The Crime of Diogenes
HudsonHornet
Posts: 3
All historians agree that Diogenes came to Athens in the wake of some crime against the coinage of Sinope. We guess that Diogenes's crime was "adulterating the coinge." Diogenes may have conspired with the workers in the mint to "alter the political currency" or to "adulterate the state coinage." It may be that Diogenes' father entrusted him with the money and he debased it, causing his father to be imprisoned.
Bertrand Russell, Encyclopedia Americana, Will Durant, and Encyclopedia Britannica Micropaedia all tell the same story each with a different spin.
The British Museum and the Danish Museum are not alone in cataloguing coins from Sinope signed DIO and with a test cut on the obverse. I acquired just such a coin and sent it to the ANA Authentication Bureau for a determination of the specific gravity. My specimen's specific gravity was measured to be 10.32, which is about the same as an alloy of 90% silver and 10% copper. We accept this as normal coin silver today. However, in the ancient world, silver coins were nominally pure. Was this coin purposely debased by Diogenes the Cynic when he served as the town moneyer? It is tempting to give in to the desire to believe. It is also just as tempting to remain cynical.
Bertrand Russell, Encyclopedia Americana, Will Durant, and Encyclopedia Britannica Micropaedia all tell the same story each with a different spin.
The British Museum and the Danish Museum are not alone in cataloguing coins from Sinope signed DIO and with a test cut on the obverse. I acquired just such a coin and sent it to the ANA Authentication Bureau for a determination of the specific gravity. My specimen's specific gravity was measured to be 10.32, which is about the same as an alloy of 90% silver and 10% copper. We accept this as normal coin silver today. However, in the ancient world, silver coins were nominally pure. Was this coin purposely debased by Diogenes the Cynic when he served as the town moneyer? It is tempting to give in to the desire to believe. It is also just as tempting to remain cynical.
Mike M.
Michael E. Marotta
ANA MSNS CSNS
Michael E. Marotta
ANA MSNS CSNS
0
Comments
Thanks for sharing.
This is the Dark Side, though (as we call ourselves here), and Darksiders are an erudite lot.
I see you carry some respectable acronyms in your sigline.
Must confess, though, that though I've heard the name Diogenes mentioned, my knowledge of this particular time and place in history is spotty at best. Only recently have I educated myself a little on the Roman empire, and have yet to acquire much knowledge of the Roman republic or ancient Greece.
Here are your pictures, for the others to peruse.
Though I'm but a green novice with the ancients, I must say, that's a beautiful piece.