Harry G

Mine has to be my exceptionally rare VICT GAL AVG antoninianus of Gallienus, with the bust wearing a lion skin on the obverse. Bust type unpublished by MIR (and everywhere else, for that matter).

I have only seen one other come up for sale (by CNG), that was in worse condition, and in bronze rather than silver.

Proof that good things do turn up on eBay once in a while 😄

Very nice coin!

I don't have a Volusian as Caesar, but I do have a Hostilian as Augustus.

This is from Rome mint, which appears to be scarcer than the Antioch issue, and is scarcer still with the shortened obverse legend.

Nice example, and great pedigree! Here are a few of my Quintillus ants.

FIDES MILITVM (Cyzicus)

VICTORIA AVG (Rome)

And a bunch of other miscellaneous other Rome types with terrible pictures (will take better ones soon) 

Here's one of my UK hoard coins. I was supposed to post it on this thread ages ago, but it looks like I forgot. Oops.

Probus Antoninianus, Lugdunum - TEMPR (sic!) FELICI. Ex. Linchmere Hoard (1924)

This coin was actually misdescribed in the hoard report, as having the correct TEMPOR FELICI spelling. However, the auction provenance I've found for it proves it's from The Linchmere Hoard. https://www.lawrences.co.uk/sales/fine-art-sales/fc270521/view-lot/888/

Hi all!

I recently saw this coin turn up on eBay. I didn't win it - I thought my max bid was pretty high, but it went for a lot more than what I was willing to pay. However, I'm intrigued as to what it is, so I was wondering what some of the thoughts of the other members here are on it.

Apologies if you bought this coin, and I'm making this post about it first!

The coin appears to be horribly overcleaned and scratched up, with potential BD.

The reverse legend appears to be clasped hands (by no means unknown for a Carausius ant), although the legend seems to be VXIAV, with what may be an MXXI in exergue (upside down, so the legend may be AVIXV instead, but with the "mintmark" above???). I know Carausius like his Virgil quotations (RSR and INPCDA), so maybe this is referencing something like that.

Alternatively, it may just be barbarous. The style of the reverse is certainly crude, with the clasped hands not as styalized as they are on CONCORDIA MIL[IT] and similar examples. The obverse (or what remains of it) does look official to me though.

The seller has been known to sell reproduction coins, sometimes described as fake, other times not. However, I see nothing wrong with this coin, apart from the obvious condition issue.

As this Carausius antoninianus isn't mine, I feel obliged to share one of my own unpublished examples. This is an antoninianus I won for around £20 on eBay several years ago. It is barbarous, and I contacted Sam Moorhead from the British Museum about it - the "mintmark" is certainly unusual!

Better pictures coming soon (coin is nicer in hand).

Any opinions on the first coin (or mine!) would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks!

Thanks for your help, everyone! I didn't realise it was still being printed.

Could someone that has a copy possibly send me a picture of a random page or two (either by DM or posting here)? I'd just like to see if it is something my GCSE German can work out before I spend ~£100 on it!

2 hours ago, Al Kowsky said:

Harry, Those are interesting coins 😊. That is the first Gordian III fouree' I've seen 😲!

They seem to be a little uncommon, but there are many more out there (ALL of which with a nicer obverse :D). The reverse is actually unknown for all Gordian III antoninianii, so the die used was probably copied from a Maximinus type, or maybe a later Philip II type.

I actually saw one other on eBay about a month ago (Gordian III fouree, PRINICIPI IVVENTVTIS reverse), but I forgot to bid, and it went unsold 😞

A fouree antoninianus of Gordian III, PRINICIPI IVVENTVTIS reverse

And Tetricus I wasn't the youthful prince the reverse legend makes him out to be!

Hi all!

As an antoninianus collector, I often see references in auction catalogues to MIR (the reference book primarily for Gallienus and Salonina). However, I can't find anywhere online to access it (like RIC, ric.mom etc.) - or any mention of it for that matter (apart from the auctions)

Is the only way to browse MIR to own a copy of the book, or is there a website/download for it like RIC?

Obligatory post of some random Gallienus and Salonina coins of mine.

Thanks!

