Edito – September stories
Of currencies and calendars...
Let’s not lament here about summer being over. It’s hardly important when one considers the events of centuries gone by. We would like to talk about September though!
After all, this particular month has played host to so many historic events in the past.
On that note, here comes a review of the history, stories, ancient and modern coins, medals, tokens, and other banknotes worth collecting associated with September.
From September 4 to September 19
I – Ancient coins and ludi magni
The ancient Roman games, known as ludi magni or ludi Romani in Latin, may not have been Olympic, but they were no less extravagant and festive.
They were held in September during the period of the Roman Republic and subsequently the Roman Empire.
Held in honor of the god Jupiter, they opened with a long procession starting at the Capitol and ending, of course, at the Circus Maximus – a grand stadium in the heart of Rome hosting gladiator fights, chariot races, and even theatre performances on temporary stages.
September 4 is also the anniversary of the fall of the Western Roman Empire: it was on this date in 476 that the general Odoacer deposed the last emperor, Romulus Augustulus.
Our experts’ choice
As we have already mentioned Jupiter, we simply had to show you this splendid silver tetrobol originating from Akanthos and depicting a bull.
September 17, 1939
II – Banknotes of the world and Blitzkrieg
On that fateful Sunday, September 17, 1939, barely two weeks after Germany, it was the Soviet Army’s turn to invade Poland.
The invasion followed the Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact that Hitler and Stalin had signed the month before. Unfortunately, we all know what happened next...
Our experts’ choice
This rare British banknote (military issue), in use in prisoner of war camps from 1940 to 1944, bears witness to this dark period in our history.
III – Medals and famous birthdays
Notable September births include:
François-René de Chateaubriand
Born September 4, 1768, in Saint-Malo, France
Louis XIV
Born September 5, 1638, in Saint-Germain-en-Laye, France
James Fenimore Cooper
Born September 15, 1789, in Burlington, USA
Anne of Austria
Born September 22, 1601, in Valladolid, Spain
George Clémenceau
Born September 28, 1841, in Mouilleron-en-Pareds, France
Our experts’ choice
This gold medal, struck in 1930, features the effigy of Haile Selassie, the last emperor of Ethiopia, who was deposed on September 12, 1974.
September 1, 1715
IV – French coins and long live the king!
The king is dead, long live the king!
On Sunday, September 1, 1715, after 72 years on the throne, the Sun King’s light finally went out.
He was succeeded by his great-grandson, who was only five years old at the time. Louis XIV’s nephew, Philipe II, Duke of Orléans, served as regent.
Our experts’ choice
A coin with the effigy of the very young Louis XV seemed the obvious choice, so we are happy to suggest this extremely rare écu aux trois couronnes, made of silver and minted in 1715, of course.
Commemorative coin
It was on the eleventh of the same month, but not in the same century, that the French fighter ace Georges Guynemer perished.
Having survived the Battle of Verdun in 1916, he was shot down while flying in his Vieux Charles (Old Charles) airplane by the Germans in September 1917.
80 years later, the portrait of this distinguished pilot appeared on the obverse of this silver commemorative coin. Its reverse features a stork, the emblem of the squadron of the same name (Escadrille 3 Les Cigognes) that he commanded. Only 3,000 copies were minted. A 2-franc coin made of nickel also entered circulation.
V – Coins of the world
September 5, 1871
Discovery of the ruins of the city of Great Zimbabwe in the south of modern-day Zimbabwe (in the region formerly called Southern Rhodesia) by German explorer Karl Mauch.
September 23, 1862
Otto von Bismarck was named Minister President by Wilhelm I, King of Prussia.
September 6, 1901
U.S. president William McKinley, aged 58, fell victim to an assassination attempt in Buffalo, New York, dying later of complications.
September 25, 1711
Birth of the future Chinese Qianlong Emperor, the sixth emperor of the Qing dynasty, whose reign is considered one of the golden ages of Chinese civilization.
Commemorative coin
It’s hard to explore the month of September without remembering the tragic attacks of September 11, 2001… This set of 3 quarters, each representing one location of a 9/11 attack, serves to commemorate them.
September 2024
VII – Bids & elegance
A great chance to stock up on historical new additions, we are delighted to present a new auction, “The Elegant”, this month, with over 2,500 items available to purchase. Pre-bidding is now open. You can find more information, consult the catalog, and register for the auctions here.
Translation: Michael Wright
Iconography:
- "The stork in the sky" by the AI program Midjourney (2024) (All rights reserved)
- Mosaic representing four charioteers from different parts of a Roman circus and their horses, Roman work (end of the 3rd century AD) from the villa located near the Baccano wood, and exhibited at the Palazzo Massimo alle Terme in Rome (Italy) by Jean-Pol GRANDMONT (CC 4.0)
- "The German-soviet Invasion of Poland" by Press Agency photographer (1939) (Public Domain)
- "Louis XIV of France in Coronation Robes" by Henri Testelin (1648) (Public Domain)
- "Portrait of Louis XIV of France" attributed to Jean Nocret (circa 1685) (Public Domain)
- "Portraits of the Qianlong Emperor and His Twelve Consorts" (detail) by Giuseppe Castiglione (1736) (Public Domain)
- "The elegant" by the AI program Midjourney (2024) (All rights reserved)
