Orange Julius

That’s a beautiful coin with a very handsome goat! I recently got a new bull that I want to start a thread with soon!

Here’s my early Alexandrian Diocletian: …and an Alexandrian Constantius I

BROTHERS!

It would be interesting to start a counter-thread called “Universal Truths” that explores the idea of what is common across all areas of ancient coinage that draws us to spend our hard earned money on obsolete money!

Gallienus with an Apollo and Lyre reverse: Gallienus AR Antoninianus. Mediolanum, AD 262-263. GALLIENVS AVG, radiate bust to right / APOLLO CONSERVA, Apollo standing facing, raising hand to head and holding lyre on altar. RIC V.1 467 (sole reign) var. (altar); MIR 1166h; RSC 93. …and Quintillus from Rome. You can’t really see the Lyre but it’s there! Quintillus 270 AD AE antoninianus Rome Mint IMP C M AVR CL QVINTILLVS AVG Radiate, draped and cuirassed bust right APOLLINI CONS Apollo standing left with lyre at feet to right -/H//- RIC 9

That’s a cool coin! I have quite a few Gallienus, Claudius and Quintillus coins from Milan… so I have the late 260s - early 270s pretty well covered but I have yet to get an Aureolus!

That’s a nice coin, I really like the feeling of movement by the Victory figure on the reverse of these coins. I wonder what victory they are commemorating… perhaps victory over Aureolus? Not only did he have a great jawline but it’s said he’d knock out a horse’s teeth with one punch! From the always trustworthy (sarcasm alert) Historia Augusta’s The Life of Claudius: “Now Claudius himself was noted for the gravity of his character, and noted, too, for his matchless life and a singular purity; he was sparing in his use of wine, but was not averse to food; he was tall of stature, with flashing eyes and a broad, full face, and so strong were his fingers that often by a blow of his fist he would dash out the teeth of a horse or a mule. 6 He even performed a feat of this kind as a youth in military service, while taking part in a wrestling-match between some of the strongest champions at a spectacle in the Campus Martius held in honour of Mars. 7 For, becoming angry at one fellow who grasped at his private parts instead of his belt, he dashed out all the man's teeth with one blow of his fist. This action won him favour for thus protecting decency; 8 for the Emperor Decius, who was present when this was done, publicly praised his courage and modesty and presented him with arm-rings and collars,62 but bade him withdraw from the soldiers' contests for fear he might do some more violent deed than the wrestling required.” - Historia Augusta - http://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Historia_Augusta/Claudius*.html Great coins! Ah yes! Thanks for the reminder, I do have a CONSECRATIO coin from Milan to ad!

Hi all, I don’t know why I love them… but I really enjoy the scrappy coins of the 3rd century crisis years. I especially like coins of Gallienus and Claudius II. So… an era most think is one of the ugliest in Roman coinage (pre-Byzantine), is my favorite! Of Claudius II coins, I really enjoy coins of Cyzicus and Milan. Below is a new coin I just received of Claude and more coins from Milan/Mediolanum. Some of the photography is too dark and I need to retake images but I hope you like them anyway! As always, let’s see your Claudius II coins from Milan/Mediolanum! Claudius II - AEQVITAS AVG - Milan - RIC V-1 137 (NEW COIN 🪙!) Claudius II - VIRTVS AVG - Milan - RIC V-1 172v Claudius II - PAX EXERC- Milan - RIC V-1 159 Claudius II - VICTORIA AVG - Milan - RIC V-1 171 Claudius II - FORTVNAE RED - Milan - RIC V-1 151 Claudius II - FELIC TENPO - Milan - RIC V-1 145v Claudius II - PAX AVG - Milan - RIC V-1 157 Claudius II - SPES PVBLICA - Milan - RIC V-1 168 I have a few more to add that are unphotographed, I’ll edit and add those this the OP later.

I have one of the fake phoenix types! Luckily mine was less than $5.

That’s a big forehead! Paired with the relatively small face, it’s a distinct portrait! In front of of the radiate crown, that’s a streamlined head too though… just maybe a bit more flattering than your first coin. Great coins! I really like that at a time when portraits were getting a bit more generic, there are attributes that give us a glimpse of the real person.

