Provenance Information

Purchased by Harlan J. Berk of Chicago, Illinois from Gorny and Mosch, Munich, Germany, Auction 164, March 17, 2008, lot 235; purchased by the Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois in 2008.

Exhibition Information

The Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, October 3, 2008-present.

Publication Information

The Art Institute of Chicago, Annual Report 2008-2009 (posted on AIC web site), p. 20.

Section of the AAMD Guidelines relied upon for the exception to 1970

Cumulative facts and circumstances

Explain why the object fits the exception set forth above

The cumulative facts and circumstances known to the Art Institute of Chicago at the time of the acquisition allowed it to make an informed judgment to acquire the object. The date and circumstances of this coin’s discovery are not known. Ancient coins circulated widely and have been found within the present-day borders of many countries. Mr. Berk states that in approximately 1996, twelve years prior to his actual acquisition of the coin, a Pennsylvania dealer acting on behalf of an undisclosed collector offered to sell the same coin to him. In addition, this acquisition furthers the representation of the artistic achievements of all civilizations in art museums because it is a very early example of a coin bearing a profile portrait.