Alegandron

Tragically passed at too young an age of 45yo in '97...

Luceria

AES Grave

Anonymous 217-215 BCE

Uncia 7.35g

Frog

-Corn Ear pellet retrograde L

T-V 285

LOL, I thought this would be appropriate for Fulvia...

😄

RImp

Marc Antony 43 BCE

AR Quinarius

13mm 1.67g

Lugdunum

Winged bust Victory-probly Fulvia

Lion DVNI LVGV

Cr 489-5 Syd 1160

Syracuse Tyrant Gelon 458-478 BCE AR Tet 24mm 16.7g Slow Biga Victory  Arethusa 4 dolphins Sear-Greek 914

3 hours ago, JeandAcre said:

@Alegandron, going back to the mid-'60's, when I was that low to the ground, my mom used to sing me that song.  I literally grew up assuming it was a folk song, with connotations of, say, Odetta.  Wow.  Thanks for the enlightenment!  A really solid RR, by the way, single-handedly justifying the earlier types, before the designs started going all over the place in the next century.  (Cf. esp. @DonnaML's Favorites of 2023 thread.)

Ditto about my mother singing that to me when I was a wee lad, too.  Good memories.

RR Saturninus 104 BC Roma Saturn hldng Sickle Quad 2 dots-V S 193 Cr 317-3a var

On 12/31/2023 at 2:08 PM, Heliodromus said:

I wonder how these beasts were actually used, and what their purchasing power was? They seem unpracticably heavy to be carrying around on the off-chance you want to spend one ... more for a pre-planned payment perhaps ? More bullion than coin ?

 

 

In the case of the Carthage 15 Shekel coin, I found this info… 

Hannibal issued it (after losing to Scipio at Zama), when he was organizing Carthage's finances after the 2nd Punic War. Hannibal was scrambling to pay the massive Roman War indemnities. 

I like to personally call these very scarce coins the ZAMA since no one truly knows what they were called at the time.

These were probly produced to ship to Rome, then they (Roma) may had melted them down to convert into their currency.

My thoughts.

But with all these honkin' big-as coins from Egypt, I still enjoy my baby DiChalkon from Trajan:

RI Trajan Egypt AE Dichalkon Laureate hd L Rhinoceros walking L LI-Z yr 17 CE 113-114 12.9mm 1.25g Emmet 719 var. rhino right

This one gives me a chuckle:

Ptolemy II issues an Obol at 6.7g...

Egypt Ptolemy II 285-274 BC AE Obol 20mm 6.7g  Alex III Eagle Tbolt Plain SV 601

Then, ole Ptolemy III has to one-up him with one at 10 times larger -  67g...

Egypt Ptolemy III AE Tet 41mm 7.2mm thick 67.5g Zeus Ammon Eagle Cornucopia XP Chi-Rho

North Africa:  Carthaginian Empire

my largest stamped / hammered coin


Carthage
201-175 BCE
Æ, 15 Shekels
45 mm 7.5 mm thick. 102g
Wreathed Tanit
Horse Uraeus above.
MAA 104 SNG Cop 400

Arabia Felix Himyarite AR Quinarius 2nd C CE Head torque Head South Arabian script Ref Munro-Hay 3-25

Wow, she still got it!

Apulia Luceria AE Quincunx 26mm 14.75g- Spoked Wheel 250-217 BCE Athena-Wheel Grose 443  HN Italy 678 SNG ANS 699

42 minutes ago, Sulla80 said:

I don't find it easy to pick a favorite, but pushed I would have to choose @Alegandron's Marsic coin....or this one from my collection of Brutus and his tyrannicidal relatives from 54 BC Roman Republic.

https://www.sullacoins.com/post/an-ancient-coin-for-independence-day

Thank you. Marsic Confederation denarii are just cool.

We share the same like of Tyranicidal Family coins…

BRUTUS:

Roman Republic
AR Denarius
BRVTVS / AHALA
Struck by the famous Marcus Junius Brutus when he was moneyer in 54 BCE
Obv: Bust of L. Junius Brutus, the Consul of 509 BC
Rev: Bust of C. Servilius Ahala, master of horse, 439 BC.
Ref:Sear 398. Crawford 433/2. Junia 1

I laughed when I ran across this ditty-song from my childhood... it reminded me of a coin or two of mine:

"Look what they've done to my COIN, Ma !"

