10-19-2011 12:39 AM
Hate the discussion board format? Wish there was a place to have a running chat like in the old ebay chat rooms that they took away?
Here is the solution, one thread devoted to chatting about anything and everything about coins all in the same place.
Post whatever is on your mind. There is no official topic here. So let's get the chatting started.
08-20-2014 12:47 PM
very interesting never thought about camel coins. good one
08-20-2014 03:09 PM
@*smedley* wrote:that's cool...!!
I second that!
What is interesting about camels seems to be their ABSENCE on coins from the places where they live. I know th S-d-n coins are the only ones I've owned or seen. But a quick look through my old (1995) KM "Collecting World Coins" does not turn up camels on any 1900-1995 coins from Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, French West Africa/West African States, Iraq, Jordan, Libya, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Yemen. Yet you can find lions, gazelles, the occasional horse, even a lobster (or what looks like one - Democratic Republic of Yemen), heraldic falcons, and palm trees galore, of course.
Beasts of burden just not sexy enough? (Though one finds oxen and llamas here and there).
Maybe on more modern coins?
08-20-2014 03:21 PM - edited 08-20-2014 03:24 PM
Oops. Found a couple in Ebay sold items search. French Afars & Issas, and Mongolia. The same camel motif seems to appear later in Djibouti coins (successor nation to Afars & Issas if I recall):
08-20-2014 04:34 PM
nice one,
08-20-2014 09:29 PM
@elheron-grande wrote:Hola Gac: Many thanks for the 'mintmark' info. Now my question is this;
Has anyone ever made a study of all the 'mints' known? Yes, a curious
question. However, Heron has a curiosity factor. Most likely it would
take years of research to compile such a 'list'. Heron knows from his
experience collecting Holy Roman Empire coins that there are a large
batch of 'mints' located in that conglomerate of individual coin issuing
authorities. Something to ponder though ey? Regards.
xx
The short answer is yes ......... and no. You could fill bookcases with the scholarship in this area. In fact, I am well into my second bookcase, and I let my membership in the ANS lapse 20 years ago. Online resources have grown as well, with many numismatic scholars publishing in open source literature that makes their work available on-line.
For example, take a look at two of the items on ed snible's web site:
Die Beamtennamen auf den griechischen Münzen by Rudolf Münsterberg [AKA 'Official Names on Greek Coins']
http://snible.org/coins/library/muensterberg/
and The British Museum of Greek Coins:
(I know is says plates only, but for most volumes, the text is available as well)
Scholars will pick a state or a province, a time period or a coin type, travel to the museums and the collections, track down hoards, assembling everything they can about the dies, die pairs, moneyers, mints, officina et cetera. The results get published in articles and books.
Then somebody finds a new hoard (particularly valuable in this kind of study), and what they think they knew has to all be re-examined. It is a very fascinating part of numismatics. There is sometimes not a lot of written history about some of the obscure places and times in Europe and Asia. But often there a bunch of coins, as testimony that people were there and were actively doing stuff.
08-21-2014 06:04 AM
@gacooke wrote:
@elheron-grande wrote:Hola Gac: Many thanks for the 'mintmark' info. Now my question is this;
Has anyone ever made a study of all the 'mints' known? Yes, a curious
question. However, Heron has a curiosity factor. Most likely it would
take years of research to compile such a 'list'. Heron knows from his
experience collecting Holy Roman Empire coins that there are a large
batch of 'mints' located in that conglomerate of individual coin issuing
authorities. Something to ponder though ey? Regards.
xx
The short answer is yes ......... and no. You could fill bookcases with the scholarship in this area. In fact, I am well into my second bookcase, and I let my membership in the ANS lapse 20 years ago. Online resources have grown as well, with many numismatic scholars publishing in open source literature that makes their work available on-line.
For example, take a look at two of the items on ed snible's web site:
Die Beamtennamen auf den griechischen Münzen by Rudolf Münsterberg [AKA 'Official Names on Greek Coins']
http://snible.org/coins/library/muensterberg/
and The British Museum of Greek Coins:
(I know is says plates only, but for most volumes, the text is available as well)
Scholars will pick a state or a province, a time period or a coin type, travel to the museums and the collections, track down hoards, assembling everything they can about the dies, die pairs, moneyers, mints, officina et cetera. The results get published in articles and books.
Then somebody finds a new hoard (particularly valuable in this kind of study), and what they think they knew has to all be re-examined. It is a very fascinating part of numismatics. There is sometimes not a lot of written history about some of the obscure places and times in Europe and Asia. But often there a bunch of coins, as testimony that people were there and were actively doing stuff.
I have a very narrow view of the mint question, but even that gives an understanding of the enormous richness and complexty (I know ... no surprise too the experts here).
