a Renai ssance humanists and political impreSt!, Paolo Giovio's Dia/oglle of hardening agent. After (he two molds figu res arc of particular importance, Warlike (lnd AmorOIlS Devices, there had dried and were removed from the and actually precede the advancements were five basic conditions that such wax relief models, they were joined made in rnedallie methodology. The mOlifs should embody. There should together and the molten metal added revival of ancient learning which fo· be a proportional agreement between in the fifteenth century, hronze and cused on the Augustan and later peri motto and design, or {mima and corro; lead were the most commonly used.6 ods in Rome reinforced the ideas of the meaning should not be so obscure II I-cast medals wi th air bubbles or se lf-assertion. in dividualit y, and love as to require an oracle to interpret it, adherent grains of sand or other debris o f fame and esteem amon g its Renais nor so simple that even the lowliest of had to be retouched with the graver to sance disciples. Ancient coi ns, the peasants could understand it: the medal remove the flaws which destroyed the sou rce of inspiration for Renaissance should he decorative and aesthetically integrity of the metallic surface. The medals. had survived in great numbers appealing: the human figure should bronze medals resulting from casting and were av idly collected and di s not be featured; and there should be a were further modified by various fin played by Pctrarch. the Duc de Berry short expression or mOllO, preferably ishes with either lacquer varnishes or and other antiquarian devotees, The in a foreign language such as Greek or bronzing colorants, as the untouched obviou s stability and uncompromised Latin, to disguise its meaning so that surface was not aesthetically appeal promise of eternity of ancient coins only learned men could transl:lle it. ing in its raw, unfin ished slate.' The and medallions gave Renaissance med As the medallic arts progressed, the molds were made in sueh a way as to als mueh of their distinction and popu ill/prese became more :md more ob afford more than one casting, as mul larity.9 The tenets of humanism could sc ure. Fortunately, at the time of tiple examples of a single type exist in also have been a reaction against the PisanelJo, the iconography of the re verse images was st ill relati ve ly simple, and connected to the morality and ac complishments of the individual por trayed.4 ANCIENT COIN SPECIALIST Before discussing the various med GREEK, ROMAN, IlYZANTlNE COINS allists and the persons portrayed. a AND CLASS ICA L ANT IQUITIES brief survey of the medallic technique will be made to elucidate the rather complicated process ofc:lsting medals in the fifteenth century. The earliest authorities on thi s subject were Bcn venuto Cellini and Giorgio Vasari.5 Both artists, however, were more in terested in the struck medal. created with the use of engraved dies, rather than the C:ISt medal. created by using plaster or clay molds of wax models. To produce cast medals, a nat disk o f either slate, bone, black glass, or wood was used as a base for the wax modeled portrait. inscription, and thc reverse Image. VasaTi golve a rec ipe for thc modeling medium as consist ing of wax, tallow, turpentine, and SAMPLE CATALOG UPON REQUEST black pitch, as well as other colori ng agents suc h as lead to allow for greater EDWARD J. WADDELL, Ltd. clarity in the initial modeling process. Cellini mentioned sim ilar ingredients 444 N. Frederick Avenue, Suite 316, Dept. D ofwhitc wax mixed with fifty percent Gaithersburg, MD 20877 '--"' ~",'~ ground white lead and a small amount • "'I:IIAm of clear turpentine. The portrait, re (301) 990-7446 FAX: (301) 990-3712 M ",, " verse image, and lettering were either + Jun e 1994 15 L-____ _ Medieval ideal of submission and sclf types for eaeh one, was a favorite court approximately twelve years, o ver denial, with the subsequent desire to artist for his expertise in the medallic twenty men and two women were im promote the self as center of the uni portrait, as well as his great technical mortalized in metal by the six Italian verse. IO An inevitable outcome of the skill in transforming the abstract medallists mentioned previously. Of Renaissance development of personal affirmations of his patrons into con the men thus honored, Pisanello was force found its expression in the por crete form. The exchange of portrait portrayed by a fellow, though less tal trait medal. which reflected the cult of medals served to keep the ruler's like ented medallist. The famous architect the individual with a complementary ness, and hence his interests, foremost Leone Battista Alberti was also ad desire fo r immortality and inspira in the consciousness of his allies. As mired on medals by Antonio Marescotti tion. 11 Alberti stated that painting "makes and Mattei de'Pasti. Several of the The portrait medals of Renaissance absent men present", so the portrait in clergy were likewise venerated, such princes were commissioned and cre medallic form functioned as a mne as the recently canonized Saint Ber ated as an extension of their forei gn monic device for the absent prince. 13 nardino of Siena, the Bishops of Ferrara policies, and the fi nal destination of Those medals executed fo r the human (John of Tossignano and Beato many of these works provide clues as ist scholars and artists were likewise Giovanni Tavelli), the Archbishop of to their iconography. The propagan created to present an image which en Verona (Timoteo Maffei), and Mattei distic role of circulating currency was hanced their reputations, and which de' Pasti's brother Benedelto, canon of well known to the Roman emperors, pictorially displayed their virtues. The Verona. The humanists Vittorino da and carefully manipulated in alerting reciprocation of medallic portraits Feltre, Guarino da Verona, Pi er the populace of changes in policy, tri among these men was a form of su Candido Decembrio, and Giovanni umphs, dedications of public bui ld preme flattery and mutual admiration, Pietro d'Avenza all lived to sec their ings. and celebrations. Pisanello, as was also the case with the women likenesses combined with reverse Mattei de'Pasti, Filarete, Nicholaus, who were portrayed during this pe imprese which reflected the ideals Paolo da Ragusa, and Antonio Mare riod, such as Cecilia Gonzaga and Isotta which they espoused. scotti were artists who understood and degli Atti . Famous condotierri such as Fran empathized wit h their employer's de To further demonstrate the appeal cesco Sforza and Niccolo Piccinino sires for adornment of the truth, in and popularity that the medallic arts were also flattered with portrait med order to further public relations by had among the aristocracy of Italy, it is als in the same manner as the famous having their patrons appear more im necessary that an iconographic analy generals of Republican Rome. Among posing and magnanimous. 12 Pisanel lo, sis be made of these individuals who the most famous condotierri wa s as evidenced by the sheer number of were portrayed on medals between the Sigismondo Malatesta, who later be various cl ien ts and the variety of medal years 1438 and 1450. In the span of came the Lord of Rimini and -+ M A L T E R G L pr esents Malter Ga ll eries is pleased Part I traces the to offer for auction the development of the art of Concluding the largest and most the seal from the late sale is an important comprehensive collection prehistoric, through the library of of ancient and modern seals famed civilizations of antiquarian and to be assem bled in years. ant iquity. 10 the medieval and contemporary Hundreds of objects of Ren aissance periods. books which historical importance from the simplistic works of Part 11 comprises a large and of seal manufacture and intaglio nearly 4,000 B.C.. remarkable private collection of IlllpresslOns. to the outstanding mostly 18th to 20th century seals, craft and artistry fashio ned in gold, silver, ivory, Don't miss th is unique opportunity. of recent eras wi!! semi -precious stone, and Call now for more information. be presented. mother-of-pearl. AUCTION 58 • SAT. & SUN. JUNE 25 & 26, 1994 at Maher Galleries, 17005 Ventura Boulevard , Encino, California, 91316 Lots will be on exhibit from May 16th through the day of the auction. For an illustrated catalogue ptease send $15 ($20 overseas) to Malter Galleries, 17005 Ventura Boulevard, Encino, California, 91316 or contact 818/784-7772. 16 The Gelator HARMER ROOKE GALLERIES proudly presents FINE CLASSICAL ANTIQUITIES at li ve public auction Thursday, June 9, 1994 Ex hibition and auct ion at the gallery: 32 Eas t 57th Street, 11th Fl oor New York City, N. Y. 10022 2 1275 1- 1900 Fax 2 12 758-1713 Fu ll y illustrated catalogue avail ab le $ 15 - U.s A $20 - Foreign Please call of fax for ex hi bition hours or absentee bidding in format ion June 1994 17 princes of Verona, Mantua, his contemporaries for his talent in Milan, Rimini, and Cesena. painting veristic portraits and ani Finally, the two women mals. 15 In the years following his first Cecilia Gonzaga (the vir medal of John VIII Palaeologus to ap gin princess who entered a proximately 1449, Pisanello produced convent founded by her an incredible series of masterpieces mother, Paola Gonzaga) which excelled and surpassed his great and Isotta degli Atli (first ability in drawing and painting. De~ mistress and then wife to spite his excellence in the medal!ic the powerful and unfaith arts, it is evident that he considered ful Sigismondo Malatesta) himself first and foremost a painter, as were revered in having their his medals were always signed "Opus portraits cast in medallic Pisani Pictorij" ".16 The advantage of form. the medal was its greater ease in repli The most prolific and cating the portrait- as opposed to talented of the medallic art single paintings, which took much ists in the first half of the longer to replicate. fifteenth century waS On close inspection it can be seen Pisanello. He was born that Pisanello further individualized circa 1395, probably at the likeness of the man or woman pre Reverse of a Pisanello medal done for Pisa. Pisanello died in sented each time the reverse motifwas Leonello d'Este depicting a tripartite head Rome in 1455, having changed. For individuals such as worked mainly in Verona, Leonel1o d'Este and Sigismondo Duke of Milan. The ruling class con Mantua, Ferrara, Milan, Rimini, and Malatesta the series created are quite sisted of John VIII Palaeologus, em Naples at the courts of the great Re remarkable. The question arises as to peror of Constantinople; Alphonse V naissance princes who supported the whether Pisanello presented his ideas of Aragon, king of Naples and Sicily; international Gothic style. Pisancllo to his patrons for approval. Though it Don Inigo d'Avalos, his grand cham was popular with the humanists main ly is impossible to state this hypothesis berlain; and Ludovico III Gonzaga, because of the inspiration he derived with certainty, there are quite a few Gian Francesco Gonzaga, Leonello from antique sources in his drawings prepara{Qry drawings which undoubt d'Este, Filippo Maria Visconti, and and medals. 14 Before he cast his first edly preceded the medals. Domenico Malatesta Novello-the medal circa 1438, he was eulogized by For example, a drawing by Pisanello featuring an equestrian figure is the same as the reverse imprese of John Palaeo-log us seated on a horse, with NUMISMATIC the exception of the arm's position. Study sketches for medals of Alphonso V of Aragon by Pisanello resulted in EXPERTISE three different extant obverse portraits Whether you are actively collecting or thinking of sel ling your numismatic which were only slightly modified from holdings, choose to have an expert with over 20 years of professional the working models. A rendering of experience advise you. Your decisions are as good as your expert's advice. the obverse and reverse of four medals for Alphonsocould possibly have been IN SEARCH OF meant as a copy for the king to ap prove, since the extant medals are or modified from the preparatory draw ings. The three-headed imprese from PLACEMENT OF YOUR COINS IN THE BEST one of the drawings of Alphonso was INTERNATIONAL MARKETS not utilized in the cast medal, but in stead was used as the reverse motif for Pee for Services: 10% - Acquisitions at dealeror source direct wholesale cost. a medal of Leonello d'Este. Other 5% - Acquisition at international auction sales. 5% - Liquidations privately sketches of the tripartite head existed placed in the marketplace. 2-1/2% Supervision of orderly liquidations through one of which is close to the reverse of international auction sales. a Leonello d'Este medal. Another beautifully rendered draw ing in a medallion shape shows a pro STEVE L. RUBINGER posed reverse for a medal of Alphonso Over 20 years of Professional Experience V for which there are no extant copies. CElATOR READERS-THANKS FOR YOUR INTEREST There are Pisanello's many studies of horses, which appear not only on Inquiries Welcomed medallic reverses such as those of Filippo Maria Visconti, Francesco Telephone (818) 592-2100 Fax (818) 592-2101 Sforza, and Novello Malatesta, but in 6320 Canoga A ve., Suite 1770 Woodland Hills, CA 91367 his fresco and panel paintings as well. A more specific correlation can be 18 The Gelator seen on a draw ing wi th the kn ig ht on horsebac k on the left, whi ch eorrc sponds to the imprese of a medal of Gianfrancesco Gonzaga. The obverse portrail or the Marquess may have been based on two likenesses fro m Pisanello's skctchbook. Pisanello based the unicorn de picted on the reverSe of Cecilia Gonzaga's medal on drawings made of a long haired he-goat, which signi fied wi sdom. A drawing ofa wild boar alladed by dogs was modified, and became the IInal version of the Venator Inlrepidus medal rcverse of Alphonso V. Another proposed medal reverse Left: reverse of the first medal cast by Pisanel!o, done for John VIII Palaeologus, was Ihal of Christ on the Cross. emperor of Constantinople. Right: Reverse of a Pisanel/o medal done for Domenico Malatesta Novello is de Gianfrancesco Gonzaga, Marquess of Mantua. The reverse of the Gonzaga picted dismounted and kneeling at the medal is a mirror image of the Pataeologus reverse. base of the crucifix, with his arms around it. Us ing the same clements, pression of their individual ity in rela eral drawings arc considered 10 be con the cast mcdal oncc again rcveals a tion 10 the humanist value system , and nee ted wi th this medal. The one moSI different tlnd more st riking composi thc intcrcsts they shared in classical closely associated with thc obverse lion in its finished statc. and hum anist studies. portrait is a profile view, a ncar mirror With the great number of prepara The first medal cast by Pisanello image of the empcror with his charac was. as mcnt ioned previously. that of tory drawings and skc tches, it seems tcriSlic corkscrew curls.18 It is inter that the likcly sequencc of events prior the emperor of Constantinople, John esting to note that th is samc hair stylc V!Il Palacologus. It is undated, but was utilized by Masaccio in the Trib· 10 the casling of a mcdal would be a working out on pllper of thc probablc probably was excc uted bClween March ule MOlley fo r the pom ait of John the composi ti on, with further revisions 1438 and Jan uary 1439 based on dates EV:Hlgel ist. Th is hair style is not the oflhcemperor's visit to Ferrara, which based on Ihe patron's suggestions, or usual one in terms of contcmporary as deemed necessary by Pisanello him is supported by literary cvidence. Scv- fashion, and may eithcr bc an all usion self. [I would seem that an artist as talented and in demand as Pi sa ncllo probllbly inspired grcat confidence in his clicnts. His ability to render psy 1994 COIN YEARBOOK chological portraits and imprese in medallic form werc surpassed by no othcrartist. The main conclusion based Price £12.95 on these comparisons is Ihat Pisancllo (please add £1.50 p&p) madc initial working drawings 10 try out his mcdallic compositions, or else borrowed various clements of draw ings already made and used them