Posts Tagged ‘Ancient Coins’

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Preserving Kashmir’s Coins

Sunday, February 15th, 2009

In the article Preserving Kashmir’s Coins written by Irfan Naveed and published in Kashmir News (the article was appears to be a  translation from his native tongue), Mr. Naveed brings up some interesting points, one point in particular:

“What is a coin? Perhaps only few people have understood its proper concept, while for most of the people these ancient coins are nothing more than outdated money, which has no value. For general public, these coins are useless, but for copper and gold smiths, these coins have got some metallic value and are re-used in making copper, silver and gold items.

It is only very few people of my land who are aware of their numismatic and historic value, while rest of the Kashmiris are totally unaware of their numismatic heritage.”

It is difficult for radical archaeologists to comprehend that other cultures and people from “less developed” lands have little interest in cultural heritage as “we” define it.  In many places, these portable antiquities often provide raw materials for use by metal smiths or are used as ornamentation (part of the culture of many lands).

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Biblical Coins – Judaea Capta – Vespasian

Thursday, February 12th, 2009

In line with the theme I have discussed concerning “biblical coins” we have the collecting theme of “Judaea Capta” series coins which commemorate the Roman defeat of Judaea.  These coin types were struck in the name of Vespasian and his two sons Titus and Domitian.  Because of the direct link between Vespasian and Judea all of his coins make excellent candidates for a collection that has as it’s focus “biblical coins”.

A Judaea Capta Denarius of Vespasian

A "Judaea Capta" Denarius of Vespasian

Vespasian (Titus Flavius Vespasianus), ruled as Emperor of Rome from 69 – 79 AD and was father to Titus (ruled as emperor from 79-81 AD) and Domitian (ruled as emperor from 81-96 AD) 

Vespasian was the military General over Judea.  He suppressed the Jewish Revolt (known to the Jews of the day as the First Roman War).  He was first appointed to deal with the “Jewish problem” and conduct the war in Judea in 66 AD  and in 70 AD brought an end to the “war” and as a consequence razed the city of Jerusalem.  An eye witness account by Flavius Josephus reports that by the time the city of Jerusalem was destroyed by the Romans, some 1,100,000 Jews had died and another 100,000 were taken into captivity, most of which would soon die from starvation or in the Roman theaters.

He later rebuilt the temple and dedicated it to Jupiter – an insulting act to the Jews.  Vespasian was not very religious and thought the deification of the emperor upon his death was inane.  Upon his death bed, he jokingly said, “Oh my, I think I am becoming a god.”

Coins listed on our website of Vespasian range in price from $35 to over $200.

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Are ancient coins cultural heritage?

Tuesday, February 10th, 2009

The radical archaeologist movement tries very hard to convince people that this is so. In the broadest sense perhaps, just as the spare change in my pocket represents aspects of the country in which I live. But so is every other item ever made by a specific culture or society. The real question that needs to be answered is whether or not ancient coins are important items to a group or cultures cultural heritage. The answer to this question is a resounding NO for the following reasons:

1. Coins by their very nature were made for use in commerce. Most ancient coins (with few exceptions)? were?expected to cross boarders. More so for coins made of precious metals (gold, silver and billon) Some coins, like Athenian tetradrachms, Corinthian staters, tetradrachms of Alexander the Great, Abbasid dirhams, Venetian ducats, Maria Theresa talers and even U.S. trade dollars were circulated widely outside of their country of origin. Some of them, in fact, still circulate in parts of the world today.

2. Ancient coins are EXTREMELY common. Ancient coins were minted in the BILLIONS and HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS have survived.

3. Most of the source countries where ancient coins are found are comprised of residents which have little or no relationship to the producers of the coins or they have adopted a culture that is significantly different from those that produced the coins found in their territory. Even items of archaeological importance should not be considered as a specific countries cultural heritage in many cases, rather, they should be considered as mankind’s cultural heritage. (While countries such as Saudi Arabia do not “value” the heritage of their “idolatrous” ancestors these ancestors have made significant contributions to mankind in various arts and sciences.)

In conclusion, to declare ancient coins cultural property or heritage is to trivialize the significance of the definition of what really is cultural property or heritage. I feel that these terms have been overused and are routinely abused by the radical archaeologist movement and is used to polarize people to join their “side”. After all, who would not agree that the cultural heritage of a people should be protected at great cost?

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Parthian coins – an interesting collecting theme

Monday, February 9th, 2009

In a span of just over 1,600 years of ancient history hundreds of civilizations struck coins.  Many of them did so in their own name and some in the name of a “greater” power such as the Roman’s.

