Celebrating National Coin Week (2026)

In celebration of the 103rd Annual National Coin Week, I’m pleased to share a photo of gold coins from my visit to the Asian Art Galleries at the Metropolitan Museum of Art last month.

Minted by the great Kushan rulers in the second and early third centuries, these coins follow a Roman weight standard. Their imagery presents the rulers in relation to a range of Near Eastern and South Asian deities—such as Shiva, who appears on the reverse of Vasudeva’s coin.

Left to right: Coin of Huvishka, Coin of Vasudeva, Coin of Kanishka, and Coin of Huvishka.

The Medal in the Drawer

Recently, while rummaging through a cluttered desk drawer, I came upon a Saint-Gaudens Medal I had been awarded in high school by the School Art League for excellence in draughtsmanship. Its weight in my palm brought a sudden flood of memories—graphite dust on fingertips, the smell of turpentine, and long afternoons spent chasing form and shadow.

I was transported back to Mrs. A’s classroom, where Gaviota, my first true love, sat beside me, herself a gifted artist. We were young and certain of our calling. Mrs. A gave her advanced students carte blanche access to materials and reference books. It was in her classroom that I was first exposed to the works of Otto Dix, Dalí, and others who unsettled and expanded my sense of what art could be. She trusted us with freedom. We drew from plaster casts, from photographs, from life. We experimented boldly, confident that art would be both our vocation and our inheritance.

When graduation approached, I naively rejected sound advice to apply for stable city jobs. I was anti-materialistic, full of ideals, and romantic about the life of a starving artist. I did not yet understand how corrupt, cutthroat, and degenerate the art world could be. Reality came slowly. I found steady employment as a graphic designer—honest work, useful work—but it never replaced the deeper hunger for life drawing and painting.

Disenchanted and disgusted with the industry, I shamefully drifted from my craft. I allowed disappointment to dissuade me. Though I remain in contact with Mrs. A—an influential and heroic figure in my life—I sometimes feel I failed her by not realizing my full potential as an artist. She never imposed that burden; I placed it upon myself.

Yet I never lost my love for art. It endures, undiminished. It is one of the reasons I devote so much attention to art on the blog. I cannot visit museums and galleries enough. Each time I step into a quiet hall and stand before a painting or sculpture, I feel the same wonder I knew as a boy—discovering beauty as if for the first time.

Perhaps this is how I have remained faithful to that earlier self. If I did not become the artist I once imagined, I have at least remained a devoted pilgrim—returning again and again to the wellspring, drawing from it, and inviting others to look more closely.

~ By Giovanni di Napoli, March 2nd, Feast of San Luca Casale da Nicosia

Grazie Easter Bunny!

This year for Easter, I received a large copper coin (Tank) from the Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia. Slightly bent, it exhibits a nice olive-green patina. The obverse features a stylized portrait of King Hetoum I (1226-1270) seated oriental-style on a throne while wielding a globus cruciger and fleur-de-lis. The inscription reads "Hetoum King of the Armenians" in Armenian. On the reverse side, you can see the Latin or Crusader Cross accompanied by the Armenian inscription “Struck in the City of Sis.” 

Alleluia! Cristo è Risorto! Celebrating Easter

The Sanctuary with a miniature empty sepulcher

Christus Resurrexit, Alleluia! Following the solemn Traditional Latin High Mass at Our Lady of Peace Church in Gowanus, Brooklyn, on Sunday morning, our extended family came together for a customary Easter dinner. The ladies outdid themselves once again with another lavish multi-course meal, culminating with perfectly grilled lamb chops (agnello alla scottadito).

Afterward, we played chess and exchanged our Easter baskets. In addition to colorful eggs and chocolates, my basket included a few interesting books and a large copper coin (Tank) from the Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia. Buona Pasqua!

