Important contributions to the study of Greek numismatics have been added by Millingen in 1S31, 1837, 1841 ; by Barthelemy, in 1821; L'Ockh, in 1S21; and others. The study is still kept, up by four numismatic journals. The Numismatic Chronicle in England, com menced in 1836, the Remo Numisniatique' of France commenced at the same period, that of Belgium started in 1843, and the Numisma tische Zeitung ' of Weissensee in ]834.
The origin of the currency is traceable to the Greeks alone ; the Egyptians used Atop of metal, and perhaps scaraIxei ; the Assyrians had no coins ; and the Jews and Phoenicians at an early period were equally destitute of stamped money. The honour of this invention was disputed by the Greeks themselves. The Lydians, Hermodice the wife of Midas, Aryandes, Theseus, Bonus of Theasaly, the Naxians, aid Pheidon of Argos, B.C. 895 or 772, were said to have invented the a-t. Opinions generally incline to Pheidon, from the rude antiquity of the aEginetan coins ; but the dispute refers to the metals. At Athens and in Greece Proper gold was not struck till B.C. 440, the gold coins in circulation being clerics, Cyziceno staters, and ingots. While, however, the oldest examples of the gold currency are Asiatic, the earliest silver was undoubtedly struck in the Isles and the Pelo ponnese!, as is shown by the archaic coins of aEgina, Rhodes, Theses, Thebes, and other cities of Greece. The earliest coins were chiefly didrachnua tetradrachme, and drachms, few pieces of smaller denomi nation having been struck.
Little or nothing is known about the Greek mint : that at Athens was called the A ryyrokopcion ; dies were called konzmata. The coins were always struck, never cast, under the authority of eponymi. The names of engravers occur on coins during the most flourishing period of the art ; after the time of Alexander, in some rare instances, with the form EnOlEt assumed by artists of the later schools, as NETANTO:r. EITOE1. ' Neuanthos was making it' on a coin of Aptera, and 'rheodotos on a coin of Clazomeutc. This form is however often omitted, and the name of the artist put by itself, generally in the nominative. They are distinguished from those of magistrates by being in smaller letters, and occupying less prominent positions, being often placed in obscure places, as on the attire, on the adjuncts, amidst the type, so as not to intrude too prominently on the eye. The
Darns of Aristebulus is placed on a gold coin of Lysimachns; that of 'Milos on a coin of Perseus. The dekadrachma and later coins of Syracuse have miny artists' names, as Eumenea, Eucleides, and Cimon, and others; and in Magna Griecia are those of Augcas, I'hiliatus, and others. Some worked for more states than one, as Parmenides, who engraved coins of Syracuse and Neapolis ; Aristippus, who did so for Heracleia, :Motapontum, and Tarentinn ; and this branch of the art was pursued by gun-engravers, the name of Phrygillus, known from a cameo, also appearing on the coins of Syracuse.* The use of gold coins in Asia Minor is as old as that of silver in Greece Proper, and coins have been found which can be attributed to the ago of Crcesus or Alyattea. Gyps, indeed, is stated to have used ("bolo; or spikes of this metal in the place of coins ; and Crecaun himself presented plinthoi or ingots of gold to the shrine at Delphi. Talents of gold are mentioned by Homer. In Greece Proper the issue of gold is of later date, probably not older than that of l'hilip II. of 'Macedon. At the time of Herodottis its value to silver was as 1 to 13; but in the days of Plato and Alexander it had sunk as 1 to 12 ; but the gold of the Darien. on account of its extreme purity, was as 1 to 15; while that of Cyzicus, owing to alloy with silver, was only as I to 14. The gold unit was the stater, or sovereign, equal in weight to two Attic drachms, or grains, called also the chrysino3, gold piece, or the Philippos, Philip. At Athens itself gold was not struck till the arehonship of Antigcnes, u.c. 407 (01. xciii. 2), when the golden Victories were melted down for the purpose ; and prior to that period Phoccean or Cyziceno staters were current in the city. (' Ilikkh in Cavedoni ;" Ant. money. d'Atene,' 8vo, Mod., 1836.) The Attic staters have the head of Athene and the owl, besides which there is en archaic hckte of 2P6 grains, having an owl and incuse square. It has been attributed to the city, but it was probably struck in Asia Minor.