Numismatic Art of Antiquity - VCoins Community

Vo/3, No. 10 Numismatic Art of Antiquity OCTOBER 1989 $2.00

Symbols important Pegasos was Corinth's logo

by ROD Kollgaard The peoples of the ancient world

were as proud of their heritage as we are of OUTS. This is often reflected in their coinage, in particular on that of the Greeks. Before the Hellenistic Age. when it became common for the coinage to portray living rulers, Greek cities carefully chose the symbols which they placed on their principle coinage. The city of Corinth. which was one of lhe wealthiest and most powerful of the Greek city states, selected symbols which glorified both its legendary past, as well as reflected its real might. The abundant and beautiful silver staters of Corinth show the winged horse Pegasos on the obverse. with Athena wearing a Corinthian style helmet on the reverse. The legend of Pegasos was very important in Corinth, for it was believed that one of the principle fountains of the city, the hippocrene (horse fountain) had begun after the flying horse struck his hoof on the rocks, and that the hero Bellerophon captured Pegasos there with the help of

New dynasty

Athena. The helmet which Athena wears is of ~ style that was developed at the city for a new type of heavy infantry, the hoplites, 'which evolved at Corinth, Argos, and Chalis c. 700 B.C., and soon after became popular throughout Greece.

The region of Carinthia lies at the northeast comer of the Peloponnese near the base of the Isthmus of Corinth which also connects with Attica. The main portion of the ancient city was built on the northern s lopes of the Acrocorinthos, an easily defensible acropolis almost completely surrounded by great cliffs. Compared with other parts of Greece, Corinthia does not possess a great deal of arable land, and the amount of rainfall is less, but the soil of the coastal plain is of good quality and provided the city with a strong agricultural base upon which later wealth was built. The region was prosperous during the bronze age Mycenaean period, although there is no evidence of large scale building. With

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Miscellanea ,. .. • Outfoxed by the FAX

In this world of high tech communications we sometimes marvel at the sophistication and capacity of the machines around us - the FAX machine being the latest wondennent. What we tend to forget is that people still control the machines. This fact recently became painfuUy clear to Mehrdad Sadigh of Sadigh Gallery in ManhaUan. Mehrdad had a FAX machine installed and widely publicized the new FAX telephone number, but the machine had problems from the start. After a frustrating series of delays it was determined that the number ass igned was actually for an area some 30 miles away.

The firm's previously published FAX number was 212-682-1099, their corrected and functional number is 212-545-7612. The other lines, including their toll free number are unaffected.

• Best of The Celator - 1989 A selection of the best anicles and features to appear on the pages of The

Celator during the past 12 months will be preserved in saddle stitched card cover magazine fonnat again this year. The size and fonnat of 1988's "Best of The Celator" will be retained for ease of storage. The annual issue from last year was singled out by the Numismatic Literary Guild, during this summer's ANA convention at Pittsburgh, for extraordinary merit in the numismatic magazine publishing category. The 1989 edition of The Best of The CelalOr will be available in December - watch for ordering instructions in next months paper.

Abbassid overthrow resulted in changed coinage by Stephen Album

Shortly after the accession of the last Umayyad caliph, Marwan H, in 1271744, th e black banners were unfurled in the east. A general uprising against Umayyad rule and what were perceived as its abuses was underway, and the black banners its herald. After six years of intense fighting, Damascus surrendered, Marwan II fl ed to Egypt, where was soon afterwards murdered, and a new dynasty feU heir to the caliphate, known as the Abbasid dynasty, whose name refers to their descent from aI'Abbas, uncle of the Prophet. The new rulers soon introduced sweeping changes in many aspects of rul e and administration, and these changes came to be reflected in their coinage.

Beginning at Jayy in 127, silver and (later) copper coins were struck under the authority of several of the rebel factions, differing from the uniform Umayyad types in several ways. In a recent study, Carl Wurtzel has assigned each of the various silver and copper types to its appropriate faction, while at the same time compiling an excellent catalog of the series. 1 The silver coins fall into three principal categories, those issued under the aegis of Abd Allah b. Mu'awiya, those of Abu Muslim, and those of the Kharijites. Except for a few issues struck at Marw (fig. 2), coins of the first two series are distinguished by the addition of the Koranic phrase, "Say: I ask of you no recompense for this other than love of kin,"2 as a second, inner margin on the obverse (fig. 1). Otherwise, they differ little from their Umayyad precursors, except in mint and date. The Kharij ite issues, struck only

at al-Kufa and the unidentified mint of "Tanbuk, "3 are identified by the addition, in the obverse margin, of the traditional Kharijite slogan, "Judgment belongs to God alone," to the standard Umayyad type (fig . 3). The copper coi ns present a few additional types, some of considerable historical interest, but lie outside the scope of thi s chapter.4 Except for names, mints, and dates, the revolutionary coppers differ not at all from the general run of late Umayyad and early Abbasid copper coins, discussed in a previous article.

The coins of Abd Allah were struck at ten mints, all located in the Iranian provinces of Fars and the Jibal (central Iran) between the years 127 and 130. Coins of Abu Muslim were produced at four mints, two of them in Khorasan (Balkh & Marw), one in northern Iran (Jurjan), one in the Jibal (al-Rayy), .~d are dated from 130 to 133. KharlJlte coins were mints at al-Kufa in Iraq in 128, and at nTanbuk" in 133. A founh type, struck in the name of Judayy b. Ali ai-Kirmani, was produced in Marw in 128, and is the earliest post-reform silver coin to bear the name of any human being other than the Prophet Muhammad.5

AU of the revolutionary coins are rare, though the coins of J ayy struck between 127 and 129, the Marw issues of 131-133, and the Kharijite issue of al-Kufa are occasionally offered on the market, typically bringing between $200 and $350 dollars. Other silver types fetch rather more, and the copper coins are priced from $40 for the commonest sons in fine condition.

The Abbasid coinage can be divided into three phases, the first extending

1. Abbasid revolution, partisans of Abd Allah ibn al-Mu'awiya, AR dirham, Jayy 129. Note the extra marginal legend around the obversc. The reverse is identical to the reverse of the normal Umayyad dirham.

from their initial coming to power in thereupc:m, and last until the Buwayhid 1321749 until the death of al-Ma'mun in occupaUon of Baghdad in 334/946. A 2 18/833. The second extends from fourth independent period of Abbasid 218/833 until the death of al-Mu' tamid COinage, from about 55211157 until the in 279/892. The third follows Please tum to page XXVii

INSIDE r." ... o · =r

THE CELATOR: .,o~

;;"Q 0_ -X" gJ ..... S' ","'~

Point of View II g:'" Book News llil People VI Market XII

~'" Calendar XXV i§ Coin File XX -.,

~~ Trivia XX - 0 r-o • Prof. Directory .. XXXII 9:[: - ~ Classifieds XXXIliI ;;2

~~ ~~

iR' ~

. . . . . . . . ' ...... . ' , .. -. , . . . . . .. . ..... . . . .. , ' . ' ...

The Celator . . . . . . . .. ,.. .. . . .. ~ .

October 1989 ...... . . ~ ..

Letters to the Editor

Commentary by Wayne G.

F raternalism is defined by Webster's simply as brotherliness. There are all sorts of

fraternal organizations in the world, from the college campus types to benevolent associations. While these fraternal organizations are easily recognizable and indeed advertise themselves as such, there are other types of fraternalism which occur spontaneously and without organization. Antiquarians, for example, are of len prone to feeling a sense of fraternalism with others who share their passion.

Partiy, this is due, I think, to the isolation that one experiences in pursuit of knowledge and intercourse at a satis fying level. In this small Wisconsin municipality there is most certainly not another human being who shares my excitement about finding a two-headed eagle depicted on a

• • •

participating with exhibits, and meeting others with similar interests.

We have received a number of letters over the past three years from collectors in rather isolated areas, all asking how they might meet other collectors. In an attempt to facilitate this fraternalism we will print free of charge the name, major interes t. address. and/or telephone number of any person wiShing to make such contacts. Simply send your request for this service to The Celator, P.O. Box 123, Lodi, WI 53555.

Speaking of the mail, we heard a tale right out of the twilight zone from David Lieben while at the Greater NY show . It see ms that David had corresponded with a client in Canada and the mail delivery from New York to Canada took 87 days. Not so bad you say, as far as mail service goes? No, not so bad if you consider that on the

Dear Editor:

1 have just read the article by Simon Bendall. I find it very interesting and would like to know more. Would you be able to tell me where I can get any books or articles on Byzantine coins? Or could you give me the address of Mr. Bendall? Thank you for your reply.

Bill Keim Ohio

(Simon Bendall is vice president of Numismatic Fine Arts International and may be reached 01 the firm's offICe· see page V this issue. For infOrm4lion. GhoUl Byzanrine coins we recommend David Sear's book "Byzantine Coins and Their Values H

; P. D. Whitting's HByzantine Coins" and Philip Grjerson's "Byzantine Coins". Any of the booksellers advertising in this issue should be able to supply the above titles.)

•••••

"As collectors, we have a vested interest in shows and conventions as

Your publication is the biggest asset to the growing collector community in ancient coins and artifacts in providing excellent educational and news articles heretofore unavailable. Keep going and keep growing! Much luck and best wishes to you and your staff.

William Horr New Jersey well as the support of local clubs"

contemporary imitation of a Greek drachm. In fact, most readers of this column will not be particularly excited by the discovery. When a showing of the piece does spark: interest there cannot help but be a sense of communion.

This scenario is repeated in some fashion at every club meeting, convention, coin show or get-together where ancient coins are discussed. It is at these events that we gather to share experiences, probe the minds of o thers, and enjoy a sense of fraternali sm that can be found nowhere else, Unfortunately, the accessibility of clubs and shows is very limited except in the largest of metropolitan areas. Those who are able to travel to the larger shows and conventions fare better, but frankly several shows are on the skids as far as ancients are concerned. More and more dealers are turning to their mailorder clientele as the mainstay of their business, and understandably so. The costs of supporting a bourse schedule are enonnous and the physical toll of a full road schedule has been the undoing of more than a few.

Sadly , if dealers stop attending shows the process may halt because it is through the dealers that collectors meet other collectors and it is through the shows that we are able to share our interests.

At the recent ANA convention and at the Greater NY Show it was obvious that fewer collectors of ancient coins were visiting the bourse. Some may say that "Pittsburgh is not a good location for ancients" or that "there are 100 many shows in New York", but the growing trend is toward private showings and mail-order sales. Organized shows have become primarily wholesale opportunities for many dealers.

As collectors, we have a vested interest in the preservation of shows and conventions as well as the support of local clubs. Without these vehicles, we are uuly isolated and are bound to see fraternalism give way to frustration. Let's get out and support these activities, not just by spending money on the bourse floor. but by attending the special lectures and symposiums.

envelope, along with the other typical machine stampings, was a postal processing stamp from Warsaw, Poland!

This month we will be spending 11 days in London. taking in the activities of COINEX week as well as wrapping up some final research on those enigmatic Turkomans . Unfonunately, we'll miss this fall's show at Long Beach but hope to be back there again soon. We highly recommend the show to those who can make it; whiJe you're there tell Sam Lopresto you read about it in The eelator! Have fun looking through all the great auction catalogs coming up over the next three months and when you have a minute to spare write and let us hear your point of view.

••••• The ANA convention offers an

impress ive array of lectures and meetings for specialized groups. While there are some meetings at the NY International convention in December, it has always surprised me there are none for groups of ancient coin collectors. Yet surely there are enough interested to hold informal get-togethers on Early Greek, Greek Imperial, Imperial Roman. or other coinages.

If there are any who would like to gather informally to discuss Roman Repu blican coinage and collecting, could they get in touch with me? Since I am ignorant in thi s matter, any information on how to apply for a meeti ng room would be mu ch appreciated.

•••••

Richard Schaefer New York

As a collector and dealer of ancient Greek and Roman coins. I appreciate Stanley Flegler's intensive studies

Deadline for the November issue is Friday, October 13

Postmaster: send address changes to: P.O. Box 123, Lodl, WI 53555

Phone (608) 592-4684 Fax (608) 592·4682 The Celalor is an independent newspaper published on the first day of each month al 226 Palmer Parkway, Lodl, WI. II is circulated internationally through subscriptions and special distributions. Subscription nit .. are $24 per year (second dass) within !he United States and Canada, $48 per year to aD other addresses (Air Printed Matter). Advertising and copy deadline is the second Friday of each month. Unsol'lcited articles and news relea~ are welcome, however publication cannot be guaranteed. Second class postage, perrmt pending, Lodi, WI 53555. Copyright e t 989, Clio's Cabinet.

Wayne G. Sayles ..... .. ••. .. Publisher/Editor Janet Sayles .........•..... . Office Manager Steven Sayles . .. . , •......• , ,Production Asst. Christine Olson , , , , , , •• , , , .•. Distribution Asst.

determining the gen uineness of the diobols in the Black Sea Hoard (CeiaJor, Sept .• 1989). It is important that SUbjective, expert opinion, as had been rendered by prominent numismatists, be challenged objectively.

As a scientist, I am impressed with the investigation. It is refreshing to find a scientific approach and reasoned conclusions in the matter which stand in such stark contras t to subjective conclusions based upon the visual appearance of coins compared to a limited number of museum specimens .

From a scientific standpoint, 1 accept most of his conclusions. One item, however, the verification of ancient debasement by comparison of the weight of the hoard coins with a single good coin (Hisloria Numorum 19.4 gr; silver content unknown) is not valid. The mean weight of the hoard coins must be compared to the mean weight of a large sample of coins of known, good silver if meaningful statistics are to be applied. The argument, in his conclusions, that counterfeiters need only have gone to Historia Numorum to find the proper weight of the issue similarly is not valid for the simple reason that because of variation within an issue, the weight of a single coin cannot be used as a weight standard.

Besides this, on the basis of what is reported, it seems to me that he has presented a good case for the integrity of the coirn; in the Black Sea Hoard.

•••••

John Twente Missouri

I enjoyed Simon Bendall's article on "Cinderella Coins" (the Byzantine Palaeologan series), published in the September 1989 Cefator. Unfortunately, the author (whom I consider, based on his pUblications, to be the world's foremost numismatist in this coinage area), did not mention his most recently pu.blished, superb book on Palaeologan coinage. I would like to recommend the book for interested reade.s.

A Private ColleClion of Palaeologan Coins catalogued by Simon Bendall (1989) may still be available from Spink and Son Ltd., 5-7 King Street, St. James's. London SWIY 6QS England (£25 & £2 postage and packing. or about $41.00 U.S.).

This is a short, hardcover volume of only 110 pages,large format (8,25 }t 12 inches), printed on high Quality paper, The text, about 80 pages, has a brief introduction. an extensive three-page bibliography, two pages of general survey whic h covers types. denominations. metal content, weights, control marks, and overstrikes, followed by two pages demonstrating the overstrike patterns.

Each emperor's coinage is covered, emperor by emperor. mint by mint; every coin type known is described, and the mint control marks (sigla) are listed.

Five useful addenda follow: The Politikon Coinage, the Anonymous Coinage, the Official and Unofficial Coinage of Provincial Mints, Other Palaeologan Material, and the Corlu Hoard.

Special mention has to be made of the 28 pages of plates illustrating more than three hundred coins. In fact, there are probably more clear photographS of Palaeologan coins in this volume than have ever been published at one time in a single volume.

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The Celator October 1989

At Auction

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On view December 5th and 6th

Catalogue will be available in early November by mail for S10 from Christie's Publications,

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Whether you are buying, selling or simply require a valuation, C hristie's can offer excellent advice.

For further information, please call James Lamb or Amy Corcoran at 212/546-1056.

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BRAUER, Taras, Its History and Coinage. 231 p. with photos ...... .... .... .......... ....... .................... .. ......... ........ . $55 . 0 0

GIACOSA, Women of the Caesars. 127 p. with plates + 71 colorplales. OP ... .... ... ... ... ... ........ .... .......... .. ............................ .$ 85 . 00

HAMMOND & SCULLARD, Oxford Classical Dictionary 1176 p ......... .................... .......... ........... ... .... .. .. ... ..................... .... $49 . 50

LINDGREN, Ancient Greek Bronze Coins: European Mints1 850 coins from c. 500 mints. 89 p. of coin descriptions with 89 facing plates ..... ........... ............ ........ ...... .. .. .. .... .... .... .... ....... ..... $75.00

ROBERTSON, Roman Imp8rlal Coins In th8 Hunt8r Coin Cabinet, Unlv8rslty of Glasgow. Vol. III, Pertinax through Aemiiian. c. 2,000 coins, 213rds illustrated. 437 p. + 88 pt. .. .... .... ... ... .. .... ...... .. ... ....... ..... ...... .... .. .. .$125 .00 Vol. IV, Valerian I through Allectus. c. 2,000 coins, 213rds illustrated . 556 p. + 64 pl... .... ............ ......... .... ........ .. .... .... ..... ..... . $12S.00 Vol. V, Dlocletlan through Zeno. c. 3030 coins, c.1750 illustrated. 577 p. + 96 pL .. ....... .... .... ....... .... ............ ... ... ..... ....... . $125.00

SyUoge Nummorum Grsecorum ANS, Volume 5, Sicily 3 ~ Syracuse - Slcellot9S. 1408 coins in 45 p. + 45 facing plates ... ... ........ ................... ... ..... .... ... .... ..... ... .. ........... .. .. ..... ...... ... $75.00

VAN ARSDEll, Celtic Coinage of Britain. 600 p. + 80 maps, 54 plates, charts! diagrams, & tables..... ... .... ... ... . .. ......... ... $ 7 5.00

WRITE. Fixed price catalog of qUality coins. FOR • Auction of medium-priced coins.

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Seaby B A Seaby Limited 8 Cavendish Square London WIM OAJ Tel 01-631 3707 Mon-Fri 9.30 to 5.00

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The 1990 edition of Coins of England and the UK, the standard reference work ror British coins, is now available. Write today and we will send you a sample of the Coin and Medal Bulle tin and a copy of the list of Seaby books, many of them standard works of reference ro r collecto rs. Why not send us your coin wants list as well?

left: The Monuments of Ancient Rome as Coin Types, hardback, 168 pp, 245 illustrations. One or our fifty numismatic and archaeological titles.

Studies in Early Byzantine Gold Coinage, ed . W . Ha hn and W. E. M e t ca U, ANS Numismatic Studies 17. New York , 1988.

This long awaited work contains an introduction and seven articles. Seven authors are involved and as a result there is a certain amount of inconsistency in the offerings.

The introduction is by the editors W. Hahn and W. E. Metcalf, although one suspects that Hahn had rather more input. It consists of a survey of the early Byzantine gold coinage from each of the prefectures. It is important since it touches on many areas not covered by any of the succeeding papers.

Among important points mentioned is the fact that there is no mint in the eastern prefecture o ther than Constantinople except under unusual circumstances such as the revolts of Heraclius or Basiliscus. Thu s these coins with 9S at the end of the reverse legend are neither from Antioch nor Thessalonica.

