Most Beautiful Ancient Coin?

Thanks for the link. Yes, that is an interesting coin. The problem with the "most beautiful" discussion is that it leaves out everything else nice.

I mentioned in another topic that I bought ANCIENT GREEK COINS by Jenkins. Another big "coffee table" book is ARCHAIC AND CLASSICAL GREEK COINS by Colin Kraay. Both have page after page of nice big pictures of stunning coins. The text is more or less acceptable and generally authorative and very readable. I recommend both books highly for anyone who likes to look at ancient classical art.

Michael
ANA R-162953

 

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I don't see any problem with discussing "most beautiful." If you want to discuss "most interesing" or "most historical" or "most mysterious" or "most misattributed" or "most common" or "most rare" or "most underrated" or "most overrated" or "ugliest,", discuss them. The more the merrier.

Regarding the nicest "coffee table" books, I think you confused Kraay's 1966 Greek Coins, which is a book largely of photos, with his 1976 Archaic and Classical Greek Coins, which is a book largely of text. The former, not the latter, is *the* premier work illustrating ancient Greek numismatic art. I'm also a little unclear with your recommendation of Jenkins as a coffee table book. Both his 1972 and 1990 editions of Ancient Greek coins are largely intro or overview type books, not big picture books. After Kraay 1966, the next best big picture book on ancient Greek coins is Charles Seltman's 1949 Masterpieces of Greek Coins. Hmmm. Seems like the numismatic world is due for another of these ... or check out the latest CNG catalog. <g>

 

I have been enjoying G. K. Jenkins's ANCIENT GREEK COINS and spending some extra time with the pictures from Magna Graecia, especially Sicily. Kimon, Eumenes, Eunaietos, and Eukleides are the names of the engravers we know from c. 415 BC. Jenkins devotes many words of praise, but words are hardly enough.

Michael

 

Trust me. There's never a problem, when I decide to post to one of these threads.