Wednesday, February 17, 2021

Dura-Europos dodgy dealings detected

NUMISMATICS: CNG Returns Ancient Coins From Upcoming Keystone 3 Auction to Yale University (CoinWeek).
Classical Numismatic Group (CNG) is canceling our feature auction Keystone 3, which was to take place this Wednesday, February 17. During the past week we have been in conversations with Yale University about select coins in this sale. It appears that six coins in Keystone 3 came from an excavation sponsored by Yale University at Dura-Europos between 1928 and 1937. We believe these coins are the property of Yale University.

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The statement is by Mike Gasvoda, Managing Director of CGN. I'm glad somebody caught this problem before the coins went to auction. And I commend CGN for dealing with it promptly and properly. But how did coins in Yale's collection end up in an auction? There must be a story to this. I hope we get to hear it.

For many PaleoJudaica posts on the site of Dura-Europos, its late antique synagogue, and that synogogue's remarkable murals, start here and follow the links.

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