11 - Greek Coin Iconography in Context: Eight Specificities That Differentiate Them from Other Visual Media

Summary

Small and the result of an industrial process, Greek coins were struck in billions and are kept now by millions in private and public hands. They were also made to circulate in the open air, passing from hand to hand in military camps and in the Agora. So in terms of quantity and diffusion, they easily outweigh vases, as well as any other kind of artifact. This chapter aims to offer a status quaestionis of old and recent research on Greek coin iconography, focusing on the primary and secondary benefi-ciaries (the viewers) of such a vast repertoire of types. These specificities or characteristics are grouped into eight entries, proceeding from the immaterial concept to the material production, first at the mint, then in circulation:

• 1. A state-controlled production;

• 2. An iconography made to generate trust;

• 3. Soldiers often as the first beneficiaries;

• 4. Coins are small and round;

• 5. A unique combination of image and text, resulting in better chronologies;

• 6. A proliferation of images for the same type;

• 7. The only category of visual art that we may think to be complete; And

• 8. A unique diffusion: geographically, chronologically, and socially.

The language of images has already been thoroughly investigated for vases (with François Lissarrague playing a seminal role) or sculptures, but less so for coins until recently. The chief aim of the present chapter is to insist on the existence of a peculiar Bildsprache for coins, and provide an invitation to take advantage of its specificities. Coin images are indeed not sculptured or painted images. For a proper understanding of their meaning, we need to keep in mind the specific constraints of this medium. These specificities are here presented with special attention to the differences from images found on other kinds of artifacts such as gems, clay seals, or vases. This chapter also focuses on the consequences for the art historian and a systematic insistence on the framework of quantification with which we are dealing.

A STATE-CONTROLLED PRODUCTION

Coins were officially produced in ancient Greece by issuing authorities: city-states, federal states, leagues, or rulers. With some possible rare exceptions, it does not seem that free mintage was authorized.