COINAGE IN THE ANCIENT ECONOMIES

ANS Summer Seminar: van Alfen

* = required reading

- = suggested reading

TN = J. Melville Jones, Testimonia Numaria

I. THE ANCIENT ECONOMIES: basic introductions

*Cartledge, P. 2002. The economy (economies) of Ancient Greece. In: Scheidel, W. and   S. von Reden, eds. The Ancient Economy, pp. 11-32. Routledge.

-Davies, J.K. 1998. Ancient economies: models and muddles. In: H. Parkins and C.J. Smith, eds. Trade, traders and the ancient city, pp. 225-256. London and New York.

-Davies, J.K. 2001. Hellenistic economies in the post-Finley era. In: Z.F. Archibald, J.K. Davies, V. Gabrielsen, and G.J. Oliver, eds. Hellenistic economies, pp. 11-62. London: Routledge.

-Davies, J.K. 2005. Linear and nonlinear flow models for ancient economies. In:   Manning, J.G. and I. Morris, eds. The ancient economy: evidence and models, pp.   127-156. Stanford: Stanford University Press.

*Manning, J.G. and I. Morris. 2005. Introduction. In: Manning, J.G. and I. Morris, eds.   The ancient economy: evidence and models, pp. 1-47. Stanford: Stanford   University Press.

II. COINS AS PRIMARY EVIDENCE

*Callataÿ, F. de. 2005. L’étude des monnaies et l’histoire économique du monde grec.   Bulletin de la Classe des Lettres. Académie Royale de Belgique. 16: 539-558.

-Howgego, C. 1995. Ancient history from coins. Routledge.

-Metcalf, W.E. 1999. Coins as primary evidence. In: G.M. Paul, ed. Roman coins and   public life under the Empire: E. Togo Papers II, pp. 1-17. University of Michigan   Press.

III. MONEY SUPPLY

A. Bullion

*Herodotus 1.50-51 (TN 330)

*Herodotus 3.96.2 (TN 856)

*Thucydides 2.13.4-5 (TN 73)

*Thucydides 6.8.1

*Diodorus 16.56.5-7 (TN 331)

-Callataÿ, F. de. 2006. Réflexions quantitatives sur l’or et l’argent non monnayés à   l’époque hellénistique (pompes, triompes, requisitions, fortunes des temples,   orfèvrerie et masses métalliques disponibles). In: R. Descat et al., eds. L’économie   hellénistique. Entretiens sur l’économie antique de Saint-Bertrand-de   Comminges, pp. 37-84. Saint-Bertrand-de-Comminges.

-Thompson, C. 2003. Sealed silver in Iron Age Cisjordan and the “invention” of coinage.             

 Oxford Journal of Archaeology 22.1: 67-107.

*van Alfen, P.G. 2004-05. Herodotus’ Aryandic silver and bullion use in Persian-period  

  Egypt. American Journal of Numismatics 16-17: 7-46 (read pp. 16-30).

-Zournatzi, A. The processing of gold and silver tax in the Achemenid Empire:  

 Herodotus 3.96.2 and the archaeological realities. Studia Iranica 29: 241-271.

B. Money Extension

1. Private: credit

*Cohen, E.E. 2006. A legal fiction: the Athenian law of sale. In: P.G. van Alfen, ed. Agoranomia: studies in money and exchange presented to John H. Kroll, pp. 87-98. New York: American Numismatic Society.

-Millet, P. 1991. Lending and borrowing in ancient Athens. Cambridge University Press. (NB: *E. Cohen’s review: BMCR 03.04.10)

2. Private: bank money

*Isocrates 17.35-37

*Cohen, E.E. 1992. Athenian economy and society: a banking perspective. Princeton: Princeton University Press (read pp. 11-18).

3. State: monetary manipulations (non-precious metals, plated, coins re-issued)

*Aristophanes, Frogs 718-733 (TN 86)

*Athenaeus 15.669d (TN 87)

*(Aristotle) Oec. 2.2.16-23 (1348b-1350a) (TN 536-539)

*Price, M.J. 1979. The function of early Greek bronze coinage. Istituto Italiano di Numismatica Annali, Supplemento 25: 359-365.