On 6/23/2022 at 11:49 AM, Egry said:

I have an opportunity to buy this, I’m by far an expert in this denomination. Any thoughts from the experts?

Theodosius II, Eastern Augustus of the Theodosian Dynasty 402-450 AD, Silver ‘Light’ Miliarense (4.34g, 23mm), Constantinople mint 408-423 AD. 
 

Sear-21172; RIC-370; RSC-20a

@Egry I was researching a different coin, and stumbled across the exact same coin you posted. It was sold in Roma Auction XIX

https://www.romanumismatics.com/253-lot-978-theodosius-ii-ar-miliarense?arr=0&auction_id=0&box_filter=0&cat_id=&department_id=&exclude_keyword=&export_issue=0&gridtype=listview&high_estimate=0&image_filter=0&keyword=Miliarense&list_type=list_view&lots_per_page=100&low_estimate=0&month=&page_no=1&paper_filter=0&search_type=&sort_by=lot_number&view=lot_detail&year=

Woah, awesome coin! Here is my common Philip I example, commemorating Rome's 1000th anniversary

1 hour ago, Orange Julius said:

You know what’s really cool about that coin that nobody has noticed? Look at that obverse legend again, it’s not IMP CLAVDIVS AVG. The legend actually appears to be DIVO CLAVDIO! Whether official or an imitation I’m not sure and haven’t looked into but this coin was minted after Claudius’ death. I’d look into DIVO CLAVDIO coins with an LAETITIA AVG reverse and see what you find. The bust looks official enough to me… so maybe a DIVO C obverse paired with a Quintillus reverse? 
 

Edit.. addition: http://numismatics.org/ocre/id/ric.5.cg.277

 

I noticed that too :D. Nice find @thenickelguy!

Here are a few of my DIVO CLAVDIO coins with lifetime reverses (including a LAETITIA AVG example like the OP coin)

LAETITIA AVG

FELICITAS AVG

PAX AVGVSTI

SECVRIT AVG

Here are a couple of my defaced Roman coins. Both are serrated.

Aurelian & Vabalathus (nicer in hand)

Maximinus II (blue stuff removed since photo)

Here's my rare ADVENTVS follis of Constantine, with the bust left holding spear and shield!

Good ol' Carausius

And Vabalathus

1 hour ago, Lhevae said:

Coins of Gallienus and Salonina from Smyrna (SPQR mintmark) are all rare, known to a few specimens only, many types and variants unlisted in the main references, and many collectors are after them, making the prices high. 

I was actually the first bid on that SPQR Salonina (although my bid of 10EUR was more to get the email notification of the lot coming up rather than an attempt to win it!). It's a very nice coin, and doubtless one of the finest of the type.

I've actually seen 3 other SPQR Saloninas come up for sale in the last 6 months or so, all sold in group lots by Roma. I bid on all of them, but didn't win any. As my budget as increased since they cam up for sale, I seriously regret not bidding more on them.

https://www.romanumismatics.com/258-lot-1417-lot-of-20-roman-imperial-bi-coins?arr=0&auction_id=158&box_filter=0&cat_id=&department_id=&exclude_keyword=&export_issue=0&gridtype=listview&high_estimate=0&image_filter=0&keyword=&list_type=list_view&lots_per_page=100&low_estimate=0&month=&page_no=0&paper_filter=0&search_type=&sort_by=lot_number&view=lot_detail&year=

Bottom right, FORTVNA AVG. Sold for £380. Very nice obverse, reverse has some deposits, and SPQR barely visible

https://www.romanumismatics.com/259-lot-2021-lot-of-20-roman-imperial-bi-coins?arr=0&auction_id=159&box_filter=0&cat_id=&department_id=&exclude_keyword=&export_issue=0&gridtype=listview&high_estimate=0&image_filter=0&keyword=&list_type=list_view&lots_per_page=100&low_estimate=0&month=&page_no=0&paper_filter=0&search_type=&sort_by=lot_number&view=lot_detail&year=

Another FORTVNA AVG example that only reached £240

https://www.romanumismatics.com/260-lot-1789-lot-of-20-late-roman-a-coins?arr=0&auction_id=160&box_filter=0&cat_id=&department_id=&exclude_keyword=&export_issue=0&gridtype=listview&high_estimate=0&image_filter=0&keyword=&list_type=list_view&lots_per_page=100&low_estimate=0&month=&page_no=0&paper_filter=0&search_type=&sort_by=lot_number&view=lot_detail&year=