Hahn still puts forward Cyprus as the mint for solidi of Focas and Heraclius with the letters I, 111 and I X on the reverse as well as certain consular solidi of Heraclius. All of these were once attributed to Alexandria but now the I, m and IX solidi are given to Jerusalem. Hahn considers them, and the consular bronzes of Heraclius of Alexandretta and Cypru s, as products o r an itinerant mil itary mint which ended up in Cyprus. In fact Hahn does not believe in Alexandreua as a mint but considers the mint mark stands for Alexandria although he does not go so far as saying that they were sttuck in Egypt, which is fortunate since the find spots for these folies are generally further north. Hahn is the only authority who believes these theories which he can only maintain by disregarding provenances which he does by saying they are not helprul.

The basic s itu ation is that th e Heraclius In solidi follows immediately

on from the In issue of Focas even to the extent of copy Ing Focas' portrait. There can be no consular so lidi fitted between these two .i.ssues. Cyprus is no t a find spot for these coins or the later solidi of Heraclius and Heraclius Constantine with the same le tters I, In and I X. Cyprus has an ac tive numismatic community with which the reviewer has been in touch both directly and indirectly for many years and there are no reportS of these types being found there.

The gold coinage of Italy is complex with coins being struck at different times under the various authorities such as the Ostrogothic Kings, the Byzantine Emperors, the Neapolitan Dukes and the Lombards. Identification of the different issues and mints is not straightforward but this survey gives us the broad outlines.

After touching briefl y on some rare gold solidi which Hahn alone attributes to Cherson, and rare tremisses sttuck in Spain between c . 554 and 624. the introduction ends with a discussion of the mint of Sicily. Since this is the subject or the second article in the book, little factual information is g iven here, this section mainly being devoted to putting forward ideas as to how future studies may progress. One of the few ractual pieces of information proposed is once again Hahn's disbelief in the authenticity of the gold coinage of the


usurper Mezzezi us. Now Tardani is tentative ly put fo rward as possibly being responsible, at least fo r th e semissis recently pu blis hed by P. Grierson.

Th is brings us to a point I fee l I should mention. Hahn says, regarding the "Cherson" solidi, that they "have tentatively been given to Cherson", regarding the Mezzezius coins, "the authentic ity or wh ich has been contested", and regarding the attribution of a gold coinage to Cyprus, "the ir attribution ... not generally accepted." This may sound as though the scholarly world is divided on these points, but no - Hahn is out on a limb. being the only scholar who believes in the Cherson and Cyprus attribution and doubts the coins of Mezzezius. You would hardly know this from these pages.

Article 1 Joint ReIgn Gold of

Justin I and Justinian William E. Metcalf

The jo int reign lasted only seventeen weeks. 79 coins are recorded. struck from 32 or 33 obverse and 37 reverse dies. Use of Proressor Carter's formulas suggests that about 50 obverse and 60 reverse dies were originally used. While this seems a large number to W. Metcalr, who suggests that the imperial access ion wou ld have necessitated a large issue, use or these figures would, for example, produce c. 2000 obverse and c . 2400 reverse dies ror the 13 year coinage of Justin II which does nOt seem excess ive in view of the commonness of his solidi. Several joint reign solidi issued from different officinae share the same obverse die. a feature casually o bserved in other Byzantine gold issues. Since throneless solidi are linked by reverse dies to solidi with square-backed thrones while the lyre-backed throne solidi are not linked with either or the former varieties, Me tcalf suggests that they may be the product of Thessalonica, This cannot be, as he would have noted if he had taken account of hi s namesake's article of the coinage of that

. mint. Constantinople had changed the design of the angel on the reverse of the solidi from a left racing figure to a full facing figure during the course of Justin I's reign while Thessalonica continued the type of the profile angel until the introduc tion of Justinian's second type solidus in 537. It is inconceivable that Thessalonica would have introduced the Constantinople reverse for only 17 weeks and then reverted to the old profile angel. In addition, one of Justinian I's first solidi uses areengraved die of Justin I which would no t have happened unless Justin l's coins were immediately succeeded by Justinian's. If there was a joint reign issue at Thessalonica, Ju stin I's dies would certainly have been destroyed and thus would not have been available for re-engraving at a later date.

Article 2 The Monte Judica Hoard and

the Sicilian Moneta Auri under Justinian I and Justin II

Niall Fairhead and W. Hahn A most important hoard containing

coins which can be attributed to a mint in Sicily striking for Justinian I and Justin II brings forward the initial production o r Sicilian gold coinage by about 30 years. The new coins of

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v

VI The Celator October 1989

He Dere features antiquities

Fortuna Fine Arts celebrates gallery grand opening

Selim Cere

THEODOROU TO LECTURE ON

GREEK COINS Collector Jerry Theodorou

wilt give a slideaccompanied talk on

'The Art and Beauty of Ancient Greek Coins'

on Wednesday. October 18 at 8pm in the Greek Orthodox Archdiocan Cathedral Hall.

319 East 74th street, New York. Two dollar charge for

wine and cheese. Public invited.

Fortuna Fine Arts officially celebrated its Madison Avenue Gallery openi ng on Friday, September 8 with a gala reception for friends and antiquarians. The well-attended and superbly catered affair provided visitors with an opportunity to view a wonderfu lly diversified collection of antiq ui ties. Ranging from miniature statues. gems, coin s. and jewelry to monumental sculpture, guests were treated to an impressive display of artistic styles originating from Classical Greece to Imperia l Rome and later. Masterfu lly understated, in an inspired setting, the artifacts are professionally displayed to their fullest advantage without distraction. President of the firm, Selim Dere, is no novice in this respect. having been involved in the sale of antiquities for over thirty years.

"We are trying to cater to the tastes of different types of collectors. While large marble statuary is usually only for the advanced collector. we also try to keep pieces in very moderate price ranges. such as a variety of Roman glass and terracotta lamps in the 50 -500 dollar range." The firm's central location on the East side of Manhattan as well as their schedule (Mon-Sat. 9:30-6:30) makes them easily accessible. All are welcomed whether they be dedicated collectors or simply curious passerbys.

Although dedicated to ancient art as a whole. the firm specializes in antiquities of the Greco-Roman period. Presently exhibited at the gallery is an extensive

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collection of ancient marb les. from miniature statuettes to fine life-size tagate figures. Among these is a very fine Roman marble torso of the first century B.C. showing the triumphant god Hercules in a sculptural mode created centuries earlier by the Greek artist Polykle itos (mid. 5th century B.C.).

Among the representations of divine beings currently on display is a fragment of exceptional Quality depicting the mythological story of the rape of Ganymede. The myth tells us how Jupiter. being s truck with the beauty of the yo ung shephe rd Ganymede, took the form of an eagle and brought the youth to Olympus to be

his cup-bearer. The marble fragment illustrates the majestic form of the eagle with Ganymede's hand gently grasping it for support.

The gall ery holds many other treasures from the ancient cultures of the Mediterranean, al l the way through the Islamic period. Here anifacts from small pieces of glass to very unusual works in bronze may be found. Geographically the span covered is very great. including many examples of Roman provincial art and even the Hellenized nGreco·B uddhist~ art of Northern India

Dere may be contacted by writing to Fortuna Fine Arts at 984 Madison Avenue, New York. NY 10021 or by calling 212-794-7272.

The Rape of Ganymede, a marble fragment offered by Fortuna Fine Arts.


MONTHLY FEATURES

VICTOR ENGLAND

&

HARLAN J. BERK

Present a Definitive Offering of Byzantine Copper Coins

featuring An important

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and

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Byzantine Coppers

CLASSICAL NUMISMATIC AUCTIONS, LTD.

Presents A

Public Auction Sale of

Quality

Greek, Roman Republican,

Roman Imperial Coins

in all metals

Including an important American collection of Roman Republican

formed over the last twenty Jive years.

369 of the finest quality coppers collected during the last twenty five years . Over 350 lots of quality coins for the

discriminating collector. An important sale for the specialist.

Reserve your catalog now. $15.00 with prices realized.

A limited number of hardbound catalogs

will be available after the sale at $35.00 each.

Reserve your copy now.

December 7, 1989 2PM

New York, NY

Reserve your catalog now. $10.00 with prices realized.

Special offer to readers oj The Celalr

Both catalogs for $20.00.

CNAIX December 7, 1989

10 AM New York, NY

VICTOR ENGLAND Box 245, Quarryville, PA 17566·0245, (717) 786·4013

VII

VIII

Fact and fantasy

Holy Grail legend spurs by David Liebert

Having just seen the new Indiana Jones movie, "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade", I was reminded of the article I wrote several months ago regarding the possibility that the ancient Menorah might still exist. Although Mr. Spielberg and Mr. Lucas always seem to provide their fans with a rousing yarn in the Indiana Jones movies, they do not necessarily provide them with archaeological accuracy. However, in this case at least one scene may have hit the proverbial nail on the head. When confronted with a choice of many Grails, Indy eschews the beautiful gob lets of precious metal s. bedecked with jewels and chooses instead one of simple pottery saying "this is the cup of a simple carpenter," The Grail legend was one of the central themes of ~estem Med ieval thought, and to this day provides re ligious inspirati on to millions of believers throughout the world. Allhough the science of archaeology is by its nature powerless to deal with the spiritual and mystical implications of the Grail legend, it might be interesting to examine the sc ientific evidence in an effort to ascertain exactly what this supreme relic of early Christianity might have been like, and indeed if it might still exist as a physical rutifacl.

To ascertain the physical nature of the vessel Jesus of Nazareth might have used at the Las t Supper we must examine the cultural context of the New Testament epic. The events recounted in the gospels telli ng about the c li mactic period of Jesus's life took place against the backgrou nd of Roman

life in the eastern Empire during the first century A.D. We know from the narrative in the Bible that the Disciples who attended the Last Supper were not of the patrician c lass but tor the most part simple farmers, fishermen and the like, men of modest means. Judas was a bureaucrat and might have had access to some substantial wealth but he was hardly the type of personal ity who would have ostentatiously shared it with his fellows. It must also be borne in mind that the participants were in hidi ng from the Procuratorial authorities and were unlikely to have been carting around the ancestral silver even had they had any. Funhermore the Supper was in fact a Jewish Passover Seder, and dishes which had been used for Leaven would not have been permissable without extensive cleansing, an unlikely prospect under the circumstances. Thus it is likely that the utensils in question were actually purchased in the bustling nearby Jerusalem markerplace shortly before the event for use during the Holiday ; a practice that was common among the many pilgrims who flocked to Jeru salem for the Fes tival. Such vessels would obviously not be made of precious metal or even the then highly valuable bronze or th e then semiprecious glass. Rather they wou ld have been of common earthenware, probably not even glazed. Although fine lead glazed pottery was widely distributed in the Roman world and slip glazed wares such as the beautiful red slipped Arentine ware were well known, they were relatively expensive and are thus unlikely candidates for the Grail. The most likely candidate is in fac t the

The Time Machine Company is always eager to aid beginning collectors with moderately

priced coins and antiquities. Call David Liebert direct to discuss your interests and needs.

We have for sale just 7 Roman miniature glass child's toys in the shape of various vessels,

some with minor damage. All with good color one to two inches.

VF $85 each, two for $150 We have many more interesting antiquities and ancient coins in stock. If you are not on our mailing list, you are missing some of the best buys in ancient art. Send for your free catalogue today. For more information contact:

The Time Machine Co. P. O. Box 282, Flushing Station,

Queens, NY 11367 (718) 544-2708


interest and conjecture

Roman Pottery Cup 1st C. AD found in Holy Land

plain earthenware vessels of the ancient Near East so plentiful on the antiquities market today because they were in fact the daily pottery of the common man in antiquity. If we can agree that the Grail was probably composed of simple brown earthenware perhaps with a slip to smooth its surface and at best with some moulded or incised decoration, what light can archaeology throw on its shape?

Surprisingly we can be fairly sure of th is shape from our extens ive knowledge of the development of ancient pottery ga ined thro ugh archaeological excavation. In ancient Greece we know that the preeminent cup for the drinking of wine was the two handled Kylix so beloved by collectors of Greek pottery for its graceful form. Such vessels usually stood on a slender pedestal base but sometimes had a flat bottom or stood on a small raised rim, in which case they are termed Skyphoi or stemless cups. The handles were always placed horizontal to the upper body of the vessel. By the Roman period this later shape predominated and the handles were usually perpendicular to the body. Although other types of drinking bowls and cups were known, some like the footed bowl or Crater. not dissimilar to the Medieval chalice often depicted in the Grail legends of the period, it was the Skyphos which was most commonly used for the drinking of wine in the first century Roman world, as can be seen from Roman depictions

of the Bachinalia rituals where the diety is often depic ted drinking from a Skyphos.

What then was the appearance of this most holy of Christian relics? It almost certainly was not the gleaming vision of a golden chalice sparkling with jewels fami liar from Medieval folldore. Rather it was most probably a simple pottery cup of squat cylindrical form perhaps with handles on either side and a bit of applied or moulded decoration not unlike many others which have been excavated in the Near East. While it is true that this simple relic may have in later times been encased in a more elaborate and costly container or reliqu ary, as was often done in late antique times, this mayor may not have been the case, as the actual obj ect seems to have disappeareci"quiie early in its history. The antiquarians, Eisen and Kouchakji, have speculated that a rather elaborate chalice found in Antioch may be the Grail since it encloses a far simpler s il ver cha li ce within its outer laticework. It is unlikely, however, that this is the case since the grail was almost certainly of pottery for the reasons cited above. Where then is the Grail today? Perhaps it is in some mystic hiding place awaiting the pure of heart, perhaps it stilllies buried beneath the dust of the ages, or just perhaps it sits unknown and unrecognized in some collection of antiuqities. Who can say with certainty?

Guide to Biblical Coins by David Hendin

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Villi

x The Celator October 1989

More rarity tables

Romans struck few denominations • In Roman Egypt

by Keith Emmet Augustus' monetary refonn resulted

in a series of bronze coins consisting of dioboIs, obols, and dichalkons. Debased silver tetradrachmas. which had been struck under the Ptolemies. filled the need for higher denOminations.

There was very little need for coins in Egypt. except to pay taxes on the smaller vine and garden lands: taxes on the grain lands. which made up most of Egypt, were paid in kind

Taxes were required to be paid in silver tetradrachmas, and if they were paid in bronze, they were subjected to a . discount of Inth. Therefore, 24 silver tetradrachmas equaled 28 bronze drachmas, resulting in the hoarding of large numbers of silver tetradrachmas. Large hoards of bronze coins are very rarely found and when they are found they show extreme wear indicating excessive use, The bronze currency served as small change for the silver tetradrachmas.

The fllSt coin issue of Tiberius was struck in his third regnal year and consisted of bronze oOOls and dichalkons:

:~'." .. ' ..•. . . ', if . ' :. , , . . \ " ;: / I.e.. . " i """ -Tiberius bronze obol Reverse: Hippopotamus

oOOls continued to be struck until year 6, and dichalkons only lasted until year 5, The obol denomination consisted of

six different reveISe types, and except for a wreath type, all depicted animals. Tiberius also struck a few dichalkon coins with the portrait of Livia in his 4th 00 6th regnal years. These coins are listed in my last article covering the issues of Augustus.

Tiberius tetradrachm Reverse: Augustus head

In the seventh regn al year of Tiberius, the bronze coinage ceased to be struck and the reminting of silver tetradrachmas was resumed. These tetradrachmas contained roughly 25 percent silver by weight but retained their silver appearance. The obverse carried the laureate head of Tiberius and bore the radiate head of Augustus on the reverse. Silver tetradrachmas continued to be issued off and on until Tiberius' 23rd regnal year, Since silver tetradrachmas had not been issued for about fifty years, this re latively large output of silver tetradrachmas helped to alleviate the shortage of silver needed to pay taxes.

During the brief reign of Caligula, who was recognized in Egypt, no coins were struck. A few coins bearing r AIOY which had been previously attributed to Caligula have been reattributed by Milne to the anonymous series.

COINS OF THE ISLAMIC WORLD The last frontier in numismatics, little researched and little

catalogued, where new finds and exciting discoveries still abound.

Twenty-one selections from our stock

A1. Umayyad caliphate: Hisham AD724-743, AR dirham, good vf, $15

A2. Abbasid caliphate: al -Saffah 749-754, AR dirham, vf, $25 A3. Abbasid: ai-Mansur 754-775, AR dirham, vf+ , $17 A4. Abbasid: al-Mahdi 775-785, AR dirham, ef, $28 A5. Abbasid: al-Hadi, 785-786, AR dirham, rare , f-vf, $60 A6. Abbasid: ai-Rashid 786-809, AR dirham, vf, $15 A7, Abbasid: ai-Am in 809-813, AR dirham, vf, $25 A8. Abbasid: al-Ma'mun 809-833, AR dirham, vf, $17 A9. Abbasid: al-Mu'tasim 833-842, AR dirham, lustrous ef,

rare , $85 Al 0, Buwayhid: 'Adud al-Dawla 948-983, AR dirham, vf, $30 All. Ghaznavid: Sebuktekin 977-997, AR dirham, nice f-vf, $20 A12, Ghaznavid: Isma'il 997-998, AR dirham, f-vf, rare, $80 A13. Ghaznavid: Mahmud 998-1030, AR dirham, good vf, $12 A14. Ghaznavid: Mas'ud I, 1030-1041, AR dirham, vf, $12 A1S. Shaddadid of Armenia: al-Fadl I, 985-1031, AR dirham, ef,

very rare , $125 A16. Rasulid of Yemen: ai-Muzaffar Yusuf 1249-1295, AR

dirham, several mints, from recent hoard: Aden, vf, $85 Zebid, vf, $85 - San'a, vf, very rare , $145 - Hisn Ta'izz, vf, $125 (are nicely struck for the series)

A17. Muzaffarid: Shah Shuja' 1357-1384, AR 2 dinars, vf, $25 A18. Jalayrid: Husayn 1376-1384, AR dinar, f-vf, $10 A19. Timurid: Timur (Tamerlane) 1370-1404, AR tanka,

fine, $40 A20. Timurid: Shahrukh 1404-1447, AR tanka, vf, $12 A21. Timurid: Husayn 8ayqara 1470-1506, AR tanka, vf, $1 1

Above prices include postage & insurance in US & Canada,

Stephen Album

P.O. Box 7386 Santa Rosa CA 95407 Telephone: 707-526-3421

. ~------------------------~

Claudius tetradrachm Reverse: Messalina standing

When Claudius carne to power in 41 A.D., he issued silver tetradrachmas from his nrst until his sixth regnal year. Tetradrachmas were struck with two different reverse typeS: Messalina standing and the bust of Octavia.

Claudius I tetradrachm Reverse: Antonia bust

In the third regnal year of Claudius there was an attempt to create a new silver series conSisting of tetradrachmas, didrachmas and hemidrachmas . Oidrachmas and hemidrachmas are rare, as very few were struck.

Claudius f silver didrachm Reverse: Antonia, Britannicus and . OCtavia bust facing 2 cornucopiae

Bronze coins, which were issued intennittently in Claudius' frrst six regnal yean, continued to be minted exclusively in his remaining regnal

years. Except for one extremely rare dichalkon of year 7, no bronze coins were issued in Claudius' 7th to 9th regnal years.

