Are there any coins that really shouldn't exist? Like coins from unknown entities/emperors who we know nothing about except their coins, or post any cool facts that you know about the ancient/medieval coinage!
The Roman usurpers Silbannacus and Domitian II are known only from their extremely rare antoniniani: Also, while not technically an emperor, Nigrinian, nephew of emperor Carus, is only known from his consecration coinage: The same goes for his likely mother, Magnia Urbica, who was probably the wife of Carinus. His memory was slandered and cancelled by his successor Diocletian, so it makes sense that the names of his family have been lost: And, while it's not my field of expertise, I know that most late Indo-Greek kings are known only from their coins, leading to many doubts regarding their correct number as well as their dating.
I agree with @Claudius_Gothicus . However, I am not saying these coins "should not exist". Rather, its wonderful they DO exist because it fills in history missing from written records. China and the western world has a great luxury of many records remaining intact. Besides Indo-Greek kings, whole areas of Central Asia have centuries of history lost. Much of Sogdian history comes from coinage we have found, since most of their history is lost to the ages due to constant warfare and pillaging over the centuries.
I think there are a great many rulers who are only known from their coins, since much else (records, statues etc) was easily destroyed or didn't exist in the first place. Coins buried in the ground are harder to eradicate! Two thirds of Pre-Roman British rulers (that we know about!) are only known from their coins, like Tasciovanos, Addedomaros and Cartivellaunos (who are famous amongst numismatists but no-one else). It seems they didn't write anything down, so the only other records we have are from the Romans. Tasciovanos Unit, 5BC-5AD Verlamion (St Albans). Silver, 13mm, 1.40g. 3rd coinage, Trinovantian O. Quadrilobe inscribed with saltire, superimposed on stylized cross, V-E-R-L in angles. Boar right; TAS above, star below (Kretz type D1; Van Arsdell [RDVA#] 1796-01; SCBC 236). The Parthians too are often a mystery, but several kings have been discerned from their coinage (although still no-one is quite sure who is who or if a particular king even existed at all). Pacorus I (or perhaps II, or even Vologases III) Drachma, 105-147AD Ekbatana. Silver, 23mm, 3.44g (Sellwood 78).
I just received this Abbasid AE fals a couple weeks ago and had to have help identifying it, but the coin was issued under an Abbasid governor of al-Jazira (Mesopotamia) that is not known besides his coin issues. Even with his coins, he only issued one type of copper that is actually quite common in addition to some rare silver dirhams with his name. I think this is quite common with some of the more obscure Arabic coins as they list local rulers. I may have some of this wrong, though, I'm still studying these coins. Abbasid Caliphate c. 747 - 767 AD (c. 130s-140s AH) Issued under al-'Abbas b. Muhammad al-Jazira (the Island) mint, between the Tigris and Euphrates AE Fals | 1.90 grams | 20mm Ref: Album 304
Since I was in University, I have enjoyed a fascinating and mysterious people from Central Italia. The Etrurians. They had an Empire in Central Italia, a separate culture from Italia, a language that has not been translated. Even their people are not from Italia and their lineage have not been traced to a specific location. They are questioned as an original pre-Indo-European peoples. Rome's First Kings as well as their early culture, religion, and institutions were heavily based on Etrurian influence. Emperor Claudius was the last known Historian and language translations of the Etrurians as he had family lineage. Unfortunately, his works were lost. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Etruria Although my coins are from late in their existence as a separate people, and close to when they were absorbed into Rome, they represent the Mystery of this Ancient People. Rasenna, Fufluna, (Etruria, Populonia) Rasenna, Fufluna, (Etruria, Populonia) 2 ½ asses , AR 0.85 g 3rd century BC Obv: Radiate female head r.; behind, IIC (Retrograde) Rev: Blank. Ref: EC 104 (misdescribed, Female head with an Attic helmet). Historia Numorum Italy 179. NAC Comment: Of the highest rarity, apparently only the second specimen known. Dark patina and about very fine. Ex: From the collection of E.E. Clain-Stefanelli E.E. CLAIN-STEFANELLI DIES ANS Executive Director Ute Wartenburg reported that Elvira Eliza Clain-Stefanelli died Oct. 1, 2001 of cardiac arrest. Mrs. Stefanelli retired in 2000 as the Senior Curator of the National Numismatic Collection in the Numismatics Division of the National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC. She was at the Smithsonian for forty years, and was responsible with her husband Vladimir for organizing and building up the National Numismatic Collection. She survived a Nazi concentration camp in WWII Europe, moved to Rome, and learned numismatics there. In New York she and her husband worked for Stack's and started the Coin Galleries division there Etruria Populonia AR 1 As 0.60g 10.0mm after 211 BCE Male Head Left - Plain Rev Vecchi 3 68-70 HN Italy 181 R Etruria 3rd C BCE AE 18mm 4.76g Hd African r Elephant r letter below SNG Cop 48 HNI 69 SNG Paris 138-140 SNG Morcom 44 R
Most of the kings /emperors of Aksum are known only from coins, sometimes with help from monumental inscriptions. Once the Caliphate conquers the entire coast of the Horn, and the Aksumite political apparatus has to summarily move inland, you get a suspicious, gaping hole in existing sources. Here's an AE of Hataz, c. later 6th c. Yes, there's Byzantine influence.
