Orange Julius

Great coins in this thread! I don’t think i have a Salonina with Pudicitia, so instead I’ll show off a coin for a different reason. Salonina’s looks (along with everyone else of the era) are often hidden behind the artistic style of the time. Finding a realistic looking portrait of her can be challenging. Of all of my Salonina coins, this is one of my favorites due to the beautiful and relatively realistic depiction.

Great coin @thenickelguy! Here’s mine.

I like Alexandrian coins, even these later ones and have lots of Diocletian coins. Below are a few more that I like.

Then one more by Diocletian from Alexandria but minted just after they switched over to folles rather than tetradrachms.

3 minutes ago, thenickelguy said:

Well, thank you very much Orange, does No 2. look to be a "contemporary copy" to you?

That’s a tough one as the style looks close to official, the legends look to be what you’d expect… but as your description notes, a coin diverging significantly from the normal size and weight from an official mint product could be an imitation. The line between official and copy gets really blurry at the end of the Gallic emperors (Tetricus) as official mint standards were down and coins varied greatly in size, weight, engraving quality. With these, sometimes whether official or imitation can’t be determined with certainty … and I think this is the case with your coin too.

4 minutes ago, thenickelguy said:

What a contemporary copy means exactly, I don't know?

No 1. Tetricus I, Gallic emperor 271-274

 

IMP C TETRICVS PF AVG, Draped and radiate bust right
PAX AVG, Pax holding olive branch and scepter
RIC 100

Gaius Pius Esuvius Tetricus, (flourished 3rd century), rival Roman emperor in Gaul from 271 to 274.

Tetricus was a Gallic noble related to the usurping ruler of Gaul, Victorinus, and to Victorinus’ mother, Victoria. Upon the murder of Victorinus, Tetricus, who was governor of Aquitania, was proclaimed emperor, apparently backed by the influence and money of Victoria. During his short and nominal reign, the monetary inflation of the 3rd century reached its peak. Gaul experienced extensive invasions by Germanic tribes, and Tetricus was threatened by successive mutinies. When the emperor Aurelian (reigned 270–275) appeared in Gaul with an army, Tetricus concluded a private treaty with him and then deserted to him during the Battle of Châlons-sur-Marne (274; now Châlons-en-Champagne, in France). Aurelian forced Tetricus to march in his triumph and then pardoned him and appointed him governor of southern Italy.

No 2. Tetricus I, Gallic emperor 271-274

 

IMP C TETRICVS PF AVG, Draped and radiate bust right
PAX AVG, Pax holding olive branch and scepter
RIC 100
Very nice portrait with an attractive patina on a severely reduced flan. May be a very good quality contemporary copy.

Tetricus I Emperor of the Gallic Empire reign 271–274 AD

Gaius Pius Esuvius Tetricus, (flourished 3rd century), rival Roman emperor in Gaul from 271 to 274.
 

A contemporary copy is simply a coin made about the same time (or perhaps a bit later but still ancient) as those from official mints but made to fill the need for small change lacking in their geographic area. Usually the style is a giveaway that a coin is not from an official mint. Some are quite well done and could nearly pass for official mint products, while others stick out as copies due to nonsensical legends, different engraving style or differing flan attributes.

12 hours ago, Tejas said:

 

In the middle ages, people also used avatars, but called them "coats of arms". I use my family's coat of arms as avatar.

I just migrated here from CT after finding out that many other regular forum members have made that move. 

I collect Roman coins (Empire, with emphasis on 3rd and 4th century)

Coins of the Germanic kingdoms (Ostrogoths, Vandals, Visigoths and the like)

Coins of medieval Russia (1000 - 1600)

Coins of the Teutonic Order of Knights (13th to early 16th century)

 

 

 

Welcome Tejas! Good to see you here. I always enjoy your posts as my interests seem to be similar to yours… but you have nicer coins! 

I think that you’re right that a library of introductory books isn’t as necessary as it was in the past. There are just so many good online sources of information these days. So, I’d recommend skipping the beginner or generalist books (Sear, Sayles, etc.). Where books still shine as valuable resources is when you have a particular interest or focus. If you like Constantinian London mint coins, there’s a great resource in “The London Mint of Constantius & Constantine” by Cloke and Toone. If you like Alexandrian coins, books by Milne and Emmett are great resources. There are many more examples for focuses like Roman Republic, Gallienus, Gallic emperors… and so on… that are essential to finding up to date information on these subjects.

Now… on my advice above… I’ve done the opposite of what I suggest. I have all of the books that I think you could skip. I love books and love thumbing through them, but have found I only use these generalist books very occasionally and only because sometimes I just want to kick back with a book. 

Anyway, unless you just like spending money and/or collecting heavy things you don’t use… I’d find a few interests first, and get some books specializing on those areas.

12 hours ago, rNumis said:

Hi @Restitutor. Any thoughts on a new  literature forum? 

Many thanks, and for creating this site in general.

Steve

I think a literature sub forum would be great! It would be nice to have not only a place to read reviews on available books/resources but also for members to share where there may be a wealth of online literature (an example: all DOC (Byzantine) volumes are available online).

Here’s a few of mine.

Stag:

 

Gazelles: 

I think this one is a doe:

 

…all of which are food for my Tigress!