RR  

Clodius Pulcher T Mallius

AR Den 111-110 BCE

ERROR Flipover Double-Strike

Roma  Triga

Cr 299-1b S 176

Another hard to find niche.  These are from the descendants of the Empire before Rome... in fact Rome was just a village that were a part of Rasenna.

20-Asses: (Similar to a Roman AR Didrachm / Heavy Denarius)

Etruria, Populonia
3rd Century BC
Silver 20-Asses
8.1g, ovoid 16.6mm x 20mm
Obv: Facing head of Metus, hair bound with a diadem, X:X below
Rev: blank
Sambon 47; HN Italy 152


10-Asses: (Similar to a Roman AR Denarius)

Etruria Populonia
AR 10 Asses 20mm 4.21g
211-206 BC
Obv: Male Hd
Rev: Blank
die break


5-Asses: (Similar to a Roman AR Quinarius)

ETRURIA, POPULONIA.
Etruria Populonia
AR 5 Asses 2.0g
3rd C BCE
Obv: Young Head L, V (denomination) behind
Rev: blank
HN 173 Vecchi Rasna III 52 ex NAC 29 No 9 RARE

2-1/2 Asses: (Similar to a Roman AR Sestertius)

2-½ asses , AR 0.85 g
3rd century BC
Obv: Radiate female head r.; behind, CII.
Rev: Blank.
Ref: EC 104 (misdescribed, Female head with an Attic helmet). Historia Numorum Italy 179.
NAC Comment: Of the highest rarity, apparently only the second specimen known. Dark patina and about very fine.
Ex: From the collection of E.E. Clain-Stefanelli


1-As: (Similar to a Roman AR - nothing - only Bronze in Roman Currency)

Etruria Populonia
AR 1 As 0.60g 10.0mm
after 211 BCE
Obv: Male Head Left
Rev: Plain Rev
Ref: Vecchi 3 68-70 HN Italy 181
Seller/Auction comment: EXTREMELY RARE

ETRURIA Rasenna, Fufluna, (Etruria, Populonia) ...

Sorry for being a smart-A in my prior post, but I do love Ginger Snaps. 

I really enjoy collecting critical junctures in Human History, enabling me to explore cool coin niches… had Rome lost this war both Politically (they lost) and Militarily (they won), Rome may not had arisen as a SuperPower… always debatable.  However, this war created the only Non-Roman Denarii… they are very hard to get, and are really cool to me.

I collect other tough Ancient Coin Niches that I really enjoy equally as much as these…

MARSIC CONFEDERATION (Social War 90-88 BCE)

Marsic Confederation
Denarius 89 BCE
Obv: Italia
Rev: Italia seated shields, -victory crowning, In Ex: retro B
Corfinium Mint
Campana 105 HN Italy 412a
Sear 228 RARE



Marsic Confederation / Italian Allies
Social War 90-88 BCE
AR Denarius
19x17.9mm, 3.7g
Anonymous Issue, Corfinium Mint
Obv: Italia head, l, ITALIA behind
Rev: Oath-taking scene with eight warriors, four on each side, pointing their swords towards a sacrificial pig, which is held by an attendant kneeling at the foot of a standard. - Binding the Marsi, Picentines, Paeligni, Marrucini, Vestini, Frentani, Samnites, and Hirpini Tribes into the Marsic Confederation against Rome during the Social War
Comment: The reverse is based on the gold Stater and Half-Stater from the Second Punic War, and the Ti Viturius denarius...
Sear 227 SYD 621 SCARCE



Marsic Confederation
AR Denarius
Bovianum(?) mint, 89 BCE.
3.93g, 20mm, 3h
Obv: Laureate head of Italia left, VITELIA = ITALIA in Oscan script
Rev: Soldier standing facing, head right, foot on uncertain object, holding inverted spear and sword, recumbent bull to right facing; retrograde B in exergue.
Ref: Campana 122 (same dies); HN Italy 407
Ex: Eucharius Collection.
Ex: Roma Auction 11, Lot 607

@David AthertonWow! and huge congrats on your ICON of a coin!  Super capture!

