Featured What's in the Till? (Pompeian Version)

There are coins of Domitian in the hoard, which can only be ones of him as Caesar under either Vespasian or Titus. He wouldn't become emperor until 2 years later.

 

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It is a bit odd. I would love to see a break down of what coins types were catalogued from the hoard.

 

Anyone have any idea what happened to the hoard? We could all examples from it if it was subtlety dispersed to the trade. Another interesting point. Quadrantes were segregated into their own stockpiles. There were at least a couple quadrantes hoard discovered at Pompeii, suggesting alternate usage of quadrantes in this time period, ie not just 4 quads to the as.

 

It probably ended up in the Naples National Archaeological Museum coin cabinet.

 

Which is always closed to the public!

 

That certainly is what should have happened to it but I wonder if it’s still there and if anyone could actually locate it...

 

Interesting you should mention precursor phenomena before the main eruption. The volcanic evidence does show there was indeed a small initial ash fall due east of the crater, distinct from the main pumice fallout which was oriented south. It would've have been easily viewed from Pompeii the morning of the eruption, perhaps as a curiosity. The water supply to the town was interrupted a few days before the eruption and there were increasing earth tremors, all of which would indicate to the inhabitants something was not quite right.

 

Very interesting post - Thanks.

 

Thanks for a great glimpse at the daily use of coins of the day and the interesting context of the bar and signs!

And I learned about Falernian!

 

While doing separate research tonight on Flavian quadrantes, I came across @Valentinian's wonderful page on the subject. http://augustuscoins.com/ed/quadrans/index.html

Under references is Marvin Taemeanko's "Numismatic Mystery" SAN April 1993. In the article Taemeanko writes "The largest find of quadrantes (including semises) from an archaeological site was the 1237 coins found in Pompeii in 1939. They were found in the cash box of a restaurant owned by Vestutius Placidus."

The OP hoard cited above is from the same bar in Pompeii, but only 3(!) quadrantes are listed. Is T. citing a different hoard from the same bar or is there some kind of mix-up? T.'s article is from 1993, but apparently the Placidus hoard wasn't properly catalogued until 1997.

 

Sadly Marvin passed away a few years ago. I had the pleasure of meeting him several times. Does he mention any references in the article?

 

I don't have the article in hand, only what Warren quoted from it. This is the one reference that is cited though - 'Circolazione Monetale--etc. --- a Pompei' in 'Pompeiana' by Laura Breglia, page 59. In Warren's footnote it is mention the hoard was uncatalogued at the time T. wrote his article.

 

What strikes me as a bit odd is the lack of coins of Nero. He had a relatively long reign and ruled until less than fifteen years before the eruption but huis coins were not as common as earlier rulers. Any musings on that?

 

My pictures of the shop and the surrounding area. Pompeii is truly magnificent...

 

It doesnt look too crowded. What time of the year did you go?