Curtis JJ

Great topic and set of Provincials! Thanks for the maps, that is very useful for understanding/visualizing the province. (Where it still gets challenging -- and where I wonder if the historical record is incomplete in important ways -- is how the borders of Roman Achaea changed over the centuries.) The Roman types from many of the Peloponnesian cities can be really hard to find, but have such interesting history behind them. I'd love to have any of the ones you've posted. I'll share a couple of my bronzes: a favorite Claudius (surprisingly haven't posted on NF yet); and two Nero from Thessaly. (Thessaly was, I believe, part of the province of Achaea in this period.) Colonia Augusta Achaica Patrensis. Struck in Achaea, Patras, it straddles the distinction between Provincial and Imperial, with Latin legends referencing the city as a veterans colony for two storied Roman legions, the Legio X Fretensis and Legio XII Fulminata.* Sometimes this type is described using the Imperial denomination "AE As," though more commonly with its Provincial equivalent, the "AE Assarion".** Roman Provincial. Achaea, Patras [Patraea]. Claudius AE As or Assarion (11.56g, 25mm, 1h). Legionary Issue. Obv: TI CLAVDIVS CAESAR AVG GERM. Head of Claudius left. Rev: COL A A PATR X XII. Aquila between two standards. Ref: BCD Peloponnesos II 2782 (this coin); RPC 1256, GERM (note: the BCD specimens are scrambled, but this one is there with the wrong photo/description online). See also: Sear GIC 432 (GERMANICVS); Lindgren II 1640. Prov: Ex Peter J. Merani Collection, Part II, CNG EA 490 (21 April 2021), 70; BCD Collection of Peloponnesos, Part II, CNG 81 (20 May 2009), Lot 2782; purchased from F. Kovacs, December 1996 (“ex-Private Collection” of Kovacs), who bought if c. 1970s from Alan S Walker/Bank Leu, from "Old Stock" (which phrase often references the J. Hirsch Estate, sold by Bank Leu from the 1950-1970s). *: There is some debate over whether a different Legio X and/or Legio XII might be referenced. **: I haven't found the type published in any Roman Imperial references, which I'm a little surprised by. If anyone knows one, please let me know. FREEDOM! Circa 66-68 CE: One really fascinating episode in Roman provincial history is Nero's great tour of Greece -- especially of its Games and festivals -- culminating in his "Liberation of Achaea" (sometimes "Nero's Liberation of Greece," as Gallivan has it in his classic 1973 article in Hermes). "Liberating" mainly meant financially. The coins below probably not only commemorate Nero's travels through Greece (and participation/victories in their Games), but also celebrate his removal of the Provincial taxes due to Rome. (I don't recall if this might've also meant military contributions, etc.) It's not surprising then, that these coin types would be especially flattering of Nero. That taxation was a serious burden for the Greeks. But a major source of revenue for the Empire. One can imagine the reception in Rome (among the elites) was less warm! This decision must have contributed to the Senate's decision to declare him a "public enemy." (Much more so, I'm sure, than his foolish performances with the lyre.) The "Achaean liberation decree" was promptly overturned in 69 once Vespasian was in charge. Suetonius' Nero-as-Apollo. As everyone knows, Nero was a gifted singer and athlete.... Err... More accurately: Nero was famously gifted many victories by the organizers of various Games. Prize crowns and wreaths weren't the only awards: Nero was also honored by many coins representing his championship performances. (I believe these Provincial ones were