On the True Nature of the Contorniate Medals
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 11614906 |
|---|---|
| Authors | C W King (corresponding author) |
| Year | 1871 |
| Volume | 28 |
| Issue | 1 |
| Pages | 210-218 |
| Publication date | 1871-01-01 |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Archaeological Journal (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0066-5983 • E-ISSN: 2373-2288 |
| Publisher | Taylor & Francis (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1080/00665983.1871.10851517 |
| OpenAlex | W1996552044 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 2 |
Hos ροιτο dignos arbitror quorum describendis elegantiis, et enodandis senigmatibus curiosse mentes suam impendant curam, nondum enim licuifc eorum originem assequi." 1 So spoke the father of numismatics, Charles Patin, two centuries ago, in allusion to that very singular class of medals, the Contorniati; and the " enigmas" proposed to archseologists by the existence of these curious pieces remain, in spite of all subsequent attempts, as far from any satisfactory solution as in his day.All who have treated of the subject, beginning with Du Cange, followed by Patin himself, Iiavercamp, Morel, and lastly, Sabatier, agree in considering the Contorniati as medals in the modern sense of the word; that is, not current coins, but pieces issued expressly to perpetuate the memory of illustrious men and celebrities of every grade-philosophers, poets, historians, equally with stage players, circus-racers, ancl organists.But this explanation is open to many insuperable objections.If issued by imperial command for so important a purpose, one would naturally expect to find in them the best specimens of the medallic art of their own times, as in the parallel case of modern medals, which always display higher style ancl execution than does the contemporary coinage, though the same engraver may have cut the dies for both.But it is quite the reverse with the pieces under consideration ; their fabrique is infinitely more careless than that of the current mintage of their own period, even adopting Du Cange's limitation of their issue to the interval of decadence between Constantine and Honorius, 2 -much more so, if we assume any to be coieval with those early Cassars whose portraits many of them present.The strongest evidence of this carelessness in their creation lies in the fact of 1 Hist.Num.Introd.o. sviii
Ancient and Medieval Archaeology Studies · History · Image Processing and 3D Reconstruction · Metallurgy and Cultural Artifacts
| Citations per year | 0.5 |
|---|---|
| Citation span | 2022 - 2025 (4) |
| Highly cited | No |