by Ursula Kampmann
November 28, 2013 – I have to admit that I had to consult the ever so wise Wikipedia to learn who is Scarlett Marie Johansson. The only film with her that appeared vaguely familiar to me was ‘The Horse Whisperer’ from 1998. In the meantime the then 14-year-old girl was chosen Sexiest Woman alive making her body thus the perfect advertising surface for numismatics.
And indeed, and she should receive an Academy Award of numismatics for that, recently she appeared at the eighth Rome Film Festival in a Dolce & Gabbana dress all over adorned with ancient coins. Unfortunately they were no originals but slightly altered images of Greek coins probably taken from an ancient copperplate print.
However, this means already being fussy! At least, on the dress there were coins! And we should not be annoyed because some well-informed journalists called this dress full of Greek coins ‘Roman inspired.’ Today, a good educational background is no longer required of journalists, anyway.
To see the dress (and Ms Johansson) from all sides, click here and here.
This was neither the first nor the only ‘coin dress’ by Dolce & Gabbana. If you scroll down on this page, you will see a mass of fake looking gold coins.
And here is a marvellous belt of Syracusan coins.
And those who don’t want to spend so much money might go for this enchanting blouse, although you may recognise the Syracusan decadrachm only at a tenth glance.
PS. Thanks go to our reader from Cologne, Mr Hermann Twiehaus, who brought this wonderful topic to our attention! And no, Mr Twiehaus, I won’t buy a Dolce & Gabbana coin dress for the forthcoming Numismatic Congress in Taormina.