http://www.britishmuseum.org/system_pages/holding_area/research/rrc/preface.aspx The British Museum has placed online a nice reference for those interested in coins of the Roman Republic. In addition to photos of their 12000+ coins there are lists of the moneyers and explanatory articles to help make sense of the material. I also enjoyed the piece on the history of the collection from 1799 to the 2002 Hersh bequest of 5000+ Republican coins many of which were specifically purchased because the donor knew the BM needed that one. On the downside, the photography tends to be dark - especially the thumbnails - but clicking on the smaller images brings up screen filling sizes that tend to be better. There is a search feature. I don't know how many times this comes up but the resource includes a gold EID MAR Brutus that is noted as being a fake. It made the catalog because the coin was part of the collection of King George III. I wonder when along the way it was decided that the coin was fake (did the king know?)? Learn to use the contents bar at the left of the linked page. http://www.britishmuseum.org/system_pages/holding_area/research/rrc/preface.aspx
I wouldn't mind having some of those uncleaned examples. I've seen thousands of ancients that have not been cleaned. I like them best. : ) I cannot believe that all ancients have been buried, when it seems obvious that some have been maintained by collectors for 2,000 years or so. I am quite sure that King George III possessed many counterfeit coins or tokens. It has been estimated that between 75% and 98% of all coinage in the British Isles in 1786 was counterfeit and/or lightweight, having been lightly made or altered for the metal clips and shavings. Although I can see Bullhead George throwing away most copper coinage. Because the British Government was required to purchase copper only when it fell below a certain cost level (and copper had not been that inexpensive) for many years, the government minted no regal copper coinage, EXCEPT when they would overcome a privateer at sea and confiscate all of the copper available. Then they would strike a few farthings and halfpence, and perhaps fewer pennies. Conder Tokens replaced all of that worthless farthing, halfpenny and penny coinage that was floating around among the counterfeits until 1787.
Very interesting, thanks for the link. I know almost nothing about Roman Republican coins, so I look forward to browsing through the British Museum's coins.
Great link. Interestingly, the museum later had another gold EID MAR on temporary exhibit. This coin wasn't without controversy, either: g.
All EID MAR coins are controversial to a degree. Some otherwise reasonable people believe there never was such a coin but all of them were fakes made to fool collectors. I do not go that far but there are easily 8000 fake ones compared to the 80 real ones (numbers approximate).
Here's the gold EID MAR coin that I mentioned at auction (second coin on left): http://www.acsearch.info/search.html?search=Brutus+EID+MAR&view_mode=1#1 g.
I not only believe it, I believe it is the only realistic possibility. As recently as 200 years ago, ancient coins were valued according to their intrinsic bullion content. Know what happened to the majority of the Tealby Hoard? Melted down at the Royal Mint for scrap silver. In order for an ancient coin to survive intact for 2,000 years, it would have to have been buried. In order to have been passed down through history above ground, it would either have to be inherited by a descendant who collected coins, or knew someone who did. Could this have happened in about 50 or more generations, during some pretty turbulent times? I think it unlikely...