That’s a great coin! I love these and have one myself (although a bit different) that is a favorite. MACEDON. Koinon. Pseudo-autonomous. Time of Gordian III (238-244 AD). Obv: AΛEΞANΔPOY. Diademed head of Alexander right; lightning bolt ("blitz") below neck on right. Rev: KOINON MAKE-ΔONΩN B NE - Ω below E, Alexander standing on left, placing harness on Bucephalus rearing on right. AMNG III 557

I agree, I thought the posts were excellent! I’m sure others are like me… I enjoyed the coins and information but don’t have anything to add. …at least I don’t thing so, I’ll take a look through my collection. Keep it up!

My favorite Valentinian… I just wish it had a bit bigger flan and was centered on the reverse. Coins of Valentinian and Valens are extremely common but you just don’t see them often in perfect condition. I don’t have a coin of either anywhere near perfect.

That is a beautiful coin!

Our tetradrachms are twins! Great coin! 👯‍♀️

As for other bald or balding emperors… Otho wore a bad wig due to baldness and we’ve all heard the stories of Julius Caesar wearing laurels as he was a bit touchy about his retreating hairline. Am I missing anyone else? I don’t have any coins that show those two. My only other photographed coin of Carus has patchy silvering where it’s hard to see his fantastic forehead.

…and to double the baldness… here’s an Alexandrian tetradrachm showing his shinny head too.

One of my favorite passages from Gibbon’s The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire on the emperor Carus: “He gives audience to the Pesian ambassadors. The successor of Artaxerxes, Varanes, or Bahram, though he had subdued the Segestans, one of the most warlike nations of Upper Asia,was alarmed at the approach of the Romans, and endeavoured to retard their progress by a negotiation of peace. His ambassadors entered the camp about sunset, at the time when the troops were satisfying their hunger with a frugal repast. The Persians expressed their desire of being introduced to the presence of the Roman emperor. They were at length conducted to a soldier who was seated on the grass. A piece of stale bacon and a few hard peas composed his supper. A coarse woollen garment of purple was the only circumstance that announced his dignity. The conference was conducted with the same disregard of courtly elegance. Carus, taking off a cap which he wore to conceal his baldness, assured the ambassadors that, unless their master acknowledged the superiority of Rome, he would speedily render Persia as naked of trees as his own head was destitute of hair. Notwithstanding some traces of art and preparation, we may discover in this scene the manners of Carus, and the severe simplicity which the martial princes who succeeded Gallienus had already restored in the Roman camps. The ministers of the Great King trembled and retired.” I just love imagining this scene. The emperor of Rome, sitting there in the grass, snacking… and making threats to the Persians while making fun of his own baldness. Heres a new-ish coin of Carus. LOOK AT THAT BALD HEAD!!! I’m having a bit of trouble nailing down the most recent thoughts on mint city. I believe the coin is RIC 124, which seems to be associated with both Siscia and Antioch. Let me know if you have thoughts to add. As always, pile on coins of bald or balding emperors, people with wigs, or coins of Carus!

Here’s a Otacilia Severa sestertius I don’t think I’ve posted. Sorry for the dark photo .

If you have it photographed, I’d love to see it!

I absolutely love coins of Gallienus and his family. I so wish there was more detailed information about his reign. This seems to be my only Cologne Gallienus so far photographed. As for favorites, don’t forget his cool coins from Alexandria for a collecting side-branch! I have a few new Gallienus coins that I’d love to share but they may be future thread-starters!

I love these later Roman big and chunky coins. I guess I don’t have a photographed Diocletian from Aquileia but I do have this Maximian! Maximianus - Aquileia - RIC 25b

I agree. I see AQP as well!

How about this super cool Nero with a mirrored obverse legend!? It's an ancient Gallic (maybe?) imitation of the common Victory and shield coins. It would have the legend:IMP NERO CAESAR AVG P MAX T P P. (It's there but written backwards, copied directly from an example on to the die without thinking of the resulting coin having the mirrored impression... you can see the ...ESAR AVG P MA...)

These later empire coins from Alexandria are great! Alexandria just seemed to produce higher quality coins than all other mints of the time. I have a Valentinian from A bit earlier that I really like too.