authentic shows of gratitude by the Greeks and that Nero was probably very popular and well-received in the provinces.) This type is special: Though Provincial, it is of the same types as his Imperial AEs described by Suetonius, who wrote that Nero “placed sacred crowns in his private quarters around his couches, as well as upon statues representing him in the guise of a lyre-player; he even had a coin struck with the same imagery." Roman Provincial. Thessaly, Koinon of Thessaly. Nero (Augustus, 54-68 CE) Æ Diassarion (22mm, 9.52 g, 6h). Struck under Aristion, strategos, ca. 66-8 CE. Obv: ΝЄΡΩΝ ΘЄCCΑΛΩΝ. Laureate head right. Rev: APIΣTIΩN/OΣ ΣTPATH/ΓOY. Apollo Kitharoidos standing right, holding kithara in his left hand, playing it with his right. Ref: Rogers Type 79; BCD Thessaly II 931.1 var. (arrangement of legend); Burrer Em. 1, Series 1, 1.1 (A1/R1 – this coin, illustrated on pl. 9); RPC 1439 (this coin = ex. 25; cited in RPC Suppl. 1, as Burrer 1.1). Prov: Ex-BCD Collection; CNG EA 325, “Coinage of the Thessalian League from the BCD Collection,” (23 April 2014), Lot 29; Peter J. Merani Collection (NVMMIS HISTORIAM DISCENS, Part II); CNG e-Auction 490 (21 April 2021), Lot 65. Another interesting detail: The lyre-player (Nero-as-Apollo) wears a radiate crown (Suetonius' "sacred crown"?), just as Nero preferred to be portrayed. Interestingly, the second coin below, struck contemporaneously, shows Nero radiate on the obverse. The Thessalians wanted there to be no mistake; they meant to flatter Nero as a great lyrist whose performances were so magnificent as to be commemorated on coinage. A visit from the Emperor was a really big deal in the Provinces. So, Nero's Greek tour would've been an amazing honor even if he hadn't given Achaea a gift so outrageous it was certain to be overturned ASAP and would surely result in his death. There would be celebrations and permanent memorials constructed anywhere he went. All the little cities would strike coins to commemorate and advertise that they had been honored by Imperial presence. Generations later, it would still be important. It could change the course of history for these provincial towns. Just a visit! Thessaly: Taurokathapsia. I'm not sure if there's any record of Nero specifically visiting Thessaly but it seems likely (especially given all coins issued for him). If he did, it's likely they'd have rushed to put together the most spectacular Games possible. For Thessaly, this could only mean one thing: The Taurokathapsia. Thessaly's most distinctive & famous event, it drew on Greek traditions as old as the Minoans. Think of the Roman Desultors (acrobatic equestrian horse-racing) simultaneously engaged in naked bull-fighting. Put more briefly, horseback-leaping-bull-wrestling. It sounds truly awe-inspiring. (But I do have some doubts about whether Nero could've done this one!) Having first appeared on coins 500 years earlier, Nero's coin was, to my knowledge, the latest-ever to illustrate the Taurokathapsia: Thessaly, Thessalian League (Koinon). Nero AE Assarion (20mm, 6.88 g, 12h), Aristion as Strategos, c. 66-8 CE. Obv: ΝΕΡΩΝ ΘΕΣΣΑΛΩΝ. Head of Nero radiate. Rev: ΣΤΡΑΤΗΓΟΥ ΑΡΙΣΤΙΩΝΟΣ. Taurokathapsia scene: Hero Thessalos jumping from his horse, in background galloping r., onto a bull running r., the head of which he restrains with a band held in both his hands. Ref: RPC I 1440 (this coin = ex. 7); BCD Thessaly I 1436.4; BCD Thessaly II 931.2; Burrer 35. Prov: Ex-BCD Collection, CNG e-Auction 325 ("Coinage of the Thessalian League from the BCD Collection," 23 April 2014), Lot 45 (Corr., incorrect dies ref. for Burrer).

