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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;ycon, post: 3166518, member: 91771&quot;]Coins, in general, are marked by anonymity. This makes sense given their utilitarian function. It is generally impossible to know who held them, and where the metal came from. It is very rare to know who engraved the dies. While we often know roughly when a given coin was minted, it is very rare to be able to pinpoint specifically exactly when and why. The search for the information that breaks down that anonymity is what numismatics is about at its core. </p><p><br /></p><p>My main area of collecting is coins whose dies were engraved by Renaissance artists. The knowledge of who actually made the art on my coin gives me a tangible link to history. Several of my coins were described or mentioned in contemporary sources like Cellini and Vasari--imagine one described in a play by aristophanes! </p><p><br /></p><p>I think it is remarkable to have a coin (again, something that is by its very nature anonymous) that can be described so specifically. Many coins may represent significant moments in history, but few are literally part of the material fabric of an historical event. Just the fact of being able to know where the &quot;bullion&quot; for an ancient coin came from would be exciting in and of itself, knowing exactly what piece of ancient art was used to create it is incredible. (A side note: the vast majority of ancient art has been lost, and is only known through descriptions. It is equally cool to know exactly how something was lost and what became of it. I am reminded of the ransom coinage minted by Clement VII to pay off Charles V that was made from the melted down treasures of the Vatican.)</p><p><br /></p><p>Amazing coin [USER=44357]@AncientJoe[/USER][/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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