for A fully up-lo-dare new designs. production of the To simplify the corrclations made esseillial collectors' between Pi sa ncl[o's portrait drawings guide feafllril1g: and the surviving cxtant medals, cach man or woman portraycd wil l be dis cussed indiv idually and somewhat chronologically. Of the severa! men A comprehensivc price gu idc to English coins, lips on coin llnd one woman who had medals cast. grading, A-Z of coin terms, catalogue of British banknotes, dealer Joh n V II I Palaeologus, Lconell o dircctory, dates on coins, coins and the law, annua l revicw of d' Este, and Sigismondo Malatesta numismatic books, coin inscriptions and much morc. demonstrllte the grcatest nu mber and Simply send your remittance (credit cards welcome, cheques made types. A lettcr from Fl av io Biondo. a payable to Token Publishing Ltd) to the address below to receive your curial officia l and humanist of the fif limited edilon copy: tecnth ccntury, wrotc in a lettcr dated 1446 that "Leonello had te n thou sa nd TOKEN PUBLISHING LTD bronzc coins imitating Roman pieces 105 HIGH STREET siruck." This undoubtcdly referred to the great variety of medals cast for HONITON Leo ne1!0.17 Such an abundant num DEVON EX14 8PE ber seems to indicate their c1cvated Tel: 0404 45414 Fax: 040445313 status in Renaissance Italy, Ihc ex- June 1994 19 to a classica! source, a direct con nec quest to the Pope in May 1438 for a Pi sanello was initially undec ided as to tion with hi s namesake John the Evan supply of horses in order to go riding. how to portray the emperor. but fi nally gelist, or may renee t an Eastern mode Various sketches were made of the chose the hunting imprese as a re nec of hai rdressing. It should also be noted hunting mounts whic h were eventu tion of his tastes. The reverse motif that other drawi ngs by Pisanello of the all y obtained, incl uding many draw was understood onl y by those who emperor do not show this specific and ings of horses in fo reshortened. pro knew the emperor's penchant for rid ing stylized classical coiffure. fi le. deta il. and other views. Rather and hUnl ing. The medal was very Modern clements on the reverse than attend most of the ecclesiastical natteri ng to the emperor's sense of side of the medal can be seen in the proceedings, John Palaeologus alleg individuality. it exemplifi ed hi s aver hun ting atti re worn by the em peror edly spent most of his time at a con sion to being seen in public on foot. 19 rather than his more formal garb. wh ich ven t ncar Ferrara hu nting, and nearly and had the req uisite inscri pt ions in a wou ld have been worn at the Council decimating all the available wildlife foreign language (Greek) on the ob of Ferrara of 1438. The emperor's there wit h his irresponsible hobby. verse and reverse, reading '·J ohn. King love of hunting is alluded to in numer It is seen in the many preparatory and Emperor of the Romans. Palaeo ous literary texts, including his rc- drawings done for the cast medal thaI log us" and "the work of Pisanello, the painter". The inscription reveals a similarity hetween the official Greek title for the A Few Interesting Selections From Eastern cmperor on the earl ier medal lion of Heraclius ci rca 1402 with the Our Fixed Price Catalog No. 99 titulature of John Palaeologus. If Pisanello was aware of Ihe existence of the Duc de Berry's medal through draw ings or cast copies. it may have inspired him to include the Greek in scription in the first cast medal of this exotic ru ler.20 Chronologically, the next medallic ponrait 10 be executed by Pi sanello was the Marquess of Mantua, Gian francesco Gonzaga. circa 1439. The Marquess was a recent addition among the ruling class. and his desire to pro vide a humanist tutor for his children was an attempt to add distinction to his court. Hi s first choice was Guarino da Verona, who advised him to approach Vittorinoda Feltre in 1423. The school expanded to encompass students of ability who were subsidized by the Marquess and his wife Paola) 1 Gianfrancesco's beneficence and in terest in humanism apparently in spired Pisanello to produce a medal in his honor. or perhaps it was commis sioned by the Marquess as a symbol of his newly acquired distinction. The re\'erse of the medal features a mirror image of the reverse mot if for John VIIl Palaeologus. with the Marquess Write or Call f or a Free Copy in proll Ie seated on horseback. accolll panied by a page seated on a mount in a back. foreshortened view in a sche We carry an extensive stock of rare and matic landscape. The portrait obverse is unnallering, probably not from lack unusual Greek and Roman coins of talent on the part of the artist, but from the physiognomy of the sitter, who apparently cared more about moral values than bis physical ap TOM CEDERLIND pearance. There is a posthumous drawing of Gianfrancesco, accompa P.o. Box 1963-C , Portland, OR 97207 nied by his daughtcr Cecilia, in a pre (503) 228-2746 paratory skelch fo r the Arth urian fres coes commissioned by hi s son. Ludovico, where the late -+ 20 The Celator T H 'Cordex' Binders are noW available to display each E volume of The Celator in style! • Premium quaCity • yo{C£ foi{ fettering C • 12 'BonC£d ny{on coreis • 'Brown [eatfierette finisfi E L A work.? great jar tfie 'Best ojr[fie ceCator too! T Only $10 each o postpaidl IIiiiIR-'Ilie cefator • P.O. '1307(123 • LoC£i, WI 53555 (608) 592-4684 plione/fa7( June 1994 21 Marquess is shown as the father of the Paola. Cecilia, as one of six children blem is an especially appropriate mo legendary Tristam.22 born 10 Gianfrancesco, was educated tif. as Ceci li a rejected her fat her's pro In the year 1447 Ludovieo Gonzaga in the Gonzaga school by Vittorino da posal in 1444 for an arranged marriage was appointed Captain of the Floren Feltre, and by age ten could write in between herself and Odd antonio, the tine troops. He commissioned the ancient Greek with amazing scholar Count of Urbi no, shortly before fresco cycle at this time, as well as ship.24 She resisted her fa ther's Gianfrancesco's dealh.26 medallic portraits of himsel f and his matchmaking, and after his death, when The Gonzaga family is linked tothe sister, to reflect the family's mili tary she was nineteen years old, she took d'Este fa mily through the marriage of connection s but also to emphasize their thc veil. Her medal, executed by Marghcrita Gonzaga, the older sister abilities to rule among the minor houses Pisanello, shows a very sensitive oh of Cecilia, to Leonello d'Este in 1435. 3 of Iwly.2 The education he had re verse portrait of the you ng maiden A painted profile portrait reveals the ceived through Viltorino da Feltre had honored with the inscription "Cecilia, family resemhlance when the painting obviously instilled in him a recogni virgin daughter of Gianfrancesco of Margherita is compared to the tion or the leadership qualities of the Gonzaga, first Marquess of Mantua". medallic portrait of Cecilia. Because great emperors he had studied, and the This type of legend was frequently of Margherita's untimely death in desi re 10 em ulate them in his dai Iy life. seen during th e Roman imperial pe 1439,10 the great sorrow of Leonello, The portrait of Ludovico by Pi sanello riod, such as thc many coins made in there are no extant medals of her. There portrays him as confident. powerful, honorofFaustina the Younger, daugh is, however, a marvelous medallion and majestic-the char:lctcristics of a ter of the emperor An toninus Pius. cast to commemorate Leonello's sub leader, regal, yet re:llistic. The reverse The reverse of this medallion fur sequent marriage in 1444 to Maria of shows large and simple proportions ther exemplifies her morality as the Aragon, the daughtcr of Alphonso V reminiscent of Paolo Ueeello's Sir semi-nude figure of Innocence subdu of Aragon, king of Naples and Sicily. John Nawkwood and Donatello's ing the unicorn according to popular The reverse imprese is that of Cupid Correfeone. This motif is further indi legcnd.25 The unicorn, as mentioned teach in g a lion to sing, with the Este vidualized by Ludovico's personal previously, was based on some of cagle on a branch to the left, and the emblems, the su n and the sunllower, Pi sanello's studies of he-goats. The Este impresa of sail and mast on a in the right and le ft upper fields. crescent moon, a motif not discussed pillar in the background.2? A painted In that same year, Ludovieo was in the analysis of this Renaissance portrait of Leonello circa 1441, prior probably responsible fo r commission medal by other scholars, is an ancient to the execution of the medal by ing a portrait medal of his sister Ceci Iia symbol for Diana, the virgin sister of Pisa nell o, was allegedly the res ult of a Gonzaga, who was by then residing in Apollo, and was used as an attribute of competition between Jacopo Bellini the convent estahlished by her mother the Virgin Mary. The use of this em- and Pisanello, though there are differ ing opinions as to the viclOr. 28 On the basis of stylistic qualities and careful attention to Lconello's likeness, it seems en tirel y possible that the two portraits were done by the same artist, PALLADIUM namely, Pisanello. Leonello d'Este apparently had NUMISMATICS numerous medals of himself commis sioned. Many of the reverse imprcyc • A full-service firm for collectors of Classical seem obscure, such as the reverse motif of a blindfolded lynx seated on a cush coins and antiquities in all price ranges. ion, which is the symbol of statecraft. A medal by Nicholaus features the • We issue regular illustrated Bid-Dr-Buy same emblem with the legend "What you sec do not see", and the reverse is catalogs and attend most major coin shows. also said to be a visual characteriza tion of the Augustan 1)101t0, ''feslilla • We service want lists and will assist you in feme", or "hasten slowly".29 An addi tional interpretation is that of an alle developing your collection. gory for Fortuna, based on a Latin aphorism: "Not only is fortune her • To receive a free catalog, please self blind but she always aids blind men". Leoncllo perhaps saw himself call or write: as empowered with the graces of For tune, and able to lead the people he PALLADIUM NUMISMATICS ruled in spile of his blindfold. Sketches 4125 W. Mineral King, Suite 316 of a lynx by Pi sanello may have sup Visalia, CA 93277 ported the composition of the medal reverse. David S. Michaels, (209) 636-0945 A medall ion of Pi er Candido Classical Numismatist Deccmbrio, a leading Lombard hu manist-politician, apparently was com _=111 missioned by Ludovico in 1448. A 22 The Gelator letter from Ludovieo to Deeembrio attests to this fact: "At last we have wrestedJrom the hands oj Pisano the Painter the coill Wilh your likeness, and send illO )'01/ herewith, keeping a copy thereof, in order thm you may understand how highly we esteem ),011 and all that concerns you, "30 The portrait is typical of all the like nesses of the humanists by Pisandlo, and dominates the obverse field, with a large open book on the reverse re Pisanello medal commemorating Leonello d"Este's marriage to Maria of Aragon. vealing his connection to learning. The reverse depicts Cupid teaching a lion to sing, with the Este eagle on a branch Another scholar, Belloto Cumano, is to the left and the Este sail and mast on a pillar in the background. featured in a medal dated 1447 with a reverse depicting a ferret amidst a rela tively unadorned landscape, possibly and foll ow the eagles. The obvious tional dynamic fo rce evoked in the 31 denoting knowledge or understanding. allusion to the generosity of the king finished medal. A minor Renai s The medallion of Vittorino da Feltre, was one which occurred on imperial sance medall ist, Paolo da Ragusa. who tutor to the Gonzaga children, is char coinage, a reminder to the people of was an assistant to Do natello. also acterized by the reverse impresa of a the emperor's largess. designed a medal for Alphonso in 1450 pelican feed in g her children from the Another medal reveals a rather which is much more derivative, and hlood of her breast. This image is an straightforward obverse ponrait, but imitates Roman prototypes. The re allegory for the devotion the humanist the reverse has a narrative scene of the verse motif depicts a draped female teacher had for his students- he cared ki ng depicted as a naked boy subduin g figure holding a purse and a st aff en so much for his student's welfare that a wild boar, accompanied only by a twined with a serpent. The obverse he would take from his own blood the hunting dog. Studies for a peaceful portrait is almost a direct copy of a nutrients for their educational growth. loo ki ng wild boar needed only a minor portrait of Constantin e the Grea t with Ludovieo's second marriage to the transformation to elicit the composi- the upward gaze and tilted head. daughter of Alphonso V of Aragon leads this investigation to a survey of the medals of this ki ng of Naples and ATTENTION ANCIENT COIN COLLECTORS Sicily by Pisanello. Both medals were executed in approximately 1449, and MARK YOUR CALENDAR NOW! denote the very highest leve l of medallic achievement in the complex The 1st Annual ity of composition and in the portraits Boston International Numismatic C onvention themselves. As mentioned previously, there were many preparatory drawings will be held SEPTEMBER 8-11 , 1994 for the obverses and reverses of the at the Swissotel Boston proposed medals for Alphonso. They depi ct very elaborate imprese which • Bourse will include the most prestigious ancient & foreign were not always realized, such as the coin dealers in the world bat and griffi n on hi s batt Ie hel met and • A Major Educational Forum will be held in conjunction with the the three-headed "Prudence" which did Boston lnternational appear on a reverse motif for a medal • Auction of Ancient & Medieval Coinage by Classical of his son - in -l aw, Leonello d'Este. Numismatic Group of Lancaster, PA There are three extant medallions • Pre-register now and save $2 on admission charge of Alphonso which deserve some at tention. The obverse portrait of the Send $3 to address below king, dated 1449, shows a helmet adorned with an open book inscribed "Vir sapiens dominabitu r aSlris". re ferring to hi s achievements in as .o~ton 3lnternational tronomy, and a crown in the left and right fields. The reverse of Liberal itas jI}umi~matic QConnention Augustadepicts the eagle with its prey, surrounded by other birds. It was a commonly held belief that eagles were so magnanimous that they left part of P.O. Box 65326, Washington, DC 20035 their prey for other birds. and because 202-833-3770 Fax 202-429-5275 of thi s liberal itas, the birds would court June 1994 23 Marescotti designed the medal for the portrait of Sain t Bernardi no of Sien;!, a fa mous preacher who died in 1444 and was canonized in 1450. The physiognomy is so like the veristic portraits of the Republican Romans, one can assume with a certain degree of accuracy that it was based on a death mask of the pius saint of the MinoriteOrderofthe Observance. The inscription " I have manifested your name to mcn" alludes to Bernardino's foundation orthe devotion to the name of Jesus by the naming trigram which dom i nates the reverse lIeld.33 A 5i m i larl y devotional medal is a posthu mous one made for John Tossignano, Medal executed by Antonio Marescotti. the Bi shop of Ferrara, again revealing Obv. Portrait of Pisanello. Rev. Initials of the seven virtues. a portrait type remi ni scent of a deat h mask. Perhaps the finest portrait medal there is little known of Pi s anello's ac The portrait medals conceived by designed and cast by PisanelJo is that tions until his death in Rome in 1455. the Veronese artist Mattei de' Pasti arc of Don Inigo d' Avalus. second Mar T wo other Renaissu nee rnedul lists. ma inly connected with Sigismondo quess of Pescara and Grand Chamber Antonio MarescOlli and Nic holaus, Ma latesta and Isotla degli Alti. He lain to Alphonso V of Aragon. The executed medals wi th the portrai t of was the e,lTliest and the most talen ted reverse is less remarkable. with a de Pi sancl lo, and the initials of the seven of the followers of Pisanel