ANCIENT COINS — ORIGIN — CLASSIFICATION. Among the most primitive peoples some kind of trade or barter was known; and the precious metals were incontestably used as its medium for centuries before the invention of coinage. Ex cavations in ChaIdwa, Babylonia, and Assyria have brought to light very abundant texts in which gold and silver are named its measures of value. In Genesis (xiii. 2 and xxiv. 35) we are told that Abraham was "very rich in cattle, in silver and in gold," and again (xxiii. 101 that he paid for the cave of Machin:lab "four hundred shekels of silver current with the mer chant." In all transactions of this early period the metal was weighed, not counted in bars; an operation that appears not infrequently in the pictures on Egyptian tombs.
It was from the Babylonians that the weight systems passed by various trade routes to all the shores of the :Nlediterretnean, and. with the invention of coinage, were subdivided and adapted to the commercial needs of the Ilellenie and ffellenized peoples. TheBabylonians used a sexagesimal system; thus, in measuring time, 60 seconds - 1 minute, 60 minutes = 1 hour; so in measuring value, till shelv,is = 1 masa, 00 manalis = 1 kikkar. In the course of trans mission from east to west this became slightly modified, so that in Greece we find sums reck oned : 50 araripes (or, locally, crlyNot, = shekels) = 1 As& (i.e. mynah), 60 Ave = 1 TdXcterou (corresponding to the kikkur). For fractions of the crrayr)p (or unit) the Greeks developed a duodecimal system, which became the basis of the Greek coinage and so passed to the early Romans, who, however, superposed upon it their own decimal notation. For a cowls(' account of the transmission of ancient measures from Asia to Greece, consult Ilead, Distoria Auinornm, introduction (Oxford, 1887).
The first coins in the classical world were struck about B.C. 700. Ancient writers differ as to the place that should hold the honor of the invention, but it may be regarded as certain, however, that gold was first coined in Lydia. and silver in .Egina ; and specimens of each of these primitive coinages are fairly com mon. From these early centres coinage spread with great rapidity to the Ionian coast-cities and the islands in the _Egean Sea, as well as to all Greece and the Greek colonies in Sicily, Italy, and elsewhere. For a thorough examina tion of the origin of money, consult Babelon, Les origines de in monnaie (Paris, 1897).
Ancient coins are classified in general accord ing to the system laid out by Eckhel in his immortal Doctrine. The whole mass of material is divided into two general classes. Greek coins and Roman coins. (A) The Greek series (or more properly non-Roman, since it includes also Bactrian, Jewish, Carthaginian, lbero-Spanish. and Gaulish coins, etc.) is classified in geo graphical order about the basin of the Mediter ranean as follows: (1) Spain, (2) Gaul. (3) Italy, (4) Sicily, (5) Macedon, Thrace, etc., (6) Greece, (7) Asia Minor, (8) the East, (9) Egypt, (10) the coast of Africa. Under these various heads the subdivision is alpha betical for cities and chronological for kingdoms. The coins of each mint are then treated in detail, chronologically. another division, Greek coins are classed as (a) autonomous, or struck by the city-republics, (b) regal, (c) Greek Imperial, that is, the Greek money of those towns which, under the Roman Empire, still retained the right of coinage for local circulation. Here, too, are generally added the Roman colonial coins, or coins with Latin inscriptions struck in a number of towns outside of Italy and Sicily. such as Corinth. Laodicea, and Antioch, in the East. and numerous colonies in Spain and Gaul. But the coins of the late Empire, from the Latin mints of Constantinople, Antioch, Alexandria, etc., are classified with the Roman series.
