World Coin News

We took a break between Christmas and New Year’s, call it our Happy Holiday’s battery recharge week, but even then we had the database working on updates, running precisely calculated updates to precious metal coins that closely track spot prices. Because of the huge number of coins or master records in the NumisMaster system this update takes time, so while the servers worked for us, we rested up to hit the ground running in 2023. Close to a thousand new master records were added to NumisMaster during the weeks before Christmas and the first week in January. Just over a thousand images were added during the same period, with most being for these new master records and about a hundred or so covering other dates or countries. But you need specifics if…

In 1713 a hoard of ancient Roman gold aurei coins was unearthed in the Transylvania region of what is now Romania. In about 260 A.D., at the suggested time of their burial this was Roman Dacia. The find contained what has been described as “coin types copying or basing themselves on Republican and Roman Imperial coins.” According to a Nov. 24, 2022 Science Alert internet posting, “[The] coins had been declared poor forgeries in the mid-19th century by the leading expert at the time, a man named Henry Cohen, due to many irregularities. They differ in manufacture and style to authentic coins of their period, for example, vary considerably in weight, have mixed up motifs and messed up inscriptions.” The posting continues, “Imitations of Roman coins were made outside of the empire…

I can’t write about Tunisia without writing about Ibn Khaldun. He was an educated person, born in 1332 and died in 1406. He was in and out of Hafsid government service, travelled around, met Tamerlane. He wrote several books. The one I read was the Muqaddimah (Introduction). It is about how politics and power interacted in his time. He came up with a mechanism he saw everywhere and in all circumstances. The power lives in the cities, where, over time, it becomes corrupt and complacent. Out in the countryside people are hungry. Eventually they throw up a leader who conquers the city, moves in, develops expensive habits. Descendants become corrupt and complacent. Out in the countryside people are hungry, etc. It never ends. That’s Ibn Khaldun’s political philosophy; it made a…

Is an ancient coin that has been identified as having been smoothed or retooled saleable? Smoothing and retooling are well known ways so-called coin doctors “improve” the appearance of ancient coins. A coin dealer once joked to me, “better coins through chemistry.” Damaged, clipped, retooled, and smoothed coins are saleable, but such coins typically command a lower price than will a coin that has not been “doctored.” Which type of ancient coin alteration is more likely to sell, a smoothed or a retooled piece? When a coin surface has been smoothed the coin’s rough, encrusted, or pitted areas are smoothed over using existing metal. When a coin is re-tooled or epoxy is added to smooth out the surface, the coin is improved in much the same way as a tooth is filled…

With the breakup of the Soviet Union during 1991 an old political entity once more came into the news. From 1769 to 1774 Russian and Turkish armies fought over land then known as Moldavia and Wallachia. Today part of this region is called Moldova and straddles the Dniester river just north of Romania. As this is written there is fierce fighting to the west of this area where the Russian army under President Vladimir Putin has invaded Ukraine. Because of the ancient political and religious rivalry between Russia and Turkey, Russian Empress Catherine II ordered her armies to invade the region. Under Count (later Field Marshal) Peter Rumiantsev, the Russian army crossed the frontier in April 1769 and advanced rapidly against the ill-equipped Turkish troops. In September the Moldavian capital at…

Dealer Frank S. Robinson will conduct his 120th mail and internet auction of Ancient and Early Coins with a closing date of February 7. The sale includes 585 lots, low minimum bids, and bids to be reduced as competition permits. Robinson notes that reductions have averaged 15-20 percent in his recent sales. There is no buyer fee. Featured in this sale is a further segment of a major collection of Judaean and Judaic related material, including some rare and important items. Highlights include an extremely rare small bronze of Herod Philip; a First Revolt Year Two Half Shekel in VF; and a Choice VF+ Judea Capta denarius of Vespasian. Greek coins include several very Choice classic Athenian “owl” tetradrachms; from Baktria a choice EF/AEF helmeted bust Menander Tetradrachm; a rare Elymais silver…