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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;kaparthy, post: 764333, member: 57463&quot;]<b>The Delphi Method</b></p><p><br /></p><p>Actually, as nice as the florin/fiorino is, it is <b>not</b> the &quot;first gold coin issued by a city.&quot;&nbsp; A group hug does not change the facts of history.</p><p><br /></p><p>Athens issued gold coins.</p><p><br /></p><p>The entire Greek social complex was based on the city.&nbsp; Not until Athens forced the Delian League could you argue for &quot;federal&quot; coinages, though many others are known from the 200s and 100s BCE.&nbsp; So, there are other city-issued ancient Greek gold coins.</p><p><br /></p><p>The problem of &quot;electrum&quot; is not addressed.&nbsp; Technically, even modern US Gold coins of the 1800s -- and especially the UK Sovereign -- are &quot;electrum.&quot;&nbsp; So, really, &quot;gold&quot; coins issued by cities go back to Miletos and Ephesos and the other Ionian towns.&nbsp; </p><p><br /></p><p>Then, there is the problem of Rome.&nbsp; Was it a &quot;city&quot;?&nbsp; Also, during the Roman Republic, gold coins were issued -- Sear 1-20.&nbsp; See some listed here:</p><p><a href="http://www.wildwinds.com/coins/sear5/i.html" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="http://www.wildwinds.com/coins/sear5/i.html" rel="nofollow">http://www.wildwinds.com/coins/sear5/i.html</a></p><p><br /></p><p>You might argue that the coins of a king are his and not his kingdom&#039;s (city&#039;s), but that opens the question of whether only a democratic city could be said to issue coins on its own authority.&nbsp; Kings and emperors aside, Carthage was ruled by a committee or oligarchy of merchants, as was Florence.</p><p><br /></p><p>Carthage, gold stater. c.350 BC, Carthage Mint, Bust of Tanit left, wreathed with corn, wearing triple-drop earring and necklace of 8 pendants. / Horse standing right, group of three pellets before. </p><p><br /></p><p>Carthage, 370-320 BCs, Gold (Electrum) Stater. Head of Tanit left, wreathed with corn / Horse standing right. </p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><b>Tarentum Gold Obol </b></p><p><b><a href="http://www.coinarchives.com/a/lotviewer.php?LotID=320138&amp;AucID=575&amp;Lot=10" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="http://www.coinarchives.com/a/lotviewer.php?LotID=320138&amp;AucID=575&amp;Lot=10" rel="nofollow">http://www.coinarchives.com/a/lotviewer.php?LotID=320138&amp;AucID=575&amp;Lot=10</a></b></p><p><b>Obol circa 334-333, AV 0.70 g. Facing head of Helios. Rev. ΑΛ / ΕΞ Thunderbolt. Vlasto 1864. SNG ANS 976. Fischer-Bossert Beilage 4,4.</b></p><p><b><br /></b></p><p><br /></p><p>That above from the time of Alexander the Molossian, a general hired by the city.&nbsp; If you reject that has his coin, not the city&#039;s then consider these.</p><p><a href="http://www.coinarchives.com/a/lotviewer.php?LotID=316387&amp;AucID=569&amp;Lot=145" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="http://www.coinarchives.com/a/lotviewer.php?LotID=316387&amp;AucID=569&amp;Lot=145" rel="nofollow">http://www.coinarchives.com/a/lotviewer.php?LotID=316387&amp;AucID=569&amp;Lot=145</a></p><p><a href="http://www.coinarchives.com/a/lotviewer.php?LotID=320151&amp;AucID=575&amp;Lot=23" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="http://www.coinarchives.com/a/lotviewer.php?LotID=320151&amp;AucID=575&amp;Lot=23" rel="nofollow">http://www.coinarchives.com/a/lotviewer.php?LotID=320151&amp;AucID=575&amp;Lot=23</a>[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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