(L) Resurrection mural. (R) He is Risen! Alleluia!
Beautifully decorated High Altar with Risen Christ

Prosciutto e melone

Focaccia Barese

Calzone di cipolla e tonno

Nodini

Melanzane grigliate sott'olio

Affettati e formaggio

Pizza rustica

Lasagna

Agnello alla scottadito

A couple of variations of Pastiera Napoletana

This year, in addition to a copper coin from the Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia, I received new editions of On the Marble Cliffs (2023) and War as Inner Experience (2025) by Ernst Jünger and Gabriele D'Annunzio, Nietzsche, and the Übermensch: Art, Philosophy, and Politics in Italy (2025) by Aubrey Savage

Celebrating National Coin Week (2025)

In celebration of the 102nd Annual National Coin Week, I'm excited to share photos of my recently acquired Roman bronze nummus featuring Emperor Constantine I. Struck between 330 and 333 in Thessalonica, Macedonia, this worn coin showcases a rich brownish-green patina. The obverse depicts a diademed bust of the Emperor, adorned in drapery and cuirass, facing to the right. Inscribed in Latin are the words: CONSTANTINVS MAX AVG (The Great Augustus Constantine). On the reverse, two helmeted legionnaires in armor are shown holding shields and inverted spears, with two labarum positioned between them. The Latin inscription reads: GLORIA EXERCITVS SMTSA (Glory of the army).

Latest Stamp and Banknote Acquisitions

French stamp commemorating the 100th anniversary
of the cession of Savoy to France

Taking advantage of a little downtime Sunday evening, I poured myself a glass of 20-year-old port, grabbed my magnifying glass, and examined my latest stamp and banknote acquisitions. In addition to admiring the artwork and exploring their historical significance, part of the fun of stamp collecting for me is sorting them out and organizing them thematically into my modest philatelic and notaphily collections. I also look forward to showing them off to my friends and seeing how they organize their own collections at our little stamp club's next meeting.

French stamp honoring French sculptor, painter, and printmaker
Aristide Joseph Bonaventure Maillol (1861-1944) with the
depiction of his La Pensée (or La Méditerranée)

(L) Austrian stamp commemorating the 100th Anniversary of the Blue Danube Waltz by Johann Strauss II. (R) German stamp commemorating Dante Alighieri

While I procured the stamps myself, the Iraqi dinar with Saddam Hussein's portrait, the Zimbabwe one hundred trillion dollar bill, and two numismatic catalogs dealing with Italian coins were thoughtful and amusing birthday gifts from my friends.

Iraqi dinar and One hundred trillion dollar bill from Zimbabwe

Numismatic catalogs covering coins from Italy

New Additions to My Coin Collection

The coins are currently displayed in brass calipers

Filippo II - 1 Grano (1567-87)

Issued by Philip II of Habsburg, King of Sicily (1554-1598)

Struck in Messina by mint-master Pietro del Pozzo (1567-87), a crowned eagle facing left with wings spread is depicted within a beaded circle on the obverse. The inscription PHILIPPVS•D•G•REX• SIC translates to Philippus Dei Gratia King of Sicily. The inscription also appears on the reverse along with the lettering VT / COMMO / DIVS in the field on three lines, which stands for “For Public Benefit.”

The obverse and reverse of the Filippo II Grano

Heraclius and Heraclius Constantine - Follis (630-641)

Minted in Assorus, Sicily (Byzantine Empire)

On the obverse, we see facing portraits of Emperor Heraclius (reigned from 610-641) with a long beard and his son Heraclius Constantine (co-reigned in 641) with a short beard. The Emperors are depicted wearing crowns and chlamys with a cross between their heads. The reverse is countermarked with the monogram RTh and mint mark SCs in Latin script.

The obverse and reverse of the Heraclius and Heraclius Constantine Follis

Observing the 101st Annual National Coin Week

Sitting on these rolls for awhile now, I finally started going through them

Every April, numismatists across these United States observe National Coin Week. This year, we coin enthusiasts celebrate from April 21st to 27th.

Just the other day, while sifting through rolls of 1940s pennies I found a silver 25 öre coin from Sweden. Dated 1897, the obverse has the crowned monogram of King Oscar II surrounded by the three crowns of Sweden and the Royal Family’s motto “BRÖDRAFOLKENS VÄL” (the welfare of the brother peoples). Smooth edged, the reverse has the value (25 öre) within a laurel wreath with the date below. Not in great condition, someone punched a hole through it to make a pendant out of it.

The obverse

The reverse

A Look at the Morgan Library and Museum’s Ongoing 2023/2024 Exhibits (Part 3)

Coins from the Chalkis hoard, Greece, Chalkis, late 14th century

Considering the substandard state of New York City’s cultural institutions of late, our recent visit to the Morgan Library and Museum in Midtown Manhattan was a welcome breath of fresh air.