lo in the piction of the terrestrial sphere on virt ues on the reverse: Faith, Hope, medallic arts. De' Pasti settled in Homer'sshield of Achilles. The shield Charily, Justice, Prudence, Fortit ude, Rimini in 1446, and assisted Alberti interior landscape can be seen in one und Temperance. Both li kenesses are on the pJans for the facade of the uf the art ist's preparat ury dr;Jwings.3 2 done with care-the one by Nieholaus TempioMalatestiano wh ich were never After th is medal , circa 1449, there are shows Pisanell o in his ol d age circa realized.3 4 Bes ides the infamous nodated ex tan t medallions, and in fact, 1445 to 1450. Malatesta, he portrayed Alberti. Guarina da Verona, Timoteo Maffei, his brother Benedetto, and Jesus Christ. The architectural reverses of the C./. Martin (Coins) Ltd Tempio Malatestiano and the Rocca Malatestiana at Rimini are unusual fo r of London, England. the depiction of architecture, the IIrSI examples in Renaissance medals. Many medals ofSigismolldo featuring Our current 24 page the Rimi ni castle were foun d in the catalogue con tains foundation of th is bu ilding. For now, about 500 Greek the poss ib le reasons for this will be left unanswered. The Church of 51. and Roman coins, Frances was built to comme morate 200 English 5 igisrnondo Malatesta's love for )solla, Hammered though his plans for its embell ishment by Alberti were never realized. and a wide What did emerge were Malatesta's ra nge of commissions, which resulted in ap antiquities. proximately nineteen different medal lie va ri ations of either Sigismondo or Isolla.35 The reverses of these medals C.J. Martin (Coins) Ltd depict either the Malatesta elephant or closed book for Isolla. Fortitude seated 85, The Va le, Southgate, on two elephant foreparts holding a London N14 SAT, England broken column, the Rimini castle, Established 20 years Tempio Malatestiano. and the emblems of achievement-the elephant crest. Tel: (0)8 1 882 1509 Fa x: (0)8 18865235 helmet, shield , and mantle. The med Telephone Viso'.l & Mastercards accepted als of Sigismondo Malatesta by Pisanelloreveal adetermined, unyield OUR CATALOGUES INCLUDE ANCIENT GREEK BRONZE, GREEK SILVER, ROMAN SILVER & BRONZE, BYANTINE, CELTI C, ANGLO SAXON, NORMAN. ing condotierri tempered only by the 6 HAMMERED MEDIEVAL, ANCIENT ARTIFACTS, HOARDS E. SPECIAL OFFERS discipline of classical study.3 It is in the reverse imprese. however, that 24 The Gelator Pi sane!!o demonstrates his supremacy dium, and the Renaissance men and Footnotes: over the other medallists in composi women who were depicted on the 1 Roberto Wei". Pi."",eI/o ·.< Medallioll of the tion, technical skill, and humanism medals, has revealed only a brief sur Emperor Johll Vlfl P,,/ac%gu.<. (London: OA' ford Un iversit y Press. 1966), p. 12 he is not as talented as Mattei de' Pasti vey of the prevailing humanist ico 2 George F. Hill , A Guide 10 Ihe £xhi/:>iti,," of in terms of architectural perspective nography of the ruling families, bish Medals of t/, e Relwiuallce ill th e British Mu and rendering, but he makes up for his ops, and artists through the creation sewn. (London: Oxford University Prc~s . 1923). pp. 7-8 . deficiencies wit h his ability to ana of these medals. The year 1450 is an 3 Mark Jone5. The Art of the Medal. (London ; lyze, observe, and tran scribe figures arbitrary terminus for the scope of British Museum Puhlications. (979). p. 11 and animals. this investigation , although the latter 4 George F. Hil l. Meda/s of the Rell"iH""Ce. re half of the fifteenth century is equal vised and enlarged by Graham Pollard. (Lon The finest and most striking of don: BritiSh Mw;eum Publications. 1978). 16- Mattei de' Pasti's designs is the one for ly fascinating in terms of an histor Alberti with the winged eye reverse ical and social hi storical signifi 5 C.R." A.hbee. The Trellli .'e. June 1994 27 11 _. _. ADI .....""' ..... ~ '" - , At:" .....e.k/Spcoo Ioeod...... cd. L.1-4O ~ "' ...... L.I<56: S(; lOOT: flf'. , ...... po"'" IS ,,2 _, Al!IS ' ...""IUI ..... L.14S1; a _, _. Af.1t So,.. s.. •. /c.-uo... " SO::;:10\1~ .VI' .. ANTIOCH ASSOCIATES " ...... (/Ist,...... ,01 001 .. 1 1..143: ' " ACAR.....",IA, ~ AI!J' W GIC ZIlI •• R...,. ~'. SIIo 28 The Celator .0. __ , __ , 10,. <;. ,,0 Tyd>e/I'.,,,, ,,,,,,- 0.,,,,,- Y"" ~:l. Ef" "I' UNCDlT",N Of '~'OEJ'l'CI"" " "EIS Tyd>e ... lth "'"' ,..'01 br.ochl Tyd>e "". ... ,." ,_ "*'" ..... >Cq><"'. '_ III ,"II '. f.,Rar" 400; G"ULEI'., T'''''.'''' hE" Tr.,.oICro» nOOKS I""" ",'4 ,n "SA, Llnd,<,"n & ~"'OC" "",,10 •• ,,,.,,,,. Col .. of .... ,. IoIi "", .. " '" I.e.. n,. 'S3S. 3400 < ojn~ ,,. P' '''''"" $" l'~' .... "no"'.' G,.d "''''',. Col .... """,,,,,,,on 01'.'.. " ~n o 1001) =' .... "' pi""" S7. LInd,,"" ,II: "ftC """ G....,. Bron ,. Coi ... ''nl. 0 .., 2001) c.>l...; ,n) p, ..... UO June 1994 29 ------ CMV list includes Coming Events •••• 300 coins, books, May 27-28 Numismatic & Antiquarian Bourse and antiquities Holiday Inn-Go/den Gateway, San Francisco, CA CMV Numismatics and Ancient and Jun. 2-5 Long Beach Expo Medieval Coins of Alameda, California Long Beach Cony, Glr., Long Beach, CA have just released their latest catalog. Jun. 4 London Coin Fair The 1994 Spring Coin, Antiquity and Cumberland Hotel, Marble Arch, London, England Book Catalog is available in very lim Jun. 6-7 Lanz Auction ited quantities. The list includes ap Maximiliansp/atz 10, Munich, Germany proximately three hundred coins, books Jun. 9 Harmer Rooke Aucti on and artifacts. Highlights of the list in 32 East 57th St., 11th Floor, New York, NY clude a very fine Egyptian mummy Jun.10-1 2 New York Inl'l Spring Convention mask from the 26th dynasty. The mask Sheraton New York Hotel & Towers, New York, NY has good colors and is in excellent con Jun. 10 Stack's Auction dition. Other items include a lead Sheraton New York Hotel & Towers, New York, NY slinger bullet from Roman Spain with the inscription of Pompey the Great, a Jun.11 eNG Auction variety of artifacts, and a fine selection Sheraton New York Holel & Towers, New York, NY of some one hundred books. Jun.13 SOlheby's Auction The company is planning two cata 1334 York Avenue, New York, NY logs and two mail bid auctions this year, Jun.17-19 Prescott Coin Club Show w ith supplemental lists periodically. 1316 Iron Springs Rd., Prescott, AZ Subscription rates are $1 0 for the year Jun. 24-26 Atlantic Rarities Expo or $2 for a sample list including post Baltimore Convention Center, Ballimore, MD age. Orders are accepted and will be Jun. 25-26 Malter Auction shipped the same day with payment by 17005 Ventura Blvd" Encino, CA Visa, Mastercard, Discover, andAmeri Jul, 1-3 MidAmerica Coin Convention can Express charge cards. Inquiries MECCA Convention Clr., Milwaukee, WI may be sent to CMV Numismatics, P.O. Box 1699, Alameda, CA 94501; phone Jut. 4-5 Sotheby's Auction or fax (510) 769-0137. 34-35 New Bond SI. , London, England $2.00 Off Admission with this Ad Ancient gold and Greek silver top NYINC The 3rd Annual ~ Martin's May list i-i\fER'ATio~AL New York International Spring C.J. Martin (Coins) Ud. of London, :\ LI r-.llS_~IAT](-;- ·-- England, has released their second list <. '(f\IVE.N.Jl(r',,__ _ Numismatic Convention for 1994. The offering includes an ex cellent selection of ancient gold coins, June 10-11-12, 1994 including some au rei, some special of fers with an interesting group of Cru America's sader gold coins, a very large listing of At the Sheraton New York Hotel & Towers Greek silver with some exceptional 52nd & 7th A ve., NYC pieces, Greek bronzes, a large selec Most tion of Roman silver and bronze, a Admission $5.00 good run of Saxon and English ham mered coins, and an assortment of Prestigious books and fine antiquities. The cata • Over 150 Ancient, Foreign and U.S. log is also highlighted by a selection of Numismatic Dealers from Prehistoric and Bronze Age weapons Spring from the collection of Lord McAlpine of Around the World West Green. Numismatic A crossword puzzle is included in • Major Numismatic Auctions by the list, with a prize of a £25 credit for Stack's, e NG, Paul Bosco book purchases offered to the winner, Show is which will be selected at random from • Education Seminars· Society Meetings ali correct puzzles received by June 1sl. It is assumed that the crossword Coming Dealers wishing a Bourse Tahle, Hotel Reservations, puzzle will be a feature of upcoming or General Information should contact: lists as well. For copies of the May Soon ... 1994 list, contact C.J. Martin (Coins) NYINC · 3950 Concordia Lane · Fallbrook, CA 92028 USA Ltd., 85 The Vale, Southgate, London (619) 728-1300· Fax (619) 728-8507 N1 4 6AT, United Ki ngdom; phone (081) 882-1509; fax (081) 886-5235. 30 The Gelator A bird's eye view from London Spring season closes with the Cumberland show rather smaller professional show held a On the 4th of June the second of the by Richard Swall month later. Both shows arc one day four Cumberland coin shows is to be events. and after the first hectic hour or found at Marble Arch, London, and is so when the pursuit of the elusive and regarded as the last real business op The numismatic business year is often no nex istent bargain takes place, portunity fo r many before the long accelerating away now , with ncarly the atmosphere changes to one of sloth. summer days herald the call of the sun , half thc year gone, and as thc years go and then the rather more important and thoughts other than 'where to find by seems 10 be passing more quickly thoughts of where to lunch. the next good coin' cause the migra than ever. Traditionall y. by June, the As far as coin shows go in Europe tion of the av id collector bird to the show and auction season winds down there are two distinct areas where I will shores of the Mediterranean. The last here in Europe with the summer break generalise and say this. Britain, Ger London coin show of note was in Feb looming and Iheever hopefullhoughls, many, and Switzerland are international ruary, and it seems too long- four at !cast in Britain, ora sunnier summer markets and always attract buyers and months-between them. I think there than the last one. July and August are sellers from aro und the world. France. is place here in London fo r a really complete non-e vents forlhe trade here, Italy, and Spain are each in themselves large show sometime in Apri l and on a and especially on mainland Europe, island markets where business is done scale considered normal in America, where much longer hol idays are taken between buyers and sellers within and of but not so far seen in Britain. We need th an would be the case in the U.S.A. that country. If a hoard arrives in Ger a large venue, enough space for two Since thc last report we have visited many dealers in Britain or the U.S.A. hundred+ dealers, and two days of Paris twice and had a look in on the two may we ll know of it the next day, a show time. II could evolve into the coin shows held there. The first show dealer in France may hear of it the fol biggest event in Europe. and would act was organized for the many smaller lowing week, and in Spain probabl y as a magnet for dealers and collectors dealers in France. some part-timers to never. The converse is also the case alike. With the expenseoftravel many gether with collectors who offer dupli coin hoards or collections in southern would make the effort to attend if they cates for sale. Many of the larger Pari Europe tend also to be dispersed within could be sure of a large international sian dealers do not bother even to walk those countries with al l but a few dealers presence. the noor here. and only take a table at the completely oblivious to the fact. freeman & Sear fl !l{umismatic Partnersliip ( Now Accepting Consignments J We are currently compiling material for ou r premiere mail bid auction and are seeking consignments of quality ancients. Please contact us fo r details. THANK YOU! Ou r Fixed Price List # 1 was a resounding success. Reaclion on the part of The Celator's readership was tremendous. We Ihank you all fo r your palronage! Freeman & Sear Telephone (3 10) 202-064 1 P.O. Box 5004 or (8 18) 993-7602 Chatsworth, CA 91313 Fax (8 18) 993-6119 June 1994 31 People in the News CMNS Symposium features renowned speakers The Classical & Medieval Numis experts in their field. The speakers are The Symposium is sponsored by matic Society will host an afternoon Richard G. Doty, Curator of the Na the Numismatic Education Services symposium al McMaster University, tional Numismatic Collection at the Association in conjunction with the Hamilton, Ontario on July 24, 1994. Smithsonian Institution, Washington, Classical & Medieval Numismatic So Chairing the symposium will be Bruce D.C.; Rober 1. Gait and Malcolm E. ciety. For further information, includ R. Brace, the President of the Society, Back, respectively Curator and Tech· ing a registration form please contact who observed that the Symposium will nician of the Royal Ontario Museum's WH. McDona ld, Executive Secretary, be held on a dale coming between the Mineralogy Department, Toronto, Classical & Medieval Numismatic So Canadian Numismatic Association An Ontario; and Ernest P. Janzen of the ciety, P.O. Box 956, Station B, Willow nual Convention in Hamilton, Ontario, University of Toronto, who was the win dale, Ontario, Canada M2K 2T6; phone and the American Numismatic Associa ner of the 1993 J. Douglas Ferguson (416) 490-8659; fax (416) 490-6452 . tion Annual Convention being held in Historical Research Foundation Uni· Detroit, Michigan the following week. versity Award in the post·graduate cal· The two cities are a mere four hours egory. Shore issues list, apar1 by auto, thus offering members The registration fee is $10, which from both organizations a good oppor covers the Symposium and includes changes address tunity to take in the two conventions the meet and mix reception atter· In his latest catalog, Fixed Price list and the Symposium, wards, at which the attendees will 67, Fred Shore offers a select group of Registrants to the Symposium will have the opportunity 10 further discuss 62 ancient Greek and Roman silver have the opporlunity 10 visit Ihe the subjects of the day and meet and and bronze coins. Highlights include McMasler Coin Room 10 view the ex talk ancient and medieval numismat tetradrachms of Messana, Sicily, hibits, and afterwards 10 lislen 10 four ics wil h their fellow members and Antiochus IV, and Menander of Baklria. well-known and respected speakers, all friends. A run of Parthian drachms is followed by a selection of Roman denarii from the Republic through Maximinus L Bronze coinage includes a billon tnfilrs in tetradrachm of Gallienus from Alexandria and an Ostrogothie issue from the time of Odovacar. umismafirs Copies of the catalog may be obtained by writing to Shore's new C.J. Thomsen address, wh ich is P.O. Box 429, Blue 1788-1865 Bell, PA 19422. His phone number remains the same at (215) 275-3430. Christian Jurgensen Thomsen was born in -I Copenhagen, the son of a wealthy merchant. He hcgan collecting coins at the age of 15, and Baldwin's first London went into business for himself rather [han undel1aking a fonnal uni versity auction exceeds estimate education . Thomsen's interes t in collec ting, and self education, led him to acareer in museum administration with severa l posts in the Danish mu se um sys tem. He The London firm of A.H. Baldwin & served as Secretary to the Royal Commission of Antiquities. Director of the Sons LId. held their first auction on May 4th , 1994, in the Great Room of the Museum of Northern Antiqu ities (now the National Museum of Denmark), and Royal Society of Arts in London. in 1842 bccalllc dircctor ofthe Royal Cabinet of Coins and Medals. He was known Conducted by Patrick Finn (formerly as a mcticulous organizer and was an avid student of archaeology. His personal Director of Spink and Son) and Thomas collcction of :mcient coins consisted of 6,012 specimens, in addit ion to a collec Curtis, the sale went well above tion of ovcr 11,000 Scandinavian and World coins. He is especially well known estimate, with 99% of the lots being for his collcction of and interest in Medieval coins. After his death over 4,000 sold. Included in the sale were M edieval coins were purchased from his estate and donated to the Royal Cabinet. selections of British, European, The original catalog of thi s collection (three volumes) was published in French medieval, and Latin American coinage. hctween 1873 and 1876. An English translation of volume one, with additions, The firm's first sale of ancient coins was published by Attic Books Ltd. in 1992. is scheduled for October 5th, with a collection of Byzantine coins being featured. Information may be obtained This feature is provided courtesy of George Frederick Kolbe by writing to Baldwin's Auctions LId., Fi ne Numismatic Books, Crestline, CA 92325 11 Adelphi Terrace, London WC2N6BJ, U.K.; phone 071 -930-6879. 