The Parthian Empire occupied part of present day Iran and Turkmenistan.  Ruling from 247 B.C. to A.D. 228 in the Parthians defeated the successors of Alexander the Great, the Seleucids, conquered most of the Middle East and southwest Asia and controlled the “Silk Road” (Per Wikipedia, the Silk Road was are an extensive interconnected network of trade routes across the Asian continent connecting East, South, and Western Asia with the Mediterranean world, including North Africa and Europe.)

Of all of the civilizations that struck coins, the Parthian’s are among the most interesting and mysterious.  Quite a bit of what is known of Parthian history has been learned from the coins struck by the “Parthian Empire”.  There are also coins which were struck by the Romans to commemorate victories over the Parthian (in some cases such declarations of victory were premature and in others they were paid for!)

An EXCELLENT resource that discusses Parthian history in great detail and does a very thorough job of cataloging Parthian coins is http://parthia.com.  This is one of the BEST numismatic sites you will find and is incredible in the amount of information it contains on all things Parthian.

Some examples of Parthian coins:

A Parthian Silver Drachm or Artabanos III. A.D. 10-38

A Parthian Silver Drachm or Artabanos III. A.D. 10-38A Parthian Billon Tetradrachm of Vologases IV struck 171-172 AD

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Who profits from Archeology?

Sunday, February 8th, 2009

On Paul Barford’s blog as well as several of his many posts he likes to point out that the ACCG’s board is comprised mostly of dealers.  He as well as others that make up the radical archaeologist “movement” really take issue with “profit” being made from the sale of ancient numismatic items and “portable antiquities”.

According to the Archeological Institute of America’s website they are “Led by a professional staff of nearly thirty full-time and part-time employees supported by dedicated students and consultants, the AIA maintains offices in Boston and New York. A board of trustees who represent our general membership, the academic community, and our local societies governs the Institute, and the organization operates under an annual budget of approximately $7 million.”  I am sure the SAFE also has a budget and I would make another assumption, that both budgets include the salaries of employees.

I also think it is safe to say that Paul earns a living that allows him to pay the bills and live in relative comfort in Europe as an Archaeologist as many other archaeologists do.  (And rightly so, everyone deserves to get paid for their work)

Now, concerning the ACCG board.  I can say from personal knowledge that NONE of the board members receive any compensation for their work with the ACCG.   In fact, the ACCG does not have any full-time employees.  Most of the dealers that are involved are also well known authors and scholars in their own right and consider themselves numismatists and collectors before being dealers  In addition, dealers are for the most part professional numismatists that work closely with customers, scholars and other numismatists on a daily basis and are intimately familiar with the issues.  Who better to take the lead in an organization that is defending the science of ancient numismatics and the right of collectors and yes, dealers?

The argument that it is inappropriate to profit from ancient coins and antiquities is flawed.  Archaeologists themselves “profit” from their work in the salaries they receive.  In fact, on the Yahoo discussion group “ArchaeologytheoryMethod” there was a recent post titled “the journals racket” where the cited article by Andrew Brown of the Guardian says: “Scientific journals are a notorious racket: because they are essential tools for the professions that use them, they can charge pretty much what they like.” The article goes on to say that “Almost all these journals are indexed and references to them will be found on Google Scholar, PubMed Central and anywhere else you look beyond Wikipedia. So the truth is out there. But it will cost you. I just paid $32 for a printout of one piece and this is by no means exceptional.”

Based on the above, even the knowledge which is learned at the expense of government grants, donations and the blood sweat and tears of archaeologists, interns and volunteers is generally available only at a very steep (financial) price.

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Biblical Coins – The “Widows Mite”

Friday, February 6th, 2009

One of the lower priced “biblical coins” is the “Widow’s Mite”, a coin which has significance to both Jews (because it was struck by a King of Judea) and Christians (because of a story found in the Christian Greek scriptures)

In the original text of the bible the word “mite” is not found.  The term comes from the King James Translation which used the word “mite” because it was possibly a commonly known coin denomination of very little value at the time.

The story of the Widow’s Mites is found in the Christian Greek texts of the bible, one account related in Mark 12:42 says: “Now a poor widow came and dropped in two small coins, which have very little value. 43 So he called his disciples to him and said to them: ‘Truly I say to YOU that this poor widow dropped in more than all those dropping money into the treasury chests; 44 for they all dropped in out of their surplus, but she, out of her want, dropped in all of what she had, her whole living.’”

The coin believed to have been the “Widow’s Mite” was struck by Alexander Jannaeus (who was King of Judea from 103 BC to 76 BC) These coins were minted from 103 to 76 BC, but remained in circulation for over a century. The design on the obverse is an anchor – the symbol for the royal family adopted by the Seleucid dynasty to symbolize their naval strength. The reverse design is a star and diadem. The star symbolized heaven – they percieved their power coming from God and the diadem symbolized royalty – they viewed their royalty and power as being ordained by God.

