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Numismatic Museum of Athens


Rand

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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.

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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 by JAZ Numismatics
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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. 

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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.

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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!

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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

Athens New Style Tetradrachm 136/5 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 Keywords: BOW CLUB LIONSKIN OWL AMPHORA ATHENS ATHENA

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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

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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 🫣

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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.

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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

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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.

image.png.dcabe3624f018aefa9dde038432b4e84.png

 

image.png.724a0069cffceeaeae48b558a6c8423d.png

 

image.png.555a47758be4f4b1bc346c00a0c0f624.png

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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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@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.

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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.

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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.

11764620.jpg.0ed6e3445947da7a3c77caea9564ff99.jpg

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Posted · Supporter
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.

11764620.jpg.0ed6e3445947da7a3c77caea9564ff99.jpg

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):

20240513_111014.jpg.00ab279dc817dec975725ae3eac51df2.jpg20240513_111125.jpg.acc84d48a630dde02987b64172c4e9ac.jpg20240513_111202.jpg.d0ea2e0a7523af7463107857ab8afe10.jpg20240513_111238.jpg.1dcd2074e55ecb0cfda6a9e3709512ce.jpg

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

Aidan.

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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):

20240513_111014.jpg.00ab279dc817dec975725ae3eac51df2.jpg20240513_111125.jpg.acc84d48a630dde02987b64172c4e9ac.jpg20240513_111202.jpg.d0ea2e0a7523af7463107857ab8afe10.jpg20240513_111238.jpg.1dcd2074e55ecb0cfda6a9e3709512ce.jpg

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

Aidan.

Thanks for looking and taking the photos, appreciate it! What a fantastic collection of coins, looks well worth a visit whenever I make it to Athens.

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