CoinWeek Ancient Coin Series by Mike Markowitz ….. THE ROMAN EMPIRE in the West died not with a bang, but with a whimper. A series of short-lived rulers, mostly puppets of barbarian warlords, presided over the accelerating collapse of a state that had endured for five glorious centuries. The coins issued in the names of […]
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CoinWeek Ancient Coin Series by Mike Markowitz ….. HISTORY IS LITTERED with great and wise rulers who fathered heirs who were monsters or idiots: sons who just plain turned out wrong. The coins of these rulers illustrate these stories, perhaps offering us some insight into how such good fathers raised such bad sons. Eucratides and […]
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CoinWeek Ancient Coin Series by Mike Markowitz ….. His constitution was sickly and he was indeed invalid throughout his life. His father’s birth was doubtful; and he was himself born out of regular wedlock, although his legitimacy was afterwards grudgingly recognized. From his eighth to his 16th year he was the pawn, by turns of […]
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By Mike Markowitz for CoinWeek ….. No lonelier man ever occupied the Byzantine throne – or any other, for that matter. Basil was ugly, dirty, coarse, boorish, totally philistine and almost pathologically mean. He was, in short, profoundly un-Byzantine. And all these things, one suspects, he would have readily admitted. He was not concerned with […]
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By Michael T. Shutterly for CoinWeek ….. The Iconoclastic Controversy was a period of near civil war in the Byzantine Empire that began in about 726 CE and lasted until about 787. It was revived in 814 and finally concluded in 843. The Controversy involved a religious dispute between Iconodules (“image servants”), who venerated icons […]
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By Mike Markowitz for CoinWeek ….. Apostate: (noun) a person who forsakes his religion, cause, party, etc.[1] REMEMBERED AS THE “Apostate” by his enemies, and “the Philosopher” by his friends, Flavius Claudius Julianus–or Julian–ruled as Roman emperor from November 3, 361 CE until his death on June 26, 363. On the list of emperors, […]
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By Mike Markowitz for CoinWeek ….. Constantine’s family was large and complex. Both he and his father had sired children with two different women, thus creating three branches [of] the Constantinian family. Most remote to Constantine was the step-family created by his father and most immediate were the two branches of direct descendants he had […]
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The Werner Collection of Ancient Roman and Byzantine Coins ranges over more than 1,600 years of Roman and Byzantine history, from the Republican period through the 15th century CE. Heritage Auctions is pleased to offer this collection in its Showcase Auction, with bidding open now through the live session on Sunday, February 20 at 8 […]
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The CoinWeek Podcast is brought to you by PCGS. Check out PCGS’ new grading specials and take advantage of an exclusive offer to get a PCGS limited-edition 35th Anniversary Silver PCGS Box. You can also save money on Canadian banknote submissions and coin variety attributions. Visit pcgs.com/ccspecial to learn more. CoinWeek Podcast #165: Mike Markowitz […]
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By Mike Markowitz for CoinWeek ….. “What was the last ancient coin?” The question is unanswerable. There was no “last” ancient coin, just as there was no “last” ancient person. Classical antiquity didn’t just stop — it morphed gradually into the medieval world, which morphed, in turn, into what we understand as the modern […]
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By Charles Morgan and Hubert Walker for CoinWeek …. Link to Part 1 5.) Irene of Athens Like much of the Middle Ages, the history of the Byzantine Empire is fascinating and complex. Unfortunately, it’s not a familiar topic to many Americans. Numismatically, it’s an exceedingly rich field of study, and the next woman […]
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By David Hendin for CoinWeek ….. If a hoard of 264 Byzantine gold solidi suddenly appeared and careful examination showed that every coin in the hoard was struck from the SAME dies–a die set never before identified–experts would be quick to suggest the possibility of forgery. (Photo 1) Real life, however, can be stranger than […]
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By Elena Stolyarik for American Numismatic Society (ANS) …… The Byzantine Empire, which lasted more than a thousand years, had one of the most monetized economies in medieval Europe. The coinage of Byzantium was an essential element of this unique civilization, which preserved Roman law and state structures and inherited not only the Hellenistic […]
