Art On Coins

Press, Volume CV, Issue 31042, 23 April 1966, Page 15

Art On Coins

(Specially written for “The Press" by DENARIUS) r rHE superior standard of art achieved by the ancient Greeks is well illustrated on their coins.

In spite of primitive conditions and tools their coinengravers produced some coins of exquisite beauty and vitality. The high relief—which added much to the attractiveness of the designs—involved much displacement of metal, and this resulted in roughly shaped coins. Not until more than 2000 years later did the coiners of England and the Continent evolve the modern metal collar to retain the circular shape of coins when dies were, punched into metal.

The illustration above shows the silver decadrachm i of Syracuse in Sicily, issued after 413 B.C. to mark a victory over the Athenians. <

Earlier this century Kin « Victor Emanuel 111 of Italy, himself a numismatist, and President Ahmed Zogu of Albania, later King Zog 1, used classical designs on their coins, and these are much admired by numismatists and artists. The artists obtained near

The early Greek coin dies did not last long, and each new hand-made copy, at times made by different engravers, resulted in minor differences inseparable from hand-made • works, and this gave added distinctiveness to each series of such coins. These mute pieces of previous metal give i a thrill to those who handle them today, for they link us with those who used them 2300 years ago—the leaders, orators, artists. engravers philosophers and citizens of I Ancient Greece.

This shows a four-horse chariot with trophies of war below, and the head of Arethusa surrounded bydolphins.

’i perfection by the use of ' machine-made dies; in .’[shallower relief the beauty in 1 form and figure does not f equal the variety and vigour of the hand-made dies of the r ancient Greeks. Nevertheless i Italy and Albania have left 1 a memorial to the skill of their artists and a tribute to| r ,our cultural inheritance;