32 The Celator Market Spring NYINC offers a full slate of activities The months of planning are com ver, as well as Roman Imperial 1750 by the Royal Bank of Scotland. plete. The dealers are anxious to buy, bronzes. Highlights of the gold coins In addition to the Hannah Collection, a sell, and trade. The collectors have include an exceptionally attractive run nice selection of ancient Greek and marked their calendars to rush the of Macedonian staters of Philip II and Roman coins, as well as British and door. All of them are anticipating the Alexander the Great, a very rare stater world coins will be offered for sale. 3rd Annual New York International and of Asander, King of Bosphorus, and a The final auction of the convention United Slates Numismatic Convention, very rare Otho au reus. Highlights of will be conducted by Paul Bosco on being held June 10-12, 1994 at the the silver include a rare Derrones June 12th at 2pm. This sale includes Sheraton New York Holel & Towers on dodecadrachm, a choice tetradrachm a wide variety of world coinage. S2nd St . and 7th Ave. in New York City. of Antigonus Doson, and a lovely Although not being held in conjunc Robert Brueggeman, Bourse Chair shekel of Carthage. World gold and tion with the convention, Harmer Rooke man, has announced the addition of silver coins are being offered in the first Galleries is holding an auction of fine United Stales coinage dealers to the two sessions. classical antiquities on June 9th at their bourse floor. Brueggeman feels that The Classical Numismatic Group 57th St. gallery, and Sotheby's will be "this will truly make this convention in Auction 30 is scheduled for June 11th conducting a two session sale of U.S., ternational." In addition, the American at 7pm. The highlight of this auction foreign, and ancient coins on June 13th Numismatic Association has an· will be the sale of the Alexander (10:15am and 2pm) at their York Ave. nounced thai they have chosen the Hannah Collection of Scottish coins, offices. convention as one of their sites for a paper money, and tokens. This collec For those wishing more information Round Table Forum. This forum will tion of over 1,000 items, all relating to about the NYINC, please contact Rob be held on June 10th at 2pm, and is Scotland, was formed over the last 40 ert Brueggeman, NYINC, 3950 open to anyone having an interest in years by the late Alexander Hannah. Concordia Lane, Fallbrook, CA 92028; numismatics. Highlights of the collection will include phone (619) 728-1300; fax (6 19) 728- A full day of activity is planned for a very ra re £1 note issued February 9, 8507. June 11 th, according to Education Chairman William Warden. Starting the day off will be the Young Numismatist! , Junior Collector program led by Larry .... Gentile Sr. This program will start at ~ lOam for ages 8-16+ (because you are never too young to learn). Lunch, door 5i?e/YlOa; JJa~'p Ytd. prizes, and numismatic donations will be provided to the attendees. At lpm Alex G. Malloy, represent ing theAmerican Numismatic Society's Medieval Department, will speak on Antiquities and Ancient Coins "Cut Gold Coins of Crusader Jerusa lem". At 2pm Scott Travers will edu Bought and Sold cate enthusiasts on the "Secrets of Coin Prici ng ~. At 3pm Harlan J. Berk, from the Ancient & Medieval Numis matic Society, will talk on "Thompson Fixed Price List Available 0 .1 , The First Wreath Bearer Tet radrachm of Athens". And finally, at 5pm, Dr. Stefan Heidemann from the Oriental Numismatic Society will speak Members of the British Numismatic Trade Association on "Timor and Damascus: The Tanka and the Antiquities Dealers Association vs. the Dirham~. According to Auction Chairman Ri chard Ponterio, numerous auctions are Lennox Gallery Ltd. scheduled throughout the week of the convention. Stack's will start off the Grays in the Mews, 4 Davies Mews, convention with an auction on June 8th London WJY JAR, U.K. at 6:45pm. Session Two will be June 9th at 6:45pm, and Session Three will ~ be June 10th at 6:45pm. The Stack's Tel/Fax 071·629·9119 ancient section (Session Three) in "'\ cludes Greek and Roman gold and sil- June 1994 33 An unofficial survey of "12 Caesars" portrait denarii There were 71 catalogs, divided al coins, such as the many variations of by Mark A. Edwards most evenly between mail bid auc the "Tribute penny" of Tibcrius. I tions and fixed price lists. Twelve counted Ihem all together as one type di fferent dealers from all over the U. S. of coin. When Ihe same dealer listed Many dealers and "12 Caesars" col were represented, and they issued lists the same coin two monlbs in a row I lectors (including myself) would nol or catalogs monthly- some every other counted the eoin only once. I did not hesitate to tell you which emperors arc month while a few issued quarterly. cross check dealers 10 see if the coin the h Augustus Caesar Established 1942 Augustus ruled for a little over 40 years. He was we!1liked and revered by all. That's probably why a good royal-athena galleries number of his coins are still around Jerome M Eisenberg. Ph.D .. DireclOr loday. Emperors Ihat proceeded him 153 East 57th St., New York. N.Y. 10022 did not melt or restrike mllny of his Tel: (2121 -355-2034 Fax: (212).688-0412 coins. Perhaps it was because people 332 Nonh Beverly Dr. . Beverly Hills, Ca. 90210 back then hoarded the coins of this Tel : (310)-550-1199 Fax : (310)-550·1395 well-loved Caesar. Many types, vari Royal-Atocna at B.A. Seaby Ltd. eties, and styles are available. Note: t4 Old Bond Street, London W I X 4JL. England Some Octavian coins were counted as Tel : 071-495-2590 Fax : 07]·49]·1595 Augustus, not al l. 34 The Gelator Types of Coins: 26 Most Offered Coin Type: RIC 24, Rev. Most Offered Coin Type: All coins were Number of Coins Offered: 70 Radiate hd. of Augustus r. ; 2 examples single different types High: $2.000: Low: $1,450 Highest Price Coi n: RSC 6, Constantia Most Offered Coin Type: Sear 479. Caius and Lucius Caesars stg. facing . Highest Price Coin: RIC 24, seated I. on curule ch air: $1,200 shields and spears between them ; see above: $2,000 Lowest Price Coin: RIC 80, 25 examples Lowesl Price Coin: RIC 24, Oraped bust of Ag rippina r.; $400 High: $475; Low: $60 sea above: $1 ,450 Average Price of Coins: $675 Highest Priced Coin: Sear 492, Average Price 01 Coins: $1,640 Ust of Coins Offered 1991·1992: shield. inscribed CL. V., between legionary List of Coins Offered 1991-1992: Relerence Coins Reference Coins eagle and standard; $ I ,000 Reference Coins Reference Coins RSC-4 ...... 1 ASC-56 ...... 1 Lowest Priced Coin: Sear 479. RiC-I ...... 1 RIC-IS .. 1 RSC-5 ...... 1 RSC-78 ...... 1 see above; $60 RIC-2 . ._ ...... 1 RIC-24 . _...... 2 RSC-6 ..... 1 RIC-SO ...... 1 Average Price of Coins: $280 RIC-14 ...... " .. 1 Nero List of Coins Offered 1991-1992: Claudius Reference Coins Reference Coins Nero ru led the Roman empire for S-459 ...... 3 RSC-116 ...... 3 Claudius reigned for fourteen years. 15 years. As mentioned earlier. Nero S-478 ...... 4 RSC-124 ...... 1 He brought some respect back to the was an art lover and his coin types and S-479...... 25 RSC-144 ..... 1 name of Caesar Ihat his nephew Ca styles renect this fact. He was a good RSC-172 .. __...... 1 S·486 ...... 3 li gul a had lost. He has a good number cmperor at first. but turned out to be a 5-488 ...... 1 RSC-233 ...... 2 of different reverses on the denarii 5-489 ...... 1 RSC-272 ...... 1 prelly bad one. [Ihi nk a lot ofh is coins S·490 ...... 4 RSC-465 ...... I coinage, yet is sti ll quite rare and hard arc around today because soon after 5-492 ...... _...... 3 RIC-39 ...... 2 to find in silver. Unlike Caligula, his suicide came the year of three em 5-493 .. 2 RIC-146 ...... 1 Claudius was liked and did a pretty perors. With much confusion and lur· S·495 .. I RIC-148 .. ..1 good job of governing. Ithink the lack 5-496 ... _...... 3 RIC-271 1 moi l in the government the Roman be RSC·69 ..... 1 RIC·299 ...... 1 of Claudius' denarii could attrib people were unsure and probably R5C·97 ...... 2 RIC -5 47 ...... 1 uted to the large coin program hi s hoarded their coins, especially sil ver. predecessor Nero started. Nero was Types of Coins: 12 Tiberius known to he an art lover and more than Number of Coins Offered : 47 Tiberius had a twenty-four year likely, remelted his adopted fath er's reign as Caesar. There arc only a few coi ns so he could place his own artrull Most Offered Coin Type: Sear 675 and varieties. Salus seated I.; 22 examples types of different rcverscs on hi s de· image on them. High: $260: Low: $125 narii . Why so few changes? Perhaps Types 01 Coins: 6 Highest Price Coi n: RSe 123. Jupiter he was more eonccrned with govern Number 01 Coins Oltered: 6 on throne holding thunderbolt; $1,500 ing the Roman empire than in the art work on his coins. Types of Coins: 3 Number of Coins Offered: 57 Bronze Lots - Dealer's Prices To All! Most Offered Coin Type: 5ear 567 and varieties, PONTIF MAXIM, Livia Mixed Lots, Mixed Grades seated r.: 53 examples Greek, ROlnan, Byzantine, Etc. High: $550: Low: $60 Highest Price Coin: Sear 521. 1,000 for $2,000 - 500 for $1,500 - 100 fo r $400 Obv. Augustus, Rev. Bare hd. of Tiberius r.: $700 Send{or our free list of coins and antiquities t Lowest Price Coin: Sear 567. see above: $60 HELlOS OU 'WarU Jlntiquities Average Price of Coins: S285 P.o. Box 25, Westminster. MD 21158 Ust of Coins Offered 1991·1992: Reference Coins Reference Coins Telephone (evenings) (410) 876-7140 or (410) 235- 1696 S-521 ...... 1 5-568 ...... 3 Fax (24 hours)(41O) 751 -9670 S-567 ...... 53 Caligula CaJigula was a much haled em perorwho was assassinated after a five year reign. His silver denari i. likc STEPHEN M. HUSTON Tiberius', had only a few reverse types. crass ie-at 'lI{J WI is mll tis t Caligula's silver denarii arc hard to Post Office Bo x 19362 1 find today in any condition. This is San Franciscu, CA 9" 11 9-362 1 USA probably due to the facl that his reign was noted for public oppression. I can ·415 · 7H I-75XO · almost picture Roman people celebrat ing his death and turning in their silver /((,mrow! Coto(Oj/lUS fSJIJtI! 'J{~9U{orf!l denarii for restriking of the new OFFICE O~F. .~ BV i\~~OISTMh ST O~I.V emperor's portrait. 582 MAKKI'-T STKEfiT - SA.~ FKASClSCO Types of Coins: 5 Number of Coins Offered: 6 June 1994 35 Lowest Price Coin: ASC 119. List of Coins Offered 1991·1992: Vitellius Jupite r sealed I.; $75 Reference Coins Refe rence Coins Vitci!ius rcigned for almost a year S·719 ...... 6 RSC-340 ...... 1 Average Price of Coins: $275 S·720...... 2 RIC-206 ...... 1 before his Army lost to the troops of List of Coins Offered 1991·1992: S-721 ...... 10 RIC-211 ...... 2 Vespasian. Of the three emperors that Reference Coins Reference Coins RSC-201 ...... 1 RIC-214 ...... 2 ruled during A.D. 69, he had the most 5-356 ...... 4 RSC·119 ...... , 8 RSC-320a ...... 1 different rcverse types on the denarii 5-667. RSC·123 ...... ,2 coinage_ Since his reign was so short 8-672 ...... , 1 ASC·207 1 Ot ho many dealers consider him rare and 5-675 22 RSC-258 ...... , 2 Otho is one of Rome's shortest 5 -676 ...... 1 RSC-335 ,...... , 3 price his coins high. Again, this sur reigning emperors. His IOtal time as RSC·43 .. ... " ...... , 1 RIC-7 ...... 1 vey shows otherwise. Caesar was four months, 1 don't know Types of Coins: II how, but during this short time he Galba managed to have a few different types Number of Coins Offered: 38 Galba had a shon reign of onc year of feverses minted on his dcnari i coins. Most Offered Coi n Type: RSC 18 due 10 his unpopularity with til e Ro Dealers call him quite rare and make and varieties, Concordia seated I.; man army. During his short time in his coins expensive. Thissurvey shows 10 examples High : $675; Low: $150 office he did allow a lot of different that his coins arc still very high priced Highest Priced Coin: RSC 111, coin Iypes to be minted. Many coins of but not as rare as one might think. Galba arc around IOday even though Tripod with dolphin above: $700 Types of Coins: 5 the dealers call hi In rare Of hard to fi nd Lowest Priced Coin: RIC 107, in silver. Number of Coins Offered: 14 Vesta seated r.; $115 Most Offered Coin Type: RSC 15, Average Price of Coins: $365 Types of Coins: 9 Securitas standing I.: 8 examples List of Coins Offered 1991·1992: Number of Coins Offered: 26 High: $2,000: Low: $360 Reference Coins Reference Coins Highest Price Coin: Tie: RSC IS, Most Offered Coin Type: Sear 721 RSC·t8.-...... 10 RSC-86 " ...... 3 see above; RSC 3, PAX I.; $2,000 and varieties, SPQR/OBICS, RSC-28 ...... t RSC-99 ...... 2 3 lines in oak wreath; 10 examples Lowest Price Coin: RSC IS, RSC-31 ...... 3 RSC-ll1 ...... 7 High: $475: Low: $145 see above; $360 R5C-47 ...... 3 RSC-119 ...... 1 RSC-62 .... " ...... 2 RIC-l07 ...... 5 Average Price of Coins: $980 Highest Priced Coin: RIC 214, RSC-72 ...... 1 Female figure standing L: $1200 List of Coins Offered 1991·1992: Reference Coins Reference Coins Lowest Priced Coin: Sear 721, Vespasian RSC·3 ...... 1 RSC·15 ...... 8 see above; $145 RSC·8 ...... 1 RSC-24a ...... 2 Vespasian ruled for ten prosperous Average Price of Coins: 385 RSC·ll ...... 2 years and was a well liked emperor. H e has many different reverse Iypes and his coins are plcntyful even loday. His denarii were probably not remelted If you aren't seeing this symbol on and reused because his two sons, Titus and D omitian , ruled Rome after him. catalogues you are currently receiving Their combined lime in office was Iwenly seven years_ Types of Coins: 32 Number of Coins Offered: 126 Most Offered Coin Type: Sear 780 and varieties, Pax seated I.; 22 examples High: $275; Low: $25 Highest Priced Coin: RSC 387, Emperor sealed right. holding sceptre and branch; 51,700 Lowest Priced Coin: Sear 780, see above; $25 Average Price of Coins: $147 List o f Coins Offered 1991·1992: Reference Coins Reference Coins S-769 ...... 4 RSC- 125 ...... 6 S-770 ...... 5 RSC-144 ...... 3 S-771 ...... 2 RSC- 146 ...... 1 S-773 ...... 2 RSC-t64.. . 1 S-775 ...... 4 ASC-280 ...... 1 S-777 ...... 17 RSC-364 ...... 2 Write for our membership list S-778 ...... 5 RSC -367 ...... 1 5 -779 ...... 7 RSC-368...... 4 S-780 ...... 22 ASC-387 ...... 8 Jean-Paul Divo S-782 ...... 1 RSC-390 ...... 3 S-81 1 ...... 7 RSC-399 ...... 1 Secretary, I.A.P.N. RSC-5 ...... 4 RSC·43t ...... 1 l6wenstrasse, 65 RSC-54 ...... I ASC-516 ...... 1 RSC-87 ...... 2 RSC-547...... _.3 CH-8001 Ziirich, Switzerland RSC-113 ...... 1 RSC-561 ...... 1 RSC-121 ...... 1 RSC-618 ...... 4 36 The Gelator Titus Hi ghest Priced Coi n: ASC·30 , The Least Expensive Coins ...... $2,995 Most coin types of Titus were Ceres stands I.; $1,200 The Average Price Coins ...... $6,280. minted as Caesar when he ruled with Lowest Priced Coin: Sear 872, Most Expensive Coin Overall : his father, Vespasian. Afterhis father's Pegasos r.; $30 Julius Caesar: $3,750 death he went on to rule Rome for Average Price of Coins: $130 Rarest Emperor: Caligula List of Coins Offered 1991 -1992: (Claudius also had 6 coins offered but had three years. He was very well liked by more coin types.) the Romans and his premature death Reference Coins Reference Coins 8-872 ...... 3 RSC·262 ...... 5 was mourned hy all. CoinsofTitus are S·881 ...... 1 RSC·281 ...... 4 The most" 12 Caesars" portrait de mu ch harder to find today than the 8-883 ...... 5 RSC-288 ...... 2 narii collections that could have been coins of his father or younger brother. 