We currently have several hundred Widow’s Mites in our inventory ranging in price and condition (Click on image to purchase):

Budget (Lower Grade) Widows Mites - $6 Each

Budget ("Lower Grade") Widow's Mites - $6 Each

Mid-Grade Widows Mites - $15 Each

Mid-Grade Widow's Mites - $15 Each

High Grade Widows Mites - $29 Each

High Grade Widow's Mites - $29 Each

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Ancient coin collecting does not have to be expensive

Tuesday, February 3rd, 2009

Most people have collected coins at some point in their lives.  In my case, I remember when my father would give me coins from all over the world whenever I would see him after he went on tour.  Some pick out silver dimes and quarters when they see them in change or hold on to that “lucky” two dollar bill they found.

What about ancient coins?  Like most people, I thought that ancient coins were very expensive.  The first ancient coins I added to my collection I obtained from a classmate in second grade for a trade.  I thought I had made such a great deal.  Five dollars in comic books for what turned out to be a very worn Byzantine follis and an Ottoman bronze coin.  It was not until many years later that I learned that ancient coins were less expensive than I had thought.  In fact, we have coins in out bargain section that are under $20.

Before starting a collection you should do a little research (perhaps buy one of the books by Wayne Sayles on ancient coin collecting, or the book Handbook of Roman Imperial Coins by David VanMeter), next, you should decide what and how you would like to collect.  You can pick a theme (animals, a set of coins of different emperors, architectural types, coins minted in different cities or just different types of coins minted for the same emperor)

Once you have started your collection, try to learn everything you can about the coins you purchase.  Where were they minted, how, what is the history of the emperor or issuing authority and what did the reverse (“tails”) of the coin represent.  The greatest part of the noble hobby of ancient coin collecting is that you get to hold a piece of history in your hand.  A coin of Constantine the great is over 1600 years old and was used during a time that molded our modern society, values, beliefs and political system. 

A coin of Constantine the Great being sold in our store for $19

A coin of Constantine the Great being sold in our store for $19

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Admiral Balchin’s HMS Victory Discovered by Odyssey Marine Exploration

Monday, February 2nd, 2009

Odyssey Marine Exploration, Inc. (NasdaqCM: OMEX), has discovered the British warship HMS Victory which was lost at sea in 1744.

The HMS Victory sank during a storm in 1744 with at least 900 men aboard and it is believed that the ship had more than 4 tons of gold coins on board, which could be worth considerably more than the treasure Odyssey raised from a Spanish galleon in 2007 and which the Spanish government has been trying to claim.

According to the company press release:

“Odyssey has been cooperating closely with the United Kingdom’s Ministry of Defence (MOD) on the project, and all activities at the site have been conducted in accordance with protocols agreed with MOD and Royal Navy officials. Terms of collaboration between Odyssey and the UK MOD on the project are currently being negotiated, and an agreement similar to the Sussex Partnering Agreement has been proposed.

“Finding this shipwreck has solved one of the greatest shipwreck mysteries in history. Having discovered it in deep water far from where history says it was lost has served to exonerate Admiral Balchin and his officers from the accusation of having let the ship run aground on the Casquets due to faulty navigation,” commented Greg Stemm, Odyssey’s Chief Executive Officer. “We have worked closely with the MOD on this operation, and anticipate that we will continue the excellent cooperative relationship that we have enjoyed working together on the Sussex project. Fortunately, this shipwreck is not in waters claimed by any other country, so we do not expect any interference in further exploration of the site.””

Odyssey has compiled a fascinating archeological report which I find interesting, considering all of the negative publicity that has been generated against the company by certain groups within the archaeological community.  This paper, along with the others posted on their site, is an example of how private ventures can make a contribution to our understanding of the past.  Perhaps if these groups would put the interests of science ahead of their extremist views they would actually help advance our understanding of the past, increase funding for the sciences and serve the greater good.  

As it stands, the science (as with most sciences) of archeology is seriously underfunded and does not have the resources that a company like Odyssey can bring to the table.

Bronze cannon on the shipwreck site of HMS Victory bearing the royal crest of King George I

Bronze cannon on the shipwreck site of HMS Victory bearing the royal crest of King George I

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German case involves provenance issue?

Sunday, February 1st, 2009

Apparently one of the coin collections which was seized in Germany belonged to a pensioner.  (Retired person)  According to reports floating around the collector purchased coins from a person via an auction site (eBay?).  Unbeknownst to the collector, the seller happened to be under investigation by the police over some kind of cultural property issue which led to the search of the collectors home and the seizing of his entire collection.  (More can be found on Peter Tompa’s cultural property blog)  For a better translation of one of the German articles, see Peter’s blog or see below.

