An archeologist claims he found some gold coins dated 46 B.C. Do you believe him?
Yes, I believe him. Gold coins were struck as far back as 750-700 BC.
The first gold coins initially were pieces that were picked out of river beds and struck with the symbol of a lion denoting a royal authority.
Also it was important for trade that the weight was approx the same for each struck coin.
that being the case, they were initially not pure gold, but an amalgam of gold and silver we now call "electrum" since they were yet to be refined. That came about 50-100 years later.
I think the sense of the question was meant to be "An archaeologist claims he found some gold coins with the date 46 B.C. stamped on them. Do you believe him?"
At that time, there were many Gold Coins being struck at many different Mints. Too much to go into here..BUT..for the archeologist to give you a specific year of strike is possible. It depends on the coin inscriptions which give titles, et al.
Because we know that certain titles in certain combinations can lead to a specific date as to when the coin is struck.
I would have to know the specific coin.
On another point, there are a few Roman bronze coins that can not only be dated to a specific year, but because of the many title combinations on the coin, it could have only been struck within a 4 day period in that year.
I would have to look up the specifics again, but I never forgot about it.
Imagine 2000 years later, trying to date today's coins to its being struck within a 4 day window......
Obverse: C. CAESAR COS . TER ;Veiled female(most likely Pietas)head, right
Caius Caesar, Consul, Tertium ; Consul for the Third Time
Reverse: A . HIRITIVS . PR , this gens"family" only issued this coin in Gold. Aulus Hirtivs was a Praetor, meaning the Colleague of the Consul, Caesar.
:lituus (the augural crook), urceus (the pitcher), secespita (the axe)
symbols on reverse are what we would call priestly instruments today. One has to remember that at one point Caesar was the Pontifex Maximus of Rome.
Caesar was playing games at this time using his consulship powers and it was so noted on his coins, using consulship "COS" instead of dictator "DICT".
That fact also helps to date this coin to 46 BC.
This is considered to be a rare coin. The condition must have been less than fine or someone got lucky for the price it sold at. 25 years ago, this coin was listed at 1200 pounds in fine condition.
I don`t know anything about coins, I just put 46 BC in google. Below is what it says about it.
46 BC ROME GOLD AUREUS - JULIUS CAESAR
S1395
LIFETIME ISSUE. "C CAESAR COS TER". VEILED HEAD OF VESTA. "A HIRTIVS PR". JUG BETWEEN LITUUS AND AXE.
VERY RARE AND PRICED LOW BECAUSE IT IS POLISHED AND USED AS JEWELRY AT ONE TIME .
PLEASE NOTE! THIS IS A REAL OVER 2000 YEAR OLD GOLD COIN FROM ANCIENT ROME.
Mike....the bearded figure on the obverse is a representaion of a Q. (possibly Quintus) Titius..this coin was originally struck in several varieties around 90 BC. The family's origins are purported to be Sabines.
Since this was still the period of the Roman Republic, the representation was usually of some "ancestor"who had made his family proud by some special military success to secure the safety of Rome and publicly acknowledged as such by some record in Rome itself.
Ancestor likenesses in the form of a famous/or not so famous ancestor's bust was the norm to be viewed in the home for the Roman who could afford them.
This family was of "plebian" origin, not patrician.
I too wear a beard and am a pleban....HA!!!!a little nonsense there...
The coin was considered to be special in the Roman Republic, but why it was,
we do not know as the records are lost. So, for some special lost bit of history, the Emperor Trajan had this coin "restruck" around 107 AD.
RE: RE: An archeologist
)
I think the sense of the question was meant to be "An archaeologist claims he found some gold coins with the date 46 B.C. stamped on them. Do you believe him?"
But your answer was very interesting.
Dead men don't get the baby washed. HTH
Misunderstood the
)
Misunderstood the thesis...
No, you will "NOT" find a coin stamped 46 BC.