I believe that the weight of current scholarship indicates that the Etruscans originated in Anatolia. Of course, we know them from far more than their coins, since a huge amount of art survives, especially in the thousands of tombs they left. As I understand it, the reason their language has not been deciphered beyond some names is that the inscriptions they left tend to be very short and repetitive. There simply isn't enough to work with. Perhaps someday someone will discover the equivalent of the Rosetta Stone for the Etruscan language. It's rather remarkable -- but perhaps predictable -- that the Romans (Claudius aside) took so little interest in a culture that preceded them and lived beside them for centuries, and was the source of a lot of Roman religious ritual. I wonder when the last speaker of the Etruscan language died.
I have the same thoughts about Rasenna/Etruria. Just very interesting. I have heard the Anatolia idea also. I cannot make a stand on any of the potential areas that they could had been from. I just continue to collect snippets of info in my mind. Recently, they have fond satellite sites near to Gobekli Tepe in Anatolia that are OLDER than than the original site: Karahan Tepe. https://www.ancient-origins.net/news-history-archaeology/karahan-tepe-0014605 Cool.
Gobekli Tepi predates the Great Pyramids by 5,000 years. Now they are finding sites near Gobekli Tepi that are significantly older. Purdy cool stuff. Interesting how sophisticated Homo Sapiens Sapiens were at that time - not too long after the last Ice Age. Curious, though; knowledge and capabilities are an accumulated process. We had to learn how to conceptualize, tool, make / build those lithic monuments. That is not an overnight learning process of those skills. Especially on the large scale these sites were created. AncientOrigins.com
One amazing thing about the entire preindustrial age(s) are the amazing feats of engineering people could pull off without advanced technology. The intellectual achievement involved in compensating for the technological limitations is as impressive as the subsequent technology itself.
Bingo! Having developed things, holding patents, and manufactured items for over 40 years; it is AMAZING how much work it takes to do this. And in THIS day and age with advanced technologies, I am awestruck by the capabilities of those individuals who CREATED all those things 2000, 5000, 10,000 plus YEARS ago! Incredible.
I agree @Alegandron and @+VGO.DVCKS. In my travels I've learned to appreciate from a close-up perspective (not through photos or stuff on the web) just how impressive many monuments are and the ingenuity to conceive, source the materials, transport, and construct them. Even in the 4th century and in relative decline supposedly, the Romans managed to move two giant obelisks from Upper Egypt to Alexandria during the reign of Constantius II - one was shipped to Rome (somehow) and the other sat in Alexandria until 390 A.D. when Theodosius ordered it to be shipped to Constantinople where it was erected in the Hippodrome. The obelisk sits on a base depicting Theodosius and his retinue. The placard at the site says that Theodosius was the last Roman emperor, for some reason. After visiting I emailed the Turkish antiquities authorities and suggested that they update the placard to make it more accurate.
They're not mysterious, although the chronology is quite confusing, but for "shouldn't exist" what about coins from Maximian's "second reign"? You retired dammit!
Too youg to be ancient, but too fun to not be posted in this thread, the «brilledukat» (glass ducat) that was struck in very few numbers in 1647, is said to be the result of the endeavours of Christian IV to find gold in Norway. There was plenty of silver in the mines of Kongsberg, and the king expected that where one could find silver, one could also find gold. After serious attempts to discover gold, the geologists had to return to Copenhagen with only a very small amount of the metal. The image of glasses is thought to have been satirical, with the latin expression «vide mira domi» - «behold the domestic wonders». When @panzerman has collected all the gold types of the world, he will still have this one left. :)
@scessien, in case you were wondering, the irony translates very well!!! Thanks for this. Still chuckling.
