IanG

I have mentioned this in another thread along similar lines but I think it bears repetition here because it specifically touches upon Salomons Cat's concerns about the 'evolving legal landscape'. I take comfort from the Cultural Assets Protection Act that was passed by the German Parliament in 2016. I say this for two reasons. First, it is, as far as I am aware, the only root and branch revision of cultural property legislation that has been carried out by a major country in relatively recent times and it was the subject of intensive debate in Parliament. Second, the German Government is considered quite progressive insofar as cultural property is concerned; some of you may remember that when the bill was going through parliament various petitions were flying about numismatic forums because of the concern that if the law was harsh other countries, particularly European countries, were likely to follow where the Germans led. Indeed, the general tenor of the Act is quite restrictive to collecting and other non-coin collecting communities have voiced serious concerns about the difficulties it is causing. The big thing from our perspective is that the German Parliament did ultimately recognise coins as a special case. The Act specifically stated that the new law required no unbroken evidence of origin; it pointed out that in most cases people could not reasonably be expected to remember the details of acquiring coins after some time; and it stated that private coin collectors are not required to keep records. And as many of you will know Parliament also recognised the difference between common, low-value coins and rare, high-value coins and set a threshold of 2,500 EUR. Under that both sellers and buyers must not knowingly acquire coins that are lost, unlawfully imported or illegally exported (or do so in suspicious circumstances). It would seem that this duty of care will in other than the most extraordinary cases be satisfied by buying from a reputable dealer or auction house, particularly one that is a member of a professional association. For coins over 2,500 EUR there is a higher duty on coin dealers but not collectors - dealers are expected to undertake certain due diligence on provenance and keep records for 30 years. But as Ursus pointed out it is important to note that the law does not require all coins worth more than 2,500 EUR to have a full chain of provenance dating back decades in order to be traded legally. In cases of common coins, establishing a "negative provenance" (there is no reason to suppose that the coin was stolen, looted, or smuggled) together with a "group provenance" (the type is listed in a catalogue or other reference work) is typically sufficient. The point that I am making here is that when a nation generally considered quite progressive on cultural property issues has looked into this matter in detail it has given coins special status and come up with a law that is, to me at least, a fair compromise. That gives me hope that we are not inevitably drifting towards a future that is unreasonable towards collectors.

Link : Dionysos Phrygia, Dionysopolis. 2nd-1st Century BC. Menekles Biano, magistrate. Head of Dionysos right, wearing ivy wreath; thyrsos to left / ΔIONYΣOΠ MENEKΛ BIANO; Dionysos standing facing, head left, holding long thyrsos with left hand and grape bunch with right; behind, panther standing left, head right. BMC 3; SNG Copenhagen 343. 7.71g, 20mm.

Aeolis, Aigai. 2nd-1st centuries BC. Bust of Hermes right, wearing petasos / Forepart of goat right; ΑΙΓΑΕΩΝ below, monograms above and to right. SNG Copenhagen 14. 2.4g, 12 mm. Next: Goat.

Cilicia, Korykos. Circa 100-20 BC. Turreted head of the city-goddess to right / Hermes, wearing petasos, standing facing, head to left, holding purse in his right hand and kerykeion with his left. SNG Levante 791-794 var. (magistrate); SNG BN 1086-1093. 6.51g, 20mm. Next: Another coin of Cilicia

There are some beautiful coins above, those of Ancient Joe being particularly stunning. I also share a fondness for coins showing scenes from Greek mythology. Here are a couple. The first shows the myth of Prixus and the ram. Phrixus and Helle, his sister, were Boeotian royalty and hated by their stepmother who plotted to kill them. They escaped on a flying ram with golden wool. While crossing the channel between Europe and Asia Helle fell off the ram and drowned - which is why it was called the Hellespont. Phrixus made it to Colchis where he was taken in by King Aeetes. In gratitude, Phrixus - somewhat ungraciously in my opinion, given that the ram had saved him - sacrificed the ram to the gods and gave the king its golden fleece, which Aeëtes hung in a tree in a holy grove, guarded by a dragon that never slept. This is the Golden Fleece subsequently stolen by Jason and the Argonauts. Thessaly, Halos. Circa 250 BC. Chalkous. Diademed head of Zeus right / Phrixus riding ram right. BCD Thessaly 86.2; HGC 4, 8. 2,43g, 12mm. The second shows the Phrygian satyr Marsyas. In Greek mythology he found the aulos (double-pipe) that Athena had thrown away. After becoming skilled with it he challenged Apollo to a contest with his lyre. Apollo won and for his audacity dispatched Marsyas by flaying him alive. Phrygia, Apameia. Circa 133-48 BC. ΚΗΦΙΣΟΣ, ΣΚΑΥ (Kefisos, Skau-), magistrates. Turreted and draped bust of Artemis right, bow and quiver behind shoulder / AΠAME KHΦIΣO ΣKAY, Marsyas, naked but for chlamys and nebris, walking right on maeander pattern, blowing double flute. BMC 74-75. 4.33g, 16mm. Finally, I share Donna ML's admiration of Mary Renault's novels set in Ancient Greece; the only bona fide Hellenist in 20th century fiction, as she was once described. If people are on this site they probably love the ancient world. If you love the ancient world and haven't yet come across her you should read her. Historical fiction of the highest quality.

