Learning Mythology thru Numismatics

[guy]

As a non-coin collector and novice numismatist, my knowledge about coins is limited. I know even less about Ancient mythology.

 

This post was inspired by an inexpensive coin (under $35) that I saw at a local collectibles show. I learned greatly from this common and inexpensive coin about Ancient Romann coins and Roman mythology. Here

Edited January 16, 2011 by guy

[Artimi]

I am not a coin collector either, nor do I often wear jewelery, but after going the site of coin jewelry, there are few of the coins I would love to have as pendants because they 'spoke' to me..

 

btw what are the thoughts about wearing ancient coins as jewelery.

Edited January 16, 2011 by Artimi

[guy]

btw what are the thoughts about wearing ancient coins as jewelery.

 

First, thank you for reading my post.

 

A couple things on the issue of coins in jewelry.

 

First, once a coin is placed in jewelry, the numismatic value of the coin is destroyed. I've seen some beautiful and expensive coins ruined once they were placed in jewelry.

 

Second, the coins (and thus, the jewelry) are usually overpriced. I recommend finding the coin more inexpensively from a reputable site (such as forumancientcoins.com) and having your own jewelry made.

 

Third, (and here comes the numismatic heresy), I think a coin in jewelry can be a beautiful piece of art. I've seen a professor of the Classics wear a ring with an authentic ancient coin and it was rather impressive. Such a piece of jewelry would certainly be a source of conversation and a potential teaching tool.

 

Remember that many, many beautiful authentic Ancient coins can be purchased relatively cheaply. (Just because a coin is old does not make it expensive.)

 

 

guy also known as gaius

Edited January 16, 2011 by guy

[Maty]

I've seen a coin of Mithridates that was rather crudely converted into a necklace - and that in ancient times. But I have to agree that there's something about a coin that really brings ancient history home.

 

I remember as an undergraduate we were in a class discussing the Roman corn subsidy to the citizens. The tutor let us pass around a contemporary coin showing a grain of corn and stamped 'per frumentum' - a coin designed to be spent on exactly what we were talking about, and handled by Romans for whom this was a contemporary issue. It made the topic seem very real.

 

Re Fortuna - thanks for the great coverage of the topic. You have covered Fortuna as Tyche, but to the Romans she also included Tyche's grimmer counterpart Nemises. Or perhaps this would be a whole new topic?

[guy]

Re Fortuna - thanks for the great coverage of the topic. You have covered Fortuna as Tyche, but to the Romans she also included Tyche's grimmer counterpart Nemises. Or perhaps this would be a whole new topic?

 

Since you asked (from acsearch.info):

 

 

Hardly a more explicit coin type could have been struck in 42 B.C. for the leaders of the Caesarean party, who were in the midst of final preparations for the war against Brutus and Cassius. Roma is shown on the obverse in a state of battle-readiness, as if already marching off to war. The reverse depicts Nemesis in her only appearance on Republican coinage as a reflection of the Caesarean desire to exact righteous revenge upon the murderers of Julius Caesar

 

http://www.acsearch.info/record.html?id=5194

 

Thank you, Maty, for your input.

 

 

guy also known as gaius

Edited January 18, 2011 by guy