Not exactly. I've had Roman Imperial coins seized/detained multiple (almost "many") times by US Customs since the 2010s. All but once they were released when I gave them paperwork. (Often enough I don't even worry much when it happens. They just want a form.) Here's why: They are not listed in Italy's import restrictions. (At least according to ACCG, I don't remember what the text of the most recent MOU said, but last I read it, I thought it applied to almost anything >100 years old - including books! Either way....) That only means the US won't confiscate them FOR Italy. They seize Roman Imperial coins if they suspect they came from other counties, and repatriate them to those countries. (Also, even if not specifically listed in the Italy MOU, I suspect there are sections of the text that could apply to Imperials--that is, if it wasn't updated. I'm not sure I believe what ACCG says about restrictions on later Republican either, but I could be misremembering that.)

Honestly, as Jean Foy Vaillant demonstrated in 1674, the balloon part is unnecessary. Toward the bottom of the third paragraph: https://isaw.nyu.edu/library/blog/arsacidarum-imperium

If there was a Tucson or Champaign office I would consider this a dream job

OH! These comments just reminded me of two things: I do have a Theupolis Maurice Follis (but need better photo, as you can see), and the increasingly garbled legends were the subject of a memorable series of comments (excerpted below) in Rasiel Suarez's ERIC II (2010, Encyclopedia of Roman Imperial Coins, 2nd ed.). The "degradation" of legends does seem to begin with Maurice, in particular, and especially at the Theupolis mint. In his introduction to Maurice Tiberius' coinage, Suarez writes in ERIC II (p. 1278): "From here on forward the legends become too erratic to catalog. As time goes on the lettering becomes increasingly fragmentary and careless and often completely illegible." Here's how I transcribed the obverse legend above (the right half is easier to see in hand): Obv: [Left] ΠITNOC~ [Right] ~AVPANPPIV [?]. Several reigns and about 85 years later, writing about Constantine IV (p. 1315), Ras concludes that: "...while the artistry in rendering the bust of the emperor is competent, and briefly spectacular for the era, the border lettering has quickly eroded into the nonsense strings of crude letters that only vaguely resemble the old arrangement of names and titles. For this reason, I've stopped listing even the intended legends since apparently no single coin ever gets it right." [I just love that quote!!] Below is an example, illustrating the point from ERIC II, using a coin formerly in the author's collection, his photo (used for the book). My transcription (giving the engraver the most generous portion I can conceive of "benefit of the doubt"!): Obv: DNCO● T(N) A NЧ(S)PP [or similarly devolved] Rev: [VICTOA flat] (Z) ~YЧ I [for AVGVS] / CONOB Since acquiring it a few years ago, it's been one of my favorite coins (tied for favorite with perhaps 1 or 2 of my very first purchases which I still have from childhood): Well, I figured, what if we were to take the legends off the coin and try to line them up on their own? Surely they would be easier to read then, wouldn't they? Oh, indeed: Clear as ... mud! (In fact, I genuinely wonder if this can even be the work of only 1 or 2 engravers. It really looks more like at least 2 different engravers per side! Is that even plausible, though -- two different engravers inscribing different "phrases" on the same die?) My favorite is the "A" on the obverse (1 o'clock) that looks like a "fist bump" pointing left!

Moussaieff reportedly formed his collection between about 1948 and 1980s in the London coin trade. He may have bought it "by private treaty" from a dealer rather than at auction. My next step would be to check Lorber's big studies of Ptolemaic and any other die studies or Corpus type articles or monographs. Being both rare and very attractive, it could not have escaped notice unless kept buried away in the collection of someone who wasn't active in the 20th cent. coin Socities in London & every other European city, town, and village! E.g. what does Lorber 941 say? Does she cite this coin from some old auction? Or other databases/ studies /major auctions of Ptolemaic coins in private collections? Or check old coin hoards, etc.

Nice big Byzantine bronze! I'm a big fan of the 6th & 7th century Follis. Always great coins to behold! Well done. I still get confused about the Byzantine Tiberii with similar names ... but I think these two are correctly IDed as Maurice Tiberius, rather than Tiberius II (predecessor & father-in-law of M.T.). But please pardon (and lemme know!) if I mixed em up here... GO GREEN!

The print catalogs are really wonderful. Their "virtual catalogs" are available on the website (how I got the page image below), but I'm not sure if they can be downloaded as PDFs. (Nomos lets download!) Either way, I love physical copies and have a collection of auction catalogs and old fixed price lists that fill up several sets of bookshelves (and some boxes). Unfortunately my set of Leu catalogs only starts at 6, so I need to pick up 1-5 at some point. (I missed a chance to buy used copies from a notable numismatists' library a year or two back and have been mad at myself since!) I think I only have one coin from the print catalogs. This one was from Auction 12 (Adrian Lang Collection). (Apparently they were unaware that it was previously in the collection of George His -- an important collection of Gordian III):