Link: holding rudder and cornucopiae Gordian III, with Tranquillina. Thrace, Odessos, AD 238-244. Pentassarion. AVT K M ANT ΓOΡΔIANOC ΑVΓ CE TPANKVΛΛEIN, laureate, draped, and cuirassed bust of Gordian right, facing draped bust of Tranquillina left, wearing stephane / OΔHCCEITΩN, Tyche, bare-headed, standing left, holding rudder and cornucopiae, E to left. Varbanov 4608; AMNG 2402; Moushmov 1697. 12,47g, 25mm.

Sorry for the picture size, I tried to increase it in the usual way but couldn't for some reason. Henry III. 1216-1272 AD. Longcross penny, after 1247 AD. Nicole on London. Class IIb. Spink 1361. Next: Any other coin - doesn't need to be English - of the 13th century.

Link: Athena Nikephoros Cappadocian Kingdom, Ariarathes V. Drachm. Uncertain mint, possibly Mazaka Eusebeia or Tyana, 163-130 BC. Diademed head of king right / ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ ΑΡΙΑΡΑΘΟΥ ΕΥΣΕΒΟΥΣ Athena Nikephoros standing left. Monograms in inner left field and outer right field; in exergue, ΓΛ. BMC Galatia, p. 31, 33. SNG von Aulock 6269. SNG Copenhagen Suppl. 697. SNG Ashmolean 1965. 4.17g, 18mm.

Eumenes I, Mysia, Kingdom of Pergamon. AR Tetradrachm. Circa 263-241 BC. Laureate head of Philetairos right / Athena seated right, elbow resting on shield, crowning ΦΙΛΕΤΑΙΡΟΥ with wreath held in her extended hand, spear diagonally in background, ivy leaf in outer left field, A in inner left field, bow in right field. SNG France 1612. 17.15g, 29mm. Next: Pergamon

Link: forepart of a bull Euboea, Eretria, Euboean League. Circa 375-338 BC. Head of the nymph Euboia right / EY-B, forepart of bull right. BCD 40; Wallace 1. 1,59g, 10mm.

Link: snake. Mysia, Kings of Pergamon. Philetairos, 282-263 BC. Helmeted head of Athena right / ΦΙΛΕΤΑΙΡΟΥ, Asklepios seated left, feeding snake out of patera. SNG France 1643-9; SNG von Aulock 1363. 4,40g, 16mm.

I agree with you, toned denari can be very attractive, although perhaps this one is taking it to the extreme (its even darker in hand)! Roman Republic, P. Crepusius. Denarius, Rome, 82 BC. Laureate head of Jupiter right, sceptre, control letter Γ behind, lizard before / Horseman galloping right, CCXXXVIII behind, P.CREPVSI in exergue. Crawford 361/1c. 3.86g, 18mm.

Link: Serapis Caracalla. Denarius, Rome, AD 216. ANTONINVS PIVS AVG, laureate head right / P M TR P XVI COS IIII P P, Serapis, wearing polos, standing left, raising right hand and holding transverse sceptre. RIC 280c. 2.92g, 18mm.

A great collection, Kirispupis, well done. A different Prusias I to yours. Kings of Bithynia. Prusias I Cholos, 228-183 BC. Laureate head of Apollo right, with quiver over his shoulder / BAΣIΛEΩΣ ΠPOUΣIOY; Bow and quiver. RG 17; SNG Copenhagen 628-9; SNG von Aulock 250. 4.59g, 17mm.

Link: Aurelian Aurelian. 270-275 AD. Antoninianus, Serdica. IMP AVRELIANVS P AVG, radiate and cuirassed bust right / RESTITVTOR BIS, female figure standing right, presenting wreath to Emperor standing left, holding sceptre, in lower centre field, star and in exergue, KA•Γ. RIC 301 var. 4,46g, 23mm.