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By David Hendin for CoinWeek ….. The cross has been the most recognizable symbol of Christianity for more than 1,600 years. But this was not the case in the first few hundred years after Jesus died. When Jesus was crucified in Jerusalem between around 30 and 33 CE (the exact year is not known), he […]
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By Tyler Rossi for CoinWeek ….. Over the roughly one thousand years that followed the overthrew of the last king in 509 BCE, Rome underwent many cultural revolutions. Some of the most notable changes include the rise of the Triumvirates and the overthrow of the Republic, the increasingly autocratic nature of the subsequent Empire, and […]
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By Mike Markowitz for CoinWeek ….. I collect Late Roman (c. 300-491 CE) and Byzantine (c. 491-1350 CE) gold coins. The tangled histories of these long-dead empires, and the often tragic stories of their rulers, are deeply meaningful to me because I was fortunate to have an inspirational Latin teacher in high school, and some […]
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By Tyler Rossi for CoinWeek ….. When I was a kid, I walked to school both ways! When I was younger, movie tickets were only 50 cents! While these are a few of the stereotypical laments of many “older” folks, they speak to a series of deeper trends in our markets. Change is inevitable, […]
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By Mike Markowitz for CoinWeek ….. In recent years, Heritage Auctions has become a major player in the ancient coin market. Traditionally in America, the most important ancient coin auctions of the year take place in January, in association with the New York International Numismatic Convention (NYINC). This year is no exception, even though the […]
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By Mike Markowitz for CoinWeek ….. ANCIENT ROMANS WERE practical-minded people; they didn’t like wasted effort. Every letter on an ancient Roman coin die was painstakingly engraved by hand, so inscriptions on Roman coins are often heavily abbreviated. Generations of classical scholars have toiled to unravel the meaning of these cryptic abbreviations, so we can […]
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By CoinWeek …. Internet auction site Catawiki offers a wide range of collectibles, including fine art, jewelry, comics, toys, militaria, wine, and antiques. Numismatists will also find a large selection of precious metal bullion, currency, stamps, and rare coins. This week, we focus on auction highlights that have recently closed and are still open for […]
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By Michael T. Shutterly for CoinWeek ….. Just as Rome wasn’t built in a day, so, too, did it not fall in one. It actually took three days, spread out over 66 years. Theodosius the Great (reigned 379-395 CE) was the last man to rule the entire Roman Empire, both East and West. On his […]
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By Mike Markowitz for CoinWeek ….. ATHENS IN THE eighth century was a provincial small town living on memories of past glories. But its aristocrats were proud of their daughters, reputedly the most talented and beautiful women in the Eastern Roman (“Byzantine”) empire. When Emperor Constantine V needed a bride for his son and heir, […]
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ESM Collection of United States Large Cents Stack’s Bowers Galleries is thrilled to present the ESM Collection of United States Large Cents as part of our August 2020 Auction. The collection comprises a virtually complete set of large cents by major variety, spanning all issues from 1793 through the end of the type in 1857. […]
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Gold medallions were gifts produced for the Roman emperor to bestow upon high-ranking civilian and military individuals, as well as “foreign ambassadors and chieftains whom it was intended to impress.” They were “the imperial counterpart of private gifts presented to friends on important occasions.” Described by Arnold Toynbee as money medallions because they were “true […]
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By Mike Markowitz for CoinWeek ….. …the sick promenade while the doctors lie abed, the baths freeze while the houses burn, the living are thirsty while the buried swim, thieves are vigilant while the authorities sleep, the clergy lend money while the Syrian merchants sing psalms… (Deliyannis, 50) —Sidonius Apollinaris (c. 430-489 describing Ravenna as […]
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By Hubert Walker for CoinWeek …. As reported by the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) earlier this month, in February a group of boys on a school field trip discovered an almost 1,600-year-old gold coin from the Byzantine Empire in a park just north of Nazareth in the region of Galilee. Minted in the Byzantine capital […]