I haven't commented in this thread yet (though I previously read through it)... I've got a handful of the AK coins (at least 8), most of which are Alexandrian. I particularly like the Alexandrian since a lot of them were acquired in the 1960s and 1970s and/or come from notable collections, and because many or most are published in Kellner's 2009 book, Die Münzstätte Alexandria in Ägypten..., which was originally published as a series of articles in the Austrian periodical, MoneyTrend. For anyone who has AK Collection coins but only knows the Triton group lot, there are "AK Supplements" for most (maybe all?) of the Triton Sales that list the coins individually, with photos and, most importantly, their prior provenances. (There's a website (https://ak.cngcoins.com), but they remove the old listings when the new Tritons are posted. Sometimes you can dig up the old descriptions on the archived pages for old Tritons in the WayBack Machine/Internet Archive [40 captures since 2012].) The print copies are very hard to find, but some are available as PDFs online. (Now that I think of it, I've never tried contacting CNG to see if they still have extra print copies...). They all list A LOT of individual coins. Always worth checking, since many coins on the market have lost their provenance to AK (and to their older sales/collections decades earlier). There may be more of the AK Supplements somewhere online, but these are the ones I've found (missing quite a few, first should be Triton XII in 2009): Triton XVI AK Collection Supplement Virtual Catalog = 8 Jan 2013 Triton XVIII AK Collection Supplement = 5 Jan 2015 = Descriptions only, available on WayBack Machine: Lot 973; Lot 974; Lot 975; Lot 976; Lot 977; Lot 978; Lot 979; Lot 980; Lot 981; Lot 982; Lot 983; Lot 984. Triton XXI AK Collection Supplement Virtual Catalog [.pdf saved] = 9 January 2018 Triton XXII AK Collection Supplement = 7 Jan 2019 = Descriptions only, WayBack Machine: Lot 1140; Lot 1141; Lot 1142; Lot 1143; Lot 1144; Lot 1145; Lot 1146; Lot 1147; Lot 1148; Lot 1149; Lot 1150; Lot 1151. Triton XXIII AK Collection Supplement Virtual Catalog [.pdf saved] [ACSearch record] = 14 January 2020 My favorite is this Antoninus Pius Drachm. It was previously in the collections of Hans Steger (1875-1937; Münzhandlung Basel, Auktion 6, but not illustrated) and August Voirol (1884-1967; reportedly), acquired from Frank Sternberg (1912-1994; stock or collection?). Published in Kellner's 2009 book, and previously in 2003 in his article on “Die Muenzstatte Alexandria in Aegypten – 7. Teil: Antoninus Pius (bis zum Jahr 10),” p. 165, Abb. 26. He discussed the piercings a bit, which are of a style often see on Alexandrian Drachms. He described them as having been used as funerary amulets. As I see it, the placement of the piercings makes it clear they were usually used to display the reverse (not the imperial portrait). One of my other Alexandrian AK Collection / Kellner Plate Coins was also pierced, this one was in the ETB Collection for a while. (Eric ten Brink -- no secret there!) Hadrian Obol from the Athribis Nome. The photo from the book: I've got four on one page from Claudius Gothicus!

I bought from several of their sales in the past (though it's been a few years). Both from their San Marino office and their sales from Artemide GmbH, which I think is in Austria. Never any problems at all, though I shifted to other sellers as my interests changed. (My only gripe is that they're not indexed in ACSearch!) This coin from Artemide LII (October 2019) was published by Fischer-Bossert the following year, reattributing the type from Ionia, Erythrae to Bithynia, Herakleia, which I was very happy to discover!

I don't think we've seem one with "three dots" yet! Also, did the engraver sign the neck flap? Tarentum Diobol, c. 325-280 BCE Ex Clain-Stefanelli Collection. (Wish I knew where that old toning came from! Not Vlasto or Côte, unfortunately.)

Great coin! Glad you asked, because when I looked, I realized I hadn't posted an entry for S. Moussaieff on my page for my "provenance glossary" (still in progress/partially updated). Gorny & Mosch and Goldberg (partner in The New York Sale) divided the collection between them, and sold different portions of the collection. So, there's no single catalog to refer to. Note: All the coins and antiquities were officially exported with a permit from the Israel Antiquities Authority. That Gorny sale in your link was the first appearance for your coin (Gorny & Mosch Auction 261, 4 Mar 2019, Lot 437). That was Gorny & Mosch's first offering of Moussaieff's coins. They offered 135 lots from the collection in their Auctions 261 & 263 (4-7 Mar 2019). It looks like your coin was indeed purchased at G&M 261. I'm not sure why it would've appeared again at the NYS 48. Maybe it didn't meet the reserve at G&M 261 or went unpaid or was bought by someone in-house. G&M had also previously sold Moussaieff's antiquities collection (portions not donated to museums) in their Auction 257 (15 Oct 2018). There was a slightly earlier offering of coins from The New York Sale (Goldberg) at Auction 45 (8 Jan 2019 at NYINC), with 30 lots, but that didn't include yours, since it was with Gorny. Goldberg sold a few more coins at their Auction 109 a few weeks later (29 Jan 2019) and a bunch more that summer at their Auction 110 (4 Jun 2019). Both firms kept selling coins from that sale in later auctions as well.

I think that can't be ruled out, but the really mysterious part is the legend in the exergue (unfortunately worn away on mine). That has to be the answer, if anyone ever figures it out.

