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Author Topic: EARLY BOOK ON ANCIENT COINS ADDED TO MY COLLECTION COME SEE HOW OLD  (Read 2642 times)

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Offline Adrian W

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I love old books so this fits right in with my coin and book collection so this will be the oldest book in my collection on coins.I wonder how much older you can get this is a first edition of

Adolf Occo (1524-1606). Imperatorum Romanorum Numismata a Pompeio Magno ad Heraclium

This edition and the 2nd one did not have any illustrations in it and its in Latin but its dated Antwerp: Ex officina Christophori Plantini, 1579

Occo was a renowned physician in Augsburg, serving as dean of the medical college and knighted for his service by emperor Maximilian II in 1573. While studying medicine in Italy, Occo had developed a deep love of ancient coins. Based on his own collection of ancient coins and the larger collection of his friend Mark Fuegger, Occo published a study of coin types that became “one of the landmarks in the evolution of numismatics into a science.”

The original edition, in 1579, was not illustrated but included brief descriptions of known types from late Roman Republican coins to those of the 7th-century Byzantine emperor Heraclius. Occo prepared a second, revised edition in 1601, also without illustrations.

I will have to see if I can find a later illustrated edition

So its over 400 years old, should have it in about 10 days but here are some basic jpegs.

I also find interesting the Paduan's of  Giovanni Cavino so I just acquired one of these also should have in a week though I just have a jpeg
of one side as I bought it last minute so not sure what the other side looks like,it does look to be a very good strike but nothing I really know about.



Lucius Verus (161-169), die-struck Paduan sestertius-style medallion, L.VERVS:AUG:ARM:PARTH:MAX:TRP:VIIII, draped and cuirassed bust of Verus right / Argos seated right before a building, working on the prow of a ship; before him, Minerva standing left, resting hand on a shield inscribed VIC AVG. (On the genuine Roman medallion, Cohen II, 400; Gnecchi 65, the shield on the reverse bears a griffin in place of the inscription.) Lawrence: "Medals by Giovanni Cavino." Extremely fine, RARE
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Offline Molinari

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Re: EARLY BOOK ON ANCIENT COINS ADDED TO MY COLLECTION COME SEE HOW OLD
« Reply #1 on: October 08, 2013, 01:15:22 pm »
Very nice book.  Congrats on the purchase.

Offline Andrew McCabe

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Re: EARLY BOOK ON ANCIENT COINS ADDED TO MY COLLECTION COME SEE HOW OLD
« Reply #2 on: October 08, 2013, 01:31:58 pm »
Beautiful book and Paduan. I'm always hunting for antiquarian books that are relevant to me (at one end, books on Magna Graecia or on Italian cast coins, and at the other end books on Imperial coins that start with Caesar, often include relevant republican material), have at least some illustrations, are pretty, old and inexpensive. Oddly with these criteria my antiquarian book collection remains modest!

Offline Adrian W

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Re: EARLY BOOK ON ANCIENT COINS ADDED TO MY COLLECTION COME SEE HOW OLD
« Reply #3 on: October 08, 2013, 01:55:43 pm »
I stumbled across both of these in the last week, I was trying to figure out the Paduan but could not as of yet find a match, so will try when I get it.

I would preffer the book to be illustrated but cannot have everything and a first edition is good.Its not a particularly expensive book cost around 275 pounds sterling
which I think is a decent buy for age and condition.

I did pick up some single page book leafs but not related to coins from the 1470's

Andrew, If I come across anything like that I will let you know.I did see a history of J.C. with maps in Latin dating into the 1500's in the last week its not particularly uncommon
so comes up fairly regularly.

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Offline Carausius

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Re: EARLY BOOK ON ANCIENT COINS ADDED TO MY COLLECTION COME SEE HOW OLD
« Reply #4 on: October 08, 2013, 02:37:47 pm »
Very nice acquisitions, Adrian. Two questions about the book:
1. Is the book binding vellum or leather?
2. How will you store the book?

