Not too long ago I was taking some updated photos of some coins, and doing a bit more research on them. In particular, this little group of small Greek bronzes which I won some time ago from CNG. This is the auction house's photo/description: "DESCRIPTION GREEK. Magna Graecia & Sicily. Lot of four (4) Syracusan bronze issues. Includes: various types. Average Fine. LOT SOLD AS IS, NO RETURNS. Four (4) coins in lot." Ordinarily I'm not interested much in these little Greek bronzes, but I liked the top coins - the Kore/bull and Arethusa/dolphin. The coins didn't come with much identification so I had to dig a bit ( with a little help from CT and NF members) to get correct attribution. They are all interesting in some ways, but the one I'm focusing on now is the bottom left - Athena with raised helmet and thunderbolt: In combing through auction listings I found that this coin (as well as two others in the same lot) had been sold by CNG in a previous group lot in 2008: The interesting thing was that this group lot gave cursory descriptions of each coin, and this is what they said of the Athena/thunderbolt coin: "...f) Æ Hexas(?). Struck circa 304-289 BC. Athena / Thunderbolt. CNS 118; Favorito type 38a (this coin, illustrated)..." A plate coin? Not being familiar with Favorito I did some quick searching. The Bronze Coinage of Ancient Syracuse came up. I went to eBay and found a copy for sale, made an offer and was accepted! It is my first Greek reference work. Quickly turning to the pages of plates I discovered indeed, my coin is the Favorito plate coin! The coin also matches the physical dimensions given: And, here is the updated photo presentation - It is - as far as I'm aware - my first plate coin! I think it's pretty cool. Also I'm curious to know why this information was not included in CNG's later group lot listing, which I bid on. Could it be that a CNG researcher failed to note that the coin had gone through the auction house back in 2008 and so failed to see the Favorito notation? I wonder if, being a plate coin, it might have warranted being in a lot by itself. Surely, at the very least, it would have been worth a mention! Be that as it may, I'm happy to have been the one to re-discover the provenance! Thanks for looking and please feel free to post any comments or photos of your own plate coins!
Here's an interesting update. It didn't register at the time, but recently I noticed that the Favorito reference work I had purchased - The Bronze Coinage of Ancient Syracuse - was embossed as coming from the library of Kenneth E. Mayo, member of the Society Historia Numorum, who also contributed to the reference work. What was really cool is that this book was also signed by (presumably) the author Emilio N. Favorito for Kenneth Mayo, with a personal note of thanks - As you can see some of the coins cited in the reference work came from Mayo's collection. I thought it was an interesting addition to the story of the OP coin.
Oh, my, that is a truly fantastic combination! The holy grail of provenance collecting (at least for this provenance collector) is to have (a) the "plate coin" + (b) an author-signed copy of the volume + (c) inscribed to & ex-libris of the collector! I have several (a) + (b) pairings, possibly even some (a) + (c), but I don't think I have any (a) + (b) + (c) pairings, despite collecting all of these things. That is quite special! I have some that are close. I don't quite know what to call these, "provenance clusters" or "numislit-coin exhibits": (a) Coin from Jay Galst's Collection published by Meshorer + (b) signed copy of Meshorer's book publishing the coin, but ex-libris American Numismatic Society, not ex-libris Jay Galst. (I do however, have a separate book signed & inscribed by Meshorer to Galst! But that coin isn't inside.) [click to enlarge if interested] (a) a bunch of "plate coins" from all three Lindgren volumes + (b) copy of Lindgren III signed & inscribed to a California collector (a) Constantine IV Solidus "cover coin" from ERIC II + (b) signed copy Others: - Rosen 548 + Rosen-Waggoner inscribed to an old dealer; - Sear RCV "Plate Coin" + Sear RCV Set inscribed to Paul DiMarzio + coins from the DiMarzio Collection (published in other books); - Euboian Octopus Obol from W.P. Wallace Collection + inscribed copy of his book on Euboian League coinage; - Themistokes hemiobol published by Nolle & Wenninger + copy of Nolle's first article on Themistokles coins inscribed to Wenninger (but not publishing that coin);. - and some other ones... including many other collectors from whom I have both coins and signed books / bookplates but not for the same coins/books... and many copies of "plate coin" books & old auction catalogs from other notable numismatic libraries... and many "association copy" books in case I acquire a plate coin later... But NOT ONE of those sets includes a "plate coin" from a book for which I have a copy inscribed by the author to the collector. To put it mildly, I am jealous. You deserve the credit for doing the research and getting hold of that copy of the book. They belong together, and you put them there. Well done!
Just commenting again to add... Another way to think of it: No one else on Earth will ever have that combination unless you sell the book (since, presumably, the author only inscribed one copy to the collector).
Thanks! You have an impressive collection! I should have clarified that the coin itself (38a) is notated as coming from Favorito's own collection - not Kenneth Mayo's - but it's still pretty cool!
I see -- I read too quickly! So, it's a plate coin + inscribed "association copy," still a fantastic little nugget of numismatic literary history. And still jealous! My recommendation: Keep an eye out for ex Ken Mayo Collection coins cited in the book. If his copy of the book was sold, the coins are probably out there too! Then you'll have the association copy + two collectors coins that contributed!
Edited -- read too quick again! Trying to figure out who K.E. Mayo is... Looks like this guy: https://memorial.davisfuneralhomenh.com/kenneth-mayo/5091714/ Kenneth Everett Mayo Tuesday, July 9th, 1929 - Friday, December 9th, 2022 " A resident of Nashua [NH] for more than 65 years, Mr. Mayo was born in Orange, MA... Mr. Mayo grew up in Bolton, MA, and graduated from Worcester Academy and Worcester Polytechnic Institute of Worcester, MA. He had a long career as a mechanical engineer and engineering consultant. ... ...and coin collecting. He collected and performed research on antique coins and was a member of a private society devoted to the study of ancient coins and their historic contexts."
Yes, I found that obituary too. I plan on double-checking the ebay seller from whom I bought the reference (maybe they were also consigned some coins) and I will be hunting around for any ex-Kenneth Mayo Sicilian bronzes!