I find Trajan's Dacia coinage especially interesting for the themes mentioned in the original comment: the various ways Dacia and Dacians could be depicted, from captive, to mourning personification, to kneeling supplicant, to pacified provincial personification and "friends." Here's my "Dacian Conquest Set" so far (the "Bridge over the River Danube" bronze is an As, not Sestertius):

It's a good question and different people have come down differently on the question over the past century-plus (without arriving at any great answers). In favor of the same is the identical decoration from the pediment up. However, as Kleiner (1989, NC) noted in his article on "An Arch of Domitian in Rome on the Coins of Alexandria", most of the Alexandrian architectural types are "stock images" representing buildings not in Alexandria that the engravers had never seen. https://www.jstor.org/stable/42667571 Against it being the same, BOTH images were used in Trajan's RY 12 coinage: https://rpc.ashmus.ox.ac.uk/coins/3/4337.2.2 & https://rpc.ashmus.ox.ac.uk/coins/3/4287.2 The "traditional" Domitianic type Triumphal Arch was issued for Trajan at least in Years 12, 13, 14, 16, 20, always looking pretty much the same as Domitian had it. Why would they have two different ones in that one year (only)? Even more curiously... For the "column type" only, there is a cryptic inscription. The most popular reading seems to be BALANHOY. (Jungfleish has it "POΛANOHΣ(?)" in his Sotheby 1972 sale catalog, based on the reverse above.) I don't have a strong opinion either way (I just like coins that represent a debate!). But one theory is that it references the Balanium or baths of the Traiani Thermae. From RPC, "It is surely no coincidence that the great Thermae Traiani in Rome were dedicated precisely in summer 109, perhaps paid for by the spoils of the Dacian War; so it seems possible that these coins depict part of those baths." If so, the stock images of trophies/captives would represent the Dacians. (Looking at the reconstructions of the massive bath complex, there are walls all the way around, arches, various buildings and courtyards, and lots of different architectural features. Not having any particular expertise, it doesn't sound far-fetched that this might be the entrance or something.) Whatever the explanation, one curious detail is that the word seems to be in the genitive case (e.g., of ΒΑΛAΝEION), which seems weird. Perhaps along the lines of "the gates of" or "the opening/celebration of the baths"? I don't know, just a speculation. It never repeats anywhere in Roman coinage. I haven't searched that hard, but I can't find it as a recorded building inscription either, but I've just googled around a bit. There don't seem to be any other depictions of baths/bath complexes on Roman coins (there is the Nymphaeum coinage of Severus Alexander, which isn't actually that different). An interesting mystery! And something to keep digging into, which is the point for me!

Some stunning examples...none of mine from this period look that good, but it was still a nice occasion to dig around my little box of ones I haven't looked at in a while. I just photographed this one now. Eagle RY 4.... But I'm assuming this is an Aurelian? Can't quite read the legend, so I need to keep trying to figure this one out: Here's my Probus Eagle RY 5. Please pardon the ugly!

I think the bottom one is Domitian from Iconium. Notice the obverse legend runs counter clockwise, start with DOM running from 6h toward 3h. On the reverse, I think we can see the KLAVD in the legend running in the same direction from the same position: https://rpc.ashmus.ox.ac.uk/coins/2/1608A

Great example of a fascinating type! I am looking forward to getting one of these. I bought a different Alexandrian Drachm from the same sale (Lot 507) -- but of a somewhat related type. I particularly like these for the sculptural groups atop the arches, with the trophies and captives. I'll post this coin separately at some point, explaining everything interesting about it, but for now it's interesting to note similarities/differences from the OP coin reverse, showing the Arch of Domitian. Trajan also issued coins showing the exact same Triumphal Arch of Domitian, during numerous years. (In fact, my coin was mistaken for one of those in both the sale catalog and RPC III 4337.2, which actually also listed my coin as specimen 2, until I sent a correction; now moved to 4287.3.5.) Trajan also issued a second, different type of arch for Year 12. It has the same sculptural group & decorated triangular pediment. However, the structure itself is different: Instead of three arches and two small square "windows" w/ statues, it has four Cointhian columns. (Notice the decorated capitals.) Most important, it has an enigmatic legend in the exergue, which is unfortunately missing on my specimen: ΒΑΛAΝΗΟΥ. But it can be recognized from the shape of the structure. Mine is now cited as RPC 4287.3, specimen 5 (ex Wetterstrom, Johns Hopkins, K&G 27.205). (It's very curious that they would issue two such Arch types that year, and only use this odd legend the one time, ever. RPC 4287.1's Note gives background; the clearest image is RPC 4287.2, spec. 4 [Jungfleisch].)