8·898 ...... 1 RSC·290 ...... 18 completed from these 12 dealers over Could it be that Domitian reminted hi s 8·899 ...... 6 RSC-375 ...... 2 the last two years is six. Notice in this older brother's coins with his own A8C-30 ...... 3 RSC-386 ...... 1 ASC·49 ...... 1 RSC·456 ...... 8 survey that the most expensive coins im age? RSC-51 ...... 3 RSC·553 ...... 1 arc not always the rarest type for that Types of Coi ns: 17 RSC-59 ...... 1 RSC-568 ...... 3 emperor. As most of us coll ectors RSC -76 ...... 1 Number of Coins Offered: 38 RSC·575 ...... 3 know (and dealers too) price depend s RSC-261 ...... 3 RSC-664 " ...... 1 Most Offered Coin Type: 5 (T ie) more o n the beauty of the coin than the rarit y. I sti ll need three emperors to a) Sear 845, Dol phin and anchor AND THE WINNER IS!!! High : $750; Low: $175 complete my collection, but then agai n, b) Sear 831, Annona seated I. Emperors With Most Coins Offered: if a real beautiful coin comes along I High : $150; Low: $75 1 Vespasi an 126 .. 32 types .. avg. $1 47 2 Domitian .... . 78 .. 22 types .. avg. $130 could e nd up replacing an y o f the nine Highest Priced Coin: Sear 845, 3 Augustus ... . 71 .. 24 types .. avg. $280 coins. My collection compared 10 th is see above; $750 4 Tiberius ..... 57 .. .. 3 types .. avg. $284 survey stacks up pretty good. BUI as I Lowest Priced Coin : ASC 303. 5 Nero ...... 47 .. 12 types .. avg. $275 said earl ier, beauty is in the eye of the Elephant to I.; $50 6 Ti tus ...... 38 .. 17 types .. avg. $150 beholder. My collecti on looks good 10 Average Price of Coins: $150 7 Vi lellius ...... 38 .. 11 types .. avg. $365 8 Jutius ...... 26 .. 19 types .. avg. $850 me. Ho w's your collection stack up? List of Coins Offered 1991-1992: 9 Galba ...... 26 .... 9 ty pes .. avg. $385 Refe rence Coins Reference Coins 10 etho.. 14 .... 5 types .. avg. $980 (Dealers: Edward J. Waddell, Colosseum S·299 ...... 4 ASC'106 ...... 2 11 Claudius ... .. 6 .... 6 ty pes .. aV9. $672 Coin Exchange, Amphora. Tom Ceder/in,1, S-831 ...... 5 ASC-162 ...... 4 12 Caliguta ...... 6 ... . 5 types .. avg. $1,640 S-844 ...... 1 ASC- 167 ...... 1 Imperial, Argus. M&S Wolf. F. Robinso n. Coi/IS of the Catacombs. Alex Mallo)' , S-845 ...... 5 ASC- 169...... 1 In 1991·1992, the cost of completing a S-846 ...... 2 ASC- 272 ...... 1 "1 2 Caesars" collection was: Wa yne Phillips, AI/ica.) 8-847 ...... 2 ASC-284 ...... 2 RSC-16 ...... 1 ASC-303 ...... 3 The Most E)(pensive Coins ...... $14,550 RSC·25 ...... 1 RSC-314. . . . . 1 RSC ·67 ...... 2 Domitian Domitian took complete control of Ancient Coins Rome after T itus' death and ruled for • Mail Bid Sales fifteen years. He d id well at fi rst. but ended his re ig n with te rror a nd oppres • Fixed Price Lists sion. He has many types of reverses, • Buy or Bid Sales but hi s favorite deity was Mi nerva. I • Numismatic Literature counted only the major types. Ex ample: Minerva fighting, Minverva Specializing in moderate priced Judaean coins standing left, Minerva seated right, (serious want-lists solicited) ~ .... and so o n. Types of Coin s: 22 William M . Rosenblum Irare coins ~V p.O. box 355-CE, e ve rgre en, c o lo. 80439 W' ~.1 ~ ~ Number of Co ins Offered: 78 phone/fax 303·838·4831 ~ ~. Most Offered Coin Type: ASC 290, Minerva standing I.; 18 e)(amples High: $350: Low : $55 Maine Classical Numismatics The advertisers on 2069 Atlantic Hwy., Warren, Maine 04864 these pages support Bowley's: A full service coin center your journal. Support Open 7am to 5pm Mon. thm Fri. and 7am to 4pm on Sat. them and remember to U.S . Route #1, Warren, Maine say that you saw it in Phone 207·273·3462 - H. 207·273·2653 When in Maine stop in and see us. We will be glad to see you. rrfie CeCator Barrie Jenkins - Classical Numismatist June 1994 37 Malter auction GOLD features ancient ROMAN. Valentinian I, 364-74. Soli dus, 5-4088, Antioch , bold F ...... $299.00 Theodosius II , 402-50. Solidus, 408-19, DOC 313-17. A: Constantinopolis std., nice VF ,...... $295.00 stamps and seals leo, 457-74. Solidus, 5 -4333 Const., nice VF+. . .."' $359.00 On the 25th and 26th of June, Joel Zena, 474·91. Solidus,8-4385. R: Victory, VF mild bend ...... $150.00 Malter and Co. of Los Angeles and L BYZANTINE, Anastasius I, 491-518. Tre missis, S-8, Choice example, AU .... , $225.00 Alexander Wolfe of Jerusalem will be Justin 11 565-78, Solidus, S-345, AU ,... ,...... " ...... " ...... " ...... $265.00 -, Solidus, S-347A (Constantinople), MIB-14 (Alexandria). holding an auction devoted to seals, Christogram in rev. field, VFIEF ...... " ...... $285.00 stamps, and related material. T he Tiberius II , 578-82. Solidus, S-422, EF small die flaw ...... 8225.00 title is "Six Millennia of Seals and Phocas,602-10. Solidus, S-620, EF ...... $225.0 0 Stamps". Joel Malter has conducted - . Solidus, 8-620, VF few scrs...... S99.00 more than fifty major auctions, and is Heraclius,610-41 Solidus, S-738, nice VF+ ...... S219.00 well known to the numism dues.") After you've thrown away knowledge of which ones these arc! If by Joe Rose your hard earned money a few times, it should be light. it had hetter be. you learn to be careful, and apply a Then. look 10 sec if the object has few simple tests to any offered piece 10 been fired; that is, baked in a kiln or Back in the 1940's, there was a determine if it has a chance. Constant oven, or even sun-dried. Finishing popularsollg entitled "How Do I Know handling of ancient objects leads to terracotta in this fashion closes its It 's Real'!" The lyrics may have been familiarity with styles, textures, and pores, and therefore slows the evapo referring to a love affair then, bUI in colors-as well as methods of manu ration rale by sealing in the moisture. our business, they have an entirely facture-and stand one in good stead Whether baked or not can easily be different connotation! When we guar in acquisition. Deviation from the determined by dampening a small area antee the authenticilY of an object we norm stands out like a Scottie on ice. of the surface of the piece in question. sell toa suspicious customer, we should There has to be a darned good reason If the moisture soaks in quickly. you be doggone sure Ihat what we say is for an off-the-wall piece 10 be right can be pretty certain that the object true, so that the piece does not come and st ill be appreciably deviant! was not fired, and, since knowledge of back to haunt us at some later date. For instance, the older clay is, the firing occurred fairly early in the his Therefore, the science of ex pertization lighter in weight it should be. This is tory of pottery manufacture, Ihis may is viral to us, and any aids we can because the waler which is a part of be a warning that the piece may not be acquire should be eagerly sought after terracotta begins to evaporate after genuine. Of course, not every ancient and filed where we can reach them . manufacture, but at an exceedingly piece was fired, and this, once again, is Following are some suggestions which slow rate. Thus it takes centuries for a where knowledge comes in. You have may prove helpful in the cxpertization piece 10 become fully dried-out, and to know if it was supposed to have of ancient tcrracotta or clay objects. therefore light in weight. So, an initial been fired . The best weapon against forgeries test is whether the object feels too Next in the examinat ion is the paint, is, of course, experience. Somehow, heavy for its supposed age. There are, slip, polychrome, or whatever method knowledge comes easier after you've however, figures from certain pre was used to color the object. Different been burned once or twice! (In our Columbian civilizations which always civilizations had different ideas of business, we call this "paying your feel heavy, so this test precludes the beauty and different methods of ap plying color. One of the earliest melh ods was slip-coloring, which was ac Wanted to Purchase: complished by adding vegetable col ors or different colored earth or c lay to Egyptian Coins and Antiquities a watery mixture, dipping the object into this, and letting it dry. The effect We will purchase collections or accumulations of any size in VG to EF, especially of this is sort of like a thin whitewash, quantities of Ptolemaic bronzes, Alexandrian billon tetradrachms and bronze drachms, ushabtis. scarabs. amulets, and terracotla heads and figurines and can he detected by picking through for OiJr galleries in New York, Beverly Hills, Las Vegas (the Lu)(or Hotel) and London. to the haseclay beneath (but, please, in Please send photos or )(eroxes and full details with your offers. an inconspicuous spot!). Sl ipped ob jects in long daily use tend to show Jerome M. Eisenberg, Ph.D., Director (ANA LM 277) wear spots where they mig ht have been in contact with human hands (like on a royal-athena galleries ~ _,,,k-b~l,hm'-I""'o" handle). Established 1942 In some civilizations, a thicker mix 15 3 East 57th Street. New York, New York 10022· Telephone (212) 355-2034' Fax (212) 688-0412 ture was used and applied with a brush made of a frayed stick or branch. This is close to true pain t, and may not show any wear points. A smaller ver Quality Auctions sion of the same brush may have been We conduct two Numismatic Collector oriented Public & Mail Bid Auction sales used to paint in eyes, or accent other each year. Our sales feature a wide selection of Ancients, Antiquities, World Gold. facial features, hands, etc. The exam Crowns & Minors, Canadian & Uni ted States Coinage as well as Paper Money, iner must be wary of work that is 100 Tokens & Medals . good, of lines that are too un iform, or Each of Ollr catalogs is well illustrated. Subscription rates arc $17.50 per year too skilled. The lines should vary in which includes prices realized following the sale. thickness, and should show that they Consignments are always accepted for our upcoming auction schedule, For information and terms please write us. arc the product of an unsophisticated technician using a crude tooL The Craig A. Whitford Numismatic Auctious more primitive the civil ization, the P.O. Box 22026, Lansing, Michigan 48909 more primitive the work should be. Tel: 517/394-4443 or Fax: 517/394-5510 You would not expect that skill levels would be the same in Colima, Mexico, and Athens, Greece, even though both 40 The Gelator were producing pottery at the same a small electric ultra-v iolet light. This It is certain ly not the inten tion of time. So, here again, some knowlcdge can be purchased for $50- 100 at most th is author to have the foregoing serve of how an objec t is supposed to look is places that cater to rock collectors. to scare off anyone who wants to col necessary. The deep purple light cuts through lect or deal in antiquities. Rather, it is Broken places in ancient terraeottas surfaces and reveals what is beneath. our idea to show that detection of the can be extremely revealing. Exposed One could write a book on the various spu rious is not nearly as di fficult as it layers clearly show the effects of fir emanations given OUl by different clays may seem. No successful dealer (or ing (or not), as well as other character and glues, bu t the easiest way to learn coll ec tor) can afford to be cautious to istics of the clay. A cross-section of a to use th is aid is to compare two ob the point where he turns down acqu isi fired piece will look somethin g like a jects by its light--one known to be a t!ons bcause of lac k of knowledge or sandwich. with a dark layer visible fak c and the other known to be genu confidence. Super-caution has never between two lighter (outer) layers. ine. When you act ually see what a real been the ha ll mark o f the successfu l! Usually, the darker (middle) layer is piece looks like and what a fa ke looks In our shop we say "If you haven't th icker than cit her of the other two, like, it's worth morc than a thousand been foo led once or twice, you' re not thi s stratified effect being a defi nite words. tryin g hard enough!" !!iI indication of ancient, fired clay. On the other hand . if the piece is un fired, the cross-section wi ll tend to be uni form throughout. It is also true that on AUCTION 68 pieces of great an tiquity, you may see on June 6th, 1994 in Munich only two layers, a thin outer one that may be the effect o f weathering, and a ANCIENT COINS thicker inner o ne thai will be the true CELTIC-GREEK color of the wa ll. The older the piece, ROMAN -BYZANTINE thc more fragi le and crumbly the clay Auction 68 will include aboutt ,000 selected ancient coins in gOld, silver, and bronze. will be. There are 270 Celtic and Greek coins with interesting pieces from Britain like th e gold Running an object under warm slater of Addedomaros, coins from Italy with the signed dislater of Thurioi, from Sicily water can provi de revealing clues as to like the signed dekadraehm by Kimon; pieces from Northern Greece like the interesting telradrachm from Apollonia Ponlika; charming electrum coins from Asia Minor and its au thent icity and stale of preserva series from Lycia and other beautiful coins, like the rare hexadrachm from Carthage. ti on. The water will usually show up There are about 550 Roman coins from the Republic to the solidus 01 Romulus joi nt lines where an object has been Augustulus, with interesting aurei like the one from Augustu s with th e bull reverse, rare repaired, and can also wash off a layer denarii from Julia Titi, Matidia, Didius Julianus and many others, and beautiful seslertii of fresh clay applied to hide just such like the one from Nero in excellent condition. Among the late emperors is the exciting a rcpair. Anc ient encrustation tends to gold medallion of Constans with the largitlo scene. The sale ends with about 80 Byzantine coins, moslly gold, with some great rarities and a few rare coins of the Goths amalgamate with the clay and cannot and an interesting spintria. be removed easily. A bath in muriatic acid (suc h as is used to cle3n swi m ming pools) will provide a good test. AUCTION 69 on June 7th, 1994, in Munich If the acid, liberally applied. bubbles COLLECTION MARGARETHA LEY strongly, looking for all the world like MEDI EVAL & CONTEMPORARY COINS & MEDALS the foam on a chocolate icc cream The COLLECTION MARGARETHA LEY contains 451 exceptional and rare master· soda. thi s is a good indication that it is pieces of German coinage. About 150 medieval coins like the denar of Ludwig the genuine aged encru station, and that German from Mayence and fantastic bracteales like the one of Ludwig III from the object is truly old. A deep, earthy Thuringia. Over 120 rare gold coins include the odor mixed with the acrid smell of the 3-emperor to·ducats minted in Prague. About muriatic ac id is usually very obvious 300 taler coins with impressive LOsers from Brunswick like the 5 talers 01 1679 by Rudolf is , du ring the bath, and a good indica August 01 Wo lfenbOltel and extremely rare pieces tion that the object is ancient. This like the Ravensburg Regiments taler of t624. odor can usually be detec ted after the The sale is concluded by a few outstanding object is run under water as well. samples of Gothic art in coinage from France Another clue to age is the presence and Britain like the double royal d'or of Philipp VI de Valois and 70 lOiS of numismatic literature. (or 13ck thereo!) of dendrites on the The collection Margaretha Ley is probably the surfaces of the object. Dendrites arc best type collection 01 German coins ever sold at th e rcmnants of sm311 underearth auction in Germany. pl antlifc which adhere to anything buried and die there. True dendri tes look like dark bl3ck pinhe3ds scat NUMISMATIK Subscription, air mail $25, each tered about the su rface of the piece, cata logue, including list of prices realized. and are often faked by speckl ing with black paint. If these look shiny, and NUM ISMATIK LANZ can be picked off with your fi ngernail, Maximil iansplatz 10 beware-they are fake and, in all prob LANZ 0 -80333 Munchen I Germany ability, so is the object! TeL (0049) (89) 299070 One piece of equipm ent important MONCHEN Telcfax (0049) (89) 220762 to the determination of authenticity is June 1994 41 Antiquities The development of writing in ancient Egypt actually began in ancient Egypt. Some of higher learning. It is, however. by David Liebert symbols found on Pre-Dynastic ob possible with a relativel y minor amount jects were an carl y form of pictographic of effort to f am i Iiari ze onesel f with the writing, but scholars are not in agree basic signs and learn 10 read many Sometimes iI' s good 10 get back to ment as to exactly when such writing king's names on sight. This is suffi basics, and what could be more basic originated. It is believed by some cient knowledge for the collector to than the written word? Not only is the scholars, however, that such early recognize many modern attempts at written word one of the chief lools by Dynastic objects as the Narmer palette forging hicroglyphic inscriptions, and which we can know the past, but i( is contained a combination of picto thus avoid a disastrous purchase. one of the mOSI popular collecting ar g raphic and alphabetic signs, just as The Hieratic script was a form of eas in the entire spectrum of ancient the true Hi eroglyphic writing did. cursive Hieroglyphs, written with reed uTt and artifacts. Even collectors of pen or brush in ink or some other ancient numismatics will often prize a pigment. It was much used by the coi n with an interesting inscription priests for writ ing on papyrus and other above one with no inscription at all. J\~ ~\ ~o materials, such as wood and stone. Its Egyptian artifacts have always been V =~ I == use died out shortly after that of Hiero among the most popular. Thus itshould 0; 'ir&= '0 <::, glyphics in the fou rth century A.D. It come as no surprise that the writing of ~ \, ()~r~~; l :::.2S is most often encountered hy collec ancient Egypt is among the most prized tors on fragments of papyri or as pas of all by modern collectors. What is ~ i\~V e'-.