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Pompeii and Roman gold
SmEagle1795
Posts: 2,136 ✭✭✭✭✭
Much to the chagrin of history buffs, the new Pompeii movie has very little to do with life in Ancient Rome. In the interest of leveling the scales, I felt the need to post a particularly relevant numismatic connection to daily life at Pompeii.
Starting on August 24, 79 AD, Mt. Vesuvius erupted for two days, burying the Roman settlements of Pompeii and Herculaneum. There were warning signs: small earthquakes started a few days earlier, but small tremors were frequent in the area so they were not heeded as indicating an imminent threat. In the afternoon on the 24th, the eruption began, shooting a cloud of ash 20 miles into the air and throwing molten rock at a rate of a billion pounds per second. 80% of the residents of Pompeii managed to escape in the first day to neighboring villages, but, by the end of the day on the 25th, flows of lava began, covering the area in nine feet of ash and molten rock and the 2,000 people who remained, hoping to wait out the disaster ultimately perished.
Among those who escaped were the owners of a popular wine producing villa rustica on the south eastern slopes of Vesuvius near the modern-day village of Boscoreale. Incidentally, the soil around volcanoes is highly fertile and great for growing crops, allowing the owners to amass significant wealth. In 1895, excavators uncovered 109 gold and silver plates and hundreds of gold aurei. The coins were stored in an empty cistern in the wine cellar of the villa when the owners fled. With a general exchange rate of one aureus as pay for one month of work, this amount of gold would constitute a lifetime of profit.
These coins are known as “Boscoreale” aurei because of the distinctive toning found on many of them. Gold itself is inert and does not tone but when made into coins, it is alloyed with small amounts of silver and copper which are susceptible to toning. Over the 1,800 years that the coins were buried beneath the ash and pumice from Vesuvius, some examples developed significant toning. Because of the highly sulphuric atmospheric conditions in the area around Pompeii, some other coins from the region have more subtle toning, but the most vibrantly toned are clearly from within the original hoard.
I’ve recently acquired a new example of a Boscoreale aureus which is pedigreed to the Biaggi collection and is the pictured book in the Calico reference. I consider myself lucky because the pictures I bought it from did not even remotely reflect the reality of its toning: it is without a doubt one of the most dramatically toned gold coins I’ve ever seen.
This aureus was minted by the emperor Vespasian, with the reverse of Aequitas holding scales and a scepter.
My other Boscoreale aureus is of Nero, with a reverse of Jupiter sitting in a throne holding a thunderbolt. I’ve posted this coin here before but here are new pictures which capture its in-hand look.
I hope this makes up, in some part, for some of the cinematic creative license taken by the Pompeii movie!
Starting on August 24, 79 AD, Mt. Vesuvius erupted for two days, burying the Roman settlements of Pompeii and Herculaneum. There were warning signs: small earthquakes started a few days earlier, but small tremors were frequent in the area so they were not heeded as indicating an imminent threat. In the afternoon on the 24th, the eruption began, shooting a cloud of ash 20 miles into the air and throwing molten rock at a rate of a billion pounds per second. 80% of the residents of Pompeii managed to escape in the first day to neighboring villages, but, by the end of the day on the 25th, flows of lava began, covering the area in nine feet of ash and molten rock and the 2,000 people who remained, hoping to wait out the disaster ultimately perished.
Among those who escaped were the owners of a popular wine producing villa rustica on the south eastern slopes of Vesuvius near the modern-day village of Boscoreale. Incidentally, the soil around volcanoes is highly fertile and great for growing crops, allowing the owners to amass significant wealth. In 1895, excavators uncovered 109 gold and silver plates and hundreds of gold aurei. The coins were stored in an empty cistern in the wine cellar of the villa when the owners fled. With a general exchange rate of one aureus as pay for one month of work, this amount of gold would constitute a lifetime of profit.
These coins are known as “Boscoreale” aurei because of the distinctive toning found on many of them. Gold itself is inert and does not tone but when made into coins, it is alloyed with small amounts of silver and copper which are susceptible to toning. Over the 1,800 years that the coins were buried beneath the ash and pumice from Vesuvius, some examples developed significant toning. Because of the highly sulphuric atmospheric conditions in the area around Pompeii, some other coins from the region have more subtle toning, but the most vibrantly toned are clearly from within the original hoard.
I’ve recently acquired a new example of a Boscoreale aureus which is pedigreed to the Biaggi collection and is the pictured book in the Calico reference. I consider myself lucky because the pictures I bought it from did not even remotely reflect the reality of its toning: it is without a doubt one of the most dramatically toned gold coins I’ve ever seen.
This aureus was minted by the emperor Vespasian, with the reverse of Aequitas holding scales and a scepter.
My other Boscoreale aureus is of Nero, with a reverse of Jupiter sitting in a throne holding a thunderbolt. I’ve posted this coin here before but here are new pictures which capture its in-hand look.
I hope this makes up, in some part, for some of the cinematic creative license taken by the Pompeii movie!
Learn about our world's shared history told through the first millennium of coinage: Colosseo Collection
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Comments
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It's hard to imagine a more fascinating provenance.
Probably one of my favorites amongst all the other mindblowing stuff you've posted.
Taler Custom Set
Ancient Custom Set
Just superb.
If memory serves, you didn't post much here until I lured you out of your shell?
(I was gonna say you enable us to dream, but I couldn't even dream of owning some of the kind of stuff you post.)
Virtus Collection - Renaissance and Baroque Medals
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M
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It's hard to imagine a more fascinating provenance.