Bronze coins of Claudius' wife, Agrippina were also struck in Claudius' 11th, 12th, 13th, and 15th regnal years. The Romans preferred to personify the emperor's wives as goddesses and it is interesting that Agrippina is represented with the features of Euthenia, the Greek corn goddess, on the obverse of her coins. since Egypt was the breadbasket of the Roman empire. Furthermore, Euthenia was married to Nilus. the Nile god, who represented Egypt: it was thus insinuated that Claudius was the new rulerlgod of Egypt

Agrippina diobol Reverse: Euthenia bust

Claudius' bronze reverse types were almost exclusively copied from the bronze issues of Augustus and Tiberius, which consisted of assortments of grain motifs, illustrating again Egypt's imponance to Rome. There are very few references to Roman events in the Alexandrian series. However. one such instance is the clasped-hand motif, which celebrated the marriage of Claudius to Agrippina in his tenth regnal year, This coin type was struck in Claudius' 10th to 12th regnal years and parallels the bronze issues of Agrippina.

Inscriptions

Exp a n s ion !l 04 the inscriptions are given in br a cl(et 'S ,

INSCRIPTIONS OF TIBERIUB

TIBEPI0~ KAl~AP ~EBA~TO~ ~ Tiberius C~vsar AUgustu5

Tl eE{PIO~) - Tiberius

Tl (BEP t Ol:) .. Tiberiut!

TIBEPIOV ., 04 Tiberius (genitive case)

"'EO~ :5:EeA~TO~ ~ Oi vus Augustus

INSCRIPT I ONS OF CLAUDIUB AND AGRIPPINA

Tl (BERIOD KI'IAVl lIIOD KAI~(AP) ~EI:IA(~TI} l:) !·EPMf.lIH ( KUU "'V·l Ur:P (f.l f UP)

• Tlberius Claud iulS Call~ar /IUQUstus Gttrm5n icu$ Imperat.or

TI IBEPtoC ) ttIlI AVlIIOC) KAIICAP) CEIBAC1U(;) I"EIPMflNiKUC )

., Tiberiu!! t.;laudius Cae!!;ar AUQ'JSt.U 5 GermanlCU!!; Impl'!r.3tor

TII BEP IOC) KIIAVIlI IOC ) CEBACITOC) rEPMfANIKOC) _ Tiberiu. Claudlu. Augustus Germ~n l cu5

TIB(EPIOCI KI\AVIlI l DCI - Tiberlus Claud!u,"

ANTONIA tEBAtTH ~ Antonia Au~u.ta

MEttAIII NA KAlt(APO~) tE8IACTH ) _ Me55alin. (wife) 04 Caesar Augusta

ArPIRWINA ~EBA~TH - Agrippina Augusta

EV9HNIA - Euthenia

e Tables copyright 1989 K. Emmet Please turn to page XX

Don't forget to Tell your friends about The Celator

)"he Celator '.~.'

Octo~r .1 .989

.. <!loin ~ttllrrir 11

is pleased to announce its F AU MAIL BID SALE

ANCIENT AND MODERN COINS OF THE WORLD

AND THE UNITED STATES

Closing Date: Wednesday, November 15, 1989

Featuring over 500 Lots of Ancient Greek, Roman and Byzantine Gold, Silver and Bronze coins

• An extensive offering of Ancient Gold Coins including a specialized consignment of the Solidi of Constans n.

• Attractive and representative consignments of Greek Silver and Bronze Coins.

• A selec~ choice group of Roman Republican Silver.

• A representative offering of Roman Imperial 'Silver and Bronze, including some choice Provincial Silver and an excellent group from Roman Alexandria.

• A small selection of Byzantine Bronzes.

A wide range of coins to appeal to both the advanced and beginning collector, as well as to the general student of Ancient History

Profusely D1ustrated CataiQeues Ayailable Now!

STACKS will be conducting a PUBLIC AUCTION SALE of Ancient and Foreign coins

on December 7, 8, 1989 in conjunction with

THE NEW YORK INTERNATIONAL NUMISMATIC CONVENTION Highlights will appear in our ad in the November issue of THE CELA TOR

r.--------..... -. l.ftae/la/ moin "ulbrif.a I 1123 West 57th St. I

New York, NY 10019 ./taeItJ/ mOht ~allrrtr!l The Ancient and Foreign Department of Stack's 123 West 57th Street New York, NY 10019 Telephone (212) 582·5955 Telex: 666125 (W.U.)

FAX: (212) 245·5018

I Enclose~ please find $5.00 for your November_15, 1989 Mail Bid I Sale Catalogue and list of Prices Realized (after sale),

I Name I 1- ' I I City Stale Zip ::.I ----------

XII The Cefator October 1989

Art and the Market Auction sets world record

Greater New York Show confirms weaker market by Wayne G. Sayles

The Greater NY Show and A.I.N.A. convention held at the Park Central Hotel September 8-10 tended to confinn the impress ion of a weaker market in recent months. Although some dealers -mainly in moderately priced coins -

reported brisk sales, many others found the wholesale trade significantly overshadowing retail activity. With a notable shonage of fresh material in high grade. dealers seemed anxious to buy the limited offerings from the floor.

AUClions held during the week by

Million dollar aureus Hong Kong displayed at

An extremely rare gold au reus of Brutus with the Eid-Mar reverse was displayed by Numismatic Fine Arts at the Hong Kong Show in September. The piece, thought by some to be the most important Roman gold coin ever struc k, and cenainly one of the mos t historic, is valued at $ 1,000,000. The NFA specimen is the second and finest known example.

The Hong Kong Show also included an auc tion of world coins by Ron Gillio, organizer of the show. The sale neued over 1.6 million dollars - a record for the show, and included a selection of ancients.

_.

<f.; , . ", _ , U

Q· .. ,.·' -

. . ":. ' . • -:: y • :.J , "" . , ·l!D@.'~ ' . . . ." .

For details about next year's Hong Kong Show write to Ronald J. Gillio Inc., 1013 State St, Santa Barbara, 'CA 93101, or call (805) 963-1 345.

Steven Rubinger of Numismatic Fine Arts (feft) shows "miffion dollar coin" (Ides of March Aureus of Brutus) to Hong Kong Show coordinator Ron Giffio.

Specialist in Ancient Coins also stock World Minor Coins, Medals, Crowns,

Artifacts, Books and Coin cases Our inventory is among the fInest in America, Due to maintaining the

most active convention schedule ('If all ancient coin dealers, we buy and sell a tremendous selection of all types of numismatic material.

ESPECIALLY NEED Gold and Silver of the 12 Caesars

We attend and will represent you at major auctions. In the past two years we have completed five sets of the 12 Caesars in Gold.

WE FILL WANT LISTS and publish quarterly catalogs

AI/coins guaranteed genuine and have a 14 day return privilege

GEORGE M. BEACH Numiscellaneous

P.o. Box 113 Owosso. MI 48867 - (517) 634-5415 Over 20 years in business

ANA District Rep. - Central U.S. Director, C.N.A.

Christie's, Stack's and Joel Malter also seemed to reflect a sporadic market. One of the highl ights came from the convention sponsored Malter sale of Howard Brin's collection of ancient Jewish coins.

The cover coin, a large bronze (AE-31) from year one of the Bar Kochba Second Revolt drew remarkable interest and spirited bidding. The very rare and

, extremely fine specimen (Meshorer 169, Type 3) featu res a large ribbed body amphora surrounded by Hebrew inscription on the obverse. The reverse features a Hebrew inscription in three lines which translates as "Shimon Prince of Israer. Estimated at $4,O<X> the piece was fiercely bid up w a record $17,O<X> before comm ission.

Other activities at the convention included a number of educational forums and exhibits as well as the traditional gathering of the young numismatists.

Oren Acar caused some excitement on the floor as the Turkish journalist (who was escorted from the same show last year) returned to gather data for a reported artic le on Turki sh counterfeiting.

Ae-31 Bar Kochba Second Revolt

Convention coord inator Moe Weinschel announced that due to a scheduling connic t, next spring's Greater NY Show will be held on May 2-4, that is, Wednesday through Friday only. An auction of ancient coins is anticipated.

Long Beach features

fall expo ancients many

The 12th annual Fall Long Beach Numismatic and Philatelic Exposition will be held at the Long Beach, CA Convention Cente r on Oct 5-8. Featuring over 100 ancient and foreign coin booths, the show has in recent years become one of the most important west coast shows for antiquarians, and one of the few with ample adjacent parking.

Accordi ng to show organizer, Sam Lopresto, the attendance figure has continued to climb as the event moves into its 12th year, and now draws well

over 10,000 visitors. The Long Beach Show is held four times a year and inc ludes a number of forums and seminars as well as an active bourse. Auc tions. in conj unc tion with th e show, will be held by Heritage Rare Coi n Auctions and Pacific Coast Auction Galleries.

A special travel discount of 5% may be obtained for airline fares through the

official show travel agency by calling 800-426-8326. For further information about the Long Beach Expo call Sam Lopresto at 21 3-437-08 19.

Huston list #92 mailed

Class ical numismatist Stephen M. Huston has issued fi xed price list 92 of ancient coins. The 12 page full y illustrated list features 45 coins, all in the $500 or under category.

The cover coin on Huston's latest list is Roman Egypt Tetradrachm of Nero and Agrippina in F-VF condition with a nice portrait of the wife of Claudius and mother of Nero at $275.

For a copy of List 92 write to Stephen M. Huston, P.O . Box 3621, San Francisco, CA 94119 or call (4 15) 781-7580.

If this calibre of numismatic art excites yOU"

it is only one of hundreds of beautiful treasures from the past residing

for the moment in our trays. Write for a complimentary

copy of our catalogue.

PRo Pa\7L RyneaRSOn P. o. Box 4009

MALIBU, CA 90265


NEW FINDS .... An interesting misspelling occurs on a coin of Gaesarea in Cappadocia. The coin (in my collec~on) is an early example of a didrachm of Nero and Claudius, Syd. #66. The error occurs on the reverse (head 01 Claudius) with the word PATER spelled PTAER. This appears to b£. no more than a mental lapse on the part of the cela\Of. However, looking closer the T is of a peculiar shape (see diagram) making me wonder if the oograver had picked up a Greek letter punch in error. If so it would appear to be an example of a mixing 01 both Greek and La tin letters as E. A. Sydenham suggests in The Coinage of Caesarea in CappadccJa.

This seems to be an unusual occurrence as we have both a misspelled word with the letter out of place being the only Greek letter used in the legend. An example with correct spelling of PATER and the odd shaped T can be seen in The Frederick S. Knobloch Collection 01 Roman Imperial Coins, Lol.240, sold by Stacks, May I , 2,3, 1980.

This variant is not mentioned in The Coinage of Caesarea in Cappadocia by E. A. Sydenham, nor in the accompanying supplement by Alex Malloy. It is unlisted in Seaby's Roman Silver Coins, Vol. II. A search of about 400 ancient auction catalogues has also failed to turn up this misspelt variant.

Please ...

Thomas R. Walsh New York

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Giessener Munzhandlung Dieter Gorny GmbH, Munchen

AUCTION

Giessener Mtinzhandlung Dieter Gorny GmbH D·8000 MUnchen 2 Maxirniliansplatz 20 Tel: 49/89122 68 76 Fax: 49/89122 85 513

Thrace, Abdera, Stater (11.10) 386/3 - 375; May 402.

Paros, Didrachm (7.76) ca. 200; coli . Winterthur 2316.

Licinius, Aureus (5.14), ThessaJonike , 311 - 313, RIC 44a.

Justinian II. 1. reign., 685 -695 , Solidus (4.42) Constantinople , Sear 1248, Hahn 8 a.

. October 30, 1989

ANCIENT COINS

800 Celtic, Greek, Roman and Byzantine coins. Inclueing a compre hensive series of Denarii of Augustus, nurrerous uncirculated denarii of Hadrian and Vespa sian, as well as some high - grade late Roman and Byzantine gold coins.

Auction Sale No. 47 MEDIEVAL through MODERN

lim es. October 31, 1989.

Auction catalogues are available at US $10 each rrom our company.

XIII

XliII The Celator October 1989

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Gorny readies for auction

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Jean-Paul Divo Secretary, I.A.P.N, L6wenstrasse, 65

CH-8001 ZOrich, Switzerland

Kantharos • Apulia, So. Italy. Ca. 350 B.C.

9" H $1595

Bird form slate pallette Pre Dynastic Egypt

Ca. 3500 B.C. 5" H. $1375

In keeping with the tradition of previous years Giessener MUnzhandlung will hold an auction sale on October 30, 1989 featuring approximatel y 700 ancient coins including Celtic, Greek, Roman and Byzantine.

One special feature of the Greek section is a group of rarities from Northern Greece, e.g. several staters from Abdera, a stater from Assoros from the 6th century, two tetradrachmae of the Chalcidean Legue, some interesting archaic silver coins from Asia Minor as well as a large lot of Syrian tetradrachmae of Caracalla and Macrinus.

The highlights of the Roman coins will be a complete group of denarii of Augustus, numerous uncirculated denarii of Vespasian and Hadrian as well as some rare and high grade late roman gold coins.

BOSTON ... Ancient and Foreign Coin Mecca of The Nonheast!

BAY STATE COIN SHOW

25th Anniversary Year November 17, 18, 19 - 1989

"57" PARK PLAZA HOTEL Room reservations: 617-482-1800

Oller 24 years ... "New England's lArgest Coin ShoN!!!"

Chairman: Ed Aleo Box 400. Winchester. MA 01890

617-729-9677 A

Paphlagonien, Amastris. Stater (9,58), under Queen Amastris.

3021300. Weber 2290. Estimated in VF·EF at DM 8,000. Queen Amastris is of a special

interest due to her personal history. She was the niece of Darius 111

the last Persian king. The wife of Dionysos Tyrant of Kerakleia aoo

later the wife of Lysimachos.

The Byzantine era will be represented by a generaUy high grade group of coins including some rariti~ of rare emperors. For auction sa1e information write to Giessenec MUnzhandlung, Dieter Gorny , GmbH. Maximiliansplatz 20, D-8000 Milnchen 2, West Gennany, telephone (089) 22 68 76.

You don't want to miss even one

issue of The Celator Subscribe todayl

Xmner %Joke 5011eries presenls 9Ii## from ~~XXXIII

Session I Individual Quality Items, Whole Collections and EsUUts

are always of interest to us. No collection is 100 smaU or /00 ltuge

Please contact us for consignment i/ifonnaJion or upcoming aue/ron schedules in the following areas:

Antiquities, Pre-Columbian Art, Tribal Arts, Ancient, Foreign and American NumismaJics,

Paper Money, Ephemera, Stamps, Bottles, Hiswrical Glass, Americana, Jewelry, WristwaJches.

All oJ/ers of iJems for consignment should be accompanied by eilher clear photos with

siz.es or a complete invenlOry list. All inquiries will be answered promptly, courteously,

and confidentially. Free Auction QuOIts.

Bronze Head 01 Osiris . Egypt, 26th Dynasty

Ca. 663-525 B.C. 3 114" H. $1210

Pottery Alabaslron Corinth, 5th Cent B.C.

3314" H. $1045

Wooden Funerary Boat Egypt 26th Dynasty Ca. 663-525 B.C. 27 112"l. $4675


Very Rare Medieval Hungarian Silver Coins

With Hebrew Letters Offered By Superior

Throughout history, Judaic coins have preserved pbysical proof of the triumph of adversity .... from the overstriking of Roman coins by Simon Bar Kokhba during the Second Revolt against Rome (132-135 eE) to the production of Israel's firs t crude coins in a Tel Aviv cutlery factory eady in 1948 while the newly proclaimed country was fighting off the mighty Arab armies. Bar Kokhba' 5 first name appears on his coins, and we know tbat Alfred Salzman struck Israel' 5 first coins from dies engraved by Moshe Muro.

Other Judaic coin issuers have left only tantalizing hints as to their identities. The appearance on the numismatic market place of a group of exceedingly rare small silver coins struck in medieval Hungary, are historic pieces of evidence in a mysterious numismatic puzzle. In the 13th ceritury, Hungarian state policy permitted the mint to be farmed out. Between the years 1222 and 1234 the clergy and nobility protested vehemently against the role of Jewish mint masters, and the matter was not settled until 1239, when Pope Gregory IX decided in favor of the Jewish interests. This tolerance continued until 1279, when the pressures grew more extreme and Jews were finally excluded.

In this brief 40 year period, small " obols" were issued by unknown Jewish mint masters under Bela IV 11235-1270} and Stephan V 11270-1272}. Small quantities of three different issues, which were originally pan of the Niklovits Collection in the National Hungarian Museum, !acqurred around the turn of the Century), through a special deacquisition, are being offered individually and in sets by Superior Stamp and Coin Company. Ira Goldberg, who negotiated for this historic group, indicates that "for all pratical purposes these are the only Medieval Jewish coins that can be bought, and once these are sold it is extremely unlikely that a similar opportunity will ever occur." .

The three coins available are all silver "obols" measuring about II millimeters as follows. Aleph type: Obverse with the head of Stephan facing left, inscribed MONETA UNGARIE !Hungarian Money); reverse with a large Hebrew letter " Aleph" surrounded by two birds. Large Tsadi type: Struck under Bela IV, obverse features a castle tower on a hill between two lilies [fleur-de-lis); a large Hebrew letter "Tsadi" appears within a wreath on the reverse. Small Tsadi type: Also issued during the reign of Bela IV, obverse portrays a bust of the king with his name REX BELA followed by a small Hebrew letter "Tsadi", while the reverse has an eagle with spread wings.

These Medieval Jewish silver coins are in Choice Very Fine condition and exhibit attractive natural antique cabinet toning.

Scholar Daniel Friedenberg aptly summed up: " It is intriguing to think of these unknown meo, dead for over 700 years, whose sole stamp in history is a single Hebrew letter."

....... '11" typ", silvorobol, under Stephan V, AD l17o.I2720bv: Hud of the K~ to left, Inocriptionaround; .. MONETA UNGARIE. Rev: Laru aleph 'M. betw«D two bird>. Bibliography: Hunar, L. MUENZKATALOG UNGARN, Munich 1979, No , 357, Rethy, L, CORPUS NUMMORUM HUNGARlE, Vol. I, Budap"", 1898. No. 197

"l.al:gelaadi" type, silyer obol, under Bela IV, AD 1235·1270 Obv; Bution tower on a hill between two lilies [fleur-de·li.j Rev: 1.o,se tud i ":iI , unounded by wfcoth. Biblioyaphy: H",:w, No. 306; Rethy, CNH, 1'1, 241

"SmaU Iaadi" type, illv", obot under Bela IV, AD 1235·1170 Obv: Bu", of the K~. inocription, + REX,BELA, . mall , .. di'::l Rev' Bogle witll .PfCad win31 Bibliograpby: Huo:w, No. 313, Rethy. CNH, No. 146

Superior Stamp & Coin Co., Inc. 9478 West Olympic Boulevard. Beverly Hills, California 90212-4299. (213) 203-9855. (800) 421-0754 . FAX (213) 203-0496

Yes, I want to acquire the exceedingly rare Choice Very Fine 700 year old Hungarian Silver obols with Hebrew letters as follows: O Set of three@ $295 0 Set of two (Large Aleph & Small Tsadi) @ $175 0 Single Coin (Aleph)@$99 Name Street :-_____________ _

City State ______ Zip Phone ____ ---:::----:: _____ _ o Check Enclosed. Charge To: 0 _ 0 Z o . Acct#: __________ _____ E D ____ _ xp. ate: Signature _____________________ Cali fornia residents add appropriate sales tax.

xv

'. ' .. " , , ," , ...•. , . • "" .. , I.· ... I ,· '. ' . ... . " " I' \'" ., '.' " .• , ' .' . '.'.'. ' .' '. - ' . . . . . . . '.'.'.' . . , .• , .. . "' ." ' .' _ ",, ' " • •• • ,." •••. • . , •• ,. _ •• ,-,' .

