Just received my second Ex-John Piscopo Collection piece. This new acquisition is a small sword*, missing its pommel. (My other Ex-Piscopo is a modest bronze dagger blade.)

* At 20 1/8” long, the new pickup can rightfully be called a sword (albeit a small one), rather than a dirk or dagger. It just made the cut. (Get it? 😁) Technically, it would be a dirk if it measured between 14” and 19.6”. Less than 14” would have made it a dagger. Of course, the new piece would have originally measured even a bit longer with its pommel, which is now missing. Frequently, however, ancient Iranian edged weapons with crescent guards are simply referred to as daggers – with no consideration of their size. While, from a technical standpoint, the term may not apply to all of these varieties (since sizes vary), the usage of “dagger” seems to be the standard convention.

John Piscopo was a passionate and highly respected collector of ancient weaponry and, in the words of a member of the Ancient Artifacts forum, he was “the father of the Internet antiquities community.” Piscopo was 62 years old when he passed away in 2005. The collection of ancient weapons (Iranian, Southeast Asian, and European) that he amassed was one of the most important in the world. As a result, “Ex-Piscopo Collection” is significant provenance. I would say that, other than owning a deaccessioned specimen from a well-known museum collection, “Ex-Piscopo” is the most meaningful provenance one can hope for where ancient weapons are concerned.

Of course, the most distinctive feature of my latest pickup is its penannular (crescent-shaped) guard. Such guards first appeared in western Iran toward the end of the Late Bronze Age. They come in lots of different varieties. They are categorized not just by their shapes, but by their find spots and age (which is sometimes determined by context at the dig sites). According to Babak Rafiei-Alavi in The Biography of a Dagger Type: The Diachronic Transformation of the Daggers with the Crescent-Shaped Guard: “In the Late Bronze Age (1600-1300 BC), the guard has a functional role, it is part of the hilt and holds the blade. In the Iron Age I (1300-1000 BC) the functional guard was in several cases changed to a non-functional and ornamental unit. (During) the Iron Age II (1000-800 BC), this non-functional attribute was mostly transformed back to its functional trait.”

Regarding such weapons, Christian Konrad Piller states (in Notes on the So-Called ‘Daggers with a Crescent Guard’): "...daggers with such a guard do not form a homogenous type. In fact, there are several subtypes and variants which differ in their production technique and their general outline. Furthermore, there are a lot of variations concerning the shape and the cross-section of the blade and the hilt.”

Although the sword I won has some formal similarities to some Iron Age II Iranian swords of comparable size and with similar (though usually skinnier) elliptical penannular guards, it is possibly unique in its details and overall form – particularly in the boxiness of its crescent, and the way the blade’s shoulders project slightly outward from the guard. That guard is definitely functional, holding the blade in place. (It isn't just a decorative feature.) So, this sword, while possibly unique, is more akin to penannular edged weaponry of the Iron Age II than to earlier (Late Bronze Age and Iron Age I) examples. I think I can safely (though still broadly) date my sword to early first millennium BC. It was during this period that the crescent guards were occasionally used in combination with “double disk” (a.k.a. “cotton-reel”) pommels. My example presumably had a pommel in antiquity, and it may have been the double disk type.

Here is the new pickup:

And here are some reference book illustrations and photos of various other weapons with penannular guards:

Outstanding. Congrats.

Yes, Rolf at Helios is great. Very knowledgeable, trustworthy, and helpful.

23 minutes ago, akeady said:

Next - something else with a big scary crack

That "something" gives me a bit of flexibility. Non-numismatic - but ancient:

Cup (with crack!)

NW Iran
1200 – 800 BC
95 mm (w) x 10.8 cm (h)
(3.75” x 4.25”)
Cf. Medvedskaya (Iran: Iron Age I), Fig. 4.1, Sialk

Ex-Arthur M. Sackler Collection

Next: cup or other pottery vessel - but as depicted on a coin.

2 hours ago, robinjojo said:

It would be interesting to have additional information, such as...seller...

It was listed at Helios here: https://heliosgallery.com/antiquities/catalogue/featured/heads/egyptian-alabaster-canopic-lid-of-imsety/#

But I don't know if the sale and shipment to the American buyer were by Helios (Rolf von Kiaer) or by a subsequent seller. I'm not sure when Rolf had it listed. Rolf is highly respected, BTW - one of the best.

Just for fun (and out of boredom), did an open search this evening – no search terms – using VCoins Advanced Search function (set specifically to Ancient Coins). Set the price range between $100,000 and $1,000,000 for all dates. Got ten results, below. Sharing here for anyone who may be interested.

I’m skipping store names and listings info here. Just pics, low-to-high prices, and bare-bones ID's, below. Feel free to repeat the search at VCoins if you want the details.

$100,000:

Huvishka AV dinar

$103,125:

Vespasian AV aureus

$115,000:

Herod Agrippa, AE unit

$121,875:

Syracuse decadrachm

$132,531.35 (tie):

Tie: Kyrene AV stater; Sabina AV aureus

$181,250:

Gordian III AE medallion

$193,699.66:

Syracuse decadrachm

Hold onto your hats...