-:'J sages from the Book of the Dead writ ;c;;,. _ ., _ <.~ - surprising is the lack of knowledge ten on linen mummy wrappings. Since regarding ancient Egyptian writing An example of Hieroglyphic writing the language is the same, someone displayed by otherwise knowledgeable who is litcrate in Hi eroglyphics will individuals. The firs t true Hieroglyphs can be have little trouhle in learnin g to read I know some collectors who could dated to at least the Second Dynasty. Hieratic. probably tell you the balling average As a number of seals from the period Demotic, on the other hand, was a of every memberoflheir favorite base attest, by the Old Kingdom Hiero purely conventional modification of ball team (no offense meant 10 all of glyphic script was already fully devel the Hieratic characters, and it was used the baseball fans out there, and none oped. This script survived, albeit with by ancient Egyptian scri bes for husi taken I hope), hut can't take the time to relati vely minor modifications, into ness and sociul purposes. It appears to Jearn the difference between Demotic the Roman period. It died out in the have originated around the tenth cen and Coptic. I know that Ceiatorread third century A. D., and were it not for tury B.C., 42 The Gelator Book News Ladlk (Denizli) Sikkeferi / CoIn ever more intently upon individ ual mi nt Coinage of Ladik is an indispens age Of Ladik (Deniz/i), by Ce1il Ender, production across cultural and political able guide to the attribution of coins (Ende r Numis m atik Yayln l ari, lines, Ender' s contributi on provides a fro m this mint an d includes spec imens Istanbul, 1994), 77 pp., 5 plates. unique assessment of the coinage and of the highest rarity. It wi ll be a wel Cardcover, S20 po stpaid from the history 01 this important city. It is very come addition to any se rious library publisher at Or. Mithat Su er Sk. rich in historical narrative and, merci and to specialists in the earty coinage Hidayet Sit. B Blok, 0 .23 81080 fully fo r those of us who are not fluent of Turkish Anatolia. Erenkoy-Istanbul, or from Kenneth in Turkish, it is bi-lingual with corre M. MacKenzie at 15 Pine St., Tenafly, sponding sections in English. Wayne G. Sayles NJ 07670·3017. Collectors of classical coinage will recognize Ladik as Laodiciae ad Lycum, a city of some antiquity in west central Anato/ia. The name was be Ancient Coins stowed under the rule of Antiochusll in honor of his wife Laodiee. Modern visitors will recognize the site as Please write for a free Denizli, a popular lourist center. Al illustrated catalogue though the author introduces the coin age of the Greeks and Romans at this site, the work is primarily about the coinage 01 the Turkish rulers from the KIRK DAVIS Seljuq through the Ottoman periods. The author, Celil Ende r, is a highly Post Office Box 324, Claremont, CA 91711 respected member of the Turkish Nu (909) 625-5426 mismatic Society and the recipient of international awards for his work in Turkish numismatics. This study, which is thoroughly il lustrated with excellent line drawings, Guide to Biblical Coins by David Re1ldill provides a comprehensive study of a Hardcover, 224 pages, 16 pages plates. values, cleaning coins, very specialized nature. Reflecting detecting forgeries, much more. Personally autographed. modern scholarship, which is focusing The only survey on ancient Judaic and Biblical coins that earned 8 five-star rating in The Ce/ator. $35.00 CMNS releases annual "Fascinating and infonnllth·e ... "·N. Y. Timt.f "Should be II part or your library. " ·Bibliclil Arc/!lIeology Revitw edition of The Picus "Indispensable ... Bdongs on CH:ry sHious coll ector's bookshelf. "·TI,t Ctlalllr The Classical & Medieval Numis matic Society has iust released The "We wrote the book on Biblical coins! " Picus, its highly praised annual journal ASK FOR our free illustrated catalog of devoted to classical and medieval Jewish, Biblical , Greek, Roman coins, numismatics. This 182 page soft weights and small antiquities. covered book is bigger than the pre vious year's edition. It contains an impressive array of illustrated and well researched papers on many facets of ancient numismatics, written by some WHOLESALE TO ALL! of the field's most respected authors. The CMNS is a non-prom edu 100 ancient coins in flips and attributed. A diverse lot cational organization whose members' including Nero, Caesar Augustus, Alexander the Great, interests include ancient and medieval Biblical "Widow's Mite ", etc. Only $475.00 postpaid, with coinage and history. In addition to The satisfaction guaranteed! Picus, the Society publishes The Anvil, a bi-monthly publication. Information may be obtained from William H. ~un!t un QIuin ®a:llcrics McDonald, Classical & Medieval Numismatic Society, P.O. Box 956, Suite 132, Mission Viejo Mall, Stalion B, Willowdale, Ontario, Canada Mission Viejo, CA 92691 · (714) 364-0990 M2K 2T6; phone (416) 490-8659. June 1994 43 Coins of the Bible Early southern mints in ancient Israel name of Mamas, chief god of Gaza. was the governor ofCilicia, as well as by David Hendin Other early coins of Gaza imitating the land of Eber Nahara, for some pe Athenian Iypes carry the Phoenician riod of time. Mazaeus issued coins letters "ayan" and "zion" for "Az", with the inscription "Mazdai, who is In 1914 when George Hill pub abbreviating "Aza", the Hebrew name over Eber Nahara and Cilicia". We lished his volume of the British Mu for Gaza. Some coins carry only the have discussed this fascinating in seum Catalogue on the Greek Coins "ayan". scription previously in The Celmor. of Palestine, he devOIcd a number of Mazaeus also put his name or initials pages \0 coins he referred to as on coins struck in Sidon as well as "Philislo-Arabian" and "Egypto-Ara Samaria. Some have suggested that bian", Even then Hill observed that the early Gaza coins with the letter these headings were "not very satis "mem" may also refer to Mazaeus. factory". However, since the "mem" mintmark While the heading was not very was used on coins of Gaza continually satisfactory, Hill was able to zero in through the fifth century C.E., with the on this important group of silver coins, obvious connection to the god Marnas, which were apparently the very first this is unlikely. silver coins issued locally in ancient Leo Mildenbcrg has observed that Palestine. it was rather unusual that the salrap of Gaza was an important stop on the the territory, also known as the Fifth 'Two coins of Gaza from the fourth inland trade route, as well as the larg Satrapy, did not strike coins with clear century S.C.E. The tetra drachm, top. est port in the area during the Persian name identification, as did his col period. Thus the people needed cash is obviously copied after the famous Athenian tefradrachm. On this coin leagues elsewhere. Mazaeus' coins for their local and international trade. notwithstanding, there seem to be no Uriel Rappaport notes that "The com the. reverse shows an owl, facing, with the Phoenician letters ayan to the right other indications of satrapal coinage, mercially dominant position of Gaza and zion to the left, for ~Aza~ the Mildenberg believes that this was per in Palestine is well attested by the nu Hebrew for "Gaza". The drachm, haps because the local supply of si1- mismatic data of the Persian period. bottom, shows an archaic styfe male ver money was "astonishingly rich and The coins of Gaza played a remark head right on its obverse. The reverse varied without the satrap's own coin able role in the currency of Palestine depicts tf!q forepart of a horse with the age. There was a large inflow from in that period. Many coins which defi Phoenician letters ayan and zion in the the mint of Athens and other Greek nitely were minted at Gaza. and many uppe'deft field. (Line conversions cities, Cilician small cash, money others attributed the same mint are still from coins in the ANS Collection) struck by the Phoenician cilies on the extanl. The importance of this coin coast, provincial small silver provided age and its relation to international Gaza, in the Persian Empire, was a by the Palestine governors and finally trade is evident from its resemblance part of a huge satrapy called "Eber the drachms, hemidrachms and frac to Athenian coins, which were then the Nahara" or "The Land Beyond the tions created by cities and ru lers in the regular international currency." River". The river of reference is the South. These latter silver issues are Among the early coins of Gaza are E uphrates, and the land of Eber the so-called "Philisto-Arabians." silver tetradrachms and tiny silver Nahara included Syria, Phoenicia, Pal Mildenberg suggests that this local obols resembling those of Athens, but estine, and Cyprus. silver money circulated here instead carrying on their reverse the Phoe The Persian satrap Mazaeus of the Persian imperial money. Indeed, nician letter "mem", abbreviating the (Mazdai on coins, ca. 361-334 B,C.E.) it is known to anyone who is familiar with the coin markets in Jerusalem, or the archaeological excavations in Is rael, that neither the Persian gold darics nor the silver siglos make ap pearances. Some find this surprising in light of references to gold darics in the Hebrew Bible, but as we have noted elsewhere, such references are anachronistic, and no doubt indicate that at least some of the original tran scription and ed iting of the Hebrew Bible was done outside of Palestine, or at least by people who spent time outside of Palestine and were familiar with lhe Persian gold coinage. Since Hill wrote about the Philisto Arabian coins in 1914, much new in- 44 The Celator formation has been obtained. This points us toward a belief that the sil ver coins ofGaza are probably autono THE SWISS NUMISMATIC SOCIETY mous tocal issues. As Mildenberg notes, "The north of the satrapy was, Founded in 1879 obviously, a territory for the plentiful, At the forefront of scientific and historical research for over one hundred years. the Swiss Numismatic Society has estoblished a wo~d - wide reputation by its work with long lasting coinage of the great cities leading scholars. collectors and dealers diffused through its well known Revue and at the sea: Arados, Byblos, Sidon, Gazette journals with articles in four languages. together with numerous monographs Tyros. The central area remained a and special publications in such series as Typos and the Catalogues of Swiss Coins. large empty spot on the numismatic The Society itself owes its inception in 1879 to the pioneering spirit of Dr. Charles map until the finds of the thirties and Fran<;ois Trachsel. its founder and first president, but the Swiss numismatic trodition goes back to the earliest days of coin collecting in the late 15th century when early seventies appeared and suddenly connoisseurs like the Amerbach family of Basel. inspired by Renaissance humanists unveiled an abundant provincial coin such as Erasmus 01 Rotterdam then resid ing in the city. established important cabinets. age of small silver struck by the Per The Society continued from the old century under the guidance of Eugene Demole sian Governors of Samaria and Judaea. and Paul Stroehlin . while the new was presided over by eminent scholars such as Not only the names of these two prov Dietrich Schwarz and Colin Martin. inces appear on these tiny coins, but The Swiss Numismatic Society remains today at the service of the international also the names of governors, one with numismatic community, dedicated as it is to the furtherance of the knowledge of those small but invaluable witnesses of art and history. the coins of Greece. Rome. this title." Byzantium. the Orient. the middle ages, the modem period and Switzerlond itself. Hill dated the earliest Philisto-Ara By joining this leading society you will be able to participate directly in numismatic bian coins in the fifth and fourth cen research and moreover be eligible to receive the annual Revue and the quarterly turies H. C.E. Mildenherg, in a pre Gazette. as well as members' discounts on most special publications. liminary study, points out that "Many Applications for membership in the Society are welcome from all with an interest in types of the early Phi listo-Arabians arc ancient and modern numismatics. imitations of mid-fifth century Greek The membership fee is Sir fa:; per year (SIr 50 for members under 25) and SIr.a::u? for silver coins. Here, one has to consider life membership. or a sponsoring membership Irom Sir 250 per year. Make checks payable foSwiss Numismatic Society, Credit Swiss Bonk. Beme, Swifzerlond~ a/c(X)94· that a tong interval may have occurred faJ849-4f. between the prototype and the copy." Mildenberg supposes that 430-420 SWISS NUMISMATIC SOCIETY H.C.E. is a likely date based on this Itala Vecchi theory. And he believes that th is dat cia ing " is supported by another compari Niederdarfstrasse 43, CH-8001 Zurich son: At that time, Sidon and Tyros had developed their main coinages, the heavy denominations. Gaza is their counterpart, being the best of ports in Are you interested in the South. Her importance as the fi nal destination oflhe desert routes and CHOICE WORLD COINS? major j unction of the coastal roads can hard ly be overestimated." You should be receiving our publications Unfortunately, we are at Ihis time still unaware of just who issued these MORE THAN THREE early coins. We know that the names MAIL BID CATALOGUES ANNUALLY of at least two cities appear in full on the coins- Gaza and Ashdod. A third city, Ascalon, may be represented by Featuring RARE and CHOICE gold and silver coins of coins that carry the inscription "aler' the world as well as ancient coi nage and world paper and "nun", the first and last letters of the name Ascalon. money. A sample catalogue is $15.00 postpaid. Many of the early silver coins of the south copied Greek coin types, es Includes Prices Realized pecially Athenian images. But there were other images, colorful and local, such as the sphinx, other local cult fig An annual subscription is also available. The cost is $45 ures, flora, and fauna. Mildenberg within the U.S. and $60 outside the U.S. notes that "this kind of money could only come into being in that distant Southern area of transit under the as Ponterio & Associates, Inc. tonishing rule of the late Persian Great 1818 Robinson Ave. Kings who had delegated power and guaranteed ethical and religious free San Diego, CA 92103 dom and local autonomy to their citi 1-800-854-2888 or 619-299-0400 zens." Licensed Auction Company #968 Copyright ©1994 by David Bendin Richard H. Ponterio - President L.M. #2/63 June 1994 45 TRIVIAQIDZ Letters The daughter of Cleopatra VII survived Continued from page 4 " Octavian's conquest of Egypt. She later M. Chahin. The Kingdom of Armenia (New married a friend of Octavian, and York: Dorset Press, 1987), esp. pp. 27· became Queen of Mauretania. 