. . XVI

Bank Leu Ltd Zurich Numismatics

Every year we have an auction of very important ancient coins in spring. We issue occasiona/lists. Our stock ranges from Hemitartemoria to Dekadrachmai, and from Quadrantes to Multiple Aureus Medallions. We actively buy and sell at all price levels.

Bank Leu Ltd In Gassen 20 CH-8001 Zurich Switzerland Telephone (from the US) 011 411 21924 06 Te/elal( 011 411 219 33 06

COINS

TOM CEDERLIND P. O. Box 1963-C

Portland, OR • 97207

TheC9lator

Bargai n coi ns Robinson mail

strong in bid sale

A bronze As of the Roman Emperor Caligula (37-41 AD) grading Very Fine sold for $476. reduced from a top bid of $510. in a mail-bid sale conducted by dealer Frank S. Robinson of Albany, New York, which closed on September 13. Of the 654 lots in the sale, only 29 failed to sell ; and out of 229 bidders, 188 were successful, with bid reductions averaging approximately 20%.

Among Greek coin highlights was a VF silver obol of Aegina bringing $1 45 on a $210 bid; a choice EF medium bronze of Bruttium at $320 reduced from $455; a VF Ae42 (large bronze) of Ptolemy IV of Egypt reduced from $291 to $161; a bronze of the famous Cleopatra graded VG+/G fetching $152; and an A VF Alexander the Great tetradrachm at $157. Also, a VF Demeter head stater of Metapontum brought $276; a Rhodian didrachm in Fine $157; an EF Himera hemilitron $161; and tetradrachms of Syracuse and Lysimachus, graded FI AF and AVF

respectively, brought $167 and $23l. Among Roman coins, a VF Julius

Caesar dupondius sold for $436; ' a "Tribute Penny" denarius of Tiberius, also VF, for $211 while an AEF bronze As of the same ruler brought $290 reduced from $405; a Fine "Roma" sestertius of Nero sold for $163; and a VF "Judaea" denarius of Vespasian realized $321.

Turning to the later centuries. a VF+ Paduan medallion of Antinous was sold for $251 on a $450 bid; a rare "Liberality" Balbinus sestertius graded F+ brought $405; and a VF gold solidus of Marcian was purchased for $361.

At the lower end of the scale, a low grade but scarce bronze of the usurper Carausius was sold for just $1.50.

Robinson's sale also included group lots and some literature. His next similar sale will be held in December. Catalogs will be available free by writing to him at Box 2064A, Albany, NY 12220.

Jean ELSEN, S.A. • Public Auctions

• Numismatic Literatttre • Monthly Illustrated Price LisIS

• Ancient, Medieval, Islamic and Modern Coins

Avenue de Tervueren 65, Bte 1 1040 BRUSSELS-BELGIUM ... \~"~"('

Tel: 011-322-734-6356 {Di ~~ . 0

..... 11"

Subscribe to the only full service newspaper specializing in ancient coins and antiquities,'

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The . Celator October 1989 XVII

Fact and fantasy Hoard spurs the imagination as coins relate history

by H. Kogen Imagine yourself in Tiberius over

1850 years ago. The magnificent walls that only remain today as archaeological segments, were then complete. They surrounded the city providing protection to the inhabitants from invaders, bandits. and other dangerous elements which could not pass through her well guarded gates.

There lived a Jewish merchant who prospered within thi s walled city . Concerned about his future. he guarded his savings which he accumulated over the years from the success of his commerce. Not being of great wealth to afford gold, he carefully hoarded silver tetradrachms minted in the Eastern provincial capitols of the Roman Empire. Regarding the purity of the silver, he carefully selected the best coins for his savings. Many of the tetradrachms of Alexandria struck on debased planchelS were recin:ulated while the coins from Tyre and Antioch of greater purity were favored for his hoard.

His success obviously began during the reign of Nero (54 to 69 AD). Many Nero tetradrachms were present in his hoard and all of high quality silver.

Under the protection and favor of Agrippa n, the Jewish King who sided with Rome during the Jewish-Roman War (66-70 AD), he was safe from the horrors which were the fate of those Jews who were caught up in the conflict. Not only did he survive and escape the plunder of this revolt, but he prospered as many do in the times of war. As his hoard grew, more Neros and now Yespasian tetradrachms entered his treasure chest The abundance of Yespasians confirm his success during

the post war period after 70 AD during which they were widely circulated. The Yespasian tetradrachms were in common use not onl y during the life of Yespasian who ruled from 69 to 79 AD but also during the successive reigns of his sons Titus and Domitian who ruled Rome until 96 AD.

After the death of Domitian, the Flavian Dynasty came to an end. Trajan assumed power and ruled with continuing stability for over 19 years from 98 to 117 AD.

During the prosperity of the Trajan era, the Tyre mint produced some of the finest tetradrachms of this period. Famous for the Shekels of Tyre which it had produced for centuries, coins of Tyre were highly trusted for their silver content. Although the Shekels had been discontinued decades before, Trajan allowed the city symbols to once again appear on silver coinage. Many of the Trajan tetradrachms are the standard Roman type featuring the Emperor on the obverse and a Roman eagle on the reverse. The pride of this hoard is, however, the Tyrian varieties.

These Tyrian coins portray the Roman emperor on the obverse along with the club and eagle of Tyre. The reverses also use unique Tyrian city themes such as the bust of Melkart, and the river goddess seated above Apollo who is bathing beneath her. The popularity of these coins kept them in circulation long into the Hadrianic Period.

Our Jewish merchant, reminiscent of the old shekel of Tyre and its importance to the Jews during the 2nd Temple Period, definitely favored this type. He began adding these to his

Minting coins the Roman way!

This summer, archaeologists in France are re-learning the art of minting. Not the theory but the real thing! A Roman mint discovered in 1975 provides the blueprint fur all the steps.

Three years ago, the quarterly magazine Roman Coins and Culture published the only article in English on the Roman mint at Heidenkopf. This year Roman Coins and Culture (in cooperation with French, German and American archaeologists) is

pleased to report the results of these minting trials with detailed, well-illustrated articles.

As the only publication devoted solely to Roman coinage, ReC covers the wide spectrum of Roman numismatics: the lives of the Caesars, the monuments seen on coins, the cults and myths, descriptions of previously unknOW"n Roman coins, and the latest discoveries in the archaeological field .

Learn the story behind the coins, sharpen your numismatic skills and get more enjoyment from your collection with a sub

scription to Roman Coins and Culture.

SPECIAL OFFER: The first 50 new subscribers who mention this ad (in the Celator) shall receive in addition a free hand-struck "denarius" made at the reconstructed mint.

" " " " "."

hoard as profits permitted. His prosperity continued and his savings continued to grow.

The trouble began during the reign of Hadrian. Our merchant, now a wise old man who had survived and prospered through good and bad times was caught in a new dilemma. Hadrian, ruling a strong Rome from 117 to 138 AD, had visited ancient Israel and had sown the seeds of a new revolt. Renaming Jerusalem, "Aelia Capitolina" and building a pagan temple in the Holy City had caused new discontent amongst the Jews. Our merchant favoring the Tyrian tetradrachms only added one Hadrian coin to his hoard. This, however, certainly dated the entire group.

In 135 AD, the Bar Kokhba Revolt erupted. In the early days of the war,

the Jews devastated the Roman legions. However, there was little chance of a long term victory. After all, so strong was Rome at this point that Hadrian had built a wall clear across Britain dividing ScoUand from the South. Perhaps our merchant knew this, remembered the disaster which ended the First Revolt and refused to cooperate with the Jewish forces. Possibly, he was ~xecuted as a traitor, or possibly murdered with the counUess other Jews that met this final destiny when the reinforced Roman Legions finwly ravished the land and destroyed the last of the Bar Kokhba forces along with most of the Jewish culture of ancient Israel. Although aUf merchant perished, his hoard survived for approximately 1850 years.

While this epic is highly fictional. the historic setting is quite real. Those were the times . . . .

HOARD SPECIALS A. $475 Byzantine AE (100) fair-fine. B. $675 Greek AE with Roman Colonials (100) fair-fine C. $695 "Widow's Mtte" type lepta (100) fair-fine D. $495 Roman bronzes (100) VG-VF E. $195 Roman bronzes (100) fair-fine F. $495 Roman bronzes (500) mostly fair G. $280 Ancients (1000) mostly poor

Please add $8 for postage and packing

£om/on Coin fjJ/eries Mloslon Viejo Mall, SuH" 132

Mloslon Viejo, CA 92691 ~5 at Crown Valley (714) ~

A "denarius" of JuUa Domna is beIng mInted on a stone anvil.

YEARLY SUBSCRIPTION RATES:

only $ 27.50 in the USA and Canada

$ 45.00 all other countries (ficst class mail)

Mail your orders to: Charles Coyle p. O. Box 2186 Ann Arbor, MI 48106

All coins struck in pewter, marked COPY and dated on reverse - "1988."

Back issues are available, write fOf the list.

XVIII

EGYPTIAN NEOLITHIC FLINTS 6,000 yrs. 0Id'1 "-1,!!"

$14 ea.

SUMERIAN SHELL MONEY. Earliest known money, Mesopotamia,

3,500-3,000 B.C., $14 ea.

SYRO-HITTITE HEAOS terra cotta. 2.000 B.C.

SYria, approx. 1-1 I/{ long different styles $29.00 each


SYRO-HITTITE DIVINITY buff colored terra cotta,

approx 5V{ talLe 20009 C, different

LARGE HOLYLANO HEAO FRAGMENTS EGYPTIAN EGYPTIAN MUMMY MASKS

terra cotta, from household votive 26th Oyn .. i i Late Period. c. 600-300 B.C. statues, 1-1%" approx. , 300-100 B.C., Osiris , the servant and scribe, Horeth") Wood with traces of paint,

$19 ea. 6N taU . $495 each different styles $600 each I~----------------~------~ ~------~------~~--------~------~--~-----

ROMAN GLASS BEAOS amber/ white wound glass,

C. 100 A.D. '12" long, (can be strung) $9.00 each

EGYPTIAN FAIENCE USHABTIS "SERVANTS OF THE DEAD"

26th Oyn .. 600 B.C .. inscribed (with translation) 4" tal l $95.00 each

LURISTAN BRONZE SPEAR POINTS, 1200-800 B.C.

5"-6", (fine condition), $89 ea,

GREEK IRON ARROWHEADS c. 700 B.C., difl. shapes,

from "Homeric Time-s", oxidized , 1"-2", $10 ea,

ROMAN BRONZE BRACELETS design on terminals, A.D.-100

(wearable), $25 ea,

ROMAN GLASS BOTTLES greenish color. c. 100 B.C.

smail (3" ta ll ... $125 each large (5" tall ... $225 each

CARNELIAN, INSCRIBED WITH ANCIENT PRAYER

15th-16th Century, approx. 1" suitable for setting, $29 ea.

The Celator October 1989 XVII II

= •. ~., .• '

ll'~~~.~·'~n~ •. ~ ') ,!i 4r:

i1: 'I! );1/ ~ .. iW

ALEXANDER THE GREAT SilVER TETRADRACHMS, 336·323 BC ANCIENT HOl YlAND COINS wi Extra Fine ... $325 Very Fine .. . $240 ROMAN BRONZE COINS Head of Roman Emperor & goddess BYZANTINE HOLY lAND

ALEXANDER THE GREAT AD 100·300, various types, AD 200·300, (Antoniniani) GOLD COINS w/face of Christ DRACHMS . $ (identifiable) $10 ea. 5il ver ... $55 ea. Bronze .. . $25 ea. 0 00 G , v. nice... 110 ,-..L. ___________ ... ----__ ----....I-.,A 1 0, 0Id ... $495 ea.

AUTHENTIC ANCIENT COIN JEWELRY Bronze ... $95 ea.

These Ancient Coins are set in Gold Vermeil or Silver. The Pendants have vermeil or silver chains. The Earrings are set on silver posts.

HOLY LAND TERRA COTTA OIL ALEXANDER IJl~~~~~M/DRACHM lAMPS & BOTTLES c. 100 Drachm earrings or cull links: AD 500, dillerenl styles and h" •• , ' vermeil. .. $350/ silver. .. $325

shapes , $39 ea. $75 for"two pendant: vermeil. .. $4S0/s ilver. ..

AFGHANISTAN ANCIENT BEAD NECKLACE, from

3000 BC, approx. 16" long "!earable, lapis .. . $175

Turquoise ... $95 SilVER DRACHM 200 vermeil. .. $2251

SUMERIAN STONE BEAD NECKLACE 18" long, black, grey, white beads, c. 3000 Be, wearable, $45 ea.

SASSANIAN SILVER OIRHAM AD 500·600

Earrings: vermeil. .. $110/silver ... $95 Pendant: vermeiL..$85 /s ilver ... $75

ROMAN BRONZE CO IN AD 100·300

Earrings or cuff links: vermeil .. $1151 silver .. . $95

Pendant: vermei L..$85/silver ... $75

EGYPTIAN MUMMY NECKLACE w/fa ience amlJlet, 26th Dynasty , c. 600 Be, 24"

long , wearable. $95 ea.

ANCIENT BIBLICAL COINS Bronze widow's mites, New Testament, mark 12:41-44,

(ident ifiable) $10 ea.

PARTHAIN SilVER DRACHMS 200 BC·AD 228, Dillerent rulers.

(VF . EF condit ion), $45 ea.

HOLY lAND MOTHER GODDESS terra cotta votive statue, c. 300 Be,

approx. 6" tall, $125 ea.

(

-'

xx

Roman Egypt Tl~~RlUS ( 16 - 37 A.D.l -- BUST UIR~C1IUNS

Apr. a , 1987 Rev (.) R"'F:ight L'"Lflft l "'l,lUr-II .. t .. b " tI.trl! c~corn ''''unusu .. l "-"',.-",di,,,t.

REGNAL YEAR DATE (A. D.)

TETS. DRAC. HEMI- 010801.. DeOLS DtCH. [!"I'Ic. ,

:--------------------:-------:------ :------:------.------:------:------iLr :16-17: : : :Rb.:"O' 1--------------------: ------- : ------: - - ---- : --- -- -: - -----: ------; ------ . ILtl :17-18: Iktl :1\0 1--------------------: -------: ------: ------: ------: ------: ------: ------ : : LE : 18-19 : : 1"(0 : 1'(0

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: LIH : :H-32 : RiLl :

:--------------------:-------:------:------:------:------ :------ :------: : LI~ : 32-33 : RILl : : -------------------- t ----:---: ------: ------: ------: ------: ------: ------: : LK : 33-34 : RiLl :

:-------------------- :------- ,------:------:------: ------:------: ------: LKA : 34- 35 : RiLl : : -------- ------------: ------- : ------: ------: ------: ------: ------: ------ '

: L"~ : 3:5-36 : RiLl : : : -------------------- : -------: ------: ------: ------: ------: ------: ------ : : LKr : 36-37 : RI.

:--------------------:-------:------ :------ :------ :---- ------:------TlBERIUS ~ 16 - 37 A, D, ) -- TETRADRACHMAS

TIBEPIO~KAIZAPZEBA~TO~. Vears 7.11. 14. 18-~3 Rarity I-S

, II 14 18 19 20 :.11 22 23

----------------------------------- : ---: ---: ---: ---: ---: --- ---: --- : ---Auqus tus Hlt a d r •• Rad •• IiIkOOn:EEAl:Tm: : 1 :

-----------------------------------:---:--- :---:---: ---:--- ---:---:---2 Auqustus Hea d 1 •• Rad •• IiIEOl:ZE8A~TO~: ::5:1:2:2:23:::::4

-----------------------------------:---:--- :---:---:---:--- ---: ---:---

TIBERIUS \ 16 - 37 A.D. ) -- BRONZE OBOL~

NO INSCRIPTION . ·Y e Ar .. 3-:'-6 , • • -----------------------------------------------:-----:-----

HippopotAmus Standing r •• TI8EP!OY , ----------------------------------------------- ~ -----: ----- ----- :

Clip & Save

Coin File ---------------------,';;::;;~;;: -Rhegium

AR - Tetradrachm ca. 400 B.C. Lion's Head/Apollo Dewing 536

Rhegium was a famous Greek city on the coast of Bruttium at the straits between Italy and Sicily. The place was first settled by Greeks in the mid-8th century B.C. and although prosperous, suffered a long series of political misfortunes. During the war against Pyrrhus, the city was garrisoned with 4,000 Roman troops levied from the Campanian countryside. In 279 B.C. these troops killed or expelled the entire male population of the city, Rhegium was nearly depopulated on at least three separate occasions, but the Greek tradition was intense and the Greek language was spokens there until a very late date, Rhegium was under the control of the Byzantine Empire after the fall of the Roman West.

L _________________________ ~

BUYING & SELLING

WORLD

1100 B.c. to Modern

for Free List: ~ Anything Anywhere

P. O. Box 02826 Portland OR 97202

. , .. , ' ... , ...... , , , . , .. , .. , .

.... Thl! C!!)alor . O.ctplMlr. .t989

Continued from page X

T1BERI US ( 16 - 37 A.D, ) -- 8P.QNZE DICHALI:ONS

NO INSCP.IPTlON, V .. .. r 4 , • , :----------------------------------------------------- :-----:-----:----- :

t: CroCQdil .. St .. ndinq r . :-----------------------------------------------------:-----:-----:-----, , :-----------------------------------------------------:-----:-----:-----: , : -----------------------------------------------------; -----: -----: ----_ .

4: Goat's H .. ad r. :-----------------------------------------------------:----- :-----:-----: -----------------------------------------------------: -----: -----; -----

6: W .... ath ContaininQ TI ~

:-----------------------------------------------------:-----:-----:-----CLAUDIUS I IJ .. n. 25, 41 - Oct . 13 . 5 4 A.D.) - - BUST DIRECTIONS

R-Rio;lht L- Left I - l aureAte b-ba .... c-corn . "unusual r_rildl .ate

REGNAL VEAR DATE IA.D. )

T£TS. 81LLON ~ILLON

DWf':. HI::MIURAC .

DIOIOtlL DEOLS -UICH.

: ____________________ , _______ : ______ : ______ : ______ , ___ --- :------1 ------ : , c. .. 1 RI J __________ _ _________ : ------: - -----: ------; ------: -----: ------1 ------ ; , " 1 41-42 : Rl : rli : RI , "' : --------------------1 -------: ------: ------: ------: ------: ------ : ------ : , CC \ 42-43 1 Rl : Rl : Rl : 1-<1 : rli

: --------------------: -------: ------ : ----- -: ------: ------: ------ : ------: L8 : 4 3-,. .. : RI : 1-<1 : Rl : r, :------------~-------i-------:------:------:------:------: ------:------ .

, " : 44-oI!; : R1 : RI* : rli t

:--------------------:-------:------:------:------:------: ------ :------: : LS : 45-"", : Rl : RI : !'o:

:-------------------- -------:------:------:------.------:------:------ ' : 1..Z : 46-47 : : Rl.

