Recently, when members of the Washington Ancient Numismatic Society visited the Smithsonian American History Museum to view a selection of rare ancients, we had an armed guard–as well as a curator–accompany us. Some have been recovered some are still missing. In 2007, the American Numismatic Association (ANA) Money Museum suffered the theft of 300 historically significant coins with a total value of nearly a million dollars. If they’re valuable or made of precious metal, coins are a security headache for museums. The diamond comes with a dramatic story about being “cursed,” and an estimated value of $200-$250 million few coins can claim that kind of star power. But crowds throng to view it at the Smithsonian Natural History Museum every day. One might object that the Hope Diamond is also small – weighing nine grams (45.52 carats) and about 25mm wide. This makes them hard for visitors to see. Museums hate coins because coins are usually small. Figure 1: Gold Distater- Two Examples of the Same Type Another solution preferred by some curators is to provide high-resolution photographs of both sides alongside the coin. Otherwise, coins are mounted in front of a mirror or between sheets of glass in cases accessible from both sides. This means that unless a museum owns two good examples of the same type, only one side is going to be visible. Or, to put it more accurately, most museum curators and officials would be happy not to have to deal with them.Ĭoins are usually two-sided. The Dirty Little Secret is that museums hate ancient coins. If you also want to submit a CoinsWeekly Coin Record, this article will tell you what information we need from you.The Fitzwilliam Museum – Cambridge, EnglandĪS COLLECTORS OF ancient coins, one of the most Frequently Asked Questions we encounter is “Don’t these things belong in museums?” The answer, sometimes with a patient sigh, sometimes with a snort of derision, is an emphatic “No!” Both experts confirmed this record on the very same day. 135 and 136, is a numismatic masterpiece created by a famous artist – and a great numismatic rarity.Īs experts, Alan Walker and Eric McFadden were asked to verify this record on October 16, 2018. Which is why the sestertius, which was struck in Rome between A.D. The pieces created there were not just famous in ancient times. Based on a signature on a statue of Antinous, he is known in the field of art history as Antoninianos of Aphrodisias.Īphrodisias was one of the most renowned hubs of statue production within the Roman empire at the time of Hadrian’s reign. He was part of the emperor’s close circle and was later assigned the creation of several medallions commemorating the late Antinous. In order to be able to distribute a very special coin in celebration of his vicennalia, Hadrian probably approached said famous artist. The reason behind this number was not only the coin’s perfect grade but also the fact that Charles Seltman had convincingly connected its die to the “maître de l’Alphée”. The coin had been estimated at 400,000 CHF, which was already a high price for a sestertius. Sold for 2 million Swiss francs at Numismatica Genevensis Auction 5 (2008), No. The most expensive Roman coin: A sestertius of Hadrian, probably the work of Antoninianos of Aphrodisias.
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