A year ago, I published The Hellenistic Coins of Marathos: A New Chronology. Since then, it has sold the whopping total of 24 copies. I have also distributed 10 copies to leading specialists, but have yet to receive any substantive feedback. As the book was only available as a paperback on Amazon, I have decided to post it for free on my blog. Anyone interested in Ptolemaic-era coins should consider collecting this series. The coins of Marathos are abundant, many types are very affordable and often quite attractive. My new chronology pushes back the dates for many issues by 45 years and ties several types to specific historical events. In addition, the book introduces new types and unpublished dates as well as a certain portrait type for one Ptolemaic queen (Arsinoe II) and probable portrait types for two others (Berenike II and Arsinoe III). All the best!
I'm sorry that your hard work was not returned back to you. I briefly looked at the content, and, from what I can see, it was very well researched and written. I'm fairly new to ancients. My primary collecting focus was U.S. coins. But, I have branched out to some ancients (I have an Athena Owl and one from Alexander the Great). My primary ancient focus is Coins of Bibical Times, and just whatever catches my eye without emptying my bank account, lol. While your book does not cover coins that would normally interest me (maybe?), I love history and am looking forward to reading it for the historical significance. And, I do like coins tied to many historical events. So, I say with the utmost sincerity, thank you. I'm sorry that it wasn't well received in the Ancient Numismatic Academic circle, as it certainly should have been, in my opinion (I know, everybody's got one). But, the little time I spent looking at the material, I was impressed. But, most importantly, making it available to us for free, speaks to your heart and character. Thank you, sir! I pray you are richly blessed by sharing your hard work and expense involved in writing your book to CoinTalk members, again, for free! From one very grateful member, Kenneth
Thanks, Kenneth. I appreciate your interest and understanding. I am not dismayed by the lack of scholarly feedback. Wheels turn very slowly in academia. The book is in the hands of the expert who "wrote the book" on these coins, so I am hopeful that she will see merit in my arguments. I've been collecting ancient and world coins for 32 years and US coins for 68 years. The hobby has brought and continues to bring endless fascination. I highly recommend ancients as there is such variety and still so many things to be discovered, as evidenced by my book.
Thank you @Jasper Burns for posting your research online! If you have time, could you take a peek at the date of a Marathos I have? It's a "HGC 10 194", and is possibly the Year 61 which you mention in a paragraph from your analysis/explanation of "Marathenian Type M-3". I have 3 images, all posted below, but due to issues with the example itself no photographic image of it can give a clear view of exactly what the celator actually engraved. An "in hand" look with a loupe doesn't seem to make it any more clear. FWIW: I bought it with an attribution specifically dated to year 85, but I'm not seeing that long of a string of "I", and I seem to see only three "N" not four. The first image below is the smallest of the three images: 19 mm. 6.3 g. Thanks for any observations you may "see"! Lastly, here is a picture of a note on the back of the flip's tag. Is anyone familiar with the auction name? The handwriting is better than mine, but isn't clear enough that the name rings a bell with me.
Thanks for sharing that! The tag is from Harmer Rooke Galleries. I used to get their catalogs back in the 1990s. I believe they are out of business, but you can still find their catalogs. The date on your coin is a bit mushy, but I think I see four consecutive "N's", indicating year 80, plus 4 or five "I's" indicating the year 84 or 85. My best guess is year 85. The "I's" are often difficult to distinguish as they can run into the branches of the aphlastron held by Marathos.
I am greatly appreciative of your reply re: the date AND the auction!!! :-D Edit: p.s.: I just bought your book. I'm happy to add it to my bookshelves!
Well, I just found the below information after reading your post. If I would have read on, I would have seen it already answered, lol. But, I'm including this anyway. It gives a little more info. Harmer-Rooke Gengerke lists sales beginning in 1969 for this New York firm, with 77 sales through 1990.
Interesting! There was Harmer-Rooke Galleries and also Harmer-Rooke Numismatics. I never bid on their auctions, but frequently encountered their catalogs at used book stores. Those were the days before the internet. Many dealers had no photos in their catalogs and those that did used black and white.
I actually found the EXACT auction catalogue the coin was purchased in! It was an auction from November of the year... ...wait for it... ...1973!!! The catalogue included images! However, unfortunately, my coin was part of a multi-coin lot of miscellaneous Greek bronzes, so no specific info or plate image was in the auction catalogue. :-/
I'm so glad you discovered as much as you did. I know it didn't absolutely answer every question about your coin, but, at least you know more than you did! And, got to add another book to your library! Congratulations
Nicely put together book/layout/pictures, etc. Did you self publish? What software did you use? I'm always looking for ideas on how to self publish stuff. TIA.
Thank you for that. Yes, I self-published using Adobe InDesign and Photoshop for the covers. I have had a few books accepted by publishers, but much prefer doing it myself, especially as most of my subjects are too esoteric for a mass market.
@Jasper Burns: Thank you so very much for your excellent in depth research and making it available to us. It is greatly appreciated.