If you collect non-US coins older than 100 years old and live in the United States, you should seriously consider joining the Ancient Coin Collectors Guild (ACCG).  The ACCG has been at the forefront of the battle to protect the rights of numismatists to collect and study ancient coins.  For information on joining you can go to this site: http://accg.us/membership/join

Here is a translation of one of the stories.

German Numismatists Ring the Alarm Bells

German cultural authorities have begun searching private homes and seizing entire collections of antique coins, if provenance of only a few coins in the collection is not documented. These invasions are being conducted under the new German laws on importation of cultural property. Coins being subjected to such scrutiny are not restricted to ancient coins presumed to have been excavated – medieval and antique modern coins are also subject to the same measures. In one case, a pensioner from the Thuringian Eisenberg recently acquired four old coins on an Internet auction site. Shortly afterwards his house was searched, ending with seizure of his entire collection. Collectors are understandably alarmed, because very few coins in their collections have provenances that will satisfy the new laws. When a collection becomes suspect only a short time is being allowed to prove licit origin before the collection is seized, and then even if the suspicion is unfounded, it is very difficult to recover the collection.

Not only coins, but all “cultural objects” more than 100 years old are subject to these new cultural laws, leading to fears that stamp collections, collections of graphic arts and antique jewelry may also be targeted. The list of “cultural objects” in the 1970 UNESCO Convention is very extensive, including such common things as coins, postage stamps, photographs and printed books.The new laws on importation of cultural property became effective in September 2008, after the German government finally gave in to demands that importation of unprovenanced coins and other artifacts should be prevented, because archaeologists allege that looting of archaeological sites is driven by the collecting market. This allegation is unproven – no verifiable, factual evidence has yet been presented to support it.

There is however significant evidence that looting would continue unabated even if collecting could be prevented in Europe and other areas where cultural property laws are respected. Meanwhile German coin collectors now feel completely insecure, like criminals suspected of breaking the law. According to Ulf Draeger – head of the Moritzburg Landesmünzkabinetts and chairman of the German Society of Medallic Arts – the entry into force of these new laws, despite their laudable intentions, has led to significant collateral damage in only a short time. His conclusion: “If this situation continues, then we can pack up.”

For a summary in English see http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Unidroit-L/message/3348For the original articles in German seehttp://www.numismatische-gesellschaft.de/http://tinyurl.com/dfc7sphttp://tinyurl.com/bc8pqz

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Coin collections being seized in parts of Germany?

Saturday, January 31st, 2009

Per a post to the Unidroit-Llist on Yahoo by Jorg Lueke German coin collections have been confiscated by the police after raids of the homes of collectors.

Unfortunately the original news articles are in German and full translations are not available.  But a call to a few colleagues confirmed that the police have in fact conducted searches of private residences of numismatists in parts of Germany and entire collections were seized earlier this month.  Apparently this took place after these individuals purchased coins via eBay which were deemed suspect by German authorities.

During a meeting of the DNG (“German Numismatic Society”) it appears that a resolution was drafted to address this matter.  Per Jorg Lueke’s translation:

Private collections have formed the seed from which a majority of museum
collections have grown. Time after time, private collecting has
provided important information and new discoveries for scholarly
numismatics.

This is why recent events have filled us with worry. Collecting,
especially of medieval and ancient coins, has been accused as a criminal
act; under the unjustifiable accusation that collecting is the result
and cause of the illegal looting of archaeological sites around the
world. The police conduct searches of homes, collections are
confiscated, collectors are charged with smuggling. There is talk of a
reduced legal rights for collectors.

We cannot and will not allow coin collecting and dealing to become
criminalized and therefore make the following clarification.

1. Collecting of ancient and medieval coins is not criminal. Documented
provenance for every coin is not necessary. Still, we urge collectors
to document their collections more than before even if they were
acquired at coins shows or other venues.

2. We support the protection of archaeological sites and historically
significant coin finds. We understand coin hoards can have more worth
than simply their financial worth.

3. We oppose any theft of protected cultural property, demand in return,
that collectors ,who buy coins over the Internet or elsewhere, in good
faith with without intent to acquire stolen cultural property, are not
charged with accepting stolen property. Confiscations of complete
collections must be stopped. We oppose the behavior of the police in
performing home searches and confiscation entire collections.

Please note that I am relying on quick translations and the author of the original post.  If anyone is fluent in German and can help translate the original articles posted to the Unidroit-L list (Link to post above) it would be much appreciated.

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