197. What was her husband's name? B. Piotrovskii. Urartu: The Kingdom of Van and its Art (New York: Praeger.1967). (Answer on page 56) B. Piotrovsky. The Ancient Civilization of Urartu (New York : Cowles, 1969). P.E . Zimansky. Ecology and Empire: The r------, Structure of the Urarl/an State (Chicago: I Clip & Save ~ I University 01 Chicago, 1985). L.A. Saryan ! ' Coin File S! Wisconsin r------, Gordian lineage uncertain Thebes, Boeotia Regarding: 'The disruption of the ® empire, a general focus on the reign of AR-Stater • . .1'1\ Gordianus Pius' by Arthur E. Noot, May 379-338 B.C. . , 1994 issue of Ce/a/or. In his article, SNG Cop. 340 Mr. Noot slates that Maecia Faustina, the mother of Gordianus III, was a Thebae (Thebes) was the chief city of Boeotia, a district in east central Greece. It great-granddaughter of Trajan. Quite is claimed that Thebes was the first city in Greece, or in western Europe for that interesting as it is generally believed matter, to adopt the use of Phoenician letters. It is a site often mentioned in Greek that Trajan had no issue. The descent mythology and history-Dionysus and Hercules were born there. Thebes sided of the Gordians is rather sketchy, with the Spartans during the Peloponnesian War, but joined a confederacy against Gordianus I is either the son of: Ulpia Sparta in 394 B.C. As a result, the Lacedaemonians held Thebes for a time. In Gordiana (hence the link to the Ulpii, 379 B.C., the earliest date to which this coin is assigned, Theban exiles regained the family of Trajan and Hadrian) and the city and it became independent. In 338 B.C. Philip II of Macedon crushed th e Maecius Marullus, or Annia Appia combined Theban and Athenian forces at Chaeronea. The distinctive Theban Claudia Elpinice and the son of shield which adorns the obverse of this coin type undoubtedly alludes to the Sempronia Romana (hence the com victories of 379 and earlier. The reverse depiction of an amphora reflects the ponent Sempronianus Romanus in successful wine trade of the region as well as its Dionisian heritage. Gordianus I's name). The way in which Ulpia Gordiana is related to the Ulpii is uncertain. Therefore it might be more I~------~ MARKET CAPSULE There is not any direct I accurate to state that: Maecia Faustina I Jurisdiction...... BoeotiafThebes correlation between I (the daughter of Gordianus I and Fabia I Denomination ...... AR·Stater this market analysis • Orestilla) was the granddaughter of and the above photo. • References ...... BMC 151 1S N G . Copen h agen 340 • Ulpia Gordiana, maybe!, who was is I Database (sale) appeara nces ...... 10 (1973-1993) Market Capsule Source: I some way related to Trajan. By the way, it is still uncertain if Gordian II is I Ave. Weight...... 12.02 gms Numismatic Archives, I the natural son of Gordian I! Ave. Condition ...... Very Fine plus P. O. Box 173, L ______~ I Ave. Price Realized...... 5670 Littleton, CO 80160 I Otho Sestertius Canada S. MEDUSA GORGON, wEL t KNOWN LOCAL GODDESS, ANNOUNCED TilE OPENING TODAY OF IIER NEW AND VER Y EXCLUSIVE ART GALLERY, STONED STUFF. I GUANANTEE MS. GORGON STATED THAT, ONE wAY OR THE OTHER, SATISFACTION IS GUARANTEED. THAT IF A CU$TOMER DOESN'T BUYA STATUE , ~~U /'11 TUNN THEM INTO ONE! 46 The Celator Professional Directory ~ -'" -11' _,.;::. ." - _ + ..... __ H\_':-~ l> 1 Your ad could be ; EGYPTIAN & CLASSICAL l AkT~"".s in this space \ ANTIQUITIES I GALLERY ~ , We offer the colleelor a varied selection ~ jor as little as 1 of fine Qualify Ancienl World Art! , Classical Antiquities \l I Pre-Columbian Art $18 per month! I I "I Asian Art Send your • • Primitive and Tribal Art advertising message I ~ Ancient Numismatics to a targeted market of i • JEWELRY • SCULPTURE • BRONZE ! .i • POTTERY • WEAPONS • AMULETS i All Object;,' Guaranteed Genuine. ancient coin enthusiasts. + • FREE: C~t~ l og No. C191 upon ,equest + Authentication Cerlijicare Provided. Advertise in the ~ Gallery by appoi~lm~~1 . (212) 724·.9455 ~ 290 Fillmore, Denver, CO 80210 Professional Directory! ~ ANCIENT WORLD ARTS, LTD. ~ Tel.: 303-321·7351 (Phone/Fax) I 50 West 76th St. . New York 10023 I ~, ... """.-7'; __ ~'\J _ ... + ..... __ M_'t.. J{armer'1\pofi:f (jaJ(eries ANCIENT AND MEDIEVAL COINS Ancient Coins & Antiquities OF ALAMEDA 'Esta6(lJliuf 1905 Buy, Sell & Auction **** CMV Numismatics **** • Auctions • Purchases • Ancient. Medieval & Modern Coins Arlijacts- WeapolIs- lJooks- Coins • Sales • Pre-Columbian Art. Rare Books All your col/eCfing needs IInder one roof • Appraisals • Weapons, Oriemalia, Old Maps We Locale Your WalliS Pre-Columbian, Seeking coins. artifacts. books and San Fronci,co Bay Area's Finest Coins. Egyptian, more for upcoming auction Books & Antiquilies - Novice 10 Advanced Classical Archaeology, Coins> American Glass, Catalogs $10 annually, $2 sample and Other Fine Collectibles JOEL MALTER & Co. 17005 Ventura Blvd. Visa, Mastercard, American Express, 32 East 57th SI. Encino, CA 91316 USA Discover Accepted wino additional fees New York. NY I n022 (818) 784-7772 FAX: 784-4726 (212)751-1900 Mr. Lloyd R. " Randy" Lantz FAX: (212) 758-1713 Phone or Fax (510) 769·0137 Important ancient Greek silver Box 1699, Alameda, CA 94501 ClIIa/ogs available coin auctioll later this year! Galleries Open to the Public ANS 0 RNS 0 BNS 0 ANA 0 peNS ANCIENT GALLERIES :JI:A(JJ JV(C J'E'J{'J' Egyptian - Greek - Roman SHANS ® Tl('E.9IS'U'l('E5 Premier Antiquities EXPORTor ANCIENT ARTIFACTS & COINS FROM ISR AEL r!l Our NY Showroom The Time Is Now Open! Machine Co. USA Address: 162 West 56th 51. #607. Fine Archaeological New York, NY 10019 and Western Asiatic Antiquities Art and Coins By Appointment Ollly Ancient Galleries * 334 East Lake Rd., Bo;>;. 236 Tel: 212-582-4898 P.O. Box 282 - Flushing Sta. Palm Harbor, Florida 34685 or 718·846·0833 Queens, NY 11 367 TeVFax (8J3) 784-7821 Licensed by the Israeli Antiquilies Department (718) 544·2708 June 1994 47 Professional Directory Antiques n Ancient NUMISMATICA ARS CLASSICA Artifacts Collectibles V ANCIENT COINS AND MEDALS John Ristow GREEK ROMAN Curiosities NUMISMIXTI K send for lis! BYZANTINE p.o. Box 909 MEDIAEVAL LANZ Novato, Ca 94948 RENAISSANCE (415) 898-1185 MONCHEN in lhe wine country AUCTIONS ~ LISTS Dr. Hubert Lanz 1',:laluma M ill Antiques, Pewluma, Ca VALUATIONS Luitpoldblock. Maximiliansplatz 10 0 -80333 MOnchcn, Germany TeL (49)(89) 29 90 70 ...... EVENINGS ~ , Fax. (49) (89) 22 07 62 !:t~'~"i ~'!I' (410) 875-7140 or • ~ , ~ ~~., NUJ\IISMATI CA ARS C LA SSICA r~ (4 10) 235-1696 Send ~ copy of this ad for a FREE sample CII-Ij(ll~ Zu,",O. S,..;"~' I .o..I of one of our I1ltesl ~uClion calalogs • , HELlOS Telephone UI 261 17 UJ Teleh,OI 26 1 53 24 and lell us whm oM 'WorM 51ntiquitics Anc ient Greek, Roman, Egyptian, Etc Art ifacts, Bronzes, Statuettes, Pottery, Free list upon request Edgar L. Owen Member: Antiquities Dealers Assoc. FRANKL. P.O. Box 25, Westminster, MD 21158 Ancient Coins KOVACS Fax (Days/Evenings): (410) 751-9670 & Antiquities Ancient Coins C .Coins.&BookS} & Antiquities For Seriolts Collectors Free List of inexpensive ANCIENT COINS MICHAEL & SANDRA WOLF Interesting material P.O. Box 233, Dewey. AZ 86327 Discounts for all (S02) 772-7144 • Table 316 at Long Beach P.O. Box 25300 Call or write for free list San Mateo. CA 94402 Phone: (201) 398-9557 (415) 574-2028 Say you saw it ill 71ie Cefator R02, Box 710, Andover, NJ 07821 FAX (415) 574-1995 Our unique PARS COINS Pegasi Coins mail bid auctions allow you to P.o. Box 4207 PAY THE Ann Arbor, MI 48106 Phone: (313) 995-5743 PRICE YOU Fax: (313) 995~3410 WANT TO PAY Classicaillumismatists serving our )illly iIIu,,'traled mail hid (II,cli/llis beginners thru advanced collectors ('(mlain ,,,,er 500 /015 'ifill/cielll coin<. Im/iqui/i",,' a"d antiques in aI/ pric" r"'llf"s. Classical Greek, Roman, "No Buyers Fee" Byzantine, and Medieval Coins, Books & Antiquities For fra C<1/a/og ClJIII{JCI: Ancient Coins of Akaemenid-Parlhian-Sasanian Free illustrated catalogs Colosseum Persis-clymais-Charax and. Specify: Ancient or Medieval Coin Exchange, Inc. Buy-Sell-Trade- Appraise P.o. Box 21Cl , Hazlet, NJ 07730 Want lists serviced, Consulratians avaUable. P.O. Box 9663, San Jose, CA 95157 Appraisals and estate evatuations performed, (908) 264-1161 TeI408-244-4995 Fax 408-244-4996 Active buyer af all material. 48 The Gelator Professional Directory C;COlns & BookS}:: :: ) C''''.' ColDS &:BiIiiS' ) Ancient & World Coins L Allen G. ~;,~an ANCIENT COINS ARCHEOLOGICA L =~.... Numismatist ARTIFACTS PONTERIO P.O. Box 605, Fairfield, CT 06430 Ph: (203) 374-3032 or 254-7177 Greek, Roman, & ASSOCIATES, INC. Byzantine Auctions 1818 Robinson Ave. San Diego, CA 92103 Buy Qlld sell high grade coins, The Jewish War entire collec/ions, lOIS. Silvcr"YearOne" DEALERS ARE KI NDLY prototype shekel (619) 299·0400 REQUESTED TO AS K FOR rcalized$242,OOO OUR SPECIAL OFFERS. (800) 854·2888 • World's Largest Coin AuctionttTS Athena GmbH PNG #308 • Ancient Coin Coll ector Program OUOSIr. 5 ANA-LM • Quarterly Price Usts D-8000 Mtinchen 2, Gennany • Prompt Want List Service Tel: (004989) 591147 ' Fax: 598220 Call 1.800.421.Q754 tooay and ask for David Vagi. director of Ancient Coins. Say you saw it in Brian Kritt Superior Galleries Dealer in Ancient & Medieval Coins $"v"" roIltNOnsj~u 19)0 9478 W, Olympic Bt.. Beverly Hills. CA 90212 %e Cdator Specializing ill Ancien! C reek, Romall & Jlldaic Coins Twente ~llni'tlln ~.I \ rl"cient Coins ROMAN IMPERIAL Specialist in Ancient Coins ~ mpir:e ([Dins ANCIENT NEAR EAST alsl! stock World MillO' Coin.l, Medal.l. ISLAMIC & INDIAN Crowns, Ani/lIcU, Books (lnd Coin ClIsts Ancient Coin Specialists Our inventory is among the fines! ill America • Buyin$ ' Selling' Want USIS • 800ks COINAGE • AppraIsals ' Consignmenl~ ' RcfclTlIls • Allcndance at all maior Shows and Sales Our Specialty • Exclu sive Aut .ion Ridding Service • Sound Ad yice based on long experience • Subscribers receive ~i~ fully illustrated fi~ed price c3la[oguc$ of ancient coins and books about the il) , and two major ;luelion sales per year. • Periodic reference book lists & sales /" rh~ pasr 1M..., )~(lfS "'r /""... romplrrrJ Empire COins, Inc. C!EI For Su;ous Col/celllrs· Occ/lsionailisls ft, ... ms aflht 12 Ctlrsan ill gold. '.0. ." "" [11] WILLIAM B. WARDEN, JR. OrmoJld Ileach, FL 32175-2634 USA GEORGE M. BEACH P.O, BOX 356 /'hone(904)6n731 4 ~l::,'<.. '_w Numiscellaneous Ofrlce hOUB 9·5. M-F F~ NEW HOPE, PA 18938 p.o. Box 11 3, Owosso, MI 48867 I' .. (904)677-1324 (215) 297·5088 (517)634-5415 June 1994 49 Professional Directory , ·""""N.H." ;;;""., FINE NUMISMATIC BOOKS Fred B. Shore Bought and Sold Classical Numismatics Numismatic Arts Ancient Greek, Roman and of Santa Fe Parthian coins of the highest P.O. Box 97 12, Santa Fe, NM 87604 quality bought and sold Phone or FAX· 505-982-8792 PO Box 429 We are al ways keenly interested in buying important Antiquarian and Out-Oj-Print Blue Bell, PA 19422 Numismatic Books and Libraries in all 610/275 - 3430 languages. Ancients Catalog $5 DMITRY MARKOV Christian Blorn ANCIENT COINS Greek, Roman, Byzantine * Ancient Greek, Roman and • Medieval Price Lists World Coins Buy-Bid Sales * Islamic write for free price list free on Request G * Russian P.O. Box 7618 SOUTHEAST Write for illustrated catalogues Arlington, VA 22207 NUMISMATIC SERVICE 703-276-2392 p.o. Bo~ 950 Ph : (212) 385-8661 P.o. Box 50607. Dept. C New York, NY 10272 Fax: (212) )49·]743 noon to midnight Jacksonville Beach, FL 32240 ANCIENT COINS ILLUSTRATED AND ANTIQUITIES PRICELISTS Harlan J. Berk, Ltd. Greek Six buy or bid sales per year Write or call for free catalogue Roman 312-609-0016 ~ Byzantine - '-': 312-609-0017 M~ ' ''' .~' 31 N. Clark 81. Request yours today! ~Chicago, IL 60602 Wayne C. Phillips 8-A Village Loop Suite 125 Jose Katich Phillips Ranch, GA 91766 (909) 629-0757 numismatist Serving the collector since 1959 quality· service· integrity CLASSIC GREEK, ROMAN AND BILL MCDANIELS • ancients BRITISH COINS Ancient and • world • Professional service with a personal navor • Thoughtful and detailed catalogs-high Medieval Coins • unusual quality photographs and printing. (Greek, Roman, Indian, Sample issuc- $2 Islamic, Chinese, 500 comstock lane ~s Early European, Etc.) santa cruz. CA 95060 P.O. Box 2273 Cold Spring, MN 56320 408 427 -0621 • (612) 685-3835 Albany, NY 12220 50 The Gelator Professional Directory ( Colns .& Books) ( Coins & Books m.") Coins & Books ) KIRK DAVIS SOUTHLAND Greek Roman Medieval NUMISMATICS, LTD. write for free catalogue POST OFFICE BOX 324 ~ CLAREMONT, CA 91 71 I USA STEPHEN M. HUSTON GREEK CCassica£?£umisma-tist: ROMAN Greek, Roman, Byzantine Post Office Boll. 193621 JUDAEAN & Medieval Coins San Francisco, CA 9411 9 USA · 41 5 • 781- 7580 • for the Connoisseur BIBLICAL CITY COINS 'Wriu for iUWlroW( UuoU>alU. Occasional Catalogues & HO l YlANO ANTIQUITIES Our complimentary illustrated VIKEN M. HAVANDJIAN Albert Leibs catalogue is yours upon request. P.O. BOX 50417 Books on ancient and medieval BOX 4 AUSTIN , TX 78763 history, archaeology. Free list. MS STATE. MS 39762 (512) 250·1 931 Drawer 460, Ori skany, NY 13424 Phone 601 /324-25 17 Visiting: San Francisco? RARE The Silicon Valley? AMPHORA Stanford University? COINS Jewish· Biblical TREASURE t; Specializing in the Greek· Roman Coinage of Judaea Visit.. . ISLAND Coins · Weights • Ancient Antiquities · Jewelry We carry a large inventory Free illustrated list of Ancients as well as the largest • Medieval Philatelic stock in the Bay Area. available UPOIl request • Modern Lists Available "We wrote the book William M. Rosenblum on Biblical coins!" TREASURE ISLAND P.O. Box 355 3703 EI Camino Real . AMPHORA fJJ:I>,,\ Evergreen CO 80439 -;z.. P.O. Box 805 t.ffJ Palo Alto, CA 94306 to-.."':I . • Nyoc:k, NY 1OQ6O q:_!'fW (4 15) 855-9905 Phone/fa" (303) 838-483 I ~~ 914-(156-7364 "' ISlAMIC & INDIAN COINS Fro m the earliest times to the present day ~ V QUALITY Price lists issued regularly. ROMAN COINS available upml req uest S·C COINS • fo, Tht Collt""'- STEPHEN ALBUM PO BOX 992, ANC IENT & MEDIEVAL COINS P.o. BOX 7386 ALEXAN DRIA, MN 56308 /IllY · stu· ,1PM1M5AL SANTA ROSA, CA. 95407 U.S. A. PO Box 15134 Portla"d, OR 97215 phone, 707·526·3421 Catalogue Upon Request ( 234-1262 fa x: 232-3372 fax, 707-526'3266 June 1994 51 Professional Directory ~[:::ill;:::~ &.BOOIl$.IT •.•.• ·.) Write for your Lucien Birkler complimentary copy of our: & Co. • Quarterly illustrated anciem catalog • Book List & Accessory Catalog A full-service finn for Professional Numismatists • Ancient Bargain Price List collectors of CI"55.'ca,' I • F reqllenl Mail Bid Sales coins and antiquities, Write for our • Or all of the above free list of For a free catalog, Greek, '-{-o-- M & R Coins write or calf: Roman, 7226 College Drivc, Suitc 150 Byzantine, Palos Hcigllt" lL 60463 4125 W. Mineral King, and Medieval coins . I~ (708) 430· 1445 Suite 316 We attend most major auctions Visalia, CA 93277 and will represent yOll (209) 636·0945 FRANK 1707 L. St. NW Suite 520 STERNBERG AG David S. Michaels Washington D.C. 20036 Schanzengasse 10, CH-8001 I Numismatist 202-833·3770 Zurich, Switzerland tel. 011411/2523088 fax. 0 11 41 1/252 4067 Islamic, Indian, Baktrian For the finest of and Central Asian Coinages numismatic art, write for a complimentary copy Bought and Sold COINS AND MEDALS of our fixed price Ancient, Medieval and Modern and mail bid catalogue. NUMISMATIC UTERATURE GEMS, CAMEOS, JE WELRY PRo PavL RyneaRson AUCTION SALES Write for sample illustrated list Persic Gallery & P.o . 