25.06.2013 Views

THE COIN COLLECTOR - World eBook Library

THE COIN COLLECTOR - World eBook Library

THE COIN COLLECTOR - World eBook Library

SHOW MORE
SHOW LESS

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

YUMPU automatically turns print PDFs into web optimized ePapers that Google loves.

<strong>THE</strong> <strong>COLLECTOR</strong> SERIES<br />

diffused religious feeling, varying in its incidence in<br />

different localities ; and, secondarily, the evils arising<br />

from foreign or domestic wars, changes of government,<br />

and financial depression. The earliest coins are the<br />

most attractive, if for no other reason, because they<br />

reflect most vividly and sincerely the daily worship of<br />

the simple populations among which they were intended<br />

to circulate. It is impossible to overestimate the share<br />

which strong religious faith, even to the point of super-<br />

stitious credulity, had in the making of the Greek<br />

people.<br />

Dr. Head divides into five periods the rise, progress,<br />

and later stages of Greek numismatic production : (i.)<br />

Archaic ; (ii.) Transitional ; (iii.) Finest Art ; (iv.) Later<br />

Fine Art ; (v.) Decline of Art. This method of dis-<br />

tribution is, of course, susceptible of modified treat-<br />

ment and liable to exceptions. The Archaic era Dr.<br />

Head places between u.c. 700 and 480; the Transi-<br />

tional, between 480 and 415; the Finest Art, between<br />

415 and 336; the Later Fine Art, between 336 and<br />

280; and the Decline, between 280 and 146. All<br />

these figures are necessarily approximate and tentative;<br />

the broad feature in the question appears to be, that we<br />

have in our hands for study a progressive succession of<br />

monuments, which, from the seventh centurv B.C. to<br />

somewhere about the middle of the fourth, afford evi-<br />

dence of a continuous onward movement, culminating<br />

in the noble Sicilian coins and medallions of Kvmon<br />

and other known engravers at Syracuse and elsewhere,<br />

who often transferred to their dies masterpieces of sculp-<br />

52

Hooray! Your file is uploaded and ready to be published.

Saved successfully!

Ooh no, something went wrong!