International News
G. Jonathan Greenwald, Editor
At the onset of winter, much of the numismatic world looks toward the United States, specifically to the New York International Numismatic Convention, which this year will be held at the Marriott World Trade Center, Dec. 4-6, and to the major auctions conducted at the same time. This year is no exception. A number of other events will preceed and follow the NYINC.
Asia
Nov. 18-19, Noble Numismatics' sale in Sydney, followed on Nov. 21-22 by the Coin, Medal and Banknote Fair of the Numismatic Association of Australia.
Nov. 21, a general sale conducted by Spink & Son in Hong Kong.
Europe
Nov. 19-20, Giessener Muenz-handlung's auction in Munich.
Nov. 23-24, Numismatik Lanz conducts a group of auctions, also in Munich. The first will dispose of the collection of Roman Republican coins assembled by Leo Benz, perhaps the most important of its kind offered in Germany in the post-War period. The second, ranging from medieval to modern, includes an extensive Kreuzer collection, double talers and other pieces from the Holy Roman Empire, a Salburg series, and coins of German cities and the German empire as well as of medieval Serbia.
Nov. 26-27, yet a third Munich event, the Gerhard Hirsch Nachfolger auction of ancient and modern coins, including a lovely issue of Sweden's Karl XI commemorating a victory over Denmark.
Dec. 10-12, Kurpfaelziche Muenz-handlung will conduct a general sale in Mannheim.
Dec. 12, Jean Elsen's last Brussels auction of the year.
Jan. 22-24, the Basel Coin Convention.
Feb. 5, Italo Vecchi's next sale, in London.
Feb. 23, Muenzen und Medaillen will offer gold coins and medals from Baden- Wuertemberg in Stuttgart.
Feb. 24-27, another Munich auction from Gerhard Hirsch Nachfolger.
Of course, a number of European firms are taking advantage of the New York Convention to join with American firms in joint auctions.
Dec. 1-2, Classical Numismatic Group, Numismatica Ars Classica, and Freeman & Sear's Triton II sale (public and mail bid) at the Marriott World Trade Center. Offerings include the Greek collection of Orme Lewis Sr., now held by the Phoenix Art Museum, important Bactrian pieces assembled by K. D. Walkhoff-Jordan, and the John Jordan collection of British coinage. Among individual highlights are a superb Naxos tetra-drachm, a dekadrachm of Akragas, seven Syracusan dekadrachms, a unique gold stater from Abdera, and Roman rarities.
Dec. 3, Italo Vecchi, A. H. Baldwin and Sons and Muenzen und Medaillen will join forces at the Marriott World Trade Center to offer notable pieces, reportedly including remarkable tetra-drachms of Catane, Himera, the Thracian King Mostis, Alexander I of Macedon, Cyzicus, Tenedus, Lebedus and Rhodes, a fine 100-litrae Syracusan issue, and a number of beautiful and rare Roman and Byzantine coins.
Issues
The Internet version of the summer ANSNewsletter (but not the print edition) reported that the new common currency, the Euro, will affect commemorative coinage of the 11 member states of the European Union beginning on Jan. 1, 1999. The European Commission consulted professional numismatists in July. While there is agreement that Euro collector commemorative coins are welcomed and EU Member States will retain competence for issuance within volume limits set by the new European Central Bank, two key questions apparently remain. As formulated by the Commission to European dealers, these are "Do you consider that a limited legal tender status for collector coins would be a solution which would not damage the collector coin business?" And "Do you consider that harmonization of the denominations and technical specifications of collector coins issued by the Euro-area Member States would be desirable or would that negatively affect the collector coin business, which relies on diversity and variety?" Reportedly, many mint directors initially favored national freedom of decision on most aspects of such coins while affording them legal tender status only within national borders. German coin dealers, we understand, have encouraged Commission efforts to develop a new consensus. They want Euro commemoratives to have EU-wide validity and national authorities to control designs while accepting volume limits and harmonization of specifications. Austria, France, and others are said to have entered the consultations desiring, for marketing purposes, to produce larger numbers of "pseudo-coins" with restricted legal tender status. Decisions are in abeyance while the new German government works out its positions on numismatic issues.
The author of this column continues to solicit contributions of announcements and news, including news of international members, from the readership.