*van Alfen, P.G. 2005. Problems in ancient imitative and counterfeit coinage. In: Z. H. Archibald, J. K. Davies, and V. Gabrielsen, eds. Making, moving and managing: the new world of ancient economies, 323­–31 BC, pp. 322–354. Oxford: Oxbow.

IV. COINAGE: STATE INCOME AND EXPENDITURE

A. Income: profit from coinage

1. Fiduciarity

*OGIS 339 (TN 377)

*Callataÿ, F. de. 1999. Fiscalité et monnayage dans l’oeuvre de Georges Le Rider.

  In: M. Amandry and S. Hurter, eds. Travaux de numismatique grecque offerts à Georges             
  Le Rider
, pp. 109-121. London: Spink.

-Picard, O. 1979. La ‘fiduciarité’ des monnaies métalliques en Grèce, Bul.Soc.Fran.Num.             

 34.10: 604-609.

2. Commodification

*Xenophon, Poroi 3.2 (TN 92)

*SIG3 218 (TN 349)

B. Expenditures

-(Aristotle) Oeconomica

*Howgego, C.  1990. Why did ancient states strike coins? Numismatic Chronicle 150: 1-25.

1. Military expenditure

*Callataÿ, F. de. 2000. Guerres et monnayages à l’époque hellénistique. Essai de mise en   perspective suivi d’une annexe sur le monnayage de Mithridate VI Eupator. In J.   Andreau, P. Briant, and R. Descat, eds., Économie antique. La guerre dans les   économies antiques, Entretiens d’archéologie et d’histoire, pp. 337-364. Saint   Bertrand-de-Comminges: musée archéologique départmental.

2. Non-military expenditure

*Blamire, A. 2001. Athenian finance, 454-404 BC. Hesperia 70: 99-126.

III. INTERNAL POLITICAL ECONOMIES

A. For the public weal? Small change/deflation

*Kim, H.S. 2002. Small change and the moneyed economy. In: P. Cartledge, E. Cohen,             
  and L. Foxhall, eds. Money, labour and land: approaches to the economies of             
  ancient Greece
, pp. 44-51. Routledge.

-Kraay, C.M. 1964. Hoards, small change and the origin of coinage. JHS 84: 76-91.

*T.J. Sargent and F.R. Velde. 2002. The big problem of small change. Princeton:             
  Princeton University Press (read pp. 3-14).

1. Private responses? Athenian kollyboi

*Aristophanes, Peace 1199-1201 (TN 628)

*Figueira, T. 1998. The power of money: coinage and politics in the Athenian Empire.             

  Pennsylvania: University of Pennsylvania Press (read pp. 497-504, 521).

B. Internal regulation: dokimon/adokimon

*Aristophanes Eccl. 815-822 (TN 88)

*SEG 26.72 (TN 91)

*SIG3 525 (TN 334)

IV. EXTERNAL POLITICAL ECONOMIES

A. Nomisma Hellenikon

*Plato, Laws 5.741e-742b (TN 4)

*Meadows, A. (forthcoming). Money in an ideal world: Plato’s Laws and the dual nature of coinage

*Figueira, T. 1998. The power of money: coinage and politics in the Athenian Empire.             

  Pennsylvania: University of Pennsylvania Press (read pp. 469-476).

B. Hegemonic coinage

*IG I3 1453 (TN 78) “Coinage Degree” (cp. Figueira, The power of money, pp. 419-423).

*OGIS 229 (TN 378)

*Figueira, T. 1998. The power of money: coinage and politics in the Athenian Empire.             

  Pennsylvania: University of Pennsylvania Press (read pp. 52-71, 254-258).

C. Cooperative coinage

*IG XII 2, 1 (TN 348)

*Mackil, E. and P. van Alfen. 2006. Cooperative coinage. In: P.G. van Alfen, ed. Agoranomia: studies in money and exchange presented to John H. Kroll, pp. 201-246.

May 2007