:--------------------:-------:------ :------:------:------:------ ;------ : : Ll : 49-5 ') : : RI : RI 1 I'll : ---_________________ : -------: - - ---- i ------ : ------: ------: - -----: ------ :

: LlA : 50-51 : : I'll : RI : RI

:--------------------:-------:------ ------ ------: ------:------:------ ' : LIB : Rl 1 Rl

:--------------------:-------i------:------:------:------1 ------:------: Llr 1 RI : R1

:--------------------:------- ,------:------:------:------:------:------: Lill : RU : RP

:--------------------:-------:------,------:------:------:------ : I LIE : RI :--------------------:------- '------:------:-----_._-----:------:------

Please turn to page XXXI

QUOTES FROM THE PAST "By all means marry; if you get a good wife, you'll become happy; if you get a bad one, you'll become a philosopher."

Socrates

TRIVIA QUIZ The Roman divinity Lupercus was worshipped by shepherds as the

protector of their flocks against wolves. His wife was said to be the she-wolf that

nursed Romulus and Remus. What was her name?

(Last month's answer on page XXXIliI)

OF COUR££ WARWOLlU£, WE All AbREE IT IS b. RtM~RKABLt; PAINTIN0. BUT W\.1AT, IN T\.1[; NAME OF JUPITER, 1£ IT 1\ REflMRKABLI;. PAiNTIN0 OF?!

. :.

.' OciObe( 1989

Interesting antiquities

and mark

unusual HR sale

If there were any doubts that Antiquities are in a booming market. Hanner Rooke's Absentee Auction of September 13 has laid them all to rest. "Not only was there tremendous interest but some extremely strong prices were realized," commented Howard S. Rose, president of Hanner Rooke.

A rare Sumerian Foundation T ablet dedicating a building to "Lin Kashid" I king of Uruk from 1865·1804 Be realized a healthy $797 .50.

A fine Etrusco.corinthian Alabastron depicting a lion and a swan fetched $ \,045 .

One of the most popular items in the sale was an Egyptian Wooden Funerary Boat. Its function was as a tomb accoutrement meant to transport the spirit of the deceased up the Nile to its resting place in the Netherworld. It sold for $4,675 to a private collector.

A Roman-Coptic plate with a portrait of a youth will find a new home in an up and coming museum collection. They were thrilled with their purchase at $1,375.

Egyptian Limestone Cameo Slab

Another highlight in the saJe was a 5 1/2" slab of limestone used as a trial piece and bearing a cameo profile portrait of an Egyptian Queen. With nearly a dozen active bidders on this lot it finally hammered down at $3,575 against a $1,500 estimate.

Private

Egyptian Limestone Ushabti

The limestone Ushabti, which interestingly bore a blank deilication line. as evidence of mass production of Egyptian grave offerings, sold for $3,850 in spite of a repaired break.

The sale was chock. full of aJl sorts of interesting and unusuaJ items and had about a 92% success rate of sold antiquities.

Rose further commented that "the mark.et has never been better and with the widening acceptance of absentee auctions. we are able to cater to a much larger audience."

Hanner Rooke conducts three to four such auctions a year and is always actively seeking new consignments as well as interested buyers. For information about upcoming auctions contact Harmer Rooke Galleries at 3 East 57th Stteet. New York. NY 10022, or call (800) 22\-7276.

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XXI

Jacquier offers fixed price list Numismatist Pau l-Francis Jacquier

has released fixed price list #10 of ancient coins and antiquities for the fall '89 season. Including over 600 lots of Greek. Roman. Byzantine and related coinage, the fully illustrated, high qUality calaJogue is especially strong in Roman Imperial and Gallic Empire coinage.

Also featured are a number of very choice Greek bronzes from Sicily and a nice se lection of Celtic coina~e.

Rarities abound and include such gems as an architectural reverse double sestertius of Postumus, a denarius of Cams, and a medallion of Constantine with facing bus ts of Cuispus and Constantine II on the reverse.

Subsc ription information was unavailable at press time, to obtain a copy of Jacquier's current list write to Paul-Francis lacquier. HonseUstrasse 8, 7640 KehVRhein, West Gennany, or telephone 011-49-78-51-1217.

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XXII ,

Review Justin II are dated by indiction to 568/572. The dating of Justinian's new solidi is more problematic. Those in the hoard bear the letters rand .6 which are straightfOIward, but what to make of a solidus. not in the hoard, but reattributed to Sicily because of its close similarity to the new hoard solidi, which has the letters AS on the reverse? Future finds will surely enable us to advance our knowledge here. It should be mentioned that the hoard contains semisses and tremisses of Justinian I and Justin II from the new Sicilian mint. These were not hitheno unknown but since Sicily was not thought to have issued a gold coinage this early, they had been placed at Ravenna. Now they have been reattributed.

Article 3 Carthage: The Moneta Auri

under Justinian I and Justin II, 537-578 Cecile Morrisson

During these two reigns the Carthaginian solidi had not yet shrunk in diameter to a size that makes their identification easy and since at this time there are few iconographic differences between the Constantinopolitan and

NUMISMATIK

LANZ MONCHEN

Carthaginian issues, style alone enables them to be distinguished.

C. Morrisson identifies two styles at Carthage, one comparable to the capital and one somewhat cruder. For Justinian, apart from the unique solidus with the A¢lP mintmark, solidi were only struck in 5 of the last 27 years of his reign, being dated by indiction. Under Justin II, certain minor differences appear on the Carthage solidi which enable them to be distinguished from the Constantinople solidi and the issues become more prolific, being struck in 10 of the 13 years of the reign. For some reason, in this reign the coins are dated by Justin's regnal years.

In addition Morrisson, through the number of recorded coins and dies, estimates the size of each issue and ties all this in to the historical background of North Africa. This is an important article.

Article 4 The Minting of Gold Coinage at Thessalonica in the Fifth

and Sixth Centuries and the Gold Currency of lIIyricum and Dalmatia

D. M. Metcalf

Dr. Hubert Lanz Luitpoldblock MaximiliansplalZ 10 D-8QC(} MUnchen 2 West Germany Tel. (49) (89) 29 90 70 Fax. (49) (89) 22 07 62

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Since the gold coinage produced in Thessalonica was used to pay troops and officials in the prefecture of Iliyricum, D. Metcalf first surveys the hoard and find evidence for the region, showing

' how scarce the Thessalonican gold coinage seems to be.

Of the 468 coins recorded by D. Metcalf there are only 24 coins linked by both obverse and reverse dies, 37 linked by obverse only and 13 linked by reverse dies. Since none of the two latter groups are duplicated in the former, it appears that the 468 coins were struck from 407 obverse and 431 reverse dies. To the reviewer these figures might indicate two things • either the mint at Thessalonica did not strike as many coins per die as Constantinople. or Thessalonica, being the mint for a predominantly military prefecture, was more successful in recovering the coins in tax than was possible in areas with a large and wealthier civilian population who were able to accumulate savings and wealth.

There are four appendices to this paper. The frrst deals with the issues of Arcadius, Honorius and Theodosius II where the emperor wears a chrismon on his cuirass. Since there are no illustrations of these coins in the otherwise excellent plates, it is hard for the general reader to follow this section. The only comment the reviewer will make is that he agrees with D. Metcalf that the coins are not Thessalonican. In the mid-1980's the reviewer acquired a small hoard of these coins with solidi in the names of all three rulers, with AUGG and AUGGG legends, with and without stars in the field and with either a prow or an eagle at Victory'S feet. The coins had a western Turkish provenance. The reviewer does not feel they are Carthaginian.

Appendices 2 and 3 describe and list all 468 solidi known to D. Metcalf struck at Thessalonica between the reigns of Theodosius II and Heraclius. The reviewer would take issue with Metcalf on one or two points. With regard to the consular solidi of Leo I, Metcalf notes that there are two varieties - those with an unbroken obverse legend and a star in the reverse field which are common and those with a broken obverse legend and two stars in the reverse field which are rare. He notes that the first variety appears in two styles and that there are no die links between the two main groups. Metcalf places the rare coins with the broken obverse legend earlier.

However, several years ago in a series of lectures, Dr. J. P. C. Kent suggested that those coins in a neat style with an unbroken obverse legend were struck first with dies engraved in Thessalonica. The quantity of these consular solidi required was so large for some reason that more dies were needed. and that these, in a cruder style and with a broken obverse legend were engraved at Constantinople and sent to Thessalonica. All combinations of dies were apparently known to Dr. Kent -Thessalonican obverse and reverse together, Constantinople obverse and reverse; Constantinople obverse on Thessalonican reverse; Thessalonican obverse and Constantinople reverse.

The coinage of Thessalonica becomes much rarer after the reign of Justin II and in fact Metcalf cites only one example of Focas for the mint. Now although Meocalf is listed as the author of this article, he points out in his fust (unnumbered) foot note that Hahn was also heavily involved in this article. The solidus of Focas in question was


Cont!nued from page 1111 ,

Greek who had apparently purchased it in Thessalonica and offered it as a coin

; of the mint since he was aware that at the time no coins of Focas were known for Thessalonica, As the coin was inexpensive (an indication that the seller hadn't acquired the coin in Thessalonica and did not really believe his own

: suggestion) the reviewer purchased it , despite the fact that it did not seem to fit

easily into the Thessalonican series. He sent photographs to both Metcalf and Hahn. The former replied with congratulations that a gap in the Thessalonican series had at last been filled while the latter replied saying that in no way did he consider the coin Thessalonican. It was eventually sold to a collector who considered it to be an

. Italian issue! In 1984 the reviewer published some

tremisses and semisses, assigning them to Thessalonica, also reattributing certain similar solidi of Focas (D0.5b.2; M.1BII, 3 and 5) to the same mint No mention is made of these, or even the article in which they were published. The introduction does, however, mention this article although it cites only the tremisses, not the

. semis (struck from the same obverse die as the tremisses), or the solidi. These ignored solidi of Focas are similar in style to the Thessalonican solidi of Heraciius, being rather more like the coins of Ravenna than the Thessalonican solidi of the previous emperors.

Article 5 Seventh Century Byzantine

Coins In Southern Russia and the Problem of

Light Weight Solidi John Smedley

J. Smedley lists all the finds (34) of Byzantine coins of the period from the area under discussion. Ignoring the imitations, of which one find of 72 specimens appear to copy the same light weight solidus of Constans II, and allowing for the problems of recording in early years, it certainly appears that light weight solidi in Russia do not exceed 10% of the total finds. Full weight solidi outnumber light weight

' pieces about three to one when finds contain only two or three coins. In only one hoard do the light weight coins greatly outnumber the full weight solidi - that of Pereshchepino which contained only 10 full weight coins and 59 light weights. Overall, however, we cannot be certain of the figures since under hoard 5 Smedley comments that since all coins bore the mint mark CONOB they must therefore be full weight. Hopefully this is a· slip of the pen and does not mean that the author is unaware of the group of 23-carat light weight solidi distinguished only by two stars in the field.

Since we do not precisely know how Byzantine gold coins reached Russia we cannot hypothesize about the mechanics of the situation . Certainly it appears that the light weight solidi represented a higher proportion of gold coins leaving the empire than they did in hoards formed within the empire but this has no significance if payments outside the empire were made by weight. Within the empire lightweight solidi may constitute between 1 % and 2% of solidus hoard contents. Within the last year th e reviewer has seen 2 lightweights within a hoard of 65 coins, 1 in a group of 35 coins and one in a hoard of only 14 solidi. Messrs Baldwins saw at least 10,000 solidi of Justinian I and Justin II from the Hama

acqu~~~ ~y. ':h~ .rl?v.i~~~r. i~ .l?~~ ~r~~. a ... . , .. , ... PJ~ase tum.to p~ge X~II,I , . ' .. ' , . . , .... , ... " ' " ., ... , ...... . , " ..... .. ... '.' ....... . . . . . . , . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. ... . -

. The Celator October 1989

Review hoard and bought about 10% of what they saw on the advice of P. D. Whitting, who, with other collectors, acquired perhaps 15 light weight solidi from this source. This figure should probably be expressed as a percentage of 10,000 and not of 1000 since Baldwins will surely have been advised to purchase all the light weight solidi they saw. Thus lightweight solidi possibly represented only .15% of the Hama hoard.

In any case light weight solidi make up a sufficient proportion of the currency within the empire for it to be feasible to propose theories as to why these coiru are found outside the empire.

Smedley considers that large finds of light weight solidi in Russia are the result of imperial bribes but single finds are the result of trade· yet why can't single finds be the result of dispersed bribes. In any case me number of coins found in Russia are small in comparison with those found within the empire· the 10,000 solidi of the Hama hoard mentioned above were only those shown by two suppliers to A. H. Baldwins & Sons; recently 6,000 nomismata of Constantine VIII and Romanus UI were found near lzmir. Certainly imperial bribes were paid in thousands of solidi· why should 60 rather than five represent a bribe instead of trade?

Smedley tries to place these finds and

bribes in historical contexts. This is not possible . For the problems of interpreting hoards, the facts concerning Samel Pepys hoard as described by P. J. Casey in Understanding Ancient Coins (p. 53.) is· essential. In addition Smedley's dating is at times unsupported. He states (top p. 129) that ~probably~ the fmt 20 carat issues of Focas were struck in 604 and the second and third issues in 610. There is no evidence for such close dating of Focas' solidi. Even Hahn of whom it may be said "Numismatics is his subject, omniscience his fone" is seldom so ace""""-

Smedley also quotes Adelson that 20 carat solidi were sttuck to facilitate trade with the west, quoting finds in eastern England. George Boon is at present studying finds of Byzantine coins in Britain and knows of only one bronze of Constans and an anonymous folli s which he feels are undi sputed contemporary or near-contemporary fmds as opposed to later losses and even these two finds are suspect.

Art icle 6 Microchemical Analysis of the

Metal Content of Some Eighth Century Coins of

Rome and Ravenna w. Hahn

Liebert robbed on return Show from Greater

Coin and antiquities dealer David Liebert became the latest statistic in a rash of thefts as he was robbed of approximately $100,000 in ancient coins and artifacts on Sunday September 10. The theft occurred in the Queens, NY area as Liebert was returning from the Greater NY Show where he had set up for the show bourse.

According to Liebert, the thieves apparently slashed a tire while he was stopped at an intersection. Not realizing that the flat was purposeful. Liebert pulled into a service station for assistance. It was while at the station

NY that he was approached by several males and distracted. Two cases of material were stolen including a substantial quantity of Greek, Roman and Judaean silver and bronze. The incident is being investigated by the NVPD.

Although severely limited by the loss, Liebert expects to continue his regular mail bid auction schedu le. Information about specific items may by obtained from Liebert at The Time Machine Company, P.O. Box 282, Flushing Station. Queens, NY 11376 or calling 718·544·2708.

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The opening paragraph states that this method of chemical analysis has been questioned and suspended. and the results obtained do not coincide with results obtained by other methods of analysis, but that this is not a reason for these results to be suppressed! Only 20 gold and 3 silver coins are considered and since the article contains only one page of introduct.ion and two pages of tables the reviewer can say no more.

Article 7 The Debasement of the

Provincial Byzantine Gold Coinage from the Seventh to

the Ninth Centuries W. A. Oddy

All coins were analyzed ·by specific gravity which is only accurate with binary aJloys • ie. gold and silver, gold and copper or silver and copper - but less accurate when three metals are mixed. Taking this into consideration the results are interesting but very dependent on the coins in the British Museum where Oddy is employed. Thus only two of the four types of Constantine lV's Carthage coins are anaJyzed. Considering the method of analysis is easy and speedy it should have been possible to analyze more coins. London has many keen Byzantine collectors who would have been happy to oblige Oddy.

The main point of interest is the Sicilian coinage of Justinian lI . There are no Sicilian solidi of Justinian II's second reign types but there are several varieties of his first reign types, some

XXIII

Continued from page XXII

of which could poss ibly date to the years 705·711. The 4 solidi of Leontius vary between 84.5% and 87.5% so that any second reign solidi of Justinian II should be lower than this especially since the analysis of first issues of Leo III were as low as 60%. An analysis of 79% for a semissis of Justinian II Oddy considers as low, but since the designs of the semisses and tremisses were types immobilisees there is no reason why this could not be a second reign issue.

The gold coinage of Theofilus varies between 17% and 30% and a recent hoard that the reviewer is hoping to publish suggests that there may have been two mints at this time and that a . number of the cruder coins may have been unofficial.

As Oddy states, the fig ures of the Italian gold coins seem rather complicated. This is certainly due to the fact that we have not yet discovered all the secrets of this series.

A final comment • there seems to have been a lack of communication between some of the contributors. For · example W. Metcalf did not seem to consult D. Metcalf about his attribution of some joint reign solidi of Justin I and Justinian I to Thessalonica while D. Metcalf did not consult Morrisson regarding his suggestion that the HIIIyricanH solidi of Arcadius, Honorius . and Theodos iu s II mig ht be Carthaginian.

However. the book is important, very well illustrated by 24 plates, essential to anyone interested in early Byzantine coinage and after all, without a little controversy , how could we advance?

s. Bendall

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Corinth the collapse of Mycenaean civilization Corinthia was conquered by the invading Dorians and fell into the Greek nDark Age" with most of the rest of the country. Emerging from this. several villages in Corinthia merged c. 800 B.C., to become the polis, or city state, of Corinth.

After a period of rule by kings, a single aristocratic clan, the Bacchiads, overthrew the monarchy c. 747 B.C. The Bacchiad familes established a tight control on the government of Corinth, eXCl uding all non-Bacchiads from positions of authority. The Bacchiads were themselves overthrown by the tyrant Cypselus, who ruled as dictator from c. 658 - c. 628 B.C. Many Bacchiads fled to the Corinthian colony of Corcyra, which became a bitter enemy of Corinth. Cypselus was succeeded by his son Periander (c. 628 -586 B.C.) who embroiled Corin th in a number of aggressive military ventures, including ones which subdued Corcyra. Periader was briefly succeeded by his nephew Psammetichus who was assassinated c. 581 B.C., after which a new oligarchy came to power that was not as restricted as that of the Bacchiads.

The population and fort unes of Corinth grew tremendous ly during the Bacchiad period. A rapidly expanding population probably was instrumental in the foundation of several important co lonies at this time, including Syracuse and Corcya. Many more colonies were founded by the tyrants as well, and they all formed an important source of markets for Corinthian traders. Corinth became a center fo r the production of many type of crafts, especially pottery. Corinthian pottery wares became very popular throughout the Greek world, and beyond, and were an imponant source of export revenue. During most of the Bacchiad period a style known as Proto-Corinthian was used which often employed animal themes borrowed from the East. Many of the best Proto-Corinthian pieces are small oil bottles (aryballoi) which may have carried the iris perfume for which Corinthia was noted. Near the end of the Bacchiad period, c. 640 B.C., a new sty le arose, known simply as Corinthian, although there was a subsequent decline in artistic quality following an apparent desire for mass production. The popu larity of Corinthian pouery fell rapidly c. 550 B.C. with the introduction of Attic black figure wares. In spite of last minute attempts by the Corinthians to imitate this new style they lost most of their valuable export markets for pottery wares.

The exportation of pottery, and other products, was doubly valuable for Corinth since much was carried by their own extensive merchant fleet. The


Continued from page I

location of Corinth was well suited for trade, there being ports near the city on both the Sardonic Gulf and the Gulf of Corinth. Western trade was directed through the port of Lechaeum, a few kilometers north of Corinth, which was enclosed by Long Walls stretched back to the city itself. Trade with the East was handled through the equally nearby harbor of Cenchrea. During the reign of Periander, a causeway. the diolkos, was built across the narrowest part of the Isthmus of Corinth, over which ships were rolled. Tolls for the use of the diolkos must have brought in a tremendous revenue.