Couple more! Apologies to all for such a tiny awful photo: GLORIA ROMANORVM, Emperor standing with TWO captives. Esty Type 54. Full image of my coin from previous post. Magnentius had a similar single-ruler reverse on an AE2: GLORIA ROMANORVM, two captives, Emperor holding a standard w/ Chi-rho banner. I don't have a photo of mine. See Esty Type 6.4 (Christian/Magnentius). Here is the Failmezger 430 (p. 42, pl. 38) photo. With apologies to Doug Smith for filtering his photo through a cell phone, editing & enlarging much larger-than-life: About that Magnentius reverse type, Failmezger (2002: p. 42, note 98) wrote that the "Captives may be Constantius and Vetranio." Wouldn't that be interesting?! I wonder if others agree with that idea. (Glad I just looked it up -- I'd never noticed that before!) Even though the following doesn't come from my "captives" collection, I happen to find it particularly interesting. (Or a good opportunity to look at interesting literature.) The imagery (emperor in curule w/ sceptre, raising hand) was used by others. But the reverse legend, BEATITVDO PVBLICA, was only used the once. Obverse: previously posted here. These coins never look that great. Failmezger's specimen is the best I've seen -- by far. Failmezger Type 450 (p. 43, pl. 39): (The full image w/ obverse can be seen here [on Imgur].) Here's the kind of coin for which one could use Rev RJ Plant's line drawings (i.e., in Roman Base Metal Coins), but he didn't illustrate this one. G. Bruck (1961/2014) did, however, render it as below (Late Roman Bronze Coinage: An Attribution Guide for Poorly Preserved Coins: p.35). ("III" is for AE3) Interestingly, even though it's pretty rare, this type had been published over 300 years ago by Banduri in 1718! See page 410. Google Books' copy of Numismata Imperatorum Romanorum... vol. II. Unfortunately, not among Pierre Giffart's (1645-1723) many idealized but charming engravings. (To be dazzled by the early 18th century's state of knowledge about late Roman coins, check out Giffart's plates. That link starts w/ Constantius Chlorus.)

Great coin! I got another arch type from that sale (in my opinion, they clearly received a fine collection of architectural types, with they would've said whose). I'll share it momentarily. It's hard to research minor provenances when the name is also a word! But this one seems to appear nowhere else I can see. I would consider the possibility of spelling error or variant, or autocorrect mistake (either on the consignor's written tag or as cataloged by HJB Ltd). There was a Schimmer in Nürnberg (solo catalogs began late 1990s). He was one of the principals at Nürnberg Münzauktion (eventually taking it over). Nürnberg Münz. did have their Auktion No. 16 on 18 Okt 1986. Could be the consignor just recorded it as Schimmer (same as people used to refer to CNG as Victor England). I see other possible misspellings in Fitzwilliam but none as close as Schimmer (e.g., Simmermacher, Schimmel, Simmons, Eimer, Timmerman). The big worry might be that someone mistook the date for a name (i.e., a Summer 1986 catalog and lost the seller name).

Here is Arados' (mentioned above) page on coins of Marathos: https://phoeniciancoins.wordpress.com/marathos/ His website is always my first stop for trying to understand Phoenician coins. I'm not exactly getting much better yet, but it's a good first step, finding a good reference and getting some practice with it.