Roman coins are divided into two general classes: those of the Republic and those of the Empire. The former include the ws !mire, or earliest heavy bronze coins, and the `consular' or 'family' coins, with initials or names of magistrates. Properly, these coins, too, should be claRsed chronologically; but as the dates of most are very uncertain, they are usually ar ranged alphabetically by families, as .4 burin. A ecoleirr. A cif in. etc., and subdivided under the various names in order of supposed age. The Imperial series, from Augustus to Romulus Au gustulus. is classed by reigns, under each of which the coins are arranged either ch romic). gically or by the alphabetical order of the legend on the reverse. The same is true of the Byzan tine series. On ancient coins in general, con sult: Babelon, Traite des monnaies ermines et ramaines (Paris, 1901) ; Hill, Handbook of (;reek and Hainan Coins (London, 1899) ; Lenor want, La monnair dans Puntiquile (Paris, 1 ) ; Eekhel, Doctrina Numurum retcrum. (S vols., Vienna, 1792-9S); Mionnet, Descrip tion de mtdoilles antiques get:cloys ct romaines (16 vols., with supplements, Paris, 1S06-37) ; Grasse, der al ten. Xamismatik zig, 1853-54) : De liarthi•leiny, Nouveau nioni11 tie INIMI von. i. text, vol. ii. atlas (Paris, 1590), GaELK Col NS—GENERAL Cumt.wrctusalcs Dismal% The coins of the ancient Greeks de servedly occupy the first place in munismatie studies for their artistic excellence. which has never been surpassed. their enormous variety, and the light they throw on every phase of ancient Greek life. In the Hellenic world each town was a more or less independent State. and each proclaimed its autonomy by a mint and issuing coins, generally for circulation within its own domains. The types chosen Were extremely vari :4., but generally bore some tion to the local cult. It will readily be seen, therefore. how much we are indebted to coins for our exact knoMedge of the religion, myth ology. art• and monuments of the ancient Creeks.
This will lie illustrated brietly in the following section. in which the history of Greek coins will be explained with reference to their types. A preliminary account of the various de -nominations. considered purely as money, will not be without value. In the early gold and electrum coinage of Asia Minor the unit was the o-rarip, stater, or `standard;' with its divisions. the half-stater (ipzurrar0, h(ymistater), third (rpirtb trite'), sixth (111:r>), hekti'); and its multiple, the blararnpov, thstat(1*(111, or double stater. Prom their place of emission or from the name of the reigning king they received such names as liqucavot, AtiuPasnvot, ?tosaisol (staters of Cyzieus. Lampsaeu , Phoetenl, Kpokretos orar1p (stater of ('riesus). ..lapeadn urar4p or Liapeoc6s Cdaric' of King Darius). etc. The Persian sil ver coin was veiled styles (siy/os, silver darie), which is the Greek form of the Hebrew shekel, which was a unit of count in Palestine until actually coined by Simon MaeealLeus. In Greece the unit of count was the silver• opaxaii, drachm P, which in its origin was probably the value in silver of the grain that could be placed (a 'handful,' Spilt) upon One of the sea les of the balance. Consequently the t WO equipoised handfuls, or apaxpat, formed a new 'standard; or unit of count, a ctrarip corresponding to the double drachme (31.3paxiiov, or silver stater). Thp (.rrck subdivision wasdnodeeimal, as follows : the o-rarhp or silver didraelim was divided into twelve ofloNoi or obols; and for small change the obol itself was divided into 'portions' known rpernrerapr7p6pLov Cthreedoar•tha port ion,' vont ra et ell to I ri iint orlon) . rpnauap m)a6puov 't h ree-eight Its port ion') , treraprnylynov portion.' contracted to rap-rnu6pLoe, ,.rn orlon ) . and iiperaprqu6mor (vhalf-fourth port ion.' or one-eighth olio)). These names. with those of multiples of