The history of an, h<)\vc\cr, oficrs a wider and more 

 pertinent relationship with the field of numismatics — 

 to ihc mutual Ijenefil of both areas. In many cases, 

 so-called apj)lied numismatics enables the art scholar 

 to use numismatic evidence as a support or invalida- 

 tion of certain historical conclusions or to supply 

 entirely new evidence that is mioljtainable elsewhere. 



Coins often are a iiasic historical scjurce. To the 

 trained eye of the archeolos^ist or historian, they may 

 reveal aspects of civilizations and races which have 

 disappeared and left few or no records. A classic 

 example of such research is the brilliant detective 

 work accomplished recently by Prof, .•\ndreas .Mfoldi 

 of the Instituie of Ad\anced Study at Princeton. Ur. 

 Alfoldi cast light upon the cult of Diana-llekate- 

 Selene — a syncretistic threefold divinity venerated in 

 the sanctuary at Aricia (Italy) — by re-inierprelint; 

 the figures (previously identified as nymphs) rei)re- 

 sentcd on a tiny Roman Republican siKer coin which 

 had been struck in 43 B.C." 



In many cases coins can help to date ancient monu- 

 ments: the composition of hoards may serve as cir- 

 cumstantial c\idcncc in tracing migrations, army 

 encampments, trade routes, or tides of colonization 

 and expansion. Actually, the beginnings of numis- 

 matics as a scholarly discipline is related to such an 

 application of old Roman coins in the Renaissance 

 and pre-Rcnai.ssancc: Italian historians used the.sc 

 coins to help identify ancient portrait busts of em- 

 perors or to interpret passages from classical authors. 



THE SOURCES OF ANCIENT COINS 



What has brought ancient coins into the hands of 

 collectors and scholars? 



One answer which may seem unusual to modern 

 man is the fact that, in earlier times, coins often cir- 

 culated for centuries, defying national borders; the 

 metallic content was the only guarantee necessary for 

 their acceptance. One of the most eloquent examples 

 of such an occurrence was found in southern France, 

 where copper coins which had lieen struck during the 

 reign of Constantine the Great (.^.D. ?)2?) 337) still 

 were circulating in remote places during the time of 

 Napoleon III (1852 1870).'° Another instance comes 

 from .Spain, where a bronze coin of the Roman 

 Emperor Domitian (A.D. 81-96) was found to have 



circulated until 1636 when it was counterstamped 

 during the monetary reform of Philip I\'." 



Another fact which contributed to the increase of 

 interest in old coins was their special appeal as orna- 

 ments and jewelcry. Many ancient rings, bracelets, 

 necklaces, and even medieval reliquaries utilized 

 coins which were considered beautiful, precious, or 

 miraculous. Lenormant, quoting from contemporary 

 sources, mentions that "ancient coins in gold and 

 silver were used in jewels like gems." '" 



The main source of coins, however, especially an- 

 cient Greek and Roman pieces, is the innumerable 

 hoards which have been uncovered. Entrusted to 

 safe, deep hiding places in the ground or in a river- 

 bed in moments of danger, war, fire, or even for 

 normal safekeeping, these coins often are brought to 

 the surface, by pure chance, decades or, in many cases, 

 centinics later. Local legends of a blue flame, a 

 will-o'-the-wisp, monsters guarding treasures, or 

 curses protecting pirate hoards have helped to per- 

 petuate the memory of tremendous wealth hidden in 

 the earth. Some of the most fantastic folk tales 

 fade before many extraordinary finds. Treasures of 

 almost limitless wealth, exquisite beauty, as well as 

 inestimable value for historian and art-historian are 

 found continually, the number of coins sometimes 

 exceeding tens of thousands." 



The ancient author Philostratus (c. 170-245) men- 

 tions a hoard of 3000 Persian gold darics found in 

 Antioch, Syria, before A.D. 250. In about 1543 

 peasants discovered, in the streams of the river Streiu 

 in Transylvania, the famous "treasure" of the Dacian 

 king Decebalus, consisting of over 40,000 Greek gold 

 staters.'^ The Adriatic coast of the Balkan peninsula 

 is often the site of large finds of Roman silver denarii — 

 a witness sometimes of the misfortunes of a retreating 

 army which lost its entire pay chest. The devastating 



• "Diana NVmoronsis" (1960). 



i» Friedensbcrg, Di,- Miincf in dcr h'uUurgeschichtf, p. 3. 



" Blancukt, "Sui la chronoloijie etablic par k-s rontrc- 

 marques" (1907). 



■2 La monnair dans I'antiquile, vol. 1, p. 35. Sec also Hii.L, 

 The Medallic Portrait of Christ (1920); Zadoks-Jitta, "Notes and 

 Questions on Coin Ornaments" (1957), "Munsicradcn" (1958); 

 Grierson, "The Canterbury (St. Martin's) Hoard of Prankish 

 and Anglo-Saxon Coin Ornaments" (1955). 



" See Bi ANCHET, "Les rapports entre les depots monetaires et 

 les evcnements militaires, politiques et economiques" (1936); 

 Haevernick, "Welches Material kann die Numismatik zur 

 Feststellung dcr Verkehrsgebietc in Deutschland im XII. und 

 XIII. Jahrhundert licfcrn" (1936); Werner, "Munzschatze 

 als Quellcn historischcr Erkcnntnis" (1950-1951). 



" For a detailed account of this hoard, sec Martian, "Comori 

 ardclene" (1921); NoE, Biblio!;raphy of Creek Coin'Hoards,p.265. 



BULLETIN 229: CONTRIBUTIONS FROM THE MUSEUM OF HISTORY AND TECHNOLOGY 