I collect one area that is close to el-heron's "HRE" field, Duchy of Lorraine. In medieval/Renaissance times, there were minting authorities in places that today are tiny backwaters: Badonviller, St. Die, St. Michiel, Neufchateau. Surrounding the duchy were additional mints in bishoprics and counties like Bar, Metz, Toul, Verdun, etc. that are in what today is considered Lorraine. So, in this smallish part of France, no larger than our state of New Hampshire, and where there has been no minting for almost 300 years, there was formerly a very rich numismatic history, with at least a dozen mints.
Part of the fun!
08-21-2014 07:59 AM
Hola Gac: Thank you for the information about the folks that research the 'details' of various coin
issues. Over the decades, as my knowledge has expanded, this question re mints and how many
were in operation at one time or another has been at the edge of my thoughts.
It appears that most scholars and dedicated numismatists could be considered specialists of a
particular geographical area or a specific issue or several issues of coins.
It also appears that Heron's own personal opinion as to how many 'mints' have been in operation
has been way too low! The overall list must contain several thousand 'mints'. Or more!
Perhaps too many for one coin scholar to tabulate in one 'lifetime'?
Again, many thanks for the info and links to study. This mint situation could possibly 'boggle' the mind ey?
Regards,
xx
08-21-2014 08:22 AM
Hola TDZ: Your post of 21 August 2014 0604: Your fine post illustrates a point in GAC's post.
Regarding those folks that 'specialize' in one geo-political area or perhaps several issues
of coins within a specific time period.
Regarding your study of 'mint' locations in the Duchy of Lorraine; it appears that there were many
mint operations in that Duchy. [As you noted, the actual Duchy or entity boundaries were
changing constantly due to marriages, deaths of rulers, annexation, war, etc]
A few months pasado, Heron decided to develop a list of HRE 'states' to count the approximate
total. Using various inter-net sites with HRE info, and counting for several hours, Heron arrived
at a total of 678 entities. This only included 'states' established from 1500 to 1793.
It is difficult to estimate or guess at how many 'mints' there would be in that batch of entities because
there was not enough information that included 'minting rights' granted by the HR Emperor. Until
Heron has enough time to research each of the 678 entities it will remain a 'guess'.
With the Duchy of Lorraine mint information you have found, and knowing that there were approximately
678 'entities' in the HRE 1500 to 1793, we could surmise that there might be a huge number of actual
mint operations in the various HRE entities.
For several decades Heron has thought that there must have been a lot of folks employed in the
minting process around the world. That would also mean that there were probably a large amount of
hammers manufactured. [Another 'dimension' perhaps]
As we proceed through the years and learn more about coins and minting and mint locations we increase
the 'dimensions' of study and discussion. Heron for one truly enjoys these discussions pertaining to coins
[and paper money] and conducted in such a friendly manner. A truly fun discussion that can last for
many years, perhaps? Regards,
xx
08-22-2014 02:15 AM
It also appears that Heron's own personal opinion as to how many 'mints' have been in operation
has been way too low! The overall list must contain several thousand 'mints'. Or more!
I suspect your are correct, as it would appear there are currently several hundred mints operating in Guangdong Province alone.
08-22-2014 09:23 AM
Hola Ted200: Your post of 22 August 2014 at 0215: Perhaps you are referring to those 'private'
minting places? Interesting point!
Perhaps there are more 'mints' in operation in just one country than all other mints operating in
'rest of world'? Perhaps more mint operations than ever were? Something to ponder por seguro!
Regards,
xx
08-30-2014 09:22 PM
A shout out for a mad scientist....
08-30-2014 10:02 PM
I don't think he's mad, just a little grumpy.
Looks like a home colonoscopy kit.
08-31-2014 09:28 AM
Hello fellow world coin collectors: The following is a question regarding how to
designate names of currencies as issued by various issuing authorities over the
past couple of thousand years.
First a list of some 'currencies' that Heron owns. This will give you an idea of
what it is Heron is discussing here:
Not in alphabetical order:
Schwaren.
Grote.
Sechsling.
Mariengroschen.
Zollpfennig. [A favorito!].
Albus.
Stuber.
Duit.
Liard.
Silbergroschen.
Thaler.
Mark.
Groeschel.
Leichterpfennig. [Another favorito!].
Weisspfennig.
Halbbatzen.
Bluzger.
Cavalli.
Bolognino.
Quarto.
Cash.
Mace & Candareens.
[This is only a small portion of the list].
Now, the question is: do the folks on this board that collect world coins refer to these
designations as "denominations'' or "currencies" or both?
To add to the discussion here is the Webster's dictionary definitions of the two words as
the words would pertain to coin & currency collecting. Bear in mind that currency is not just
a designation for paper money].
Denomination: 2) A name, especially, the name of a class of things.
3) A class or kind [especially of units in a system] having a specific name or value
[coins or stamps of different denominations].
Currency: 2) The money in circulation in any country.
Info Source: Webster's New World Dictionary of Amerigan English.
Simon & Schuster 1991.
08-31-2014 09:50 AM
They need to post more pictures!
08-31-2014 10:20 AM
I saw that you responded. Hopefully the OP will return to post some additional pics. ty!