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Next club meeting Monday 7th October 2024. |
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9th September 2024.
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Subject A talk by Tim Millet titled: Tokens of Love, Loss and Disrespect
Meetings are held at the Abbey Baptist Church, Abbey Square, commencing at 7.00 p.m.
Notices
Member Subscriptions renewals are overdue. If you havent already done so, please renew at the next meeting, and the 2024-2025 membership cards can be collected then.
September Meeting
Club member Graham gave a presentation entitled Decisions, Decisions, Decisions.
Grahams talk fell into two parts. The first was a thought-provoking summary of how collectors decide on purchasing a particular coin and on what happens to the coin after its purchase by the collector. The second part of the presentation was on Grahams own recent purchases.
The thoughts Graham posed to the club members were:
1. Why buy that particular coin? Clearly, its what you want and collect; but asks why that coin as opposed to the others on offer. It may be a budgetary constraint that allows the collector one significant purchase only and forces them to choose what is affordable and appropriate to the collection. Inevitably there is a choice not to purchase others in the tray.
2. What aids are available to the collector to help them? There is the advice of friends, other collectors, club members, magazines and books. Graham gave the example of viewing a major tome on Celtic coins where a vast range of collectable items were illustrated and it brought home to him that his own modest collection could provide scope for more collecting, but he decided it was sufficient and decided to stop there. This raised the question of what can be collected and afforded to provide a good representative set of coins and the decision here was for him to concentrate on ancient Greek coins. [Examples of recent purchasesare shown later]]
Magazines such as Coin Monthly help to build up the collectors general knowledge of the coin scene, and also of some of the pitfalls and misfortunes that can befall them.
Invest in a good magnifying glass or a jewellers loupe to be able to see in detail the merits or demerits of a prospective purchase.
Get to know trusted dealers who can advise and find items for us. A good relationship can lead to dealers proactively setting items aside for you.
As important decisions are often to made on the spot you need to be properly prepared. Do your homework first, and carry with you a wants list. When visiting a coin fair, ensure you have easy access to reference catalogues, and carry with you your wants list, magnifying glass or loupe and of course means of payment for any items purchased. If you spot a likely coin check that it is on your wants list and inspect it. If all looks good purchase the coin (or ask for it to be put by for you a while (while you check your records or catalogue). Remember delay is risky; if you delay then the item can be gone before you have made a decision!
3. What do you do when the purchase comes home? Graham suggested that it be crossed off your wants list and added to your stock, together with date of purchase, price paid, condition and other relevant data. This needs to be done reasonably quickly for it is not unknown for collectors to unwittingly purchasing the same coin twice! It was also suggested that with each new purchase write it up and photograph it. Further research on mintage, years, origins, events in the mintage year and catalogue references can then be taken at your leisure.
4. When do you consider wider issues? Does the collector need to rationalise and sell low-grade items, or maybe concentrate on a more restricted collection? If the collection has grown query if it is housed appropriately, and if the storage media (e.g. trays, cabinets, envelopes) should be upgraded.
5. The final question in this first part of Grahams talk is one of the hardest for the collector. What is to happen to your collection in the future? Where will it go when we finally shuffle off this mortal coil? Do not assume that your beneficiaries will want to acquire or deal with your collection. You may wish to donate them to some other person, or institution or just consign them to auction in which case your Will, or a codicil to your Will, should be quite clear on its intended destination. Is it time to decide? And remember we are only temporary custodians of the coins!
Having given us much good advice in the first part of his presentation, Graham then introduced the club to some of the collection which his decision process earlier led him to Ancient Greek coins, and he spoke at length on his research notes on them.
Lucania,
Sybaris AR Stater 550-510 BC
Sybaris was founded by Achaeans
c.720 BC in the coastal plain of the Krathis River. It was the richest
and most important of the Greek colonies in
Italy, until its
destruction by Kroton in 510 BC
Obv. Bull Standing Rev. Incuse of
Left, looking back above.
MV above No legend
Kaunos,
Caria AR Stater c410-390
BC
Obv. Winged female figure (Iris) running left, head reverted holding caduceus in right hand and wreath in left.
Rev. Conical, triangular
baetyl
The city of Kaunos is noted for its impressive rock hewn tombs from antiquity. It is also known as Rhodian Peraea.