Collecting ancient coins as hobby may seem too casual a topic to discuss alongside the Holocaust. As a collector focusing on “object biography” or provenance, though, the legacy of World War II and the Holocaust is something I encounter regularly and spend a lot of time thinking about. Today is International Holocaust Remembrance Day (Jan 27). It seems a good occasion to share just a few relevant coins and pieces of literature from my collection. Below is a very abbreviated discussion: There are many other issues, institutions, and important figures worth discussing. I hope others will bring some of them up. (Also, no reason to limit any comments to just today.) FELIX SCHLESSINGER: Felix Schlessinger (1879-1944) was an important coin dealer in Berlin. Like many Jews in the coin and art trade, he fled Germany in the 1930s. (Even before they started killing the owners, the Nazis were already seizing Jewish-owned businesses and placing them under new ownership, as happened with Heinrich Hirsch’s firm, Otto Helbing Nachf., renamed Karl Kress.) Felix Schlessinger continued to run his business in Amsterdam. He ran his final sale there, in exile, on 31 January and 1 February 1939. The following year, the Nazis invaded the Netherlands, took Amsterdam, arrested Felix and his wife Hedwig Schlessinger (née Feuchtwanger, 1892-1944), and seized their business. Both were deported to Auschwitz, held for a few years, and finally murdered. My copy of Felix Schlessinger's final auction catalog: MARK SALTON: Their son, Mark M Salton (1914-2005, born Max Schlessinger), survived the war and emigrated to the United States (changing his name then). He made his living as a banker, but Salton also sold coins from the late 1940s to early 1960s. He reportedly spent years recovering coins and books looted from his father’s business by the Nazis. (I’m not sure if there is record of which ones.) As the header of his sale catalog below shows (enlarged bottom right), he considered his New York business continuous with his father’s. His “collection” and “inventory” were often interchangeable: the two coins from his collection below (now in mine), also appeared in his 27th fixed price list: Coins and books from the Mark Salton and Lottie Salton (1924-2020) Collection were sold by Künker, Stack’s, and Kolbe & Fanning beginning in 2021 (proceeds donated to Jewish charities). Salton had sold the coin below to Ken Bressett in 1957 (with both of their tags/envelopes), so it was not part of the Kunker sales, but Bressett's (at CNG). I made a point of buying that coin in particular for its connection to the Roman conquest of Judaea, a traditional area of interest for Jewish collectors, and for its parallels to the historical circumstances of Salton's life. (Incidentally, I strongly suspect Salton bought this coin from Hesperia [List 1, 387, in 1951] while it was being run by Vladimir Clain-Stefanelli [1914-1982], who was imprisoned at Buchenwald -- though not for being a Jew, but as an enemy of the state -- along with his wife Elvira [1914-2001].) SAMEL: Josef Samel (1913-2005) and his sister Angela Arluk (1920-2015, née Samel) were Jews living in Poland when Germany invaded in 1939. Josef Samel served in the Polish army (how he survived, I know not); his sisters were protected in a Catholic convent. Josef and Angela, who formed the collection, lived in Munich and New York after the war. Their collection was exhibited at Munich State Museum in 1993 and sold by Kuenker in 2020. Below, my one coin from the collection, with Overbeck and Meshorer’s book based on the exhibition (my copy ex-libris Jay Galst, who also formed an important collection of Jewish coins): OTHER COLLECTORS, SCHOLARS, DEALERS: Leo Mildenberg (1913-2001) fled Germany, but was then interned at a concentration camp in Estonia -- not by the Germans, but by the Russians when they invaded. After the war, he moved to Switzerland where he was a principal at Bank Leu, and became a great authority on Jewish as well as Persian and Greek coins. My numismatic library includes many of his sale catalogs and pieces of scholarship. The pair of Obols below were in his collection, c. 1960s-1970s: Herbert Cahn (1915-2002) also fled the Nazis to Switzerland. For decades, he was the force behind Münzen und Medaillen A.G., and authored many important pieces of numismatic scholarship. (He cataloged/sold the Thessalian Obol immediately above and many others in my collection, as well as producing hundreds of sale catalogs in my numismatic library, and publishing some of my coins in articles/books.) I do collect Greek fractions, but I bought this group (18 total, 8 pictured) because they were from the H.A. Cahn collection -- albeit the dregs, I'm sure: Shlomo Moussaieff (1925-2015) was an Israeli-born jeweler, collector, and antiquities dealer. During WWII “he joined the British Army…to fight Nazi Germany” [Wiki bio]. His ancient coin collection included many types relevant to Jewish history. It is possible that this Titus Denarius was not, in fact, a Judaea Capta issue. But Moussaieff certainly collected it because he did consider it to be part of the Flavians' Judaea Capta commemorative series:

Interesting coin and provenance! Quite appropriate today: this is Holocaust Remembrance Day. I was thinking of posting some materials later [EDIT: I just did]. WWII and the Holocaust left a major impact on the ancient coin world. Often in the Jewish dealers, scholars, and collectors who either fled the Nazis, or in some cases, were taken prisoner and even executed (e.g., Felix Schlessinger, the famous Berlin dealer). It's less frequent that we see the provenances illustrating those who were active in the Nazi regime, but important to document and remember nonetheless. Of course, a great many coins and Jewish numismatic businesses were seized (e.g., Schlessinger's and Otto Helbing which became Karl Kress under the Nazi regime). Many of the coins (and old numismatic books) are no doubt still floating around with provenances lost, but unfortunately there's very little documentation of the individual coins that were looted by the Nazis. (I've tried checking many times to see if I can find identifiable specimens, and continue to do so, but they usually aren't recorded in enough detail to match to single specimens.) Here is a butting bull from Sicily, Syracuse under Hieron II. It was in the Elvira Clain-Stefanelli (1914-2001) Collection. She and her husband, Vladimir Clain-Stefanelli (1914-1982) -- both of them important numismatic scholars and longtime curators/directors of the National Numismatic Collection at the Smithsonian Institution (Washington, DC) -- were imprisoned at Buchenwald Concentration Camp for about 1.5 years. (Not for being Jewish, but because Victor's passport was used by someone to flee Germany, making him some kind of "state enemy." They were Romanians and had been working in Germany in the early 1940s. After the war they came to the United States.) Sicily, Syracuse AE Hemilitron (17mm, 3.98 g, 8h), temp. Hieron II, c. 275-215 BCE. Obv: Wreathed head of Kore left. Rev: Bull butting left; club over N above, IE below. Ref: CNS 199; BAR Issue 59; HGC 2, 1497. Prov: Ex Clain-Stefanelli Coll.

