Anyone destined to become a serious collector of
ancient coins should be required to learn both
French and
German at school or in college! A serious
numismatist (or ancient historian or classicist) simply cannot get by without these two languages, apart from the many other advantages of learning them.
The translation programs, in my experience, don't really suffice. They translate some sentences correctly, but make gibberish of others. Often I would rather struggle with the foreign language pure than with what Babelfish produces as a supposed English translation of it!
Here is Babelfish for a random passage in Estiot's book, p. 102. I have
corrected a few errors caused by my inability to
type in the proper
French accents:
For R. Göbl, the currencies
Sol Dominus Imperi Romani are sesterces and tests of multiples of gold, produced by the workshop of
Rome at the time of a great multiform emission dating from the second half of 274. This great emission (its emission 6) includes, in
his opinion, of strike of gold, sums of
money, of aureliani, and of different bronze species. We have shown that with regard to the gold emission, Göbl gathers, to allot them to
Rome, a disparate whole of
aurei pertaining to
Milan,
Siscia and Cyzique (even its pl. 74-75). As for the series Ground
Dominus Imperi Romani, several elements prevent of y even sesterces. Their metal composition the fact of being included in the category of the balk silver plates, and not bronzes.
Here is what the
French actually says:
According to R. Göbl, the
Sol Dominus Imperi Romani coins are
sestertii and test strikes for gold multiples, produced by the
mint of
Rome as
part of a large and diverse issue dating to the second half of 274. This large issue (
his Issue 6) includes, according to him, coins in gold,
denarii, aureliani, and several
denominations of bronze coins. I have demonstrated that, as far as the
gold coins are concerned, Göbl pieces together and proceeds to attribute to
Rome a disparate group of
aurei that actually belong to
Milan,
Siscia, and
Cyzicus (see
his pl. 74-75). As to the
Sol Dominus Imperi Romani coins, several factors oppose their classification as
sestertii. Their metallic composition assigns them to the category of
silvered billon coins, not bronzes.