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CoinWeek Ancient Coin Series by Mike Markowitz ….. Of the characters conspicuous in history, that of Heraclius is one of the most extraordinary and inconsistent. In the first and last years of a long reign, the emperor appears to be the slave of sloth, of pleasure, or of superstition, the careless and impotent spectator of the public […]
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By Josh Illingworth – NGC Ancients …… Part 1 At the beginning of the fourth century CE, the Roman Empire found itself in a prolonged economic decline. Centuries of warfare and misrule had slowly eroded all aspects of Roman life. Unsurprisingly, this was reflected in the Roman gold coins of the era. The gold aureus, a […]
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CoinWeek Ancient Coin Series by Mike Markowitz …. As with politicians, nothing is more important to gods than image … Perhaps this is the secret of the longevity of the God of Israel, that He never allowed an image of Himself[1]. THE OLD TESTAMENT’S STRICT PROHIBITION of idolatry inhibited the development of religious art in […]
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Most beginning collectors of ancient coins have something in common: they want an ancient gold coin in their collection. The Roman solidus is a good candidate. By Joël van Dam – Owner of Joëlnumismatics, for MA-Shops.com …… Gold coins from ancient times are most of the times expensive investments. Think of the golden aureus […]
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Stack’s Bowers Galleries is pleased to announce the results of their August 2017 auction of world coins, world paper money and ancient coins. In total, the Stack’s Bowers Galleries ANA World’s Fair of Money auction realized over $19 million (including the standard buyer’s premium) with the ancient coins, world coins and world paper money realizing […]
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By Mike Markowitz for CoinWeek …. Do not use dishonest standards when measuring length, weight or quantity. Use honest scales and honest weights, an honest ephah and an honest hin[1]. — Leviticus, 19:35-36 PEOPLE ARE NOT VERY GOOD AT estimating or comparing weight. Before the rise of market economies, people measured commodities mainly by […]
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By Chris Chatigny, Numismatist & Cataloger – Stacks Bowers …… For this week’s previews for the ancient coin section of the August ANA World’s Fair of Money Auction, we present a piece with great historical significance, the Gold Solidus of Magnus Maximus This coin from the late Roman Empire marks the beginning of the end […]
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We are pleased to present our inaugural Chicago Coin Expo World and Ancient Coin Auction April 7-11 in the historic Chicago Cultural Center in vibrant downtown Chicago. In addition to the exciting new venue, we’ve put together an auction equally enticing in diversity and quality. Our Ancients section features a strong offering of some of […]
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Heritage’s Long Beach World & Ancient coins Signature auction, scheduled for September 8-12, is open for bidding! Although it feels like the final hammer just fell on our August Platinum Night auction, we’ve managed, with the help of more than 270 consignors, to amass over 4,200 lots for your bidding consideration. Like our Long Beach […]
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By Mike Markowitz for CoinWeek …. The Franks had little idea of the state as a public institution, and the regnum Francorum (kingdom of the Franks), while remaining a family inheritance, was inherited according to the rules of private law, divided on each occasion between the sons or nearest male relatives of the deceased (Grierson […]
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By Mike Markowitz for CoinWeek …. The Franks had little idea of the state as a public institution, and the regnum Francorum (kingdom of the Franks), while remaining a family inheritance, was inherited according to the rules of private law, divided on each occasion between the sons or nearest male relatives of the deceased […]
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By Mike Markowitz for CoinWeek…. We speak sometimes of the Roman religion as though it possessed a firm basis, but in fact it was constantly changing, the gods melting away and being replaced by others (Hale, 73). Decline of Paganism BY THE BEGINNING OF THE FOURTH CENTURY CE, the religious life of the Romans was […]
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By Éditions Victor Gadoury…. The upcoming Gadoury sale will present a large collection of coins of Savoy featuring many great rarities. The connoisseur will furthermore find coins ranging in date from antiquity to the present time. The auction will focus on France, Russia, and, needless to add, on Monaco–not to forget the rich material from […]
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