The economy of Corinth was already highly developed when coinage was introduced into the Greek mainland by Aigina c. 590 B.C. Corinthian coinage was introduced soon after, c. 575 B.C., perhaps at the end of Periander's reign. The high denomination of most early coinage was not conducive for day to day activities , but must have significantly aided the authorities in the collection of tolls and revenues from their ports and the diolkos, as well as allowing for easier payment of large building endeavors, mercenaries, and other governmental projects, and providing a means to store accumulated wealth. The weight standard chosen by the Corinthians differed from that of the Aigina and Athens, the latter of which introduced coinage at roughly the same time as Corinth. The principle Corinthian silver denomination, the stater, has a theoretical weight of 8.9 grams. Corinthian staters were divided into three drachms, a practice rarely used elsewhere, with two staters being worth one Athenian tetradrachm. Corinthia had no mines and the exact source of si lver for these early coins is not known. Modern analysis of early Corinthian silve r shows that it is similar to that used by Athens and Aigina, although it is not known whether Corinth acquired the metal in the form of bullion from these cities or simply melted down their coinage.

The legendary Pegasos became a fixture on the obverse of Corinthian coinage from the very beginning. Beneath Pegasos was the archaic letter kappa, which, along with the letters digamma and san fell into disuse in the early fifth century B.C. The koppa (written like a "q") stood as the initial for the proper Greek name for the city, Korintilos, and was used even when the first letter became kappa. The reverse of the earliest issues was nothing more than an incuse punch. At first the incuse punch was similar to the "Union Jack" design used by the early issues of Aigina, but it soon evolved into a swastika·like pattern. The volume of

Please turn to page XXV


Corinth early coinage was similar to that of me more famous Athenian owl tetradtachms. and was much smaller than the volume of early Aiginan silver.

Although eary Corinthian coins have been found lhroughout the Greek world, they never appear in great abundance. They are not likely to have been of much importance for purposes of trade, which had been conducted quite successfully long before the invention of coinage. In fact. within a few decades after the introduction of coinage the export market for most Corinth ian pottery wares collapsed. This did not happen at exactly the sa me rate everywhere, however, and several specialized shapes of Corinthian wares remained popu lar, even in Attica itself. While the demise of their export markets CQuid not have been a welcome development for Corinthian potters there remained their domestic market. Corinthian traders may not have suffered at all, since Corinth still had a large merchant fleet which itself was probably instrumental in the distribution of the new Attic pottery styles. Corinth also produced other items for ex.port, including texti les, building material, oils and wines, the latter of which was known for being of extremely poor quali ty, and so must have been inexpensive. Strong trading relations must have continued with the important grain bearing regions of eastern Sicily, since the large population of Corinthia probably required twice as much food as could be produced locally.

By the end of the Archaic period in Greek history, before the Persian Invasions (490 and 480 B.C.), Corinth had achieved a highly respected position among Greek city states. Little is known about the internal affairs of the city following the overthrow of the tyrants c. 581 B.C., but in foreign affairs there was a growing friendship between Corinth and Sparta. Sparta was an important ally since her power was on the rise. and, with the significant exception of their mutual enemy Argos. Sparta controlled most of the Peloponnese. In 525 B.C. Corinth and Sparta allied themselves in an unsuccessful attack on Sames which had come under the control of the tyrant Polycrates. Corinth eventually entered into a more formal treaty alliance with Sparta and became part of what evolved into the Peloponnesian League.

During these political changes the coinage of Corinth also changed. The earliest issues of Corinth, which, along with that of Athens, had begun a few decades after the introduction of coinage into the Greek mainland by Aigina, displayed Pegasos on the obverse and an inc use punch on the reverse. The reverse design was now changed, c. 510 B.C., to show the head of Athena with a Corinthian helmet pushed back from her face. This change may have been inspired in some fashion by the "owl" tetradrachms which were introduced by Athens just prior to this time to replace the earlier wappenrnuzen issues. The early renditions of Athena on Corinthian silver staters were done in the Archaic style and were sunk in an incuse square. This last detail made necessary a change in the fabric of the coins which became slightly thicker than previous ex.amples.

The wealth and power of Corinth, which was reflected in the large issue of these coins, made it feel equal with Sparta. Nonetheless, there must have been a growing belief in the city that Sparta, through her other allies, was gaining an upper hand. This may have prompted the Codnthians to convi~ce the other cities of the Peloponneslan

League not to go along with the Spartans' desire to attack Athens in 506 B.C. Although this action was largely prompted as a check on excessive ambition on the part of Sparta. Corinth was able to maintain good relations with Athens during this time. and supported Athens in actions against their common enemy Aigina. During the Persian Invasions of the Greek homeland (490 and 480 B.C.) Corinthian infantry and naval forces distinguished themselves, although Corinthian leaders did not. A rumor which appeared later in Athens concerning the flight of Corinthian ships before the battle of Salamis is almost certainly false. but may reflect on the poor Quality of the Corinthian admirals. The Corinthians supplied a great number of ships to the Greek fleet during the Invasions, although the huge ship building programs which were active in Athens resulted in that city supplying the largest contingent.

The aftermath of the Persian Invasions left Corinth in a much different situation. The Athenian navy was now dominant in the Aegean, and as the Athenian led Delian League transformed itself into an Athenian Empire, Corinthian traders began to lose some of their business to Athenians. Athens also concluded alliances with· Megara and Argos, both enemies of Corinth, and aided Corcyra in a dispute against Corinth. The growing enmity with Athens was such that Corinth even sent twenty warships to the assistance of another old enemy, Aigina. when it was attacked by Athens. The Corinthians probably did not want either Athens or Sparta to gain hegemony over the Greek mainland, but her natural ally in these disputes was Sparta. Corinth fought with the Spartans when the Peloponnesian Wars (43 1 • 404 B.C.) finally broke out

Corinth was under considerable political pressure during the interval between the Persian Invasions and the Peloponnesian Wars, so it is somewhat ironic that this was the beginning of the true artistic flowering of Corinthian coinage. Between 450 and 430 B.C. the archaic traditions that had been employed were replaced by more classical styles. The head of Athena no longer had the large, elongated eyes, but became more lifelike. More and finer detail was added to the hair which flowed from underneath the helmet, and a leather neck guard was added to the back of the helmet. The changing style is also seen on the obverse, with more detail being added to Pegasos. The archaic letter kappa. however, was retained as the symbol of the city and to distinguish Corinthian coinage from the many similar types which were being issued by the numerous Corinthian colonies.

Fractional denominations of the stater also underwent changes. Around the period of the Penian Invasions these smaller silver coins often had the same design as the stater. but other features appeared as well. Some archaic trihemiobols ,replaced the bust of Athena with a facing bust of a Gorgon. On the small diobols and hemiobols the obverse design was changed to only portray the head of Pegasos, with a letter being used for the reverse. Following the Persian Invasions differences between the stater and smaller issues became more or less standardized, although in the decades preceeding the Peloponnesian Wars only drachms and trihemidrachms were issued in quantity along with staters. The usual obverse of a trihemidrachm is of

the three headed monster Chimaera. The Chimaera is derived from the Pegasos legend. and was killed by BeUerophon with the assistance of the flying horse. Bellerophon himself appears on the obverse of these coins. riding Pegasos. Pegasos alone appears on the drachms, with the reverse being a bust of Aphrodite. Although Aphrodite is not connected with the Pegasos legend, her cult was also important in Corinth. and the prostitutes assoc iated with her temple in the city achieved great renown.

Although Corinth emerged on the winning side after the Peloponnesian Wars, the city had suffered greatly. Much of her trade had been cut during the war by the superior Athenian navy and the presence of an Athenian base at Naupactus on the Gulf of Corinth . Little silver was available for minting during the war, and a regular series of issues was not poss ible. In the aftermath of the war Sparta was unable to maintain her leadership position and Corinth joined with many other states, including old enemies Athens and Argos, to follow Thebes in a war on Sparta. These wars only served to weaken the Greek cities further and lay them open to the well trained army of Philip II of Macedon. Philip gained control over Greek affairs and in 337 B.C. organized all major cities, with the exception of Sparta, into a new League based at Corinth. with himself as its leader. The pretense of the League was

· that it was formed in alliance with Macedon. but in reality the Greek cities had lost their independence. Macedonian troops moved into the city and garrisoned the Acrocorinthos.

The coinage of Corinth during these troubling final years of independence was of the same general design as before. but with the addition of a great number of symbols and letters. Many types of animals and monsters. as well as busts of gods. flowers and other items are seen on the coins, usually on the reverse. Almost a dozen letters were

xxv

Continued from page XXIlII

employed, presumably being the initials of officials in charge of the minting. The archaic koppa. however. was still retained. Unfortunately we have insufficient knowledge of the internal politics of the city to be able to assign these initials to actual individuals. The meaning of the various symbols is also obscure. but they appear to be associated with specific initials. There are more symbols than dates of issue, however, so they cannot be simply translated into dates. The output of silver coinage during this late period was very large. and may have prompted a new and faster method of producing the dies. It appears that the dies of this period were made in two steps. first with the addition of the major features. and then a final step introducing the detail. While this technique may have aided the mint officials of Corinth. it makes modern analysis of the coins based on die studies extremely difficult

Compared with other Greek cities Corinth had never had a large output of fractional silver, and so was late in introducing bronze coinage. The first such issued appeared during the period preceeding Macedonian con trol. Corinthian bronzes retain the symbolism of the silver but generally have a trident on the reverse. the obvene showing either Pegasos or Athena. On some smaller issues only the head of the flying horse is shown.

Macedonian hegemony over Greece may have destroyed the political power of the city states, but it only served to spread Greek culture across the east. Corinth itself. although insignificant on the world stage, eclipsed both Athens and Sparta and became one of the most important cities in Hellenistic Greece and. after a rebirth following the destruction of the city, in the Roman province of Greece. During both periods she became an important regional mint, although the artistic quality was never to surpass that of the classical period.

FIXED PRICE LISTS and AUCTIONS

rUlturi"IJ Coins of ,Ii< PtoUmks

Wrlle lor 1Is1,:

STEPHEN M. HUSTON Classical Numismatist

p.o. Box 3621

San Francisco, CA 94119 - USA

(415) 781·7580

Office: 582 Market Street, Su~e 1011, San Francisco

Catalogues Aulhentication Coin Photography

'.

.,

/

,XXVI

ANCIENT GREEK SILVER ARD FR THE BIRTHPLACE OF COINAGE

MILEYOS TWELFTH STATERS FROM THE SIXTH CENTURY B.C.

An amal-ing archaeological find aiiowl UI to otter theae fascinating ancient allver cOlna - at naw competitive pricea. The ancient Greetl city of MIIetOI, on the weat Coalt of Turtlay,

In tha province of Ionia, wal a very Important .. aport and trading city.

Coinage had barely commenced In the neighboring region of Lydia, about 100 years before the Mlle.ians I.aued these boldly struck silver on.tweffth staters. The coinage or" .blnd,rd units of sUver obvloully made commerce much e,sler than weij!hlng bullion for avary tran .. ction, and these twelfth atatars of about 1.2 gram. of sliver show different de: ·grealof circulation, teatlfylng to their everyday u .. by the ancNtnl Greaks.

Struck during the Archaic Period of Greek art, tha .. charming ailver coina data between 550 and 500 B.C. The two typel both ahow the forepart ot a tierce, roaring lion, one with him racing lett, and the other taclng right Both types have a star ornament on the rev.,...

·Thay are C8b1logued In "Greek Colnl and their Values," Vol. II by David Sear, numbers '3532, (he'd len) for 85 pounda aterting, and number 3533 (head right) tor 75 pounda atet1· ·Ing. The Brltiah poul1d aterllng la about $1.60 U.S., making the dollar catalog value $100.00 to$12O,00 In Very Fine.

Fl •• F' .. We can .. II, lingle Fine coin, aa pictured above for only $39.00, or a pair, with the lion

J" - facing both len and right, for $69.00.

Very Fina Very Fine For better centered colna, with leas wear, we can aell Very Fine aingle colna tor $69.00,1

or a pair ot different types for $119.00.

Extra Fine Extra Fine

W. have a few choice apeclmens, aubject to first come, first .. rve, of the least worn, belt centered, best atyle, and largest fl,n coins tor $139.00 lor. alngle coin 01 either type. Subject to .vallabllity.

MAIL ORDER POLICIES: 1. All coinI p,.mHd gInUIne MIl •• dnctIIMcL ANA MIl common

_ gndIna. Your NtItfaetIon ... ~ 2. FourtHn day,.un ~. or ~...w:. c:an be ~ .......... -3. ptftCIMI cMeIt. of unknown CUIlorMra I11III1 dNr. VISA Md

... Itete.rd ..... 4. KIIItUcky rHIdtntI..xI 5,. ......... 5. AI eoins MIlt IMInd or ~ 0rdIft leN INn $200 ~ Itdd $2.00 lor ,mao. MIl '-ding.

I. Most eoiII. _ OM of • kind. SKond ehoIeerI.,. .~ 7. vtatt.by~onIy.

JONATHAN K. KERN Professional Numismatist

Bachelor of Arts in Numismatics

Office (606) 269-1614 between 10 A.M. & 6 P.M. EST.

FAX (606) 266-7900 444 South Ashland Ave., LeXington, KY 40502

Octo~r 1989 • .. T:l1e C;elator.

Coins of the Bible Shekel used to pay Judas

COPYRIGHT 1980 by David Hendin

Then one of the 12. called Judas [scariol, went unto the chief priests, and said unto them, What will ye give me, and I will deliver him unto you? And they covenanted with him for 30 pieces of silver.

Matthew 26:14-15

Since the silver shekels minted in the Phoenecian coastal city of Tyre were the only currency acceptable at the Jerusalem Temple, they attained a semi-official status.

It is, therefore, logical to assume that the 30 pieces of silver paid to Judas were of this currency. However, it is certainly possible that other silver coins were involved in the transaction.

Historian Michael Grant concludes that payment was made to Judas for

his deed. even if the amount may not have been exactly 30 pieces of silver: "Although the report that his fee was 30 pieces of silver is dubious . because, like so much else in this part of the Gospels, it is an echo of the scriptures, it is probable enough that Judas was paid for what he did."

The shekel of Tyee shown here depicts the head of the Greek god Melqarth, patron of the city of Tyee. On the other side is an eagle upon a ship's prow, with a palm branch in the background. The Greek legend proclaims, "Tyre the holy and city of sanctuary."

(Editor' s Note: Send your queslions on Biblical coins to David f1endin at P. O. Box 805. Nyack NY 10960. When possible he wilt answer these queslions in future issues of The Celalor.)

Silver shekel of lyre, minted 97 Be. Obverse: head of Melqarth; reverse: eagle.

COMING NEXT MONTH

• In the CELATOR-- a colleclion of Bymnline coins in gold, silver and bronze. Byzantine coins represent the major coinage of Weslern civilimlion for all Ihe cenluries of Ihe Dark Ages. This colleclion has many appealing and affordable pieces. It will not be offered anywhere else before it is published in the CELATOR,

• In our detailed and illustrated catalog-- a major group of Celtic Britain coins catalogued by Van Arsdell number. When I bought a large group of coins from the Wan borough Hoard several years ago I held out the besl and raresl examples in anticipation of Van Arsdell's book. CELTIC

COINAGE OF BRITAIN. (The oulstanding book was worth the long wait; it is in stock at $75) .

a Watch for our advertisement next month.

• Write for our catalog. Your $2 will bring you at least two issues of our tMughtful and informative publication.

fj)avissons LttL Allan and Marnie Davisson

Cold Spring, MN 56320 (612)-685-3835


Islamic Coins

2. Abbasid revolution, partisans of Abu Muslim, AR dirham, Marw 132. The type is purely Umayyad, the only differentiation the annulet triplets in the obverse margin.

3. Abbasid revolution, Kharijites, AR dirham, al-Kllfa 128. Here, too, the type is purely Umayyad, except for the addition of the Kharij ite slogan in Ute upper part of the obverse margin.

4. al-Saffah (132-1361749-754), AV dinar, without mint name but struck at al-Kufa, 133. This is the standard Abbasid dinar type of the years 132-213. Coins of 132 are , extremely rare, 133 being the earliest affordable year.

5. al-Saffah, AR dirham, Ardashir Khurra 136. Anonymous, as all early Abbasid dirhams. By convention, such anonymOIlS coins are assigned to the firstruier of the year, un~es~ oth,er infO~tiOD exists to suggest otherwise.

6. aI-Mansur (1 36-1SSnS4-77S), AR dirham, aI-Rayy 145. This is the first dirham to cite the heir to the caliphate, al-Mahdi Muhammad, son of .!he caliph ai-Mansur.

7. al-Mahdi ( ISS-169n7S-785), AR dirham, Qasr ai-Salam 167. In this year, al-Mahdi transferred his government and residence from Madinat ai-Salam to a new complex nearby, named Qasr ai-Salam, "the Palace of Peace," which served as a mint town fro m 167-169, at which time the seat of government returned to Madinat al-Salam (8....,..).

Mongols extinguished the Baghdad caliphate in 65611258. will be discussed in a later article.

In the 116 years that have elapsed since the appearance of the now dreadfully obsolete and rather inaccessible study by Tiesenhausen.6 neither a general catalog nor a comprehensive study of the Abbasid coinage has been produced. A major effort in that direction had been begun by the late Nicholas Lowick, and it is hoped that the nearly completed portion. comprising the gold, silver and copper coinage of the first phase, will shortly be edited and published. The present literature is scattered in hundreds of often ",nobtainable periodicals, books and sale catalogs, with the result that any sort of academic inquiry into the Abbasid coinage requires a frustratingly large amount of prim!lfY research in widely scattered publications.7

(phase 1) Upon the accession of the nrst Abbasid. al-Saffah, in 1321749, the reverses of both the gold and silver coins were altered. In lieu of the socalled "Umayyad fonnula" (Surah 112, verses 1-4), only the calling of the Prophet was proclaimed. "Muhammad is the Apostle of God. " All other inscriptions on the coins remained as before, under the Umayyads, including the practice of varying the annulets on the silver dirhams from time to time, and from mint to mint. The gold and silver now had identical inscriptions, except for the omission of the mint name on the gold dinar, and for the fact that the marginal legends of obverse and reverse are oppositely placed on the silver and the gold (figs. 4, 5).