I don't think it's active corrosion / BD, just the deeper, brighter, rougher layer of patina. Pretty usual on Greek bronzes, I've noticed. (With a deeper yet layer red copper showing in a spot or two. And higher layer of soil. Greek bronzes often seem to have more "crumbly" layers and fragile surfaces. Makes cleaning those ones very challenging.) I think @khaghogh was the intended tag. That really does look like grapes though and the M/S is quite deceptive! Still a great little bronze coin!

Here are my favorite "MY" coins -- although the first one is actually the variety without the "MY". "MY" coins are always interesting (or frustrating) because there are so many different possibilities for the mint: Mylasa, Myndos, Myous, Mygissos, Myrina. Mykonos seems to be the only one never suggested for my first coin below! MYLASA: For those who haven't seen it, I highly recommend Koray Konuk's recent essay on these, "MY Stands for Mylasa," published in Presbeus, the Richard Ashton Festscrift. I think he makes a pretty strong case. NOT MY COINS: This coin comes in 2 varieties, with MY above the Dolphin, and without. Mine is "without" but the same discussions apply to it. I bought mine because it had been published numerous times (including notable sale catalogs & collections of Erich Karl, P.R. Franke, P. Vogl) with attributions to many different mints, and so I considered it a nice illustration of this scholarly debate: Previous attributions of this specimen, c. 1989-2021: Myndos in Kölner Münzkabinett 49 [30 Oct 1989], Lot 27 [to PDF catalog]; Mygissos, Karl 246 in Lanz 131, [Münzen von Karien, Sammlung Erich Karl, 27 Nov 2006], 246; Mylasa in Grün 64-1 [Sammlung Prof. Dr. Peter Robert Franke - Griechische Münzen, 20 Nov 2014], 1046; Mylasa in Leu WA 16 [22 May 2021], 1055 (Dr. Peter Vogl Collection); Mylasa in Historia Numorum Caria Online Temp N. 1883, example 1 (this coin); Mylasa (this coin cited & illustrated, table 41.ε) in Dimakopoulos, Stavros. 2009. Sanctuaries and Cult of Zeus in Caria. [in Greek] Thessaloniki: Aristotle University of Thessaloniki; Myous or Mygissos, not Myrina (this coin cited on p. 282, n8) in Lenger, Dinçer Savaş. 2016. “A New Myrinan (Aeolis) Bronze Coin?” AIIN, 62: pp. 281–286. MYNDOS. Another Carian coin from the Sammlung Eric Karl. This one, however, has the city name inscribed in full, making attribution much simpler: Caria, Myndos AR Drachm (18mm, 3.34g, 12h), naming Apollonios, c. mid-2nd BCE. Obverse: Laureate head of Sarapis wearing atef. (Sometimes “Zeus laureate.”) Reverse: ΜΥΝΔΙΩΝ / ΑΠΟΛΛΩΝΙ. Basileion, headdress of Isis upon two grain ears; below, overturned amphora. References: This coin = Karl 266 = SNRIS Myndus 02 (a6) = HNO 2653.1 = (prob.) cited in Meadows & Zabel (Coin Hoards IX, 522: pp. 248 n. 7 & 251). Comparanda: Two specimens prev. described in Imhoof-Blumer (1876), ZfN 3 [to PDF]: p. 326, n. 4 = Whittall (Sotheby 1867, 517 [part]); Drexler (1889) NZ 21: p. 135 α (Whittall [corr., weight]; Prokesch-Osten). Provenance: Ex Sammlung Erich Karl (Lanz 131 [27 Nov 2006], Lot 266); Collection Laurent Bricault (Gorny-Mosch 247 [10 Mar 2017], Lot 4030); GTP Collection (CNG EA 543 [2 Aug 2023], Lot 97); Gorny 81 (3 Mar 1997), Lot 342 (probably; to be verified). GRAPE BUNCH BRONZES. Of course, grape bunches are always a charming design on Greek bronzes. A couple years ago, I bought a handful of ones from Lokris. Not the best specimens, but that was made up for a few months ago, when I finally got around to Humphris & Delbridge's book on The Coinage of the Opoutian Lokrians and found them illustrated inside. (Some of my cheapest "plate coins" at around 13 GBP + 20% each [around $22/coin]!) The book is only 10 years old, but something I found interesting: the coins were illustrated from plaster casts! (From the BCD Collection.)