By Gregory Z.
My passion for World Coins developed naturally from an interest in Ancient Coins, the “first” World Coins, really. That interest began when I first held a magnificent Silver Tetradrachm of Ptolemy II. It was a piece of history that I could put in my pocket and touch, and from which I could gain inspiration. That coin was a “hook” into the history of a great civilization. I quickly collected other “hooks into history”: a Celtic silver unit, a Roman bronze Sestertius, a Greek silver Obol. It was a short step from collecting ancient World Coins to more modern World Coins. That shift occurred in the year 2000 with exposure to a set of extraordinary coins from the Austrian Mint.
Commemorating the history of Austria, and therefore Europe, the first three coins in the series were homage to the Celts, the Romans, and the Holy Roman Empire. When I saw the reverse of “The Celts” coin, I smiled like someone who was privy to “an inside joke”. The horse was sculpted “celtic fashion” with a pointed, fox-like muzzle and its joints, as well as its legend, were constructed, “connect-a-dot” fashion, using drilled circles. This was tribute to the way an ancient Celtic coin would have looked! But I was taken aback, delightfully, when I realized that one element on the coin was the representation of a reeded coin edge arching across the coins” pristine surface. This was an artistic “nod” to the hand-hammered nature of early coins, which often resulted in off-center strikes! Bold & Brilliant!!
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My transition into collecting World Coins was eased by the sweeping breadth of the coins themselves. As I implied above with my remarks about “hooks into history”, I don’t collect coins to own a bauble. Whether silver, copper and tin, or even gold. I collect World Coins across the ages, because each one provides a starting place around which to focus my study of the history in which that coin was made, or to which it refers. History is vast, complex, and paradoxically, constantly changing. Without anchor points, what I call “hooks”, it all bleeds together.
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Those first World Coins I bought, by giving tribute to Austria’s Celtic, Roman, and Catholic heritage, created a thread linking those eras. I already knew something of the Celts, the Romans, and the Byzantines and here was my chance to connect to what came after! Keeping up with many of the new World Coin issues became as much a part of my “collecting activities” as studying the ancient coin auction catalogs and reading histories. I found myself leaning naturally toward collecting silver issues of historical events and people. What got me interested in that particular type of coin was a unique confluence of circumstances surrounding three gifted, young college students.
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These students independently visited a café that I, and several other professional men and women of eclectic interests, have frequented every Sunday afternoon for over a decade. Over time, when one of them would be sitting alone and cocking an ear over their coffee to better hear our conversation, we would invite them to join us. We discovered that each of them possessed both a keen mind, and at least one great talent. In this case, all three were gifted musically.
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One of them was a young man from the Philippines. He was a classical pianist and had been accepted to one of the great music conservatories in the US. One was a young woman from Zimbabwe. She was a Jazz Pianist and had just received an academic scholarship from a prestigious University in the United States. The other was a young American woman, a singer, who had also just received a University scholarship. In her case, it was to study Opera. We decided to hold a celebration to recognize their achievements and proffer a proper bon voyage! We also wanted to find some little token to remember those of us who had gained so much from their friendship and maybe grant some inspiration as well.
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Since their common connection was music, we purchased three identical Silver Proof Coins of Johann Sebastian Bach. They were year 2000, 10 Deutsche Mark coins from Germany before the Euro! After presenting them, these three gifted youngsters went on their separate journeys. We have heard back from them at various times, and each one told us that when they were at their Universities, pursuing their various, often solitary, goals. They frequently thought about us and the coins we gave them. What was most rewarding is that each told us separately that they used the coins for inspiration!
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Rodgin, when he was sitting down for his daily hours of practice, would set his Bach Coin on a little stand atop the piano. When he became tired of practicing, he would look at the imperious face of the old Master, feel rejuvenated, and keep working. Tzitzi said that she often took her coin with her to her classes and performances, keeping it close to her for comfort and inspiration. And Kelly made sure she had it in her pocket, whether she was rehearsing or in full costume performing an Opera. If she forgot it, she would hasten to retrieve it from her dorm room before the performance!
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So that was how World Coins enraptured me. I now split my study and acquisitions between those beautiful World Coins that are “hooks” into history, and those coins that offer a combination of focus and inspiration to give as gifts. So my friend Alan gets a new Maria Teresa Taler reproduction to complement his own collection of original Talers. I get a Leif Erickson Silver Proof Coin to accompany my reading of the Norse Sagas. And a Silver Einstein Commemorative from Germany goes to my niece in her first year at MIT. Unlike most of the others that are Proof, the Einstein was an uncirculated coin she could put in her pocket and touch, and from which she could gain inspiration!