NGC Ancient & Medieval Coinage 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which ancient Lydian king is most credited with issuing the world's first true coinage in electrum?
- Cyrus the Great
- Croesus (Correct answer)
- Darius I
- Gyges
Correct answer: Croesus
Croesus of Lydia is traditionally credited with striking the first pure gold and silver coins, though earlier electrum coins may predate his reign.
Question 2: The 'incuse' design style, where the reverse design is sunken rather than raised, was characteristic of coins from which Greek region?
- Athens and Attica
- Magna Graecia (southern Italy) (Correct answer)
- Macedon
- Corinth
Correct answer: Magna Graecia (southern Italy)
Early coins from Greek colonies in southern Italy, such as Sybaris and Metapontum, often featured incuse reverses that mirrored the obverse design.
Question 3: A 'cob' coin (macuquina) produced in Spanish colonial mints during the medieval/early modern period is best described as what?
- A machine-struck round coin
- A rough, irregularly shaped piece cut from a silver bar and struck (Correct answer)
- A cast bronze token
- A holed coin used as jewelry
Correct answer: A rough, irregularly shaped piece cut from a silver bar and struck
Cob coins were crude pieces cut from silver bars, weighed to specification, and crudely struck with dies—produced quickly for commerce rather than aesthetic appeal.
Question 4: What does the term 'flan' refer to in numismatic terminology?
- The central design element
- The obverse inscription
- The blank metal disk before striking (Correct answer)
- The edge reeding pattern
Correct answer: The blank metal disk before striking
A flan (also called a planchet) is the blank piece of metal prepared for striking into a coin.
Question 5: The 'Owl' coins of Athens depicted Athena on the obverse and which creature on the reverse?
- An eagle
- An owl (Correct answer)
- A serpent
- A dolphin
Correct answer: An owl
Athenian tetradrachms famously feature Athena on the obverse and her sacred owl (with olive sprig and crescent) on the reverse.
Question 6: In Byzantine numismatics, what does the letter 'M' prominently displayed on the reverse of a follis signify?
- The emperor's initial
- The denomination of 40 nummi (Correct answer)
- The mint city of Milan
- A monetary reform marker
Correct answer: The denomination of 40 nummi
The large 'M' on Byzantine folles represents the Greek numeral for 40, indicating the coin's value of 40 nummi.
Question 7: Which medieval coin type, first struck in Florence in 1252, became a pan-European gold standard for trade?
- The ducat
- The grosso
- The florin (Correct answer)
- The denier
Correct answer: The florin
The Florentine florin, struck from 3.5 grams of pure gold and featuring a lily and John the Baptist, became one of Europe's most important medieval trade coins.
NGC Ancient & Medieval Coinage 3
Which ancient Lydian king is most credited with issuing the world's first true coinage in electrum?