Offline Adrian W

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Re: EARLY BOOK ON ANCIENT COINS ADDED TO MY COLLECTION COME SEE HOW OLD
« Reply #5 on: October 08, 2013, 02:42:35 pm »
The book looks like vellum on storage nothing special just on a shelf, keep in mind the quality of paper was very thick back then and wears well,I have been known to iron out pages that are creased with no issues
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Re: EARLY BOOK ON ANCIENT COINS ADDED TO MY COLLECTION COME SEE HOW OLD
« Reply #6 on: October 08, 2013, 02:55:43 pm »
Have you ever tried acid free "shell" boxes for your rare books? I understand that they protect the spine etc from sunning and shelf wear. Might not be worth it considering the price you paid for this volume, although that vellum spine looks a bit fragile to me. Many book binders custom build and decorate such boxes.

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Re: EARLY BOOK ON ANCIENT COINS ADDED TO MY COLLECTION COME SEE HOW OLD
« Reply #7 on: October 08, 2013, 03:12:53 pm »
Great acquisition the book.
Congratulations Adrian!

Offline Adrian W

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Re: EARLY BOOK ON ANCIENT COINS ADDED TO MY COLLECTION COME SEE HOW OLD
« Reply #8 on: October 08, 2013, 03:30:37 pm »
Yes though its not something I use as I like the looks of them on a shelf though right know this is the oldest book I have as I normally buy and flip for a profit and use the money to buy coins so the hobby pays for itself and I get taxed on the profit so its all legit.

I buy books get bored with them sell and buy something else I actually get the same way with the coins though I have managed to keep them intact at around 200 coins and will start buying more.

I just spent the last few months getting a decent Roman Coin reference library together which I will keep so this book will go with those looking for the oldest reference books I can find on coins so the 1575 will be hard to beat.
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Offline Adrian W

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Re: EARLY BOOK ON ANCIENT COINS ADDED TO MY COLLECTION COME SEE HOW OLD
« Reply #9 on: October 22, 2013, 05:07:50 pm »
I just got this book today, though its in Latin its not that hard to figure out and it seems to cover all Roman Emperor's the author must have had quite a collection as I could probably identify some of my coins from what he has here.He gives a basic summary on the emperor see example here then the coins.They are listed by date

The book was rebound in 1597 and had an additional 200 blank pages added for notes I assume but no one filled them in,would have been nice if they had done so.

Adrian
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Offline curtislclay

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Re: EARLY BOOK ON ANCIENT COINS ADDED TO MY COLLECTION COME SEE HOW OLD
« Reply #10 on: October 22, 2013, 05:14:50 pm »
Title and author, please?
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Offline Adrian W

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Re: EARLY BOOK ON ANCIENT COINS ADDED TO MY COLLECTION COME SEE HOW OLD
« Reply #11 on: October 22, 2013, 05:26:57 pm »
Top of the page here it is again

Adolf Occo (1524-1606). Imperatorum Romanorum Numismata a Pompeio Magno ad Heraclium

This edition and the 2nd one did not have any illustrations in it and its in Latin but its dated Antwerp: Ex officina Christophori Plantini, 1579
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Offline curtislclay

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Re: EARLY BOOK ON ANCIENT COINS ADDED TO MY COLLECTION COME SEE HOW OLD
« Reply #12 on: October 22, 2013, 07:19:36 pm »
Thanks.

I hadn't understood from your earlier posts (though you say so!) that you didn't yet have the book in hand. So I assumed that you had now received a second old book!

I've never really taken a look at Occo, since he has little relevance for present-day numismatics.

In my own library I only have Argelati's 1730 edition of Mediobarbus' 1683 catalogue of Roman imperial coins, based on Occo but adding a great number of new coins, many of them unfortunately false or incorrectly described!

Mediobarbus-Argelati was the 18th century's standard catalogue of Roman coins, winning widespread acceptance despite the high percentage of fakes and misreadings. Experienced numismatists realized that it was unreliable, but it was only Eckhel's devastating critique in the 1790s that finally ended its reign!
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Offline Adrian W

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Re: EARLY BOOK ON ANCIENT COINS ADDED TO MY COLLECTION COME SEE HOW OLD
« Reply #13 on: October 22, 2013, 08:04:15 pm »
this actually went through a number of editions and the 17th century printing does include pics of the coins also
i would think this is probably the earliest book you can find on ancient coins

i wonder what happened to his collection and do any of us unknowingly hold some of his
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