Codex Aureus

Discussion in 'Ancient Coins' started by Egry, Feb 7, 2021.

  1. Egry

    Egry Well-Known Member

    I saw this posted on Reddit but can’t seem to find any other information about it. Supposedly a Collection of Roman Aureus coins assembled by the Habsburg family in 1714.

    I have no idea if this is real, just wondering if any CT people know anything about it.

    It’s hard to believe that such an immense collection of what appears like high grade Roman gold coins could be compiled pre-metal detector

    below pictures are not mine but taken directly from the Reddit page. https://www.reddit.com/r/AncientCoi...urce=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf

    09EE7B9E-A78B-498D-8973-9BCAEE2A5342.jpeg 418A5355-F105-4B2A-B9A9-670D02C9004F.jpeg E71AC1B4-A58A-4F04-ABC8-43E61F8821E4.jpeg
     
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  3. JayAg47

    JayAg47 Well-Known Member

    I saw the post as well, however my guess is that these coins are replicas?!
     
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  4. Egry

    Egry Well-Known Member

    I was thinking the same. Modern replicas?
     
  5. DonnaML

    DonnaML Well-Known Member

    There were lots of massive royal and other ancient coin collections back then and even a couple of centuries earlier, including of gold coins. Even without metal detectors, ancient coins and coin hoards were found all the time by farmers, builders, etc., and sold to the wealthy.
     
    Last edited: Feb 7, 2021
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  6. Only a Poor Old Man

    Only a Poor Old Man Well-Known Member

    The 'book' looks properly aged and the materials like the ones you would expect from the period. I doubt if it is fake, but if it is then it is a good one. But I am not an expert, so don't take my opinion seriously.

    As for the coins, coin collecting has been around for centuries. It is not unlikely that people of great wealth and power would be able to amass such a collection.

    I imagine that such an item, if real, it must have been catalogued somewhere.
     
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  7. Clavdivs

    Clavdivs Well-Known Member

    Don't know anything about it .. coins certainly look perfect - like maybe too good.
    Hope I am wrong.
     
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  8. Egry

    Egry Well-Known Member

    It’s more the high grade of the coins that made me suspect, and I agree the books do look authentic.

    Royals of that time were fascinated by Ancient Rome, for example look at the French, British, and Spanish coins of that era with their laureate portraits.

    I guess a family like the Habsburg could have had an extensive reach to complete whatever collection they wanted.

    I hope to find more detailed info on this specific collection.
     
  9. robinjojo

    robinjojo Well-Known Member

    I don't know. From what I see, the coins seem almost uniform in their strikes, centering, surfaces, etc. They seem, from what I can see, too perfect. I suspect these coins are copies or replicas.

    More information and data on them might change my mind, but that's my opinion for now.
     
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  10. Egry

    Egry Well-Known Member

    I’m of the same opinion
     
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  11. dltsrq

    dltsrq Grumpy Old Man

  12. Egry

    Egry Well-Known Member

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  13. hotwheelsearl

    hotwheelsearl Well-Known Member

    I wouldn’t be surprise if it was real and authentic. The Getty Villa has an extraordinary collection of ancient coins, including a woman’s belt made of solidus coins.

    photos mine
    DA3FBFE2-A30E-4A85-80A9-11FA10604D1B.jpeg


    39DF7995-49FE-4C24-807B-794E59FC0DBD.jpeg
    6CA38D38-5A36-4112-BFA0-16E3D04BC846.jpeg
     
  14. Roman Collector

    Roman Collector Well-Known Member

    Aurei of Agrippina II, Otho, Galba, Plotina and Matidia! But the Hapsburg family had unimaginable wealth in the 18th century and could have easily acquired such a collection. It would be as if Jeff Bezos decided to collect aurei.
     
  15. Orielensis

    Orielensis Well-Known Member

    The Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna, the British Museum in London, the Bode Museum in Berlin, and the Cabinet des Médailles in Paris have world-leading, excellently curated ancient coin exhibitions. The Numismatic Museum in Athens and the Royal Coin Cabinet in Stockholm should probably also be added to the list, though I didn't have the chance to visit them yet. Unfortunately, all of these places are closed at the moment – a numismatic museum trip through Europe remains a dream for after the pandemic has ended...

    Until then, you can browse the Vienna collection online here. Its unbroken history goes back to the Habsburg royal collection, which was started in the 16th century – the "book" shown in the original post is not even the most remarkable item it holds.
     
  16. Only a Poor Old Man

    Only a Poor Old Man Well-Known Member

    This should be the ultimate pilgrimage for every member in this forum. A whole building dedicated to coins, with the primary focus being ancient Greeks obviously. They even have an Athenian dekadrachm.

    I was lucky to visit it and I was pleasantly surprised at how nice it was. And that was before I got into coin collecting, imagine if I would visit it now...

    https://www.gtp.gr/TDirectoryDetails.asp?ID=4364

    The building itself is a beauty and it was the former house of Heinrich Schliemann the archaeologist that discovered Troy.
     
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  17. Alegandron

    Alegandron "ΤΩΙ ΚΡΑΤΙΣΤΩΙ..." ΜΕΓΑΣ ΑΛΕΞΑΝΔΡΟΣ, June 323 BCE

    Is it for Sale on Etsy or are they just showing it?

    Special Deal, $199.00 or 5 easy payments of $49.99!


     
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  18. panzerman

    panzerman Well-Known Member

    Holy Roman Emperor Rudolf II collected coins/ art/ artifacts/ old books. Coin collecting as been around since the first electrum coinage. When you look back at the immense coinage produced under the Habsburg/ a lot of these where struck for presentation/ collectors then commerce. Same for the German States AR ten/ five thalers/ Spain 50 Reales. Here is a coin struck under HRE Rudolf II from Salzburg/ this archbishopric stuck some dandy coins. Here is a AV 25 Dukaten from Heritage upcoming Paramount Sale, "a true masterpiece". Sadly this coin was vandalized by some noble who decided to mark "25" on it. There where idiots around in 1594 . lf - 2021-02-04T173033.400.jpg lf - 2021-02-04T173049.186.jpg IMG_1134.JPG IMG_1131.JPG
     
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  19. robinjojo

    robinjojo Well-Known Member

    So the coins are legit, or at least the needle seems to have swung in that direction.

    The next time I'm in Europe I'll make every effort to visit the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna.
     
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  20. Everett Guy

    Everett Guy Well-Known Member

    Like this coin they said was real..lol 20210207_234853.jpg
     
    Last edited: Feb 8, 2021
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  21. Restitutor

    Restitutor Well-Known Member

    You definitely should! It’s one of my favorite museums I’ve been to in the world. Know I’ve shared some photos before but here’s some from my visit. Hopefully going back this fall! 49AC67D7-F61A-43E3-B85B-816A919ECAC4.jpeg EEDB406F-7BAA-455A-832E-719D0ABF7C79.jpeg 38D7639A-D57E-44DD-8997-4DE7E60DB340.jpeg 45191490-EA54-4E71-87B1-92FA30AB7C93.jpeg 068D04C6-E69D-400C-86F9-0CBB6390E3E6.jpeg 1414CDCD-37F9-4455-A3AD-34363092BAEA.jpeg F24F76E1-6160-4644-9B10-EC869773F1B2.jpeg 31516220-FBFA-450A-B879-FFB6A4D72D72.jpeg 5C9CAE29-9BA1-463B-873B-57AB15C9C6D0.jpeg 7C7A132D-D179-49C4-B471-31685C2E1271.jpeg
     
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