The five ongoing installations we took in, were not only interesting and enjoyable but impressive in quality and scope. An eclectic array of treasures, combining highlights from the Morgan’s permanent collection and prized loans, the exhibits included masterly works from Hieronymus Bosch, William Blake, and Fra Angelico, among many others.

Curated with the utmost professionalism, each gallery (working our way up from the lower level to the second floor) was better than the last. We highly recommend you go see them before they come to a close.

[See Part 1] [See Part 2]

Medieval Money, Merchants, and Morality November 10, 2023 through March 10, 2024

(L) Death and the Miser, oil on panel, The Netherlands,
Hertogenbosch, ca. 1485-90, Hieronymus Bosch. (R) Four-ducat
gold coin, Ferdinand and Isabella, Spain, Castille, 1497-1537 

Deathbed and Purgatory, "The Hours of Catherine of Cleves," illuminated
by the Master of Catherine of Cleves, the Netherlands, Utrecht, ca. 1440

(L) Avarice, limestone relief, France (central or Limousin), 1125-50.
(R) Dives and Lazarus, limestone capital, France, Burgundy,
Abbey Church of Mountiers-Saint-Jean (?), ca. 1150-60

Gerard of Villamagna Soliciting Alms for the Poor, Praying, and
Preaching, Vita Christi (Life of Christ), illuminated by Pacino
di Bonaguida and workshop, Italy, Florence, ca. 1300-25

(L) Portrait of a Man with a Pink Carnation, oil on panel, Netherlandish,
ca. 1475, Hans Memling. (R) Portrait of a Merchant, oil on oak,
Netherlandish, ca. 1530, Jan Gossaert

Gospel and Calling of St. Matthew, Book of Hours, France, Paris, ca. 1500

(L) St. Francis Renouncing His Worldly Goods, oil on panel, Belgium,
Antwerp (?), ca, 1500, Master of Augustine (?). (R) Joachim and Anna
Giving Food to the Poor and Offering to the Temple, oil on poplar,
Italy, Siena, ca. 1400-1405, Andrea di Bartolo

King Refusing Corporeal Delights, Avis aus roys
(Advice to Kings), France, Paris, ca. 1347-50

Detail King Refusing Corporeal Delights, Avis aus roys
(Advice to Kings), France, Paris, ca. 1347-50

(L) Last Supper, Gradual, illuminated by Silvestro dei Gherarducci, Italy, Florence, 1392-99. (R) Host Desecration Tale of 1290, France, Paris, 1530-40

St. Anthony Shunning the Mass of Gold, Italy, Florence,
ca. 1435-40, tempera on panel, Fra Angelico

(L) The Prodigal Son Amid Swine, Germany, Nurenberg, ca. 1496,
engraving, Albrecht Dürer. (R) Der Rychman (The Rich Man), from
Dance of Death, woodcut executed by Hans Lutzelburger, Germany,
designed 1523-26, published 1538, Hans Holbein the Younger 

Adoration of the Magi, Book of Hours, illuminated by the
workshop of Jean Bourdichon, France, Tours, ca. 1490

Alms box, brass, South Netherlands, 15th century

Punishment of Usurers, Dante Alighieri, Divina commedia
(Divine Comedy) Italy, Florence, 1345-55

Purse, iron and leather, Northern Europe, late 15th century

Merchant and King, Jacobus de Cessolis, Liber de moribus hominum et
officiis nobilium sive super ludo scracchorum (Book off the Customs of
Men and the Duties of Nobles, or The Book of Chess), in French,
translated by Jean de Vignay, France, probably Paris, 1350-60

Libro segreto biancho (White Confidential Book), account
ledger of Lanfredino Lanfredini, Italy, Florence, 1516

Boxed balance with weights, Germany, Cologne, 1699, produced
by Berndt Odental (weights) and Jacob Heuscher (balance) 

Gold angel, England, Henry VI, 1470, 1470-71

Gold royal d'or, France, Charles VII, ca. 1429-31

Silver double guldengroschen, Austria, Tyrol, Maximilian I, 1516

Silver penny, England, Henry VI, 1422-30

Billon blanc au K, France, Charles VII, 1431-35

Billon double tournois, France, Charles VII, ca. 1431