Important contributions to the study of Greek numismatics have been added by 31illingen in 1S31,1837, 1841 ; by Barthelemy, in 1821; Illickh, in 1S21; and others. The study is still kept up by four numismatic journals. The Numismatic Chronicle in England, com menced in 1836, the ' Revue Numiornatique' of France commenced at the same period, that of Belgium started in 1543, and the Numiama tische Zoitung' of Weissensee in 1834.
The origin of the currency is traceable to the Greeks alone ; the Egyptians used rings of metal, and perhaps acaraIxei ; the Assyrians had no coins ; and the Jews and l'hccnicians 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, Dorms of Theasaly, the Noxious, sad Pheidon of Argos, rte. 895 or 772, were said to have invented the est. Opinions generally incline to Pheidon, from the rude antiquity of the zEginetan 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 dories, Cyzicene ataters, 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 iEgina, Rhodes, Thasos, Thebes, and other cities of Greece. The earliest coins were chiefly didrachins, tetradrachms, and drachms, few pieces of smaller denomi nation having been struck.
Little or nothing is known about the Greek mint : that at Athena was called the Argyrokopeion ; dies were called kommata. 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 ETIOIEt assumed by artists of the later schools, as NETANTO1 EROEI. Ncuanthos was making it' on a coin of Aptera, and Theodotoa ou a coin of Clazomenre. 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
name of Aristobulus is placed on a gold coin of Lyaimachua; that of Zoilos on a coin of Perseus. The dekadrachnis and later coins of Syracuse have many artists' names, as Eurnenca, Eucleides, and Cinion, and others; and in 3Isbma Gr•ccia are those of Augeas, Philistus, and others. Some worked for more states than one, as Parmenides, who engraved coins of Syracuse and Neapoli.s ; Aristippus, who did so for Ilenscleia,31etapontum, and Tarentinn ; and this branch of the art was pursued by gci.engravers, the name of l'hrygillus, 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 l'roper, and coins have been found which can be attributed to the age of Crccsus or Alyattes. Gyps, indeed, Is stated to have used Model or spikes of this metal in the place of coins ; and Crasum himself presented plinthoi or ingots of gold to the shrine at. Delphi. Talents of gold arc mentioned by Homer. In Greece Proper the issue of gold is of Inter date, I robably not older than that of Philip II. of Macedon. At the time of Herodotus its value to silver was as 1 to 13 ; but in tho days of Pinto 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 Cyricus, owing to alloy with silver, was only as 1 to 14. The gold unit was the stater, or sovereign, equal in weight to two Attic drachma, or grains, called also the ehrysinos, gold piece, or the Philippos, Philip. At Athens itself gold was not struck till the archunship of Antigenes, B.C. 407 (01. xciii. 2), when the golden Victories were melted down for the purpose ; and prior to that period Moor...can or Cyzicene staters were current in the city. (' In Cavedoni ;" Ant. menet. d'Atene; Svo, Mod., 1836.) The Attic staters have the head of Athene and the owl, besides which there is an archaic hate of 21'6 grains, hoeing an ou I and bumble square. It has been attributed to the city, but it was probably struck in Asia Minor.