Numismatic Museum of Athens

Rand · April 28

This was my first visit to the Numismatic Museum of Athens. I have tried to access records and, ideally, photos of gold coins of Anastasius I in their collection for years. The expectations are high, with the 600,000 coin collection that holds all ancient coins from the country, where private ownership of ancient coins is illegal. The museum did not reply to my email asking for access to the coins. Irrespective, this is a really nice museum with very friendly staff, who sadly could not advise about access to the main holdings.

The numerous coins presented over the two flours is outstanding and highly recommended.

PS. I have seen several coins of Anastasius (one side each). I hope the museum will one day allow access to its extensive holdings.

JAZ Numismatics · April 28

It's astonishing to me that you can't own ancient coins in Greece as a private citizen. Talk about regulatory overreach. Of course, if you're rich enough, I'm sure you can circumvent the rules intended for the peasantry, as anywhere.

Are the coins in the cases even real? The Marc Antony denarii look like electrotypes.

Edited April 28 by JAZ Numismatics

Rand · April 28

5 minutes ago, JAZ Numismatics said:

Are the coins in the cases even real? The Marc Antony denarii look like electrotypes.

I do not know, not an expert. The coins I know were real. Generally (most coins were Greek as expected) the coins were at very high preservation state, often with very bright silver - thoughs of harsh cleaning were crossing my mind.

kirispupis · April 28

I visited the same museum when I was in Athens and found it truly worthwhile. They have cases of coins that each would be the centerpiece of an NAC auction. They clearly took the best quality examples from a large sample size.

They have (obvious) fake versions of some of their coins for sale at the shop, and I happened to mention to the keeper that I collect ancient coins myself in the US. I received only a curt reply that in Greece that is illegal.

There's a restaurant we frequent where the owner was Greek (he retired back to Greece a few years ago) and when I showed him photos of some of my coins, he mentioned that people in his neighborhood would occasionally find them when digging. Since owning the coins was illegal and penalties severe, they would either throw them away or make decorations from them.

NewStyleKing · April 29

13 hours ago, JAZ Numismatics said:

It's astonishing to me that you can't own ancient coins in Greece as a private citizen. Talk about regulatory overreach. Of course, if you're rich enough, I'm sure you can circumvent the rules intended for the peasantry, as anywhere.

Are the coins in the cases even real? The Marc Antony denarii look like electrotypes.

And yet, near the plaka ( don't know the spelling), there was a shop selling genuine coins. Including a NewStyle which I handled. His prices were astronomical! I also remember some Pegasi That was c 2012.

I did wonder at the quality of the MA legionary coins too!

I arrived one day and they haa staff shortage, but I said I had come all that way to look at the Dekadrachm. So I got a personal viewing!

Rand · April 29

@NewStyleKing Glad you were there. I thought you may be intersted and took photos of some coins that I though were New Style, but you must have seen them all.

NewStyleKing · April 29

SNAP! (almost)

Athens New Style Tetradrachm c136/5 BC

Obs: Athena Parthenos right in tri-form helmet
16.81 g 31.5mm Thompson issue 29
Thompson catalogue: Obs 332: Rev c (not in plates)
Rev : ΑΘΕ ethnic
Owl standing on overturned panathenaic amphora
on which month mark Δ control: ΗΡ below
3 magistrates : HRA ARISTOPH POLYM
LF symbol: Bow Club & Lionskin
All surrounded by an olive wreath

Ed Snible · April 29

13 hours ago, JAZ Numismatics said:

It's astonishing to me that you can't own ancient coins in Greece as a private citizen.

The government requires collectors to apply for a license. Collectors must supply to government with an inventory of the collection, and allow visits to the collection. I believe the number of licenses granted are very few. https://www.law-archaeology.gr/index.php/en/collectors

Vel Saties · April 29

I worked in the museum library for a few months many years ago while doing research for an Italian-French group I was part of.
But I never visited it, I always entered before opening and always left after closing 🫣

Rand · April 29

This is as close as I have heard someone get to the storage of their main collection! The storage might be separate from the main building. Any information on the right contact to get access to the collections would be immensely appreciated. I am interested in a small number of coins only (Anastasian gold).

I am happy to pay a fee, be there after dusk and before dawn, and hop on one leg if necessary.