Because of the omission of the mint name on the gold coinage throughout most of the first phase. and because of the concentration of production at very few mints, the gold should be considered separately from the more complex silver coinage. The fIrst Abbasid gold coin is dated 132, differing from the last Umayyad dinar of the same year only by the changes in the reverse area noted above. It is generally agreed that this issue was struck at the new Abbasid mint of al-Kufa, although there is no indication of the mint on the coin, as was to remain the case for all Abbasid dinars struck until the year 198. Until about 147 or 148, all dinars were presumably struck at al-Kufa, and from then until about 170, at Madinat alSalam, though some anomalous pieces of the 160s, with extra points or other symbols in the fields , usually directly above or below the reverse area inscriptions, may have been struck at other, as yet undetermined mints. Beginning with the year 170, two

. parallel series can readily be identified by their distinctive legends and occasional mention of governors' names, one struck in Egypt, presumably at the provincial capital at Fustat (figs. 11, 21). the other at Madinat al-Salam in Jraq (fig. 16). After 190, additional mints for "mintless" dinars can be surmised, at Qayrawan in Ifriqiya, alRafiqa in the Jazira,8 al-Basra and alKufa in Iraq. San'a in the Yemen, and perhaps a few other ephemeral mints . These identifications have been deduced from the occasional mention of known governors. and from comparison with contemporary silver issues bearing the name of the mint. In 198. the fi rs t dinar with mint name was struck at Madinat ai-Salam, and in the following year, Misr (EgyPt) appears as a mint name for the first time (fig. 23). However, there was no consistency in the inclusion or· omission of· the mint

XXVII

Continued from page I

name on the dinars of the next several years, and more often than not, the mint name was omitted. Only in the year 214 was the mint name made an integral part of the gold coin legends (figs. 25. 26). At the same time, the positions of the reverse and obverse marginal legends were exchanged, so that the dinar now had the same layout and appearance as the dirham, differing from the latter in two principal ways, for it is inscribed dinar instead of dirham, and was struck on much narrower flans than the dirham. This similarity was the cause of some confusion, reflected in the occasional appearance of silver dirhams struck from dinar dies. or vice versa.

There appears to have been no alteration of the dinar standard under the early Abbasids. except that the number of lightweight specimens seems to increase during and after the reign of alRashid (170-1931798-809). The overwhelming majority of undamaged Umayyaddinars weigh between 4.20 and 4.28 grams, but the Abbasid dinars seem to be several hundredths of a gram lighter, with the same preponderance falling between roughly 4.16 and 4.25 grams. with occasional specimens down to 4.00 grams. However, Abbasid dinars are more frequently found clipped, shaved, worn, or otherwise damaged All 100 often, these defects are not noted in the publications. so that a truly accurate analysis of the Abbasid dinar standard would require reexamination and reweighing of most of the published specimens.

The inadequacy of published references can easily be illustrated. From the 23 Umayyad and 30 Abbasid dinars in the Spink Zurich sales of '1986-1988,9 we find ~anges of 4.20-4.30g and 4.16-4.27g (plus one at 3.98g), and averages of 4.261g and 4.238g (4.229g if the lightweight coin of 3.98g is taken into account), respectively. From the Cairo catalog.

I we< have 71 Umayyad and 110 Abbasid (al-Mansur & al-Ma'mun onlylO), with average weights of 4.245 and 4.137 grams, respectively. or a diminution of just over 2.500% from the Umayyad to the Abbasid (coins indicated as impaired, as · well as all coins weighing below 4 grams, were omitted from my calculations).11 The Cairo catalog shows a slightly lower average for the Umayyad dinars. probably the result of the fact that Spink Zurich selected outstanding and little worn specimens for their sales, whereas the Egyptian National Library collection was less selective, as are virtually all museum collections. But for the Abbasids, the Cairo average is very significantly lower than the Spink average, showing a differential some five times greater than that obtained from the Spink coins. How can this be explained? Wear and less obvious clipping is probably the cause, for Abbasid din~ are typically found much more worn than Umayyad, and mor~ frequently clipped ·or shaved. The authors of the Cairo catalog were apparently somewhat reluctant to identify all the coins that We{e shaved or clipped. For example, the photo of #1089 shows a coin that is clearly clipped or shaved, but not so indicated in the descriptions. 12

To some extent, this discrepancy can be reconciled by examining only the upper end of the weight curves in each catalog. In this scenario. the same small difference remains in the case of the Umayyad coins. However, the large difference for the Abbasid dinars

PIease·tum to page XXVIII

--,

,-

XXVIII

Islamic Coins disappears. and is replaced by a difference more or less the same as that observed for the Umayyad coins. 13 In any case, there does seem to have been a small reduction of weight from the Umayyad to me Abbasid dinar, on the range of 0.03 grams. Further study is needed to confum this-finding, and such study shou ld also attempt to detennine if there was any change of alloy between the two series. Also, it appears that no significant change in me dinar standard was made during the first phase of the Abbasid coinage . However, it seems that the number of lightweight dinars . let us say, weighing under four grams, essentially nil under the Umayyads and first few Abbasids. becomes significant from the time of al-Ma' rnun onwards (after 198/8 13).

The silver coinage of the first phase is rather more complicated than both the contemporary gold and the previous Umayyad silver. even though the number of participating mints was significantly smaller than under the Umayyads. In all, somewhat over fifty mints produced silver dirhams during the first phase. with rarely more than ten operating simultaneous ly , though during the early years of al-Ma'mun. roughly between 198 and 210, about twenty mints were in operation. The pattern of mint location is quite different from that which obtained under the earlier Umayyads, but represents a continuation of the provincially oriented distribution begun after the second closure of the local mints circa 1021720. Not surprisingly. the two principal Umayyad mints, Damascus and Wasit. ceased to playa prominent role under the Abbasids. Damascus struck a few rare dirhams in 132-135. but its mint was then moved to the new Iraqi site of Hashimiya, and in 146 to the new Abbasid capital, Madinat ai-Salam ("City of Peace~), fbunde4 near the village of Baghdad, whose name it soon adopted. Wasit was closed for silver (except for a rare issue in 200-2~), but did produce occasional copper. Rather, the main mints for the earliest Abbasids were both in Iraq, at al-Kufa and alBasra. which provided the bulk of the silver coinage from 132 until 148. In that year. they were both closed (for silver), and replaced by mints at Madinat ai-Salam and al-Muhammadiya14 as the principal providers . of silver . coin. Marunat al-Salam was to remam the most prolific mint throughout' all three phases of Abbasid coinage, though there are several periods of sharply curtailed volume, far surpassed at other mints. Several dates in the 170s, late 190s, and early 2105 are legitimately rare. The mint of al-Muhamrnadiya was generally a major producer until shortly after the year 200, but was thereafter demo~ed.to the status of just another provincial mint, after a temporary closure during the years 211-217. Other particu larly common mints are al-Abbasiya for the 160s and earl y 170s, Isbahan and Samarqand for the years 193-210. Zaranj and Balkh for the decade of the 180s. However. at all these mints, production was not continuously voluminous, so that even within intervals of generally heavy production, we find occasional "rare dates" and rare varieties.

It is instructive to survey the provincial distribu tion Of. the s ilve~ mints, for the patterns established under the Abbasids were to form the model for most later medireval Islamic coinages. We shall begin this survey from wes~ to east. However. we must first examme the general development of the sil ver coinage in the first phase.

The first Abbasid dirhams differ from the Umayyad principally in the substitution of the simple formula, "Muhammad is the Apostle of God,~ for the lengthier Koranic quotation in the reverse area, as noted above. The other distinction lay in the use of triple circle to surround the much smaller reverse area legend. From 132 until 145,' all Abbasid dirhams retain this uniform type. In 145, coins struck at the newly opened mint of al-Rayy (whose name was changed to al-Muhammadiya during the middle of the year 148) were given a new reverse area legend, "ordered by Muhammad al-Mahdi, son of the commander of the believers. ft in order to promulgate the naming of al-Mahdi as heir to the caliphate and viceroy of the eastern territories. with his nominal capital at Rayy (fig. 6). This was a radical departure from previous policy, on several accounts, for not only was this the first precious metal coin since the great reform of Abd al-Malik to bear the name of a living person,15 it also introduced into the Islamic world the Roman tradition of using the coinage for announcements of a political nature. This practice was eve.ntually to develop into the legal concept of sikka, the right of the ruler to have his name mentioned on the coinage, which together with the right of khutba, the mention of the ruler's name at the Friday sermon, became the formal express ion of sovereignty under· Islamic law.

Rather remarkably, this new style of reverse was not adopted at other mints during the remainder of the reign of ai-Mansur (died 1581775). Thus, from 145 until nearly the end of the first phase, there was never again a uniform type for the Abbasid silver coinage. While variation in the reverse area inscription 16 now became a hallmark. of the Abbasid coinage, there were other differences as well. One was the occasional mention of the name of a local governor or other official, usually below the reverse area, flJ1it found under SalIn (ibn Qutayba aJ-Bahili) at aI-Basra in 14517, then at Arminiya under alHasan b. Qahtaba in 152, and later at many other mints. At Madinat alSalam and al-Muhammadiya, from 179-186. the vizier Ja'far al-Barmaki is cited on . the coins. At some mints, principally the northern provincial mints of Arminiya and Arran, two officials are named on the same coin. one usually the provincial governor, the other an official of lower rank: presumed to have been responsible for the coinage (fig. 20). Each mint seems to have followed its own course, developing its own tradition, often quite inconsistently. as befits what was essentially an experimental coinage of 86 years duration.

Another source of variation lay in the obverse annulets and in -the number of circles, which appear normally between the annulets and the marginal legend on the obverse, between the marginal legend and the central area on the reverse. The annulet patterns become quite complex, and as many as half a dozen variations may be seen at certain mints in a single year. Likewise, the number of circles can vary considerably. from one to three on either face. Although it is not known just what these variations represent, their regularity and consistency make it clear that they were not just capricious, but must have had some important function for the Abbasid mints.

(Article to be continued - ple.se turn to p . ge XXVIIII/XXX for rem.inder of iflustr.tions .nd notes.)


Continued from page XXVII

8. aI-MaMi, AR dirham, Harunabad 169. The precise location?f Harunabad is unknown, but on the reverse, the provincial name Arminiya (Armema) appears above the area, informing us that the town lay somewhere in that provincc. It.was un~ou?tedly named by al·Mahdi in honor of his son and heir, H~n al-~ashld, who IS Cited as heir on the coin, together with the local governor l:I~an (Ibn Qahtaba). A rare mint. operating only in 168 and 169.

9. al-Hadi (169-1701785-786), AR dirham, Ifriqiya 169. Note the relatively crude style of this coin, typical of the mint

10. ai-Rashid (17Q.-193t786-809), A V dinar, without mint name. 171 ~slruck at Madinat aJ-Salam). A I1l1'e and important type, citing the caliph by name to the reverse area. the fi~t gold dinar 10 do so, and the last for another quarter cenwry.

11. ai-Rashid, AV dinar, no mint name, 181. Citing la'far,. governor of Egypt, and thus the product of the Egyptian mint A very common COto.

12. ai-Rashid, AR dirham, Sijistan 176, citing the governor Ibn Khuzaym. Note the rude calligraphy, and the sun symbol beneath the reverse area. Dirhams of th is mint. and of its successor Zaranj, always bear the name of the ruler, without citation of the

"'"

13. ai-Rashid, AR dirham, Ifriqiya 182, citing the governor Muhammad aJ-'Akki (180-183). Note the rude style of this minI.


Islamic Corns

14. ai-Rashid, AR dirham, Arran 187, citing the governor Muhammad ibn Yazid. Three different governors are cited on three successive issues at this mint in 187.

15. al-Amin (193·1981809-813), AR dirham, Nishapur 194, citing the governor Jihril. and aaming a1-Ma'muD, the brother of the caliph, as amir and heir. This was, properly speaking, an issue of al-Ma'muD, who bad been named heir to the eastern portions of the caliphate. while aI-Amin received the western provinces. However, it was DOL until later in this year that a1-Ma'mun formally expressed his claim to the caliphate.

16. ai-AmiD, AV dinar, without mint name (Madinat ai-Salam), 196, citing the vizier, al'Abbas.

17. al-Ma'muD, AR dirham, al-Muhammadiya 196, citing the powerful and famed amir, Tahir ibn al-Husayn in the obverse outer margin, a most anomalous type at the time, and the vizier al-Fadl on the reverse.

18. al-Ma'mun, AR dirham, a1-Raqqa 199, citing' Amr ibn Yahya. al-Raqqa was a rare mint in the lazira, striking silver only in 199.

19. al-Ma'mun, AR dirham, Samarqand 203, citing the Shiite Imam, al-Rida 'Ali ibn Musa, as heir to the throne. This dirham is langible evidence for Ma'mun's ill-fated attempt to bring about harmony between Sunnis and Shiites. al-Rida died later in this year, though his name appeared as heir on some coins as late as 205. Although oot particularly ran; these coins are in g.reatdemand and command a price far greater than their rarity should justify.

XXVIII I

Continued from page XXVIII

20. al-Ma'mun, AR dirham, Herat 206, citing the Tahirid and his local governor, alShakir ibn Ibrahim. Tahir is cited only by his honorific title, Dhu'l-Yaminayn, "the ambidextrous." The local governor is unknown, except for his coins. This coin is frequently classified as Tahirid, for it was struck after Tahir feU out with his erstwhile master, the caliph al-Ma'mun. However, the coin is a perfectly ordinary Abbasid type, even though the name of the caliph is omitted, as it was at Ma'mun's capital, Madinat al-Salam, and at most other mints of the caliphate.

21. al-Ma'mun, AV dinar, no mint (Egypt), 196, citing the caliph and the governor 'Abbad. Compare with DO. 16 above, a coin of al-Amin of the same year.

22. al-Ma'mun, AV dinar, no mint (Egypt) 198, citing the caliph and the governor alMuttalib.

23. al-Ma'mun, AV dinar, Misr 203, citing Tahir and the local Egyptian governor, alSari. Note that the name of the caliph no longer appears.

I Carl Wurtzel, "The Coinage of the Revolutionaries in the Late Umayyad Period, .. The Americ,,,, Museum Socuty Myseum Noles, 23 (1978), pp.161-199. A very few additional varieties have appeared subsequently, and are nOl:ed in the ANS files.

2Surah 42, verse 23. 3-rbe fourth letter of the mint name is R or Z, nOl: W. I woutd propose reading this mint ume as Tanbarak. and associating it either wilh the ancient Tambru. in Ihe mountains north of Rayy, or wilh one of the several fortresses in central and northern Iran Ihit bore Ihe name ofTabarak in later Islamic times. Dartey-Doran has suggested Baybird (lhe modem Baybirt in north-<:entrall\ntcy, but this SU1l1$ untenable on hililorical grounds.

4WIIJ12.el, op. cit., pp.1871T.

51bid, no. 30, pp. 186-181, unique.

6wladimir de Tiesenhausen, Moneli _tochnavo kMli/IJ/a, SL Petetsburg 1873. A reprint of Ihis work has been announced by Spink &: Son for publication in 1989.

7For an overview of the literature publ ished until 1954, see L.A. Mayer's bibliography. Most of the subsequent publications are noted in Numistmlic Litera/ure. 8The Jazira, which means "island" in Arabic, was the region between the Tigris and Euphrales Rivets ("Mesopotamia") north of Ihe caDilI system that links the two rivers along their middle

""'"'-9Spink Urich, Auction Sale 18, 18th February 1986, Auction Sale 22, 17 March 1987, and Auction Sale 21, t June 1988. A couple of

specimen. ducribed u clipped or as hnltaiions have been intentiClrullly omitted. NOI:e that Ale calalogs are more likely than IlIU.5Wm calaloplo

notc whether coins1lillve been clipped, worn or otherwise redliceKin weight, as such wear or impainnent also affects their commercial VlIluc.

l~n alt probabitity, similar results would result if Ihe add itional dinats of the OI:her Abbasid caliphs of the first phase were taken into accounl

II N.D. Nicol, R. el-Nabarawy, &: J.L. Badlarach, Calalog of the fJlamic Coins, Class Weigltls, Diu aM Medals u. the EtyptiM NalioNsl Library, Clvo, Malibu 1982. 12However, the .ulhors mull be eonunended for thei r method of indicating clipped and OIherwise impaired coiu. By placing a code lelle r immediately be.lide the weight, the authors have made it easy to ignore impaired coins when scanni ng weights. I would wish that all cat.alogum should adopt. a similar notation.

13BlItlake heed that this method worts only for coi nages where coins are intended to be individu.lly of the . arne weight (a so-called al pnzo coinage). For coins which were original ly iUUck over a wide range of individual weights (al marco coinage), this algorithm is inapplicable.

14al-Muhammadiya was an honorific name for the old city of Rayy (near modem Tehran), given 10 it by the ca liph a t-Mansur in honor of his son, Muhammad, the future caliph al-Mahdi.

ISwith the exceptiOD of. rare revolutiooary issue of MIlIW, 128,15 noted above.

I~OI:e Ihat the obverse area inscription remained esseDlially fIXed well into the second phase, when al·Mutawakkil added Ihe name of the caliphal heir beneath the obverse area in 236.

17 A few e.artierdirlt.amsofthis same mint bear the inilial of Ihe governor, bUI nOl ihe full name.

Please tum to page XXX

• I ! I I I I

I I t

xxx

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Islamic Co~ns Continued from page XXVIlIl

24. al-Ma'mun, AV dinar, no mint (Misr) 205, ciu·ng Tahir and the local governor, Muhammad ibn ai-Sari. Note the mint name, which appeared on Egyptian issues struck: between 199 and 203, was again removed from the coin legend.

25. al-Ma'mun, AV dinar. no mint (Madinat a\-Salam) 201, fully anonymous. This is a typical example of the reform type. fmt struck in 206 in both gold and silver. Nole that the mint and dale now appear in the inner marginal legend of the obverse, whereas previously. the gold coins had the mint and date on the reverse.

26. al-Ma'mun, AV dinar, Misr214. A reform type with mint and date, but still with the name of the caliph, inscribed on the reverse. This is the earliest dale of the reform type at MiST, fully eight years after its introduction at Madinat al-Salam. Pre-. reform. types similar to nos. 21 -24 were struck: at Misr until 213.

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Roman Egypt AGRIPP INA ( ~ l - Uct. 13 .54 A.D.) - IlUiiT UIRIOl:TlUN::;

REGNRI.. VEAR '>H' '<'I.U.I

lETS . lJk>';C . Hl::.t'H- L)ll.lbOL 1.l1<1JL!:i II IC,"" Lffl~ .

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:--------------------:-------:------:------:------:------:------ ------ : : L.I E : I'"c>

:--------------------:------- :------ :------:------:------ :------CLAUIHUS (Jan. 2~ . 41 - Oe;t . 13 . 5 4 ~,u. ) -- BILL.UN rETk~LlI<~LHM A::>

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:-----------------------------------------------------:--:--:--: --:--1--; CLAUDIUS (J.n. 2 :1 . 41 - Oct. 13 . :14 A.D.) -- IHLl.OO DIOt<ACHI"IAl;;

TI KI\AVKAICEBACrE~ V~.r 3 IOi .... eter· 18 ....... ) 3

1------------------------------------------------------------- :---------I : I'Inton.A. Br'tann. cu. and Oct." , ,, f1u . t ,. F"e; •• Z Cor-nucoClla.. -3

:-------------------------------------------------------------: ---------CLAUDIUS (Jan. 41 - Oc t. 13 . -:5'1 1-I .i). 1 -- BI LLON H(MrtJRACHMAS

3

1 -------------------------------- - ---------------- --------- ---: --- - - - - -- : I; Solrap • • Bu.t r. • :-------------------------------------------------------------:---------

CLAUDIUS (JAn Z5 . 41 - Oct . 1-3 . ' 4 A.D . ) -- BRONZE DIO~LS

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;----------------------------------- :--:--:-- :--: -- :--:--:-- :--: --:--: -- : 9: N.lus Bu. t r . : I ;1 : : -----------------------------------1 --: -- : --: --: --: --: --: --: --: --: --: -- :

CNB success at Chicago The firs t Classica l Numismatic

Bourse to be held in Chicago drew a strong turnout as local collectors revelled in the "all ancients" setting.

