Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 14.djvu/803

* NUMISMATICS. 683 NUMISMATICS. V. c.280-146 B.C. {Period of the Decline of Art). VI. c.146-27 B.C. (Period of Later Decline). VU. C.27 B.C.-2G8 A.D (Imperial Period). FiBST Period — Archaic Art. Tliis embraces all the coins struck from the hegimiing until the Persian War. Here belong the early gold ami electrum coins of Asia Minor, of which the most primitive of all is the electrum stater of Lydia, attributed to the period of Gyges and Aldys (B.C. 700-637), which is without figures, the ob- verse having merely a series of sunken parallel lines, or striations, and the reverse a rough triple punch-mark. From this beginniugwe find a grad- ual dcveloimient in style and technique. The punch-mark is long retained for the reverse, but it is gradually embellished, first by being divided geometrically, then by the addition of a small figure 1)1 relief within the sunken space. The types are generally animal figures or heads. Where the human head appears (for a divinity), the eye is shown in full, though the face be in profile, and the hair is represented by dots. The whole appearance of the figiire is apt to be stiff and anyular. In Jlagna Urtecia (Southern Italy) the punch-mark is not found; instead, the same tyy>e appears on both sides of the coin, in relief on the obverse, concave (or, as it is tech- nically called, incuse, i.e. 'struck in') on the re- verse. Inscriptions are either wholly lacking or limited to the first letters of a name. Seco.nd Period — Ty-aiisitional Art. This ex- tends roughly from the Persian War to the Athenian expedition against Syracuse (b.c. 415). The coins show a decided advance in style over those of the preceding period. The incuse square, or punch-mark, is .still often retained, but is much more regular, and more frequently has a device in relief witliin. The figures are more accurate and varied, with greater attention to anatomical de- tail. Inscriptions are the rule instead of the exception, but are generally abbreviated, though sometimes names and even titles are written in full. The types are of infinite variety and often quite complex, but almost invariably drawn from the local mj'thology. Third Period — Finest Art, to the accession of Alexander the Great (B.C. 330). The coins of this period, the finest that tlie world has yet produced, reflect the art of the greatest (Jreek sculptors. In fact, the die-engravers often signed their names to their works of art. notably at Syracuse. The type, whether head, figure, or group, is in perfect proportion and exquisitely adapted to the limited space. The subjects are still drawn almost universally from mythology, though the splendid higa and quadritjw of cer- tain cities bear allusion often to victories in the national games. Fourth Period — hater Fine .irt. extending to the death of Lysimachus, King of Thrace (c.280 B.C.). This period, corresponding to the art of Lysippus, illustrates the rise and perfection of portraiture. Alexander the Great himself hesitated to oflfend the religious susceptibilities of his subjects by substituting his own likeness for that of a divinity on his coins, which liear regularly the head of Zeus Amnion or Heiaklcs or some other god. But his successors little by little introduced their own portraits : and we thus have in the succeeding periods a splendid series of wonderful likenesses of the rulers of the Greek world in the last three centuries be- Voi.. XIV.— 44. fore Christ, notably the Syrian Seleucidse, the Ptolemies of Fgypt, and the Macedonian and Bactrian monarclis. Fifth Period — Decline of Art, to B.C. 146, the fall of Corinth and conquest of Greece bj' the Romans. An age of magnificent portraiture; but as regards fabric the coins are broad and flat, with long inscriptions that mar the symmetry of the reverse type, which, too, displays always greater carelessness of details. Coins can now be more accurately dated ; in fact, many bear the date and place of mintage in letters or mono- grams. Si.xTii Period — Later Decline of Art, to the foundation of the Roman Empire (B.C. 27.) This period signalizes the end of tlie distinctly Greek coinages. It is characterized by ba.se silver coins, often with fine portraits still, but crude in workmanship. The names of local magistrates are extremely conunon and of great historical value. The inartistic cistophori are in general circulation in Asia Minor. In the farther East the Bactrian money loses its Greek character and becomes Oriental. Seventh Period — The Greek World Under Roman Sirai/. The Romans partitioned the Greek «orld into ]irovinces. which were governed by agents sent out from Rome. But while the gen- eral management of the provinces wa.s controlled from Rome, the greatest possible degree of Imme rule was left to the thniisands of Greek towns scattered over the old Hellenic world from Par- thia to Eg^'pt. Each one of these towns was allowed to retain its local mint and issue bronze coins; while the special privilege of issuing base silver ('billon') tetradrachms was limited to Antioch in Syria. Ca'sarea in Cappadocia, and Alexandria in Egypt. These coins generally bear the head of the Roman Emperor, and a reverse type of local significance, in a very degraded style of art. The local mints were all closed under Gallienus (c.268 A.o. ). with the exception of Alexandria alone, which retained its privilege luitil ..D. 206. The standard work of reference on Greek coins is Head, Uistoria Numorum (Oxford, 1887). See also: Head, Guide to the Principal Gold and Silver Coins of the Aticients (London. 1881); Gardner, Types of Greet; Coins (Cambridge, 1883); British JIuseum, Catalogue of Greek Coins, in many volumes by different editors; Biblioth6que Nationale. Catalogue des monmties grecqucs, by various editors; JIacdonald. Greek Coins in the Huntrrian Collection, Unircrsitg of Glasgow ((Jlasgow, 1899-1001); Imhoof-Blumer, Monn-aies grecquc» (Paris, 1883); Ward, Greek Coins and Their Parent Cities (London. 1902). Roman Coins — History and Characteristics. The Italic peoples of Central Italy were a pas- toral race, and their earliest medium of exchange was cattle (pecus) ; the Latin words pecunia. 'money,' peculium, 'property.' and peculatus, 'stealing.' are evidence of this. Bronze was the only metal that they possessed in quantity and used for implements, weapons, and ornaments; it thus furnished a convenient substitute for cattle in I)ai*ler. anil in fact for some centuries after the founding of Rome, ws rude. or .shapeless pieces of bronze, to be weighed with each trans- action, were the only 'money.' Thousands of these have been found, notably in sacred springs and in tombs, where they were thrown as votive offerings or deposited out of respect for the dead.