8o, 4009 P.O. nox 10317 Malibu Art of the Ages, Ltd. Torrance, CA 90505 • California 90264 Frequently Published Illustrated Catalogs (310) 326-8866 Call or write for your complimentary copy + Prompt Service Specialist in world and ECONOMOPOULOS Jonathan K. Kern Co. ancient coins under $100 ENTERPRISES 7276 SW Beaverton Hwy. Bachelor of Arts Portland, OR 97225 · (503) 598-0700 Numismatics CLASSICAL AnneJacksoTl, Presiden t NUMISMA TICS Ancient, Medieval, Early American Numismatics Greek Roman ANCIEN T COIN SPECIALIST Byzantine Greek. Roman, Byzantine Coin~ Bought & Sold and Classical Antiquities Send for sample catalog Nicholas T. EDWARDJ. WADDELL, Ltd. Economopoulos 444 N. Frederick Ave., Suite 316, Dept 0 P.O. Box 199 441 S. Ashland Gailh8rsburg, MD 20077 Lexington, KY 40502 ~ ,;' (301) 990·7446 ~ Holicong, PA 18928 • . ~ (215) 491-0650 (606) 269-1614 52 The Gelator Professional Directory ( . Coins & BookS ) (Cl)lns & BookS ) ( Numismatic Se@ces ) SARGENT Glenn Schinke M ETAL DETECT ~ COIN IN ENGLAND! Numismatist • 7. 10, or 14.day excursions PRESENTS • Detectors furnished " ROMAN SILVER COINS" Ancients • Cel tic. Roman. Saxon. Medieval si tes Medieval • An unique tour/adventure Foreign • Discover & possess History Write Jor free details P.O. Box 3371 E n gla nd Treasures Rosem ead , CA 91770 P.O. Box 344. Westcliffe. CO 81 252 400 ROMAN silver denarius and (818) 446-6775 (719) 783-9700 Tod & Nall cy Aldrich antoninianus coins in one fully illustrated catalogue. ( Shows & ConventionS) write or call : Spencer Pecl( SARG ENT COIN GREATER NEW YORK 92 CORPORATE PARK #C-20 IC 'J.£umismatist IRV INE, CA 92714 (714) 348-0625 ID. NUMISMATIC * V CONVENTION '\;:1. Accredited Member SEPTEMBER 22, 23 & 24, 1994 American Society of Appraisers AG. & S. GILLIS OMNI PARK CENTRAL HOTEL Appraisals for Charit able Donation ANCIENT COINS & ANTIQUITIES 7th Ave . & 56t h St .. New York City Equitable Distribution - Estate Held ,irnU"Mew,f>' w,lfl rhe IJ RONZE AGE, CELTIC, ROMAN AME RICAN ISRAEL NUMI SMATIC Insurance and lAS purposes SAX ON, VIKING & MEDIEVA L ASSOCIATION CONVENTION New York A uctio n Representation CONVENTION FEA.TURES; llIustroted catalogue ')our Jlgent ;11 tlie 'Big Jlpp(e • Please write or telephone AUCTIONS BY ~. & Chal1e$ Kinley for your free copy "Ancients Arcaoo· . MedalslEl«lOUIllia Hall. club meetings, forums, emibilS, nurrismatic Bonded - Insured 20 HOWARD ST. DARR8.D. BARNSLEY literature and supplies. 100+ Numismalic P.O. Box 526. O ldwick , NJ 08858 S. YORKSHI RE, S73 910. ENGLAND dealelS in all categories. Young NUrr»smatists led by Larry Gentile Sr. (908) 236-2880 Tel: 0226 750371 Contact: Moe Weinschel P.O. Box 940277. Far Rockaway, NY 11694 Say you saw it in (718) 634-9266 - fax (71 8) 318·1455 Wh atever your collecting intereSls, you 'll find what you Il eed in the pages of % e Cefator BOSTON ... th e Professional Directory! Ancient and Foreign Coin Mecca o/The Northeast! KEY MAR KET KNOWLEDGE PAPYRUS BOOKS BAY STATE COIN SHOW lYe ,,,vl'ide clients a printed reporl of Out of Print Books October 29, 30. & 3 1, 1994 PriceJ Rea/izedfor any Greek. Romall Repllb/jam. or Roman Imperial coill. o n A nc ient Numismatics " 57 " PA RK PLAZA HOTEL Oll r i/(lwbase cow"s 200 major salt's and Antiquities Room r ese r va tion .~ ; 617.48 2- 1800 held worldwide sillce 1972, and i.l· Ove r 29 years ... comilil/ally II pdmed. Uu ollr Service • BOUGHT "New England'J Largen Coin SI/O .....'.'.''' before biddilrg in a sale. Our relJOru BOllrse JpllCe $195 am/ lip . con help idelllify coills Ihol are mlder- • SOLD or ow'n'a/lled wirell compared to a s(lle Chairman: Ed Aleo calolog 'J /01 eSI",wle. Queries are $25 • SEARCHED Box 400. W inchcstcr. M A OJ 890 (U.S.) ellch. lJulk discounts available. 6 17-729-9677 No computer is needed. Call or write for a f ree co.raloglle NUM ISMATIC ARCHIVES P.o. Box 7180. Fremont, CA 94537 BO X 173, LJ'ITU ;TON, CO Tel. 51 0-790-1342 Professional Directory 80160-0173 USA Fax. 5 10-790-2676 ads get results! FAX (303)·688·8236 it June 1994 53 Professional Directory ( Ei@P.~ SuppHes ) ( Ecj\lip,~SUppHes ) PHOTOGRAPH ,.,.,. INTRODUCING Glasrubber your coins instantly MerYlbeI The advertisers The finest tool ever inWJnted for cleaning in color or black & white ancient bronze coins and anifacts on these pages • ShIIrp imagilS on standard 3 1/2 • • 'I( Polaroid prinl .- support your • No tocusng. pre$$lll\,tlling -'--0-.., • T_ IdjUstabie .",,,s: AcIu., ...... -...., Sou or ~ Enlargement lor - journal. ' ..,del.it • ~09'aph ~ h sodes of . Support them, ' _"'0 coin 0t1 U!T\\I print. wh~ e or .- . If you have Check out these rates! a fascination with . . . Ancient coins or 1/6 Page - $60 Classical antiquities You should be 1/3 Page - $110 subscribing to: 1/2 Page-$160 The Popular Award Winning Journal Specializing in Full Page - $320 Ancient Numismatics & Antiquities (single insertion prepaid rates) 'I1ie Cefator Multiple insertion Offering Monthly: discounts available • News • Features • Commentary • Book Reviews Targeted directly • Coming Events • Coins of the Bi.ble page to collectors • Beginners Column of ancient and • Reference Reviews • Letters and Notices medieval coins • Display & Classified Ads and antiquities. • And Much More! ONLY $27_00 Call or write for more information lor twelve issues delivered to your or a copy of ou r current rate card! door (U.S. addresses). $30 to Canada, $48 via air mail 10 overseas addresses The Celator %e Cdator P.O. Box 123 P.O. Box 123, Lodi, WI 53555 Lodi, WI 53555 - USA II (608) 592-4684 (608) 592-4684 54 The Celator Pa id Advertisement THE BACK PAGE to take the time to sort out their stock. This is not intended Dear Celator Reader: to be insulting to anyone, but a simple comment that if you There are some very important things going on in the do not try to bring material that American clients want to world of the ancient coin marketplace in the U.S. at the buy, then you should not really complain that "the show moment, and I am sure many of you have seen all sorts of was slow". 1do not think that the show was slow at al l if you articles written in various mainstream newspapers, etc. had the right material. Was this one of the best CICF's for From what I can tell, and I must say that my sources are me? Certainly not, but was certainly well worth attending "the best~, do not believe all that you hear and all that you and with all the new changes, I look forward to next year's read. Several companies are in a "state of flux" at the show which will be a month prior to tax-bill time and be a moment, and the most amazing thing is that none of this Fri.-Sun. show. has anything at al l to do with ancient coins orthe market for Remember folks, we will 001 be at the ANA, but will be ancient coins, which remains very strong. By the next at the Dearborn, Michigan show the preceeding weekend. issue, I am sure that all will know exactly what is going on, I will keep making this comment every month until the ANA and at that time, I can wax historical (or perhaps hysterical) show, and will still bet that some collectors who read this on what has happened and what I, the "good Doctor", feel will expect us to be at the ANA. By the way, atCICF, I found it all means. Forthe moment, let us a", both collectors and out that a lot of people other than me will not be at the ANA, dealers alike, stop spreading rumors, making statements, as I am not the only one who has misgivings (whether and pontificating on th ings that have yet to happen, if psychic1y or normal) about Detroit. indeed they happen at all. I am going to cut my commentary a bit shorter this On to more mundane matters, such as the recent CICF month as we have a very active show schedule for the show. Just to put things into perspective, we had a brand month of June, and want to make sure all of you are so new hotel location, aithoughjust across the bridge from the notified. old hotel. This did not pre vent some collectors and even dealers (or so I heard), from going to the wrong hotel. The IN JUNE THE GALLERY IS OPEN show was also held from Thurs.-Sat. For those who are always saying that Sunday is a nothing day, and all shows BUT ERIK & I WILL BE ON THE should close on Saturday, I say, wrong! It was obvious ROAD A GOOD DEAL SO OTHERS from comments made by collectors in attendance, that the WILL BE MANNING THE COUNTERS show should have been open on Sunday, since many collectors had travelled long distances, after they gal out Upcoming Show Schedule: of work on Friday, and found that Ihey could not cover the large bourse, given the fact that the show was closed by 4 Long Beach Expo. Long Beach. CA. June 2-5th. last of pm on Saturday. This was no fault of the show organizers the cramped shows prior to the expansion of the LB as the hotel was not available on Sunday, but we are laid Convention Center. Same location, corner table 456, in Ihat in future years this will not be a problem. Having the the foreign & ancient section, show hours 10-7, 10-4 on show as one had a tax deadline of April 15th (for Ameri Sun. when Erik will be there without me, as I have a major cans) was also apsychological if not a real problem, as one wedding to go to. If you need to see me, only there until has to pay Uncle Sam, and a great number of us wait until 7 pm on Sat. the very last minute to pay our just desserts. I really do not know how much this figured into the spending patterns, but N.Y. Spring 101' 1.. NYC. Sheraton Hotel & Towers. (52nd I think it was a factor of some consequence. I also think & 7th). Juoe 10-12th. a much larger Spring NY lnt'!., Fri. that based on the previous analysis of the show setting, Sun., show hours 10-7. 10-4 on Sun., different table table location did playa role in sales. If you were up front arrangement, we are at corner table #64. you either got them as they walked in, or totally missed Atlantic Rarities Expo. Baltimore. June 24-26th. Balti them since a lot of collectors by-pass the front tables, go to the back of the room, and then work forward. I have no more Convention Center. this is the new annual ANA sponsored Bait. show, Fri.-Sun., normal show hours, and idea why this is so, but have had collectors tell me that this an experiment for us. Will have a corner table, but no real is what they do, so I must believe it. Perhaps they figure that since everyone goes to the front immediately, all the ancient & foreign section, so look for us in the program. bargains must be gone or picked over, so if you go to the back, the front-feeders will not have had a chance to get !:Qt. df'U20fJ cR. 2;cufow there?? As for the actual market itself, I do not believe that we Rare Coins & Classical Arts Ltd. saw any changes or patterns. The Europeans that had "Specialists in Museum Quality Coins" brought in fresh material were as usual assaulted by the Member: ANA. ANS, SAN, AINA, INS, Ex·Feliow RNS American dealers until all "the rips" were gone, and then subjected to the usual desultary looking without buying. I P.O. Box 374 "At the Gallery" am continually amazed that some of the most frequent South Orange, NJ 07079 111 South Orange Ave. European dealers who come to American shows still ap Phone: (201) 761-0634 South Orange, NJ 07079 pear to have no idea of what to bring, or else do not bother FAX: (201) 761-8406 Phone: (201) 762-1588 June 1994 55 INDEX OF DISPLAY ADVERTISER S Celator Classifieds AJb ...... St~ ...... , ...... , 51 ...... phOra , ...... _...... ,_ •. ,_ 43. 51 Rates: $5.00 for the first 20 words, 20e each additional word . NIaen1 & Flo,. Coon, ._ ..... _...... ~ IvlCiem GaIns ...... (7 Ant:iem. _ An$. lid ...... ______(7 NlIiocfIAssoaIII. ______.. _.... 28. 29 Ancient coins, carefull y graded, con G reek, Roman, Medie"al coins. Alies Photogr~ ...... ""...... 54 servati vely priced. Prompt, helpful Mon thly catalogs with very reason ArloIlheAges.llCl ...... , 52 ~ is G.11ery ...... (7 service, beginners thru advanced. Free able prices and discounts issued fo r 27 AlheNGmbH ..... ,...... 49 B.lv SQl~ C<*I $how.. __ ...... _._ .. _S3 list. John Peters. 23 1 College Drive, yeaTS. Francis J. Rath, Bo ~ 266. Beach, a-ve M...... _._ ...... 49 Edison, NJ 08817. You ngstown, NY 14 174. B,"t . H.I~n J. L\(!.. Cover, ~ 1!e, ...... G ._ ...... 38.49 BeltI"9"'. MiorcT .. , ...... 51 BirIo.Ie,. L",," & Co. .. __ ,__ ,_52 MEDIEVAL HI STORY BOOKS Dooks on Ancient a nd Medienl his BIom. Chn.tilIn ."...... ,_._ .. , 50 805ton Inlemalional Numrsmauc C""..... Uon ...... 23 are also included in my fTee lists, Sorry, tory , archaeology. Fair prices, each Cede~"d. Tom ,...... , ,...... 20 GeIaIO<, TM ,., ... ,.,.,.,... ,.,... ,.,.. ,...... ,... , ...... 21 no coin book s. Albert Leibs, Drawer book descTibed in detail. Free li st. Chrisb.·, ..... ,.,., " ... ,.,.,..... ,.,... ,.,., .,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.".,.,.,., .. . 3 Classical Numi&malte G,oup ...... eo..... " 13 460, Ori skany. NY 13424. Sorry, very few numismatic books. CMV Numismlticl, ~.R. Lanll " H Alhert Leibs, Drawer 460, Oriskany. Coit1 News 19 C<>ioI"um e.chang. "" 48 FREE - Uncir. British Military NY 13424. Davis. Kirk ." ...... 43 , ~ 1 D,. iuons, Lid '''" ...... , ... ~ currency note with ou r il lustrated cata Eeonomopoulol Enletl)l"IIIfIS ...... ,. , .. .. , 52 Empile Coos, lroc ...... " ...... " ••••• 49 log of guaranteed antiquities. rare BULK LOTS Ancient Roman bron ze Engta""Treal~ ' es " .. " .... " ...... ,...... , ...... 53 F,eeman'" Sea, ...... ".... "",, ...... 31 coins. Send $3 (sorry- no checks!) coins. Buy direct from the SO UTce of G .... AG, aS. , ,,,,, ...... ,, . 53 to: JC Cullen (Ant iquities), 51 Malden supply, just imported. have not been Golan. Robe~ T, ...... 50 G'.... I'" New Vor~ NumOsmllOc eon• ."."", .. " ...... 53 Way. New Malden, Surrey KT3 6EA. picked over. Average condition fai r, liafmer FIooI Featuring Nearly 300 Lois of Ancient Coins • A fin e run of Macedonian Gold Staters; • A rare Judaea Capta Aureus of Titus, and two rare Jewish reference Aurei; • Attrac tive Byzantine Gold; • Select offerin g of choice Greek Silver Coins; • Roman Republican and Imperial Coi ns; • A ra re Denarius of Cleopatra and Mark Antony; • An ex traordin ary coll ec ti on of East Celtic Tetradrachms from the Danube area. r------, I rt-.~~ !l.," . CEL I I ~ I CATALOGUED AND SO LD BY I 123 West 57th St. , NewYork,NY 10019 I I Enclosed plc:lsc find $10.00 fOf your June 10. 1994 I I Auction S:llc C:ualoguc alld list of Prices Realized (aner sale). I I N I I a~ I 12-' WEST 51 '1'11 STREE"L N I ~ W YORK. NY 10019 1- I T elephone (2 12) 5112·25110 I CIty Slate Zip I FAX (212) 245-50111 or (21Z) 5112- \ 'N 6 AMERILA'S OLDEST & LA RGE.W CO I N IJI:A!,RH& I I Tc!cphone - • U £A/JIN(; COI N AUCTIO Nt" /~RS J'()N OV/ :'H 55 YF,ANS L ------_ ... Random selections from our 82nd Buy or Bid Sale Thcophilu" Thcodosiu .. H Mac r inLL~ Pompey Magnu .. Syrm:u .. c AUfCU\ AUfl'U' HX) Lilrae $87.500 $S5.000 S 12.500 ' . ~ta Alexander III CrOion Mctapolltllill Di,laler Slaler Slaler 5 16.500 $5.500 $3,850 HARLANJ. BERK, LTD. 31 N. Clark Street, Chicago, Illinois 60602 (312) 609-0017 FAX : (312) 609-1309 #178 eS .54 fi~ed price lists. Send for free lists. F'onIeno'" As&ocialel .... _...... 5, IS. 49 Greek, Roman, Byzantine & world Rislow. Jom ...... 48 Rich Reli cs, P.O. Box 432, Sa ndia Rogers. C8Mn J ...... 6 coins. Will also trade or sell rare AoMnbfum. WiII;"m 1.1, ...... • ...... 37. 51 Park. NM 87047. Royal All>enl Galleries ...... 34. 4() material. Send want list andlor de Rut>onger. SteI'8 L .•.• . .. 18 RynNTlOI'I.P.", ..... , .52 scri ption of what you have to Art Noot, Sa~Coin ...... 53 N-3166 Johnson Rd .. Wi nter, WI &1_. Dr. Amoid R. .•.• ...... • 55 S · CCoorIs...... 51 54896-7503. June 94 ~. Glenn •... _ ...... •.•....• 53 ShIns Premiet ~iQ"ie& ...... (7 Trivia Answer: Shore. F,*, 6 ...... _ ...... 50 " Juba II" Soutt.eeSi Num.StNUIC s..- ...... 50 Wanted to buy - Bronze Age weap SoutNand NumosmaIIC5. lid...... " . 51 Spinto ... Son. lid ...... _...... 10 ons or related antiqui ties. Write 10: Sta~ ...... "...... eo-- Robert W. Smith, P.O. Bo~ 563, SI8tribefg. Frank ...... 52 S~r\of G ...... 9. 49 Rockland , ME 04841 or call (207) 594- Swiss Numism atic: Society .... " ...... , .15 The advertisers on these r"". Midline Co ...... " ...... 42 , 17 4526. pages support your journal. T'oIl$U"I'IIt"" ...... 51 T~te il.n<;;e