Please help.

[Malcolius]

Hello,

Until quite recently my main area of collecting has been the coins of Octavian / Augustus concentrating on the Denarius and Tetradrachm issues. This was obvious to those of you who may have had a peek at my photo gallery!

However, I have now "discovered" the Greek coinage of Sicily &/or Magna Graecia and fallen TOTALLY for coins of Syracuse especially.

I have purchased a copy of the "Historia Numorum Italy" edited by N.K. Rutter and am also awaiting delivery of "Greek Coinages of Sicily & Southern Italy" also by N.K. Rutter to assist me in the identification and verification of coins that I have my eye on or have actually purchased.

You may well ask "where is this fool going with this?" but as I look at all the coins that are available find that around 90% quote a Vlastos number. This where you come in - where oh where can I get a copy of the following book?

Descriptive Catalogue of the Collection of Tarantine Coins by O E Ravel - M P Vlastos - Oscar Ravel
Obol International
December 1977
ISBN-13: 9780916710309

It would appear to be the absolute bible of this area of collecting; it is widely quoted as a reference but seems to be completely unobtainable anywhere - I have scoured the internet from end to end and even thought at least twice that I had a copy - disappointment reined!

What is the point of quoting a reference that no one can see? When will some adventurous soul put it onto a CD or DVD or maybe create a PDF volume.

I really prefer to obtain GOOD documentation of the coins that I collect but the absence of this volume is an omission that I just cannot understand.

Comments please!

Best Regards,

John

[Jacktat]

John - Vlasto is an excellent resource for Tarentine coins & is the most cited reference, but only for Tarentine coins. Obol made a reprint several years ago that is still pretty easy to find, but still probably still under copyright so no CDs or online books (unless illegal). Keep your eye out for a copy in numismatic literature auctions or check with major dealers. Fischer-Bossert's book on the Tarentine didrachms is a more complete die study.

When I am looking for an out-of-print book like this, I just keep checking online with an occasional Google search as they tend to eventually show up.

Good luck - John

[BeastCoins]

John,

I looked around at all of the contact sites I know of for books and couldn't find a copy. I don't even have one myself, unfortunately. Since this is a book you will really want for your new area of collecting focus, I would recommend letting booksellers know you need it. Send an email to VCoins dealers Charles Davis, ANE and Barry Murphy. Although Barry isn't a bookseller, he knows everything for sale and auction by everyone everywhere at all times. He's kind of amazing that way. If he knows of a copy coming up for auction, you could hire him to represent you at the auction. He's done a great job for me in the past.

Best of success!

--Beast

[djmacdo]

Fischer-Bossert's work is much preferable to the old Vlasto. The chronology, both relative and absolute is much better, the illustrations are much better, the research is state of the art rather than a century old.

I may have a reprint of Vlasto kicking around--will look--have had no occasion to use it since
Fischer-Bossert came out.

[BeastCoins]

Mac,

Do you have the actual title of the Fischer-Bossert reference? The only thing I can find so far is "The Athenian Decadrachm (Numismatic Notes and Monographs)".

Thanks!

--Beast

[djmacdo]

The dekadrachm book is his more recent work What you want is:

Fischer-Bossert, W. Chronologie der Didrachmenprgung von Tarent, 510-280 v. Chr. (Antike Mnzen und geschnittene Steine 14; Berlin-New York, 1999).


It is, in my humble opinion, one of the few truly great numismatic works.

[Malcolius]

Originally Posted by djmacdo

Fischer-Bossert's work is much preferable to the old Vlasto. The chronology, both relative and absolute is much better, the illustrations are much better, the research is state of the art rather than a century old.

I may have a reprint of Vlasto kicking around--will look--have had no occasion to use it since
Fischer-Bossert came out.

It would be FANTASTIC if you do have a copy that you are willing to dispose of. I would be ETERNALLY grateful!

Regards, John.

[djmacdo]

I'll be digging around in my library for the next couple of days and see what I can find.

[Enodia]

Originally Posted by djmacdo

Fischer-Bossert's work is much preferable to the old Vlasto. The chronology, both relative and absolute is much better, the illustrations are much better, the research is state of the art rather than a century old.

I may have a reprint of Vlasto kicking around--will look--have had no occasion to use it since
Fischer-Bossert came out.

however Fischer-Bossert is not much use if one is collecting fractions, AE's, or post-Pyrrhic didrachms.

i realise i am coming late to this discussion but i too am in need of a copy of Vlasto, and yet it is still unavailable... oy!

~ Peter

[djmacdo]

Vlasto is weak also on the fractional coinage. I'll see what I can find.

[Jacktat]

Another book to consider is ‎Ratto R. COLLECTION CLAUDIUS COTE, DE LYON- MONNAIES DE TARENTE‎ ‎by ATTIC BOOKS NEW YORK 1975,42pp.,19 plates‎
A reasonably priced reprint of the original auction. Not as complete as Vlasto, but has some varieties not in Vlasto, including fractions.

[Malcolius]

Hi all,

When I first posted this plea back in July 2010 I was all for Tarentum.

However, my collection direction veered off at a tangent and I am now all for Corinth Colts. The combination of Pegasos and Athena I have found irrisistable and now my main refence volume is Romolo Calciati's Pegasi of which I obtained a copy from the Author no less.

I have since disposed of my Tarentine coins and - guess what? - I now have a SURPLUS copy of the Vlastos that I was so much in need of back then.

I suspect that someone out there is as much in need of it now as I was then so, at a reasonable cost plus, obviously, the postage, who would like to obtain a second hand copy of the Ravel compilation of the Collection of Tarentine Coins Formed by M.P. Vlasto?

Please be aware that the last time that I surface mailed a book of similar size and weight out of Australia it cost around $35 and I was quoted $55 for air mail. How great is your need?

I await the avalanche!

BR

John.

[Enodia]

Originally Posted by Malcolius

Hi all,

When I first posted this plea back in July 2010 I was all for Tarentum.

However, my collection direction veered off at a tangent and I am now all for Corinth Colts. The combination of Pegasos and Athena I have found irrisistable and now my main refence volume is Romolo Calciati's Pegasi of which I obtained a copy from the Author no less.

I have since disposed of my Tarentine coins and - guess what? - I now have a SURPLUS copy of the Vlastos that I was so much in need of back then.

I suspect that someone out there is as much in need of it now as I was then so, at a reasonable cost plus, obviously, the postage, who would like to obtain a second hand copy of the Ravel compilation of the Collection of Tarentine Coins Formed by M.P. Vlasto?

Please be aware that the last time that I surface mailed a book of similar size and weight out of Australia it cost around $35 and I was quoted $55 for air mail. How great is your need?

I await the avalanche!

BR

John.

i'd possibly like to take you up on this, but i'm sure i can't compete with an avalanche. shall we continue off-line?

curious,
~ Peter