The word baetyl is derived from the semitic Bet El the house of God. The baetyl reverse shown above is flanked by an inverted Δ and Γ across the upper field, all within an inverted square. Baetyls are sacred stones that were supposedly endowed with life. According to ancient sources these objects of worship were meteorites, which were dedicated to the gods or revered as symbols of the gods themselves. The most famous baetyl in the ancient Greek world was the Omphalos navel of the earth at Delphi and it was considered the centre of the world.
In ancient times Kaunos was an important sea port, which was taken after a hard struggle by the Persians in approximately 546 BC. Later it took part in the Ionian revolt (499-494 BC). The remains of Kaunos are about 8 km inland near to modern town of Dalyan, Muğlu, Turkey.
Thrace, Thasos AR Stater
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Obv. Nude ithyphallic satyr in kneeling position running attitude right, carrying a struggling nymph
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The island was first controlled by the Phoenicians, then the Persians and later the Athenians. In the 5th Century BC there were periodic conflicts between Thasos and Athens |
Rev. Quadripartite regular, incuse square, with the quadripartite divisions clearly visible |
(flat fabric) c500-480BC
This island off the coast of Thrace was noted for gold mines and also as a centre of cult worship to Dionysos. It was a fertile wine region and also noted for its pottery.
The next coin Graham talked about was an AR Stater from Metapontum of 400-340 BC. The obverse of this coin has a charming head of the goddess Demeter, facing right, with her hair loosely bound, and the reverse is an ear of corn with leaf to the right with the legend META on extreme right. Metapontum was a very early Achaean coastal colony founded in the 6th century by settlers from Sybaris. It was a prolific mint of silver staters, with a wonderful array of heads of deities on the obverse, and the constant reverse of an ear of barley. It would seem that the area was noted for its grain production, as the ear of corn suggests agricultural wealth and Demeter is associated with the harvest.
The
city was captured by the Lucanians c.300 BC, then later by the Romans. It supported Hannibal
during the 2nd Punic War.
Graham introduced us to an AR Nomos (Didrachm) of the Italian city of Tarentum in Calabria Modern Tarento). The coin depicts Phalanthos riding a dolphin, holding an aphlaston (a curved decorative extension of the stern post of an ancient warship) and distaff. The legend ANΘ is to the right. The dolphin is a symbol often found on the coinage of Greek coastal settlements. The obverse depiction of a naked youth on horseback, crowning himself is sometimes a peaceful contestant, and sometimes a representation of an armed cavalryman.
The
Didrachm of Tarentum Obv. and Rev. Left
The last coins two discussed by Graham were an AR Stater of Corinth c.345-307 BC and an AR Litrae of Syracuse 275-215 BC.
The former coin has a reverse of Pegasus with pointed wing flying left, Koppa (an early Greek letter) below. The obverse has a Helmeted Head of Athena facing left, with N and herm behind. In Greek art the god Herm can be represented in partially aniconic form as a pillar, with male genitalia at the front and a bearded head on top. The Corinthian mint was one of the most important on the Greek mainland and was very active throughout the 5th and 4th centuries BC.
The latter coin depicted the veiled and diademed portrait of Queen Philistis (wife of Hieron II) on the obverse. The reverse has a Quadriga driven by Nike the winged goddess of speed, strength and Victory. Purchased recently by Graham for £2,300 it had previously changed hands in 1974 for 2,300 SwFr. A similar coin, described as a lovely toned example, was sold at a recent auction for a hammer price of £3,200 (Gross £4,000).
Graham noted that while he did well to decide to buy this coin, an authority commented, that after comparison with the best of Greek coinage whilst the coins are well and carefully struck, they are aesthetically among the more wretched examples of moribund and stereotyped art.
Grahams final comment was Ah well- I made my decision!
His presentation was greatly appreciated by the club.
Future Events.
Britannia Medal Fair London W2 2HF 17th November
London Coin Fair Shortlands W6 8DR 2nd November
Yorkshire Coin Fair - Huddersfield 29th September
Midland Coin Fair National Motorcycle Museum 13th October
Spinks Auctions - 26th September
Noonans, Mayfair, W1J 8BQ 25thSeptember
COINEX, Biltmore Hotel, W1K 2HP 27-28th September
St James Auctions 10 Charles II St, SW1Y 4AA 30th September 2nd October
Warwick & Warwick auction 16th October
Past Events
Ten years ago in 2014, Gerry Buddle spoke on Medieval Jetons
Twenty years ago in 2004, Tim Millet gave a talk on Convict Tokens
Club Secretary.