826 *M E D 
on the back of a camel ; and behind the imperator is a 
monkey mimicking him. 
4 . A fourth ciafs of medals are called contorniati, 
from the Italian contorniato, “ encircled becaufe of the 
hollow circle which commonly runs around them. They 
are diftinguifhed from medallions by their thinnefs, faint 
relief, reverfes fometimeg in relief, fometinies hollow ; and 
in general by the inferiority in their workmanfiiip. The 
opinions of medallifts concerning thefe pieces are very va¬ 
rious ; fome fuppofe them to have been (truck by Gallie- 
nus to th'e memory of illuftrious men and celebrated ath- 
lette, at the time that he canfed all the confecration-coins 
of his predecelfors to he reftored 5 others afcri.be their in¬ 
vention to Greece, &c. but Mr. Pinkerton is of opinion 
that they were only tickets for places at public games. 
Many of them, notwithftnnding their inferior workman- 
fliip, are very valuable on account of their preferving the 
portraits of fome illuftrious authors of antiquity, no¬ 
where elfe to be found. Much dependance, however, can¬ 
not be put on the portraits of Greek authors and eminent 
men found upon fome of them ; for, though we know 
that the bufts of Salluft, Horace, &c. mult have been 
(truck when their perfons were frefh in the memory of the 
artifts, yet it was otherwife with Homer, Solon, Pytha¬ 
goras, &c. which are to be found on fome of them. Even 
thefe, however, are valuable, as being ancient and perhaps 
traditional portraits of thefe great men. The laft vvhofe 
portraits are fuppofed to have been delineated in this way, 
are Apollonius Tyaneus who flouriflied in the time of 
Domitian, and Apuleius in that of Marcus Antoninus. 
Mr. Pinkerton thinks it a confirmation of his opinion 
concerning thefe medals, that the reverfes always contain 
fome device alluding to public games, as that of a chario¬ 
teer driving a chariot, Sc c. 
The remaining figures on Plate II. fome of which have 
not been noticed, are—Fig. 28. A brafs coin of Cunobe- 
linus, a Britifii king, about the beginning of the Chrillian 
era. 29. A filver coin of Caraufius, a king of Britain, 
A.D. 286. 30. A Saxon penny. 31. A Saxon (North¬ 
umbrian) ftyca. 32, 33. Ancient pennies, fuppofed to 
be Scottifh. 34. A penny of William I. of Scotland, 
A.D. 1165. 35. A penny of king Robert Bruce, A. D. 
1306-28. 36. An Irifti penny. 37. The gold penny of 
Henry III. A. D. 1257. 38. The large rofe-noble of the 
firft coinage of Edward III. A.D 1344. 39. The ryal of 
Mary queen of Scots. 40. A guinea of George III. 
Of COLLECTING MEDALS, and FORMING a 
CABINET. 
Medals are to be bad at the fhops of goldfmiths and fil- 
verfmiths, and of general dealers in curiofities, &c. but in 
great cities there are profeffed dealers in them. The beft 
method of purchafing medals, however, is that of buying 
whole cabinets, which are every year expofed to auction 
in London. In thefe, the rare medals are fold by them- 
lelves ; but the common ones are put up in large lots, fo 
that the dealers commonly purchafe them. Mr. Pinkerton 
thinks it would be better that medals were fold one by 
one ; becaufe a lot is often valued and purchafed for the 
lake of a fingle coin ; while the others feparately would 
fell for perhaps four times the price of the whole lot. 
The gold coins of Carthage, Cyrene, and Syracule, are 
worth about twice their intrinfic value as metal; but the 
other gold civic coins from 5I. to 30I. each. The only 
gold coins of Athens certainly known to exift are two 
lately procured by the king. One of thefe remains in pof- 
feflion of his majefty, but the other was given by the queen 
to Dr! Hunter. There was another in the Britifii Mufeum, 
but fufpebted not to be genuine. Dr. Hunter’s Coin, then, 
if fold, would bear the highelt price that could be ex¬ 
pected for a coin. 
The filver coins of Syracufe, Dyrrhachium, Maflilia, 
Athens, and a few other ftates, are common ; the drachmas 
and coins of lefs fize are worth about five (hillings; the 
didrachms, tetradrachrr.s, &c. from five to ten, according 
«1 L. 
to their fize and beauty; the largeft, as might naturally 
be expected, being more valuable than the fmall ones. 
