MONETIFORM AND PRURIENT INTERESTS Öffentlichkeit Deposited
The E-Sylum: Volume 5, Number 40, October 6, 2002, Article 13
MONETIFORM AND PRURIENT INTERESTS
Regarding last week's mention of the word "monetiform,"
Bill Murray writes:"Monetiform, from the context I suspect, as I presume you
and others have suspected as well, that it means in a money
like form.I find no definitions for it in any of my five English language
dictionaries, including the Oxford, nor in any of my six
numismatic encyclopedias/dictonaries or in several numismatic
glossaries. However, Stack's used the term in their February
2001 Coin Galleries sale catalog in Lot 983 in the description
of a medal, thusly, "Monetiform, reeded edge..."I suspect also it must derive from moneta. I quote from Albert
Frey's Dictionary of Numismatic Names: "The surname was
bestowed upon Juno... In B. C. 268 the Roman mint was
established in ... the temple of Juno Moneta."Following the above entry are 12 entries initiated with the word
moneta, for example: "Moneta Abatuda is money clipped or
diminished... Moneta Falsa. The Italian equivalent of counterfeit...
Moneta Nova. A common expression on European continental
coins, to denote new coinage."Jess Gaylor writes: "The two sources below do not define
monetiform per se, you can see the word has been used
previously and is slightly defined in the first source. These
tokens would be altered like the infamous Clinton Quarter
of last year. Hope this helps as I like trying to solve this type
of numismatic research. The research was accomplished in
English, French, Italian, and Latin with all languages not
having a definition.From the Ancient History Bulletin 1987:
"In general, we should note that the whole spintriae nexus is
highly suspect. It probably arose from prurient imaginings
about Tiberius' seclusion on Capri in combination with an
extraordinary series of monetiform tokens, struck
(anonymously) between about A.D. 22-37, depicting on the
obverse scenes of copulation or fellation and bearing on the
reverse a Roman numeral from I to XVI; through these
numerals the obscene tokens, known to numismatics as
spintriae, are die-linked to another series of tokens, bearing
obverse portraits of various members of the imperial family,
including Augustus, Livia and Tiberius. In a recent study of
these tokens T.V. Buttrey concludes that they are the very
source of Suetonius' libels. That may go too far, but they
could well have given rise to some of the nastier Flavian
propaganda of A.D. 69."[And here is a more complete version of the Stack's lot
983 listing. -Editor]"Lot# 983 OSNABRUCK. Sede Vacante Medal, 1761.
Silver, 45mm, 31.6 grams. Amsterdam Mint. Zepernick
236. Choice Extremely Fine. Obv. Bust of St. Peter in circle
of former Bishops' Arms. Rev. Charlemagne bust in similar
circle. Monetiform, reeded edge with a few minor rim nicks."- 2002-10-06
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