Awesome coins and awesome WOW!
I'm really fond of Roman coins but would need some time on counterfeit detection before jumping in.
I love period flicks, but he's right, it was dumb. The special effects were fun (who doesn't like a volcano exploding?) and it does look like they made an effort to make sets, clothing etc authentic, but it was a really just a tissue thin, schmaltzy love story that made no sense since the key part of the film just covered 2-3 days. Think Titanic with a volcano instead of an iceberg.
I have a local theater that offers cheap first runs so at least it didn't cost much.
You own two gold aureii that were buried in the Pompeii area from Mt Vesuvius and because of the volcano the Vespasian has absurdly beautiful toning
What fun historical artifacts :-)
Thanks so much for sharing
<< <i>My son saw the movie and said it was "dumb
I love period flicks, but he's right, it was dumb. The special effects were fun (who doesn't like a volcano exploding?) and it does look like they made an effort to make sets, clothing etc authentic, but it was a really just a tissue thin, schmaltzy love story that made no sense since the key part of the film just covered 2-3 days. Think Titanic with a volcano instead of an iceberg.
I have a local theater that offers cheap first runs so at least it didn't cost much.
I just thought it was funny that even a 15 year old thought it stunk. My wife and I saw "Labor Day" and it was only slightly better. Saturday evening was one of those days the whole family went to the theatre, but went and saw five different movies.
<< <i>I'm really glad you keep us supplied with a regular diet of eyecandy here.
If memory serves, you didn't post much here until I lured you out of your shell?
>>
You're correct
<< <i>You're correct
I look forward to that.
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<< <i>I'm really glad you keep us supplied with a regular diet of eyecandy here.
If memory serves, you didn't post much here until I lured you out of your shell?
>>
You're correct
Oh, goodie!! Can't wait to see more of your ancient treasures. Do you image your coins? I've always loved the 'floating' effect of this template.
<< <i>
<< <i>
<< <i>I'm really glad you keep us supplied with a regular diet of eyecandy here.
If memory serves, you didn't post much here until I lured you out of your shell?
>>
You're correct
Oh, goodie!! Can't wait to see more of your ancient treasures. Do you image your coins? I've always loved the 'floating' effect of this template.
Thanks! I do image my own coins, and I've recently re-imaged all of them with an improved approach and I think I'm almost happy enough with them to start posting a wider array. I'm pretty picky about having to get as close as possible to the in-hand look and I'm unfortunately a neophyte at any form of photography, so I'm learning as Igo.
<< <i> I'm unfortunately a neophyte at any form of photography, so I'm learning as Igo >>
Wait... wait... those are NOT "neophyte" photos. No way, Jose.
<< <i>Thanks! I do image my own coins, and I've recently re-imaged all of them with an improved approach and I think I'm almost happy enough with them to start posting a wider array. I'm pretty picky about having to get as close as possible to the in-hand look and I'm unfortunately a neophyte at any form of photography, so I'm learning as Igo. >>
Dude you have museum quality pieces with PCGS Truview level of photography and I look forward to each post
I give away money. I collect money.
I don’t love money . I do love the Lord God.
That Vespasian aureus has haunted my dreams since I first opened this thread.
<< <i>I just had to come and look again.
That Vespasian aureus has haunted my dreams since I first opened this thread. >>
You'll be visited by several more ghosts of emperors past soon
<< <i>I haven't posted in 5 or 6 years, but that coins is simply amazing. Thank you for posting this thread! >>
Thanks! I have some long flights coming up soon and my inability to sleep on planes will likely result in more posts, so stay tuned
Fair Warning. I am reviving a nearly 9 year old thread.
It would be great is SmEagle1795 could post his Vespasian "Boscoreale Toned" Vespasian Aureus again. I believe it have seen it elsewhere and it is awesome example of Boscoreale toning.
Today I joined the Boscoreale club with a winning bid at Heritage. Although no one can be sure if their aureus came from the Villa della Pisanella owned by the family of L. Caecilius Lucundus, this coin surely looks like a coin that felt the hot breath of Vesuvius.
https://www.pcgs.com/setregistry/gold/liberty-head-2-1-gold-major-sets/liberty-head-2-1-gold-basic-set-circulation-strikes-1840-1907-cac/alltimeset/268163
Congratulations! That's an excellent addition and I would certainly say that's a confident Boscoreale coin. I'm coincidentally waiting on two new Boscoreale aurei from recent purchases as well; here are a few of mine:
My best toned is the Vespasian that started this thread:
This Domitian needs to be seen in-hand to fully appreciate but it's a rainbow of color:
This Claudius is awaiting shipping from NYINC:
Also waiting to be shipped and what will probably be my best coin of the year: a Judaea Capta aureus with a lengthy pedigree and most likely a Boscoreale origin:
And finally, Nero with the Colossus statue. The toning is subtle but the Boscoreale hoard was found in 1895 and I have this coin pedigreed to 1905 where it was mentioned it came from the Boscoreale hoard:
SmEagle1795, the toning on the Vespasian is spectacular - the most attractively toned aureus I have ever seen - thank you for posting it again.
It is likely that all of these coins were once together at the villa in Boscoreale - its not often that ancient coins can be placed with such certainty.
Congratulations on your NEWPS from the NYINC. Both the Claudius and Vespasian Judea Capta are superb coins.
https://www.pcgs.com/setregistry/gold/liberty-head-2-1-gold-major-sets/liberty-head-2-1-gold-basic-set-circulation-strikes-1840-1907-cac/alltimeset/268163