Classical Numismatic Review Volume XLVI, No. 1 Winter 2021
Welcome to the 2021 Winter edition of the Classical Numismatic Review (CNR). This issue would normally be introduced at the New York International Numismatic Convention (NYINC). We are all obviously disappointed that the show was unable to happen. The auctions will go on, and the fixed price offerings will continue, but nothing replaces the chance for us to meet and visit face to face. We truly do miss seeing you at the NYINC this year. There is a lot of good news to report. Besides the recent introduction of vaccines for COVID-19, we are seeing a great surge in people from all walks of life rekindling their love for past hobby interests. Coin collecting, and particularly ancient and world coin collecting, have seen a rather dramatic surge of interest in the last year. We hope this continues into the future. This issue of the CNR is one we are very proud to present. It was assembled in difficult times with the sincere hope this assemblage could be presented to you in person at the NYINC. Sadly, we will only be able to show these coins electronically, or on the printed page. But what a fabulous group of coins it is. And I am proud of how our numismatic and photographic teams came together to make this issue extra special. I sincerely believe you will be impressed with what you find inside. The CNR begins with an article on collecting Ptolemaic Coinage written by Dave Michaels. It is a terrific introduction to collecting this series. The Ptolemies ruled Egypt for three centuries. Their reign was the bridge between the rule of the Pharaohs and the Romans. This was the time when the Rosetta Stone, and many other similar edicts, were created. Much of what we are able to translate today about life in ancient Egypt is only possible because of the Ptolemaic rule and their need to provide written (in stone) guidance for their subjects. And their reign ended with perhaps today’s most well-known ancient ruler, Cleopatra VII. After reading the article, I hope you will take a look at the extensive offering of Ptolemaic coinage we have assembled for you here. Besides the Ptolemies, we also offer our usual array of high end, and high quality, coinage from the Greek and Roman worlds. We finish with an attractive group of British coinage. I hope you find a few things you like. On behalf of all of us at CNG, I thank you for your continued support. I hope to be able to see you in person again soon. Stay safe and happy collecting!
Mike Gasvoda Managing Director
1