Sometimes it’s not just the hair but the whole package, hair, mustache, sideburns! Quintillus’ superior style comes through even on the coins of the period.

Gotta love the Beatles mop top on Magnentius too!

What about glorious mullets?!

4 minutes ago, Heliodromus said:

OK, so I found the watch .. by Bulgari.

I suppose if I had a spare 450,000 CHF I could buy it and "deslab" it. 🙄

Yeah that’s awful. We need a group like PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) for ancient coins… PETAC! Go into fancy watch shops and free ancient coins back to their optimal habitat (my house). 😬

Randomly selected! I bought this coin because not only was it a beautiful example of the type but it was also only $22 all in shipped. 

Elaiussa-Sebaste, Cilicia. AE unit. 100-1 BC. 

Bearded head of Zeus right, hair bound in a taenia. KI behind head

ELAIOYSIWN, Nike walking left, holding wreath, NA (resembles NK) and NE monograms in left field. 

Ziegler Kilikien 559-560; Imhoof Elaius 3 in RSN 7-8; SNG Levante 828; SNG Pfalz 443; SNG von Aulock 6090.

Here’s a late Paleoindian / early archaic (8-10k BC) atlatl dart point that looks very much like @Al Kowsky’s above. I found this in Iowa in 2016 hiking around a river valley. It had eroded out of a hillside and had washed down onto a sandy area near the water. I was very excited to find it. I can’t find Roman coins where I live, but arrowheads, spearpoints and hand axes are occasionally still found if you keep your eyes open.

20 minutes ago, Roman Collector said:

Have you seen this? It's an old website with our domain name and it redirects to here!

Whoever was running that Twitter page was presenting themselves as someone with some ancient coin knowledge… but was buying really bad fake coins by the bucketload on eBay! Haha… oh no… 

Here’s my two from Amiens(Ambianum). I always say that I wish I could combine the best features from each into one coin! 

Combine the obverse of coin 1, the reverse of coin 2, with the visible mint mark of coin 1!

Yes, great work on pulling this together, it looks great!

...Although I will miss the mystery that comes with being a member of something called K321387... 

I have one of these that looks to be nearly all bronze… including the bronze disease. 

Anyway, what makes this one special is the eagle in the pediment… making it rare and cool (or so I believe). 😁

I also have on of those Gratians, but it is way too ugly to show here.

As for more eastern mint Gallienus coins… I have many but also many with no photo or bad photos. Here’s a few. I’ll try to photograph some more. 
 

I have these all listed as Antioch or “Asian mint.” @seth77, you mention that RIC V-1 is useless for assigning eastern mints. Is there more accurate information on where these coins were minted?

AETERNITAS AVG / PXV

PAX FVNDATA (Peace founded… oh really…)

IOVI STATORI

CONSERVATOR AVG

Lots of fun coins in this thread. Here’s my Claudius II PAX AETERNA and VICTORIAE GOTHIC from Cyzicus.
Claudius II

OB: IMP CM AVR CLAVDIVS AVG, 3 dots below

PAX AETERNA F Pax standing left olive branch and sceptre SPQR

RIC V-1, 237 Cyzicus

Claudius II Gothicus

Ob: IMP CLAVDIVS P F AVG Radiate, draped and cuirassed bust r.; two dots below bust.
Rev. VICTORIAE GOTHIC Trophy between two seated captives.

C 308 var. (SPQR in exergue). RIC 252 var. (SPQR in exergue).

I really like coins of Gordian III. This is probably my favorite Gordian as it’s an early portrait that has some similarities to Balbinus portraits.

Same coin pictured in both photos. Photo 1: quick phone photo on my desk. Photo 2: using my wife’s ring light.

That first photo looked to be of high quality artistry, so I can see where people were guessing earlier but that hair swoop totally reminded me of my under-appreciated dude G! That was fun!

Hmmm… I’m going:

1.) Gallienus (hair swoop!)

2.) Antoninus Pius

3.) Septimius Severus 

My avatar is my old coin assistant Oswald (family cat). When I began collecting ancient coins, we would come sit with me (or on my things) and watch me “coin” all night. He passed away in 2018 and his brother Charlie has now taken his position. However, since this has been my photo pretty much since I started posting on CT (after being a creeper for years), it was the visual attached to me as a poster and I didn’t update it. I figured coming over here, keeping this photo for now would be a good connector to that CT account.

As for Orange Julius…. the night I signed up for CT, I had been drinking… quite heavily. 😉 I was trying to think of a fun but historically linked name. I thought of Julius Caesar, then remembered the US smoothy chain named Orange Julius. (Famous for selling a orange juice, milk, vanilla, blended with ice drink) Anyway, orange is a favorite color, Julius C is cool historically, the name was fun… so I went with it. After the drinks wore off, I hated it and tried everything to change it to something else. Eventually, I got over it and just went with it. Haha… 

Oooh..  I have lots of coins that fit in this thread! I have one for now and will return when I have more time. Anyway, photo’s a bit dark but it’s a really nice coin in hand.

PS: Other than my “hello!” post, this is my first coin post here. Exciting stuff.

Hi all…

Another CTer joining up. Was missing everyone’s digital faces. Anyway, good to be here. 

OJ/Josh