Alchemy discussion forum > Request for information > Help required > Another Voarchadumia query: Fionus
Alchemy discussion forum > Request for information > Help required > Another Voarchadumia query: Fionus |
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Paul Ferguson Member 
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Another query in this very strange book. Discussing weights and measures, Panteo refers to something that might be a coin or a unit of measurement that he calls the Fionus: 'Circumspecti negotiatores in Fionis, non superficiem, sed clausam substantiam inquirunt.' 'Circumspect traders in Fioni enquire not into the surface but the concealed substance.' 'Rubus item 20 Marcarum, hoc signo exprimitur ad Fionos autem 68 et quod 1 Fioni pro qualibet Marca in Auro.' 'Similarly a rubus is 20 marcae. With this sign is indicated however 68 fioni, 1 fionus being equivalent to any 1 gold marca.' One of the woodcuts is entitled 'Aequo fionos' ('I press out the fioni') and shows a cutting-press cutting out what seem to be coins, see illustration bottom-right here: http://www.newcomen.com/excerpts/metallurgy/index.htm The only reference I can find to this on the Internet is in Sherwood Taylor's lecture on the Voarchadumia delivered to the Newcomen Society. He says he couldn't find out anything about it and took it to mean the same as Florin. Is there a numismatist in the house? Paul Last edited on Wed Nov 25th, 2009 04:49 pm by Paul Ferguson |
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Alan Pritchard Guest
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The only current author who has written on coins & medals I know of is Vladimir Karpenko. Might be worth contacting him. Alan |
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Paul Ferguson Member
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Alan Pritchard wrote:The only current author who has written on coins & medals I know of is Vladimir Karpenko. Might be worth contacting him. Thanks, I will try him. Zupko's very comprehensive book about Italian weights and measures is available on-line, but does not seem to shed any light: http://books.google.com/books?id=IgoNAAAAIAAJ&pg=PR29&lpg=PR29&dq=Italian+weights+and+measures+from+the+Middle+Ages+to+the+nineteenth+century+By+Ronald+Edward+Zupko&source=bl&ots=714xhPEUI9&sig=awqP4BWdkGuA8S2qNX8nsXf86KI&hl=en&ei=7GsNS5mrKouJ4AbgyKWRBA&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CAgQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=&f=false |
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Paul Ferguson Member
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I have just tracked down a translation into German of Panteo's text (by Johann Schaubert, Magdeburg, 1600). There's a copy in the Wellcome so I may be able to refer to this and solve the mystery, Paul |
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