the draehme, were applied in different States to coins of interehangeable value in gold, silver, and copper, of which the following are the more important (A) tiples of the dr:whine. AwksciSpaxp.ov, (bride kod rneh wan. a silver piece of twelve draehms, (nitwit by the Ptolemies in Egypt and at Car thage. Aesdapaxp.ov, dekadraehmon. of ten draehms, in gold and silver at Athens. at Car thage, and in Egypt. The so-called silver 'medal lions' of Syracuse are pentekontulitra• (see be low), equivalent to Attic dekadrachms.'Osr0 opaxaov, atiidrachmon, of eight drachms, coined in gold and in silver by the Ptolemies, in gold by the Seleueida% and in silver in Thrace and Carthage. 'EEciSpaxicar, he.radeachmon, of six drachms, coined perhaps in gold by the Seleueithe, certainly in silver at Carthage. llendapaxpoe, pen tad raeh ni on of five drachms, of the Ptolemies ill gold, and of the kings of Macedon in silver. Terpcbipaxaov, tetrudrachmon, in English tetra drachm, of four drachms, a silver coin of uni versal usage. Tplopaxyor, tridrachmon, of three drachms, in silver, at Ephesus, Carthage, Cyme, Alabanda, and elsewhere. AtIpaxaov, d idea eh mon, in English 'didraelim.' the silver stater,'in universal circulation, like the drachm itself. (B) Divisions of the draehme. 'Eirru5poNoy, heptaoion, of seven obols ( I 1-6 drac)ms), the large copper coin of Egypt, struck under Ptolemy Philadelphus..EELVoNov, he.roboion,copper of the second size of l'tolemy Philadelplms. lierruipoXov, yentobulon, of five obols (5-6 drachm), struck in silver in Athens in the time of Aristophanes the comedian. and in copper of the third size in Egypt. Terpd,30tov, tctrobolon, of four obols. II silver coin at Athens in the fifth century n.c. Tint4oNov, trioboton, of three ()hots, as a gold coin in Egypt and Carthage; as a silver Celli = the izaapaxpop, hemidrachm, found everywhere. AtuiPoXop, of two obols, in silver every where, in bronze in Egypt. lei h biboion ( i.e. 11,4 obols or lA drachm ), in silver at Athens, Corinth, Lencas, Tegea, etc. 'OiloNeis,obotos, the small unit, very common as a silver coin; in bronze in Egypt. at Chios, Metapontmu. etc. 'Hµtwp6Xtov, drachm, obol). also very common in silver. The smaller divisions are rarer. The tritemorion obol) is found in silver at Athens, Delphi.
etc.: the tortemorion obol) at Athens and under Alexander the Great in silver, at Metapon him in copper: the hcmitartemorion (IA obol) also at Athens in silver, at Metapoutunt in copper. In the Greek cities of Sicily and Italy the name v6aos or voilpaos was given to a sil ver min of frequent mintage, similar to the Grecian 411drachin or stater. But the Creeks of the West adopted also the native Sikel unit of the Xtrpa, litra, equivalent to the ancient 'pound' of copper, divided into twelve arysico, onnykiai, or ounces, whence the Rennin,: derived their earliest system of the (es grace. (See be low.) On the litral system, a her of fine silver coins were issued, as the splendid 'medal lions' of Syracuse, the most artistic coins ever struck, which are trtvrttsormiXtr pa , or pipers of fifty Mrpat, and the famous Pap.cephraa of Queen Demarete; also ouniXtrpa in Sicily, irevretLrpa at Agrigentum, and Sairpa at Rhegimn.
'I'o give an adequate description. even in gen eral terms, of Creek coins as works of art and as historic documents would require a volume; the reader is referred for fuller information to the bibliography appended to this section. For convenience of classification and study. the whole series is arranged in seven historic periods, as follows: I. c.700-4S0 n.e. (Period of Archaic Art).
II. e.480-415 te.c. (Period of Transi (inn& Art). e.415-336 n.c. (Period of Pinest Art). IV. c.336-280 p.c. (Period of Later Pine Art).
V. c.280-146 n.c. (Period of the Decline of art).
VI. c.146-27 13.6. (Period of Later Deeline).
VII, c.27 n.c.-268 A.D (Imperial Period),