Vel Saties · April 29

5 minutes ago, Rand said:

Any information on the right contact to get access to the collections would be immensely appreciated.

My contact at the time (a numismatist who I had a crush on) I no longer know what happened to him and whoever worked there is now retired or deceased, I'm afraid.
But I have hope and I try to ask my old director

akeady · April 29

14 hours ago, Rand said:

This was my first visit to the Numismatic Museum of Athens. I have tried to access records and, ideally, photos of gold coins of Anastasius I in their collection for years. The expectations are high, with the 600,000 coin collection that holds all ancient coins from the country, where private ownership of ancient coins is illegal. The museum did not reply to my email asking for access to the coins. Irrespective, this is a really nice museum with very friendly staff, who sadly could not advise about access to the main holdings.

The numerous coins presented over the two flours is outstanding and highly recommended.

PS. I have seen several coins of Anastasius (one side each). I hope the museum will one day allow access to its extensive holdings.

I'll be in Athens in 2 weeks and hope to make it to the Numismatic Museum. My first visit to Athens since 1989, so looking forward to it! 😄

ATB,
Aidan.

NewStyleKing · April 29

There is a prominent collection at the Barber Institute of Byzantine coins. The Barber is housed in a specially built Art Deco building just adjacent to Birmingham University UK. Try that for Anastasias gold! It has sculpture inc a magnificent bust of ? Thutmose lll and some cracking paintings and was the personal collection of a UK industrialists family...look it up ,it's online.

Rand · April 29

The Barber was the first museum collection that allowed me to visit their study room. They showed me all their Anastasius gold coins and even allowed to download their photos for personal use (this was long before they put all these coins online). Their online collection now has a note I made about a solidus being not from an imperial mint.

I wish all museums were like the Barber.

Kaleun96 · April 29

Any chance you saw a left-facing Herakles Alexander tetradrachm in the collection? Supposedly there's a rare variant, Price 213A, as part of the Empedocles collection in the museum but I've yet to find a picture of it.

Rand · April 29

@Kaleun96 I am afraid I have not specifically paid attention to this type. There were so many coins in so many trays. Initially, I was checking every coin, recalling NvmisForvms discussions. Later, I focused more on coins of my interest and I could have easily missed it.

If @akeady is there is two weeks he might be able to spot.

akeady · April 29

19 minutes ago, Rand said:

@Kaleun96 I am afraid I have not specifically paid attention to this type. There were so many coins in so many trays. Initially, I was checking every coin, recalling NvmisForvms discussions. Later, I focused more on coins of my interest and I could have easily missed it.

If @akeady is there is two weeks he might be able to spot.

I'll have a look - I'll be there from 11th to 14th May and I intend to get to this museum at some stage.

ATB,
Aidan.

Kaleun96 · April 29

34 minutes ago, akeady said:

I'll have a look - I'll be there from 11th to 14th May and I intend to get to this museum at some stage.

ATB,
Aidan.

Thanks! No bother if you don't find it but if you happen to spot it, I'd love a pic if you're able to snap one.

Here's what the type looks like, the theta being in the left field instead of under the throne differentiates it from Price 213. Aside from the example in the museum, I only know of one other example in addition to the one below.

akeady · May 14

On 4/29/2024 at 11:02 PM, Kaleun96 said:

Thanks! No bother if you don't find it but if you happen to spot it, I'd love a pic if you're able to snap one.

Here's what the type looks like, the theta being in the left field instead of under the throne differentiates it from Price 213. Aside from the example in the museum, I only know of one other example in addition to the one below.

Hi,

I was there yesterday and unfortunately there's no sign of that coin. There were three pr four display cases of the Empedocles Collection, but I didn't see that.

Here's what I saw of that collection (unsure of fourth photo' was of Empedocles Collection, probably not):

Athens great, need to return soon (35 years between this visit and previous one!)

Aidan.

Kaleun96 · May 14

5 hours ago, akeady said:

Hi,

I was there yesterday and unfortunately there's no sign of that coin. There were three pr four display cases of the Empedocles Collection, but I didn't see that.

Here's what I saw of that collection (unsure of fourth photo' was of Empedocles Collection, probably not):

Athens great, need to return soon (35 years between this visit and previous one!)

Aidan.