Held on Saturday and Su nday, September 23-24. at the Hotel Sofitel near O'Hare airport, the bourse was run true to form. Like the CNBs held in other major cities, the Chicago event was calculated to foster a relaxed atmosphere, with refreshments and snacks as well as an opportunity for visitors to chat with old friends and new acquaintences.

At times, However. the room seemed more like the New York International as the peak of the day brought more faces than spaces. The bourse was fai rly active, a1mough the volume of sales did not seem as strong as might be expected with the large number of new collectors moving into the ancient coin collecting area. Never· the·less. the dog days of summer seem to have passed and collecting fever is in the air again as the fall auctions unfold.

Chicago based coin and antiquities dealer Harlan J. Berk and his wife Pam hosted a delightful post·show reception for dealers to mark the occasion and welcome the bourse to me Windy City.

The CNB consists of approximately 15 dealers participating in a byinvitation-only show. Organizer of me events is Victor England. For a list of upcoming shows. information, or an

invitation to the next CNB. write to England at P.O. Box 245. Quarryville. PA 17566.

XXXI

Continued from page XX

CLAUDIUS (Jan 25 . 4 1 - Oct. 13, 54 A. D.) -- EkOtUE OIlULS

TI K~AYKAICEBACrE~ CA ) Y.~rs 2-4.0.10-1 3

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: 1 :3 ::17: ::): : ___________________________________ : __ : __ : __ : __ : __ : __ :--1-- :- - :--: -- ,-- ,

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AGf;"I PF'ItlA ( 51 - Oct. I S . '4 A.Il. I - - t::1<i.lt' ! £ lnOt::ULS

ArPIHllNACEBACTH

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AGRIPPINA ( :51 - OC1:. 1 3 . 5 4 A. O. ) -- f:lPo~nE OI:OLS

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XXXII

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XXXIII

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XXXIIII

Letters 1 have only one complaint about this

extraordinarily useful book and its unusually modest author: he had il privately printed for a run of only 250

. copies!!! MyowncoPJ,orderedinJune 1989, was number 224. Spink and Son Ltd. may have a few left. I hope the readers of The Celator find this information useful.

•••••

F.A. Liberatore Massachusetts

Your paper is the best! By any chance. do you know what happened to S.A.N.. Socie ty for Ancient Numismatics?

Kenneth DorMY California

(SA.N. is alive, but not -ury w.tll I'm afraid. Production schedules for the journal have slipped ciranu::airy in recelll years and some have complained that an aging kathrship is doing little to promote growth and .stimulate QCliviJin)

•••••

If I read enough of the specialized articles in The Celator, some of it should rub ofr and expand my education.

Would it be possible to obtain catalog prices and at an earlier date notification of the European auctions so that the catalogs can be sent for and returned in time to study and bid at such auctions?

Even 20 years ago with European subscriptions, many catalogs used to arrive after the fact. Enjoy all XXXVI pages every time.

WaJlaa Widtman T=

(Wit arlt arrvnpting to notify r~ad~rs of evltnlS with morlt l~ad tiIM, ~ .g . Slt~ the clrangl!S in Calendar 0{ Ev~nls v~rsus last yltar's issues. Still, w~ Mit depltndMl upon submissions fTom oUlsidlt sourcu which do not always arriv~ Itarfy. WIt'Ii try to do bettt:r!)

•••••

I am greatly indebted to you and your excellent publication for the continued acknowledgement of our efforts to assist the SpaniSh Government in the restoration of the historic Segovia Mint. While we have managed to cover about one-third of our costs to date. I feel there may be several misconceptions about U.S, participation in Project Segovia '92 that may be confusing potential

..... contributors. First, and most important to note, is

that the Spanish Government does not particularly need. nor have they ever requested. any financial assistance from abroad. to help restore the mint. I was advised by officials from the very beginning, that funding for the purchase and restoration of the mint, as well as creation of the museu'm, was not a problem.

What is needed, and where we have been enthusiastica lly invited to participate. is in the creation of a numismatic awareness of the abandoned and long forgotten mint. We are doing this via numismatic counselling to

- 'r Segovia City Hall and the Government Commission. conducting research on this heretofore unstudied mint (my particular specialty), and the creation of ideas for converting it into a viable living numismatic museum dedicated to the ancient coining arts (Ron Landis'

specialty). These efforts have met with

resounding success in Spain: City Hall recently acquired the mint (at a cost of nearly $1 million U.S.) and the interadministtative agreement for its rehabilitation is due to be signed momentarily by the Commission participants - Segovia City Hall, Spanish National Mint, Ministry of Public Works, Ministry of Culture. and ' the Assembly of Castilla and Leon.

My efforts in assisting to establish this Government Commission (via promotion of the mint's attributes and possibilities) were actively encouraged by each official - primarily since I was (and continue to be) an apolitical, alttuistic, numismatically oriented third party - with no financial goals in the Project Our neutrality, and resultingly effective leverage lies in the simple fact that we represent. speak for, and are financially sponsored by concerned numismatists. Certainly this is part of what numismatics is (or should be) all about.

The fundamental reality of all this, however, is that we must cover certain basic expenses. All funds raised in the U.S. are used exclusively for the above mentioned counseling via the preparation of numismatic studies and technical reports , Our goals are simply to raise a projected $33,000/year through 1992. These funds are used by American numismatists (Ron and myself) who out of necessity must conduct the research and provide this assistance in a foreign country. Potential contributors should never be led to believe they are paying for bricks, cement, or Spanish wages. Eventually, our research will directly benefit the entire numismatic community.

As you rightfully mentioned, historic Segovia is an ideal location for promoting numismatics to the world -not to mention the relevance of housing the museum in the famou s mint building. Once again, potential contributors shouldn't feel a numismatic museum in Spain will have no influence on Americans. During this past month of July alooe. of the 37.109 foreign visitors who entered the city's tourist information office requesting information - nearly B.OOO were U,S, citizens! Imagine how many more were here and didn't happen to enter the tourist office to be registered as a statistic. Indeed, according to the same official report, the foreign visitors who most tour Segovia are from the U.S., surprisingly outnumbering even the neighboring French, who ranked second. Modem society - as well as the science of numismatics - is today truly international.

Strangely, one of o ur most enthusiastic supporters in the U.S. is not numismatic at all. USilCOMOS, the U.S, Committee/International Council on Monuments and Siles, in Washington, DC, has established a taxdeductible account for conttibutions. They directly handle our conttibutions as well as oversee our expenses - and can answer any fund-raising related questions potential contributors may have at 1600 H Street NW, Washington. DC 20006. (202) 842-1B66. I would also personally be more than happy to communicate with all those interested in our efforts, and can be reached at Segovia City Hall : (PROYECfO SEGOVIA '92, Excmo. Ayuntamiento de Segovia. 40001, Segovia, Spain). Those visiting Segovia are invited to inspect the mint by simply inquiring at City Hall.

P.S. European distri bution of Th~

Cda tor is a miracle to behold. It always arrives within a few days of the publication date! How do you do it?

Glenn S. Murray Segovia, Spain

(W~ USIt a privatlt carri~r; too bad the U.sp.s. can't get the /Mil across town thaI fasl!)

•••••

I liked very much Larry E . McKinney's article on the Selucid Coin Symbols (the July issue). The anchor is a very important theme in Israel as many of the Alexander tettadrachms found here are counterstamped exactly as mentioned in his commentary. The anchor theme which again appears on the first Jewish Perutuh struck in Jerusalem for Shimon Maccabee was equally important in later Jewish coinage as it was again used by Alexander Yannai on his "Kingn type Perutuh most commonly regarded as the Widowsmite. It had ultimately become so popular amongst the 1ews that Herod the Great sttuck it on his most common Jewish Perutuh. Of less importance but still worth mentioning, this theme was also used in rarer Herodian Perutol of both Herod the Great and his son Archelaus. Even a number of Ptolomaic coins were countermarked


Continued from page II

with this symbol. Also, the coinage of Roman

Procurators (by Eric Kondratieff. August issue) was superb. It covered in great detail this important coin series of the early Roman emperors (Augustus through Nero). In addition to the numismatic explanations, the coins were brilliant1y related to the history of that era and the importance to Rome of appeasing 1ewish sentiments.

H. Kogen NatanyaIsrael

We Want To Know About YOU!

I to: The Celator

P.O. Box 123 Lodi, WI 53555

with your news and views

.CJ.tar ~ '. . I " ~

Rates: $5.00 for the first 20 words, 20¢ each acId~ional word.

The other ancients: A fr i c a, Mideast. India, Southeast Asia. the Orient. Primitive Monies. Books, too. Free list. Semans. Box 22849P, SeatUe, WA 98122.

Greek, Roman, Medieval coins. Monthly catalogs with very reasonable prices and discounts issued for 21 years. Francis 1. Rath, Box 266, ' 'Youngstown, NY 14174.

$95 Export SpecIals

20 Hi(tl grade Wlda.¥smi!es. AVF a bett&!'. Includes diffenH1!

denomnalions and varieties. OR

25 Mxed Jewish Perutot and NewTes!ament type$. AF or better.

Mooc:aboo and Herocian K"ngs.

Roman vaieties and Jewish Rewll OR

30 t.bed Roman Bronzes. 3fd to 5th Century. Forbetter.

Different rulers & denominalion •. OR

20 Roman CoIoriaI and Biblical City coins. Nioe selection 01 large Oenorrinalions.

Md-Eas! mints and differen!ruI&rs OR

MXed Io! of 6 different silwr coins. Greell, Roman and Medieval . 2 different from each period.

OR Wholesale Io! · 100 Bronzes from all periods. Every coin indi'li6Jally displayed 011 certificate of authenticity with hisbrical Ooclrnentalion.

Ready-forre-sale. $95 LoI<:iJdM pottag.e. Iwldfng. 8Ic ... E..:h coin 10

hllt<>'bllly docI.rMnIed and ndlYtdualy dilplay«l on otrtjic&lllolauthenl:ici!y. For~~I~

&MIll anW and chid< to:

H. Kogen P.O. Box 2137

Natanya 42121 Israel If you are 1'10100 my mailing ist. write !Of free illustrated catalog

"AndentBiblical Coins.-

The Best of The Celator - 1988, recent winner of a special numismatic Literary Guild award for literary excellence in the numismatic magazine division, offers 21 entertaining and informative articles about ancient coins and antiquities. 64 pages neatly bound for easy preservation. Order postpaid for $5.95 from The C~/ator, P.O. Box 123, Lodi, WI 53555 .

British copper coins and tokens, ancient to modern. Free price lists . Simon Cordova, Box 2096, Citrus Heights, CA 95611; 916-961-9937.

Compute r filing (IBM): List, Son. Print out your collection. Easy, powerful, Shareware. $10 postpaid. Bob's. 100 Overlook, Willow Grove, PA 19090.

Reasonably priced ancient coins and artifacts. Free price list on request. Hugh Kramer, PO Box 6914, Santa Maria, CA 93456.

4th C. Syrian pale green jug; 5 3/16" x 3 114" w/indented bottom and flared lip. Some encrustationl irredescence. S175IBO Paul (414) 278-0100 ex. 655.

YOU MAY OBTAIN LARGE TAX REFUNOS

~ donaling your cilp1icate coins and s ps to hetPc handicapped children. For free useful In ormation and the new 1985 rules (wrinen by a tax-attomey) write:

THE NUMISMATlC INSTITUTE P.Q. 80)(7476Ch o IL60680

Sept. 89 • Trivia Answer: "Lysippus"

. , , . , , , ' . , , . , . , . , " .... The Celator October 1989

.... " . '. ' ... xxxv

Paid Advertisement

Dear Celator Reader: I thought that I would address a question that is very often brought up

at the various coin shows that my firm attends. To set the stage, a novice to ancient coin collecting or a fairfy new collector, will come up to my table , stare intently at the various ancients that we stock, and say something to the effect "they are all so sharply struck and high-grade, how do you know that they are real?" What they really mean of course, is how do they know that the coins are authentic, The recent "non-controversy" concerning the so·called Black Sea Hoard has unfortunately focused this question in the minds of some, as the coins were initially offered for sale by well known dealers in ancient coins, Recently, The Celator published yet another letter trying to substantiate the authenticity of these coins on scient~ic grounds, when in fact they cannot be substantiated at all on hjstorical grounds, aside from all the sub-atomic particle mumbo-jumbo.

The best way for a new collector to be sure of the authenticity of what he buys is to buy from established dealers in the field . Unfortunately a lot of new buyers go to their local coin shop, something of the order of "Bob & Flo's Rare Coin Shoppe. we buy silver and gold", and tell the dealer that they have gotten interested in ancients. The dealer, who is usually honest. but not usually well-informed, hunts around back and produces some ancients that he haa "put-away", and offers them to our new buyer. The buyer assumes that since they come from a legitimate coin store, they must be authentic. Unfortunately for him. the seller often has no idea of exactly what the coin is or even the foggiest idea of its authenticity.

Is this far-fetched? Not very, I imagine. as at the major shows, such as FUN, the ANA, and Lorg Beach, we have a steady parade 01 local dealers come over to our table and ask us to identify andlor authenticate an ancient that has come their way. usually from "a real old-time collection". About 90% of the time the coin is a fake, and often a very easily identified cast coin. It usually takes about 5 seconds to determine the coin is fake, and totally perplexed, they say something like, "Gee Doc, how could you tell it was a fake so fast". Well to be honest, the coins are usually such bad fakes that a 10 year old could teU they were cast with just a bit of education.

Here in South Orange. we have a local antique shop called "Flo's Antiques". It's run by a real nice lady who does house sales, etc. and is pretty knowledgeable about general run-of-the-mill antiques. Now ~ I was a collector of Chinese Porcelain. I very much doubt if I could expect to go into her shop, which is right next door to my travel agent, and find a Ming or Sung Dynasty Chinese Porcelain. I mean, there Is always that possibility, but real-world wise , I don't think there would be much expectation of it really happening. Yet. a lot of new collectors will go to their local coin shop and actually expect that the Syracuse dekadrachm that is dug out of the back-room is real and that they are getting a real bargain by being able to buy it for only 400 dollars. Some reality has to intrude here someplace folks. It is like the requests we get at shows for a Julius Caesar portrait denarius, but "I only can go $300 for one-. Can you imagine what such a coin would look like if indeed a legitimate ancient dealer could offer you one for that price?

Most of the ancient dealers who advertise in The Celator have' spent years learning to tell the difference between a fake tetradrachm and an authentic one. We look for signs of casting, style of the coin, weight of the coin, what the metal appears to be, signs of burial, evidence of trying to make the coin look real. evidence of ~greasi ness" . sometimes you smell the coin for a tell-tale oily smell, evidence of fake patina, etc. But basically, for most of the coins that are shown to us, it takes about 10 seconds of examination, the fakes are so bad,

What a lot of collectors , both novice and advanced don't understand, is that in many countries, it is not against the law to sell fake ancients. It is assumed that you know that the coin that you are being offered is a fake since in that country. it would be against the law to sell you a real ancient coin. So the young lad who greets you as you stop off the tour bus in Tunis or Cairo and looks so poor, and tells you a story about how his uncle would beat him ~ he knew that he was selling you

. these coins . but they need the money so badly, and etc. etc. and you go "Oh Myron buy the coin. it is only $5 and Aunt Myrtle collects these old coins etc, etc"." So you buy the coin .. and well you can figure out the rest of the story. If you want to be serore in what you buy then buy from an established source. I am not aware of any ancient dealer who will not guarantee his coins basically forever. If you find out that the coin is fake , 5 years later, through some accidental oversight or lapse of attention, and folks we all make mistakes once in a while from the biggest dealers to the most prestigious international auction houses, you will always have your monies refunded .

On to other matters

FOR THE MONTH OF OCTOBER WE WILL BE IN OUR CALIFORNIA OFFICES

Show Notices: Long Beach, Oct. 5·7 (we won't be there Sunday) at the Long Beach Convention Center. table 356. Show hours 10-7 Fri., Sat., & Sunday.

Grand Central, New York City, Noy. 2-4tb,·at the Omni Park Central Hotel. 56th & 7th. Show hours 10-7. This is a Iburs,. Fri. & Sat. show, not open on Sunday. This is an excellent show and will allow you to see my new purchases from COINEX and all the European auctions.

Bay State (Boston) Noy. 1Z-19th at the "57" Park Plaza-Howard Johnson's, in Park Square in Bostpn, This is a Fri. , Sat. & Sunday show with show hours 10:30-6 on Fri. & Sat. & 10:30-4 on Sunday, This will be our onlv shpw in New England until the Spring of 1990 so we urge you to attend.

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT:

PRIVATE COIN SHOWING FOR NORTHERN CALIFORNIA CLIENTELE

We will be holding a PRIVATE SHOWING of Classical Coins OCTOBER 20th & 21st. a Friday & Saturday from 10-7 at a hotel in the SILICON VALLEY AREA of Northern California. This will be a private showing and will be by Invitation only. There will be no admission, repeat no admission without a written invitation from my firm.

The reason lor this is that there is simply no show in Northern California at which we can see our clientele between Sept. & January of 1990. This is a very unusual situation, and we don't anticipate it happening in the future, but circumstances being what they are, th is is the situation which we found ourselves in . .. Since t his area has some of the most serious collectors in the entire country and we value their trade highly, we have decided to take the extraordinary step 01 setting up at a large, centrally located hotel, at which we will have armed guards and Irom which we can set up our usual ancient coin display for our clientele.

Our regular clientele will automatically be sent an invitation giving the name of the hotel & location. We will eliminate from this particular showing those individuals who consistently come to shows to "look", "think about it", "make some notes and we'll get back to you", and "I really like this coin so hold it for me and I will be back later". 01 course they never come back nor do they have the courtesy to let you know they don't want the coin. We will also not Invite to this particular show those individuals who regulary get show letters, and The Saslow Ancient Market Report but who have not shown up at any show nor contacted us during the past year.

Since we will have all our new purchases from COIN EX at this show, which if matters remain as in past years, should be both substantial & exciting , we urge you to put this date on your calendar. REMEMBER OCT. 20th & 21 sl. If you are a serious collector and want to come to this show, you must send us a letter to our California Office and we will contact you about the issuance of an invitation .

Rare Coins & Classical Arts Ltd. "Specialists in Museum Quality Coins'

Member: ANA, ANS, SAN, AINA, INS, Fellow RNS

P.O. Box 374 South Orange, NJ 07079 Phone: (201) 761,0634

P.O. Box 699 Palm Desert, CA 92261 Phone: (619) 345-7161

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XXXVI

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PNG 178 ANA· LM 762


Harlan J. Berk, Ltd. CLOSING NOVEMBER 1, 1989 OUR 59TH BUY OR BID SALE

FEATURING

OVER 650 ANCIENT COINS AND ANTIQUITIES AT ALL PRICE LEVELS

($20,000 . $15)

DEFINITELY A SALE FOR ALL COLLECTORS

ALEXANDER III THE GREAT TETRADRACHMS . .. YOUR PICK AT $300

2 . 3. 4. 6.

12.

Harlan J. Berk, Ltd 31 North Clark Street, (312)609-0017

Chicago, Illinois 60602 FAX (312) 609·1309

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