Orange Julius

Thank you! It’s one of my favorites, it would be a crime to clean it. I got it from @Victor Clark!

One detail that I like about Julian’s coins is the addition of an eagle, only at the mint of Arles. See the top of the wreath on my coin, on the bulls and others from the same mint. Julian II - Arles - RIC VIII 324

Make sure to hammer that thing out of the slab when you get it… you could also just use a rock to smash around the slab plastic.⚒️😂🪙

Second one is a Constantine I SOLI INVICTO COMITI similar to this one: https://www.acsearch.info/search.html?id=9739176

Saw this intaglio of Gallienus on a facebook group I’m in… no reference or museum information included in the post. I like seeing non-coin depictions of the emperors we see on our coins.

That's what I'm talking about! There's a return to a level of artistry with late Gallienus tetradrachms that is notable and exciting. Your coin is amazing and every bit as cool as those long previous. What a cool coin. Gallienus has some Mark Antony in this portrait (stylistically) here and the reverse calls back to the styles you see on the coinage of the Diadochi! Anyway... if you see Gallienus tetradrachms for sale, don't buy them! ...as I'm bidding on them! Side Note: I have another Gallienus tetradrachm coming tomorrow... but this one shows that not all were quality artistry that significantly deviated from the norm of the time. I'll post it when I can.

There are so many great coins in this thread, thanks everyone for showing your coins off! Tetradrachms seem to reduce in size through the 240s, increase in size a bit as the metal debases further in the 250s, then in the mid-to-late 260s there are some of impressive size and style, then they continue their slide from some still nice Claudius II and Aurelian tetradrachms into the size around Probus that continues (with some weight loss) until they end with Diocletian’s monetary reform. I guess what I’m saying is that I notice in my small sample size that there was a nice revival of larger size, better style and attention to quality in the late 260s and I like it. Great coins all! Now I need to get the rest of the fam besides Salonina, who I have. Here’s my fake Valerian that gave me problems years ago! FAKE VALERIAN… watch out for this one, it comes up regularly on eBay!

I have lots of uglies from group lots that were bonus wins or from unclean lots… but of those uglies, only a few are in my real “collection.” My two ugliest are probably this Alexandrian Obol that turned out to be my only Otho… …and this Faustina II that was the target or someone’s anger or boredom.

Thank you! Yes, this one has a really expressive style. I love it. Ooh, snap some quick phone photos of it, I’d enjoy seeing it! That Valerian looks like it has good silver content! That Valerian II couldn’t have been too easy to find. Very nice coins. I’d like to get the run of most (all but the really rare and expensive) emperors from Augustus to Constantius I as tetradrachms… I have a long way to go!

Oooh 😲, those are some great coins! I really like the Gallienus but also the Saloninus coins… I don’t have any of him or Valerian I or Valerian II. Here’s my Salonina! Salonina, wife of Gallienus. Augusta Dated RY 14 of Gallienus (266/267 AD). Diademed and draped bust right L/ID, eagle standing left with wreath in its beak; palm right. Köln 2977; Dattari 5345; Milne 4153; Emmett 3852.

I recently received this amazing Alexandrian tetradrachm of Gallienus. Who says artistry was declining in the 3rd century? Well, not in the mid-to-late 260s in Alexandria! In Gallienus’ late reign, there was a very talented die engraver working in Alexandria. For a few years, there are some very beautifully engraved dies alongside those of the more usual portrait style. For a short time, IMO the artistry of some coins rivaled or surpassed coins of earlier eras. I’d love to get more of these beauties! Let’s see your Alexandrian tetradrachms of Gallienus and family! Gallienus AlexandriaTetradrachm RY 13 = 265/6. AYT Κ Π ΛΙK ΓΑΛΛΙΗΝΟC CЄΒ Laureate, draped and cuirassed bust of Gallienus to right, seen from behind. Rev. L - ΙΓ Nike standing front, head to left, holding wreath in her right hand and palm frond in her left. Dattari (Savio) 5253. Emmett 3823.13. K&G 90.89

I love cheap coins! Here are a few recent buys under $25 including shipping. I have more cheap goodies but not yet photographed: $17.50 $22.50 $18.00 $20.00 $10.00

Haha, yeah that “NOB C AVG” is interesting in the obverse legend. I bought it knowing it was fake for about $5. I’ll buy interesting fakes sometimes if they’re extremely cheap. This is a fun one.

Would you buy this coin? If so why? If not, why?

As far as I know, the great pyramids never appeared on ancient coinage. I do believe that there are coins that show pyramids… but not the great pyramids. Their absence is perhaps because the creators of these monuments lived before coinage as we know it… and the Greeks/Romans weren’t too interested in trumpeting the achievements of another culture long before… or it’s because they were built by aliens.

For Valerian, it has to be the ironic RESTITVT ORIENTIS minted in preparation for his campaign to become imperial footstool of the East in 260. Mine is ugly. For Constantius II, everyone’s first coin… the fallen horseman. Fausta and her kids that she may have wanted to promote over Crispus Florian and his great relationship with the military… that killed him This coin broadcasting that peace had been founded during Gallienus’ reign… (PAX FVNDATA) The great hope of the people, Saloninus …some of my choices may be more ironic than iconic.

For Claudius II, VICTORIAE GOTHIC

…May as well give a run down of my photographed Julian VOT coins… I have a few others unphotographed but here’s most of them. I think I’m just missing Cyzicus, Constantinople and Lyons. Alexandria Antioch Arles Heraclea Rome Sirmium Siscia Thessalonica

Nice coin @DonnaML! Antioch to the UK, …that coin has stories to tell! It looks like the image aspect ratio got messed up on the upload or resize. I’m hoping you can reload it so we can appreciate the coin with the image fixed!

I like these coins of Julian and have one from all but 3-ish of the mints. Here’s my Antioch:

Thanks for posting the question! I couldn’t think of any coins I had… but then I guess alcohol is a recreational drug. It’s a fun question and I don’t think drugs have been a topic yet. For many peoples drugs were very important parts of their cultures… religious, medical, recreational, etc. I haven’t heard much about how the Romans/Greeks/Others used drugs besides for medicines.

I have many Commodus coins but most are not in great condition. His denari are not expensive and readily available, but it seems like quality control at the mint was down at the time as many are on small and ugly flans. His bronze coins are very cool but usually either very worn or nice and expensive! For those reasons… I have fairly ugly Commodus coins. I do have some fun provincials… here’s one below that is very rare and was very inexpensive! Commodus, AD 180-192. Æ24, 5.1g, 12h; LYDIA, Attaleia. Obv.: AV KO-MOΔOC; Laureate bust right. Rev: ATTA-ΛEAT-ΩN; eagle standing facing on ground line, head left, wings spread. RPC IV 1178 temp, BMC 19

Looks like an obverse legend variant of RIC IV 5 (238/239). Here’s mine with the same reverse.