IBM Systems Magazine, Mainframe - January/February 2014 - 40

STOP RUN
Heads and TALES
Coin collecting and history fascinate mainframe strategist

W

hat started with a paperboy's pocket change
has evolved into a historic coin collection for
Paul DiMarzio. The IBM mainframe strategist's
collection contains several thousand pieces-more than
300 of which were minted by the Roman Empire in the third
and fourth centuries in Londinium, modern-day London.
"Like many kids growing up
in the '60s and '70s, I started
collecting from my pocket
change," DiMarzio recalls. "I had
a paper route, so I always had
a lot of change to sort through,
and you could still find the
occasional goodie.
"After some time off, I picked
up the hobby again in 1999
when I thought it might be a
good idea to hold a little gold to
profit from the Y2K craziness,"
he continues. "Holding coins
once more reignited the passion,
and I got back into it-first
building a nice U.S. set, but then
moving into ancients."
What is it about numismatics-
the study and collection of
currency-that attracted
DiMarzio? "There are two sides
to the coin-no pun intended,"
he says. "For one, building a
collection satisfies the need to
work toward a goal. But more
importantly, currency provides a
tangible connection to the past."
DiMarzio's interest in
Londinium-minted coins started
by chance-though again it

40 // JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2014 ibmsystemsmag.com

had its roots in his youth.
"I've always been fond of old
England, through stories from my
childhood such as King Arthur
and Robin Hood. Having had
the opportunity to travel there
a few times, I assembled a nice
collection with some pieces
dating back to George III."
Then, DiMarzio came across a
reference to silver pennies, which
were commonly used in England
more than a millennium ago. His
research found that the silver
penny was a direct descendant
of the Roman denarius from
the era when much of Britannia
was part of the empire. Small
bronze coins, called folles, were
also minted in Londinium. "The
attraction of owning something
minted by the Romans in London
during the third and fourth
centuries was too powerful-and
I was hooked," he says.
DiMarzio's favorite pieces come
with a history lesson. In 297,
Constantius, the Caesar of the
western provinces of the empire,
successfully invaded Britannia,
defeating a usurper named

At top, mainframe strategist Paul DiMarzio
stands by the statue of Constantine the
Great outside the York Minster cathedral in
York, England. The location is widely believed
to be where Constantine was ﬁrst declared
emperor by the troops upon his father
Constantius' death. Above is a front and
back view of a LON, minted after Constantius
re-established his rule over Britannia in 297.

Allectus. Upon reestablishing rule
of the empire, Constantius used
Allectus' mint to strike the first
official coinage in the names of
Rome's four tetrarchic rulers. "It's
a highly prized issue due to its
historical significance and the fact
that it's the only coinage to use
the mintmark 'LON,' " he adds. "I
have two of the four in the set!"
The open-ended aspect of
ancient coin collecting fuels
his passion for numismatics,
DiMarzio explains. "There are
new finds, and new scholarship
is produced all the time. It's
a collection that can't ever be
completed for certain, so the fun
never ends!"

IMAGES COURTESY OF (TOP) PAUL DIMARZIO (BOTTOM) SPINK & SON

Mike Westholder
is a former managing editor of IBM
Systems Magazine,
Mainframe edition.
http://www.ibmsystemsmag.com
IBM Systems Magazine, Mainframe - January/February 2014

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