Innehållsförteckning för Issue 28 från Coin Collector

In this month’s edition of Coin Collector, we include a fascinating article about the Seaton Down Roman coin hoard, which is on display at the Royal Albert Memorial Museum in Exeter. The discovery of this large hoard, comprising over 22,000 coins, unearthed a major piece of Devon’s archaeology and is of great significance. Its display in Exeter means that the local population, as well as visitors to the area, can learn about the history of the hoard near to its point of discovery. A similar story in ‘Coin Update’ highlights the Viking Age ingot now on display at the Manx Museum in Douglas on the Isle of Man. The discovery on the island of this ingot, which was used as part of a dual economy, has helped in understanding how…

Under the rule of Alfred, a status quo had been achieved. Following his successes at the Battle of Edington in 878 and treaty with Guthrum in 880, breathing space had been achieved against the marauding Scandinavians. A ‘levelling up’ of the country thus began, with Alfred as its de-facto ruler following his assumption of the title ‘King of the Anglo-Saxons’. Social identities were beginning to change, while economic, legal and educational reforms were pushed through. These were balanced by the construction of local fortifications (burghs), creation of standing mobile garrisons and improving the royal fleet. THE SCANDINAVIANS RETURN The relative peace and stability achieved through the 880s was abruptly interrupted in 892–93 when Scandinavian incursions resumed. Two expeditions made landfall in Kent, though these were markedly different in character to…

Sanford Saltus Medal awarded to Barrie Cook Every three years, the members of the British Numismatic Society (BNS) vote to award the Sanford Saltus Medal for outstanding scholarly contributions to numismatics. In May, they were delighted to present Barrie Cook, curator of medieval and modern collections in the department of money and medals at the British Museum, with his Sanford Saltus medal. Barrie has made an enormous contribution to the field through his many publications, ranging from publishing hoards and coin finds to his research on medieval and Tudor coinage. The gold Sanford Saltus medal is the society’s premier distinction. It was established in 1910 and is named after the American numismatist John Sanford Saltus (1854–1922), a former president and benefactor of the BNS. John Sanford Saltus was also very…

A favourite among the most collected modern thematic coins are editions minted to commemorate the Olympic Games. Generally speaking, many categories of collectables issued for present events are of most interest when the occasions they were designed for are taking place. A strong collectors’ market in the country where they are located, as well as in the homelands of winning teams or athletes, will soon stir interest and demand up to their possible maximum sales numbers and market prices. But in the following years, new events and issues will be in the focus. IMPORTANT BASIC DATA When once coveted collections come to sale in the years and decades after a historic event, prices may have come down. This is the moment when material and weight may decide more about the…

By the start of the 3rd century AD, Rome was in decline, China was embroiled in coups and civil wars, and the Sasanian Empire had yet to re-establish Persia as a major power. Yet, in Africa, one kingdom was still in its ascendance. The kingdom of Aksum or the Aksumite Empire, as it’s sometimes known, emerged out of the D mt Kingdom around 150 BC. This vibrant civilisation monopolised trade across the Indian Ocean, with access to markets in Egypt, Greece, India and Persia. As many African nations tended to trade with their immediate neighbours, currency on the continent followed its own path for a long time, with gold and copper ingots, and trade items like cowrie shells and salt being used in place of coins. The Aksumite Empire, which…

A British Empire spotlight sale from Heritage on 16 June included a ‘convict’ love token from Australia (lot 22001). Popular in Great Britain in the early-19th century, when prisoners were being sent to the new British colony of Australia to serve their sentences, the token is a farewell keepsake from Thomas Jasper (only 18 years old at the time) to his parents, with the engraving Dear Parents/When This You See/Remember Me & Have Me In/Your Mind, Let Others/Say When I Am Away/Speak Of Me As You/Find’ on one side and ‘Thos Jasper/Born 29 May 1800/Banished For 14 Years/17th June 1818’ on the other. The State Library of Queensland Convict Transportation records confirm that Jasper was sent to New South Wales, Australia, as ‘one of 150 convicts transported on the ship…

While attending the recent Long Beach Coin Exposition in California last month, it was time for an afternoon coffee break. The concession stand at the convention centre offered a sparse offering with just the basics. When it was time to pay for my $5 cup of coffee, the teenage cashier told me they did not except money and were cashless. Without a credit card, my required caffeine intake would have to wait. The irony of a convention based on selling money in all its forms having a concession that did not take money was quite amusing. In the last few years, vendors of all kinds in the United States are moving away from excepting cash in any form (Figure 1). This seems to have started during Covid-19 when the idea…