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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;dougsmit, post: 1756359, member: 19463&quot;]While I hate to show my Eurocentric bias, I have to admit that I do not know a single coin of Asian origin that belongs in this group when applying the standards used in the book.&nbsp; I was even a bit surprised that as many Byzantine items made the 100 as did.&nbsp; I suspect too many items got their positions mostly out of being gold.&nbsp; Most of the really high positions were coins showing die work of the highest order (except the rather crude EID MAR which I believe is way overrated at #1).&nbsp;&nbsp; Certainly some, including EID MAR, got their positions out of something other than artistic merit but what Asian coin would you position even from interest?&nbsp; When I think of Chinese coins and the earliest of India, I think of coins issued by interesting people but the coins themselves are neither pretty or particularly well made in a technical sense.&nbsp; Rulers usually had a very few types and made no use whatsoever of propaganda.&nbsp; Coins were things for spending and that is about all.&nbsp; If this offends you (and it should) show us some examples of non-European cultural items that should have made the 100.&nbsp; Do note that the 100 and I include Eastern items like the Porus dekadrachm even though it may have been made in India but was made by Alexander who we most certainly claim as European.&nbsp; I have coins of many great leaders and great civilizations from India and east but most are just coins lacking anything that makes them really special from any standpoint beyond being spendable.&nbsp; </p><p>The challenge is dropped: Show coins that were not derivative of European issues that were wholly Eastern and interesting enough to make the list.&nbsp; I would allow the Cash as an entry, one entry, for inventing the concept of round, stringable and&nbsp; spendable and, perhaps a similar representative of the Punchmarked Indians.&nbsp; I might even allow a token representative Kushan gold but would have no idea which one to select as better than the rest.&nbsp; My list of 100 greatest ancient coins would show a Eurocentric bias ever bit as severe as Mr. Berk&#039;s.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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