At that time, there were many Gold Coins being struck at many different Mints. Too much to go into here..BUT..for the archeologist to give you a specific year of strike is possible. It depends on the coin inscriptions which give titles, et al.
Because we know that certain titles in certain combinations can lead to a specific date as to when the coin is struck.
I would have to know the specific coin.
On another point, there are a few Roman bronze coins that can not only be dated to a specific year, but because of the many title combinations on the coin, it could have only been struck within a 4 day period in that year.
I would have to look up the specifics again, but I never forgot about it.
Imagine 2000 years later, trying to date today's coins to its being struck within a 4 day window......
46 BC ROME GOLD AUREUS -
)
46 BC ROME GOLD AUREUS - JULIUS CAESAR-RARE
Sold on e-bay $1488 or £798
a Gold Aureus 46 BC for
)
a Gold Aureus 46 BC for Julius Caesar would be:
Obverse: C. CAESAR COS . TER ;Veiled female(most likely Pietas)head, right
Caius Caesar, Consul, Tertium ; Consul for the Third Time
Reverse: A . HIRITIVS . PR , this gens"family" only issued this coin in Gold. Aulus Hirtivs was a Praetor, meaning the Colleague of the Consul, Caesar.
:lituus (the augural crook), urceus (the pitcher), secespita (the axe)
symbols on reverse are what we would call priestly instruments today. One has to remember that at one point Caesar was the Pontifex Maximus of Rome.
Caesar was playing games at this time using his consulship powers and it was so noted on his coins, using consulship "COS" instead of dictator "DICT".
That fact also helps to date this coin to 46 BC.
This is considered to be a rare coin. The condition must have been less than fine or someone got lucky for the price it sold at. 25 years ago, this coin was listed at 1200 pounds in fine condition.
I don`t know anything about
)
I don`t know anything about coins, I just put 46 BC in google. Below is what it says about it.
46 BC ROME GOLD AUREUS - JULIUS CAESAR
S1395
LIFETIME ISSUE. "C CAESAR COS TER". VEILED HEAD OF VESTA. "A HIRTIVS PR". JUG BETWEEN LITUUS AND AXE.
VERY RARE AND PRICED LOW BECAUSE IT IS POLISHED AND USED AS JEWELRY AT ONE TIME .
PLEASE NOTE! THIS IS A REAL OVER 2000 YEAR OLD GOLD COIN FROM ANCIENT ROME.
Bird-Dog....Appreciate your
)
Bird-Dog....Appreciate your comments....
When I was more active in collecting ancients, I was not adverse to buying coins that had been used in jewelry. It made the price lower.
I still have some large Greek silver Tetradrachms that are mounted as such.
RE: Bird-Dog....Appreciate
)
Who's the guy on your avatar?
Cheers, Mike.
I have made this letter longer than usual because I lack the time to make it shorter ...
... and my other CPU is a Ryzen 5950X :-) Blaise Pascal
Mike....the bearded figure on
)
Mike....the bearded figure on the obverse is a representaion of a Q. (possibly Quintus) Titius..this coin was originally struck in several varieties around 90 BC. The family's origins are purported to be Sabines.
Since this was still the period of the Roman Republic, the representation was usually of some "ancestor"who had made his family proud by some special military success to secure the safety of Rome and publicly acknowledged as such by some record in Rome itself.
Ancestor likenesses in the form of a famous/or not so famous ancestor's bust was the norm to be viewed in the home for the Roman who could afford them.
This family was of "plebian" origin, not patrician.
I too wear a beard and am a pleban....HA!!!!a little nonsense there...
The coin was considered to be special in the Roman Republic, but why it was,
we do not know as the records are lost. So, for some special lost bit of history, the Emperor Trajan had this coin "restruck" around 107 AD.
RE: OK. Here's a
)
210 (two ten), but you have 9 left over letters.
RE: 210 (two ten), but you
)
An interesting variation showing the power of lateral thinking. ;-)