The tetradrachms, when of cities whofe coins are com¬ 
mon, are worth from 7s. 6d. to rl. is. but it is impofiible 
to put a value upon the rare civic coins ; ten guineas have 
been given for a fingle one. 
The Greek copper coins are common, and are almoft: 
all of that kind called fmall brafs-, the middle fize beino- 
fcarce, and the largeft, in the ages prior to the Roman em¬ 
perors, extremely fo. The common Greek coins of brafs 
bring from 3d. to i8d. according to their prefervation ; 
but, when of cities whofe coins are rare, much higher 
prices are given. “The want of a few cities, however, 
(fays Mr. Pinkerton,) is not thought to injure a collec¬ 
tion ; as indeed new names are difeovered every dozen of 
years, fo that no aflortment can be perfeft. To this it is 
owing that the rarity of the Grecian civic coins is not 
much attended to.” 
The gold coins of Philip and Alexander the Great, be¬ 
ing very common, bear but from five to ten (hillings 
above their intrinfic value ; but thofe of the other princes, 
being rare, fell from 3I. to 30I. each, or even more. 
The tetradrachms are the deareft of the filver monarchic 
money, felling from five to ten (hillings; and, if very rare, 
from 3I. to 30I. Half thefe prices may be obtained for 
the drachmas, and the other denominations in propor¬ 
tion. 1 
The Greek copper coins are for the moft part fcarcer 
than the filver, except the Syro-Grecian, which are com¬ 
mon, and almoft all of the fize called fmall brafs. “ They 
ought (fays Mr. Pinkerton) to bear a high price; but the 
metal, and fimilarity to the copper civic coins, which are 
common, keep their adtual purchafe moderate, if the 
feller is not well inftrueted, and the buyer able and willing 
to pay the price of rarity.” 
The name of weights given to the ancient Roman afes is, 
according to our author, exceedingly improper; as that 
people had weights of lead with brafs fides, without the 
lead appearance of a portrait upon them. Thefe denot« 
the weight by a certain number of knobs ; and have like- 
wife fmall Jleurettes engraved upon them. According to 
Mr. Pinkerton, whenever we meet with a piece of metal 
damped on both fides with bufts and figures, we may lay 
it do'wn as a certain rule that it is a coin 5 but when (lightly 
ornamented, and marked upon one fide only, we may with 
equal certainty conclude it to be a weight. 
The ancient Roman afes are worth from 2s. to a!, ac¬ 
cording to the Angularity of their devices. Confular gold 
coins are worth from il. to 5I. Pompey with his fons2il. 
and the two Bruti 25I. The filver coins are univerfally 
worth from a (hilling to half-a-crown, excepting that of 
the cap of liberty and a few others, which, if genuine, 
will bring from 10s. to 5I. The confular copper bears 
an equal price with the filver, but is more rare ; the con¬ 
fular filver coins reftored by Trajan are worth 20s. each. 
With regard to the Roman imperial coins, it is to be 
obferved, that (ome of thofe which belong to princes whole 
coins are numerous, may yet be rendered extremely va¬ 
luable by uncommon reverfes. Mr. Pinkerton particu¬ 
larly points out that of Augultus, with the legend c. marivs 
trogvs, which is worth three guineas, though the (live? 
coins of that prince in general are not worth above a (hil¬ 
ling. In like manner, the common gold coins of Trajan 
are not worth above twenty (hillings; while thofe with 
Bafilica Ulpia, Forum Trajani, Divi Nerva et Trajanus, Pater , 
Divi Nerva et Platina Aug. Prqfedio Aug. Regna AJJignata , 
Rtx Parthus, and (ome others, bear from three to fix pounds. 
The ticket-medals belong to the Roman fenate, and are 
worth from three to ten (hillings. 
Of the coins of other nations, thofe of Hilderic king of 
the Vandals are in filver, and worth 10s. the fmall brafs 
of Athanaric, 5s. the gold of Theodoric, al. the fecond 
brafs of Theodahat, 5s. the fecond brafs of Badueta rare, 
and worth 10s. the third brafs, 3s. The Britifii coins are 
very rare, and worth from ten (hillings to twoguineas each, 
fometinies 
