Probably most of you are already familiar with the John Evelyn (1620-1706) quote on coin ("medals") collecting. This is the first time I've come across the quote. I thought it fully expressed, for me, why I find this hobby so fascinating... "Every one who is a lover of Antiquities, especially of Marbles and Inscriptions, may yet neither have the faculty to be at so vast a charge, or opportunity of Collecting them at so easy and tolerable an Expense, as he may of Medals... the most lasting and (give me leave to call them) vocal Monuments of Antiquity. Ancient coins, sharp and fresh as when they left the mint, may be quite cheap. Their symbolism is full and unimpaired: they seem to have broken and worn out the very Teeth of Time, that devours and tears in pieces all things else," and they "have ... outlasted the most ancient Records and transmitted to us the knowledge of a thousand useful things of twice a thousand years past." John Evelyn 1697
Thank you, I have never encountered that quote before. Every time I behold a worn, tired coin I think of the travels it has made. If only our coins could talk.
I especially love that last bit... "they seem to have broken and worn out the very Teeth of Time, that devours and tears in pieces all things else." and they have ... "outlasted the most ancient Records and transmitted to us the knowledge of a thousand useful things of twice a thousand years past." I think there might even be a tooth mark or two on several of my beauties! Buffo
Very nice quote! If our coins could talk I would have bought a lot of worn coins, just because of the fascination of the history behind it, which is already worth the price.
Great quote, it sent me on a fun wikipedia expedition to learn more about him, and I wound up finding a digitized copy of his 1697 "Numismata" publication: https://archive.org/details/numismatadiscour00evel/page/198 On page 198 begins a section that is very relevant, regarding "Instructions how to collect and procure such medals as are antique and rare, and to distinguish the true from the false, for the prevention of frauds and impostures." For any of my metal-detectorist brethren across the pond, on pages 207-208 he lists many locations in England where ancient coinage was known to have been found in quantity, and while most locations are probably well known thanks to another 300 years of archaeology and research perhaps there is a spot or 2 mentioned that might be obscure or largely forgotten now where swinging a detector would be very productive.
It is possible if coins could talk, we would grow tired of what they had to say about the world today and what we are doing with history. How they had to roll 3000 paces for education and entertainment, uphill both ways, many in languages almost no one knows today