This is a tough one.  I make virtually every one of my coins my favorite...

Here is one:

Tongue in cheek...

SELJUQ OF RUM Kaykhusraw II  1236-1245 AR dirham Siwas AH 639 A-1218 lion sunface star L

Roman Republic
C POBLICIUS Q f 80 BCE
AR Denarius serratus 3.94g Rome mint
Flan weight control gouge reverse (Stannard al marco Scoop)
Hercules strangling Nemean lion, club, quiver
Craw 380-1 Syd 768

RR Julius Caesar AR Denarius 49 BCE Traveling Mint Elephant trampling snake-Pontificates Sear 1399 Craw 443-1

Persia Achaemenid Type IV Artaxerxes II to Daris III 375-336 BCE AR siglos 15.2mm 5.45g running daggar bow incuse BMC 172ff rev

Thessaly AR Stater Double Victoriatus 21mm 5.7g 50 BCE Zeus - Athena Itonia spear shield RR Prov. SNG Cop 299var

Cool remake...

Bruttium AE 17 Semuncia 214-211 2nd Punic Nike Zeus Biga Carthage

29 minutes ago, jdmKY said:

@CPK - I don’t know if this is Panzerman - quality, but here’s your lifetime silver and posthumous gold:

 
 

Those are KILLER! Great coins!

And a huge awesome congrats @CPK !  Wow on that capture!

11 hours ago, Limes said:

Thank you! This was at the time, my most expensive purchase. It was before the covid pandemic and the influx of new collectors, which made it a bargain compared to prices these days. Coincidentally i had some postal issues too. At the office, someone had placed the package in 'return' bin, even though it had arrived at that same day. So it had gone back to the sender when I wanted to pick it up. Luckily, all went well, the seller had received it and shipped it again. 

When dating these issues, I like to use the great overview made by @Alegandron. I hope.he's ok with me using it here. 

RRC 480/1, Buca - January
RRC 480/2, DICT QVART - early February
RRC 480/3/4/5, CAESAR IMP - late February
RRC 480/6/7/8/9/10/11/12/13/14, DICT PERPETVO - early to mid March
RRC 480/17/18, CAESAR IMPER - late March
RRC 480/19/20, PARENS PATRIAE - April
RRC 480/15/16, MARIDIANVS - April
RRC 480/21/22, CLEMENTIAE CAESARIS and Mark Antony - April

Thanks @Limes
 

GAIVS IVLIVS CAESAR

Minted Last TWO Weeks of his life...


Roman Imperiatorial
Julius Caesar Lifetime
P Sepullius Macer
AR Denarius, 1st 2 weeks-Mar 44 BCE, 19 mm, 4.03g.
Obv: CAESAR – DICT PERPETVO Veiled and wreathed head of Caesar R.
Rev: P·SEPVLLIVS – MACER Venus standing l., holding Victory and sceptre resting on star.
Ref: Syd 1074a Sear Imperators 107e Crawford 480-14 Rare

- minted in last two weeks of his reign, or two weeks before he was assassinated.
- veiled, as he held the offce of Pontifex Maximus for several years, and that office was very important to him personally.
- wreathed... just short of being king... big no-no
- DICT PERPETVO - yeah, he was a king... so Roman Republic inherently and culturally hated kings.
- fairly difficult to capture with the star on reverse
- reasonably centered with most/all devices and legends (this is not as important to me cuz its numismatic vs the intrinsic Historical impact.)

Alföldi arranges Crawford 480 series coins in (44 BC) month order as follows:

RRC 480/1, Buca - January
RRC 480/2, DICT QVART - early February
RRC 480/3/4/5, CAESAR IMP - late February
RRC 480/6/7/8/9/10/11/12/13/14, DICT PERPETVO - early to mid March
RRC 480/17/18, CAESAR IMPER - late March
RRC 480/19/20, PARENS PATRIAE - April
RRC 480/15/16, MARIDIANVS - April
RRC 480/21/22, CLEMENTIAE CAESARIS and Mark Antony - April