This is the one I regret not bidding on most, as it went for "very cheap" at £110 (ok, still expensive for a Salonina). I would have bid a lot more on this, but I had just spent around £500 on a different auction for coins to sell on eBay, so I couldn't justify it then. It's a SALVS AVG example, and obviously from a different hoard than the other two. On the bright side, one of the coins I bought instead was my Alexius and John Asen trachy in a group lot for £1 a coin, that has since been sent to auction (ironically Roma).

Anyway, to fit with the theme of this thread, here are a couple of my silvered Gallienus antoninianii!

Pictures formatted weirdly to avoid my photo quality looking terrible.

VICT GAL AVG - an extremely rare type, possibly with the bust wearing a lion skin. This coin is infinitely nicer in hand than my photo suggests (better ones coming soon), with the deposits being much less pronounced, the coin being less shiny, and the surface not as rough as it looks.

Gallienus - PROVIDENTIA AVGG

Gallienus - VIRTVS AVG / SPQR. Not silvered, but I feel it fits well in this thread!

Gallienus - TIA AVG TIA AVG (Error). Shown multiple times before, but it's one of my cooler coins, so you may be seeing it often 😄

Gallienus - ABVNDANTIA AVG

Victory does so many different activities!

Trampling captives...

Holding wreaths...

Spelling the rest of the reverse legend wrong...

Very cool! I like this idea (and great name too, by the way).

A small suggestion: Would it be possible to add different currencies? I think most of the members here are in the US, but I know a bunch of people (myself included) aren't

Very cool coins here! I have a couple of errors

Gallienus - Flip over double strike. Gives the unusual legend "TIA AVG TIA AVG"

Gallienus brockage antoninianus, Milan mint

Here's one of my rarest antoninianii of Gallienus. It has the standard AETERNITAS AVG from Antioch mint, but omits the PXV in exergue.

Hi all!

I just thought I'd share a new coin of mine that came in a few days ago from Demos. It's in ok awful condition, and the type is pretty interesting.

At first glance, it appears to be a regular CONCORDIA AVGG type from Antioch, however the engraver decided to salute CONCORIDIA instead.

Interestingly, this is my second antoninianus of Salonina with a spelling error - this is my Rome mint antoninianus, celebrating the famous goddess VENS.

Please show me some splling erroors!

I'm a big fan of Smyrna ants, and am trying to collect as many as possible. I'm still searching for a reasonably priced Salonina SPQR (I saw one in a previous Roma auction, but missed out because I wanted to buy a couple of other lots).

Anyway, here are the ones I currently own

Claudius II - P M TR PO P P (Wolf & Twins). Doubtless the scarcest of the bunch.

Claudius II - ROMAE AETERNAE. The same type as @seth77's example.

Claudius II - SALVS AVG. Unusually, this one is fully silvered. Annoying green tint from when I photographed it that isn't really there on the coin (unfortunately, the green deposits are very real).

Gallienus - VIRTVS AVG. My only SPQR ant of Gallienus, bought for cheap somehow misdescribed as Roman Provincial on eBay.

I also own a couple of "SPQR but probably not Smyrna types", most likely minted in Cyzicus rather than Smyrna:

Claudius II - PAX AETERNA AVG

Claudius II - VICTORIAE GOTHIC

Claudius II - VICTORIAE GOTHIC (this time with bust left)

Claudius II - VIRTVS AVG

28 minutes ago, Curtisimo said:

I think you may be looking for something like the “Post it and Pick it” thread started by @Ryro

see below for link:

 

I didn't see that one. Thanks for pointing it out 😄

Hi all!

Coin talk has "The Coin Game" (member posts coin and asks for someone to post something related), and Forvm has (or had, I think that thread's long buried) the RIC game (member posts coin with RIC number 1, someone responds with number 2 etc.), and I feel like this forum needs something similar.

Any ideas?

I don't collect Roman Republic denarii (so this'll probably end up on eBay soon), but it came in a large lot I bought recently, and I think it fits the bill :D