$375,000:

Otho AV aureus

1 minute ago, ewomack said:

It looks much better in hand.

Looks pretty darn impressive here too. 

Sold off my Mitchiner ACW 473 (an ex-Sellwood Collection obol of Mithradates I), as well as my Parthian fractions that I had published in KOINON, vol. I. But I still own the following plates coins.

From David Sellwood's An Introduction to the Coinage of Parthia:

Vologases III

tetradrachm, 105 – 147 AD

Sellwood 79.5 (This coin illustrates the variety in the book's catalog.)

Ex-David Sellwood Collection

From Pieter Anne van't Haaff's Catalogue of Elymaean Coinage:

Kamnaskires IV

AR obol, c. 63/2 – 54/3 BC

Van't Haaff 8.2.3-1a (this coin)

PDC 10496 (this coin)

Kamnaskires IV

AR obol, c. 63/2 – 54/3 BC

Van't Haaff 8.2.3-1b (this coin)

Ex-Asher D. Atchick Collection

Kamnaskires IV

AR hemidrachm, c. 63/2 – 54/3 BC

Van’t Haaff 8.3.3-1.a (this coin)

Kamnaskires-Orodes

AE drachm, early to mid 2nd century AD

Van't Haaff 12.3.1-1B.e (this coin)

Ex-van't Haaff Collection

Phraates

AE tetradrachm, early to mid 2nd century AD

Van't Haaff 14.7.1-1B.a (this coin)

Ex-van't Haaff Collection

Orodes IV

AE drachm, c. 2nd half of 2nd century AD

Van’t Haaff 17.1.1-2a (this coin)

Ex-van't Haaff Collection

And, although not plates coins, per se, I'll give Honorable Mentions to the following.

This coin serves as the illustration at the Wikipedia page for "Vologases III of Parthia" (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vologases_III_of_Parthia):

This coin appears in the "Catalog of New Varieties" in KOINON: The International Journal of Classical Numismatic Studies, Vol. 1 *:

Phraates

BI tetradrachm, early to mid 2nd century AD

Van't Haaff 14.8.1-1 variant (unique; two dots below crossbars; long beard)

* Please remember, everyone: If you have a coin that is unique and unpublished - either an unpublished type or an unpublished variety of a known type - you can submit info about it for publication in the "Catalog of New Varieties" that appears in each volume of KOINON. You would need to contact general editor Nicholas Molinari.

56 minutes ago, Spaniard said:

Nicely detailed obverse with a mess of a reverse....

21 minutes ago, Spaniard said:

Decorative headwear.

Next: chocolate-y patina.

"Nuoc mam" is a staple in our household. Concur: Red Boat.

34 minutes ago, Severus Alexander said:

C. Papirius Turdus

Appropriate patina on that coin.

Outstanding example, Curtis, with - interestingly - a very Western-looking bust compared to the typical Soter Megas portraits.

Great detail and toning.

2 minutes ago, NathanB said:

The coin does exist, Kamnaskires! 

Oh, I know. It's valued at two asses. (Assarii, that is.)

1 hour ago, shanxi said:

Next: Two seated 

No coin to share, but thought immediately of SNL's Love Toilet.

Vologases II

tetradrachm, 77 – 80 AD
Sellwood 72.2

(Reverse: Tyche presenting diadem to king)

Ex-Parthicus Collection

Next: A coin that used to reside in the collection of a fellow Numis Forums member.

Thanks for the shout-out, Paul. I believe that's an omega - not an "O" - on the reverse, John.

I think it may be an Artemis obv., Apollo rev., with ΡHΓI-NΩN across the rev. field. Rhegion, Bruttium.

These are larger, but the similarity is striking - pardon the pun. Perhaps the OP coin is a smaller denomination with similar iconography? Or maybe the wear and tight flan (losses at edges?) on the OP account for the difference?

The waters may be muddy, Steve, but your coins are always great, and your posts are fun to read. Nice work as usual.

12 minutes ago, Roerbakmix said:

pseudo coin fibula

I think the more commonly used term may be “nummular brooch”.

Great pickups with impressive provenance. Congrats, Curtis. As evidenced by the number of unsold lots and relatively low hammer prices, it would seem that AR fractions - especially from Eastern series - are not getting the appreciation they deserve.

54 minutes ago, Curtis JJ said:

It'll be a nice companion to the Parthian/Persis ? Diobol from Bob L's Koinon article (Fig 21), which I picked up from CNG in Feb.

Thanks for that mention. I recall our CT correspondence last winter. So glad that ex-Sellwood diobol resides in your collection.

31 minutes ago, sand said:

I'm guessing, that Mr. Robinson has a sense of humor.

Back in July 2017, this was the emailed announcement about his latest auction:

"It is with inordinate pride and pleasure that I announce my landmark 101st auction of ancient and early coins, closing August 15. The sale boasts 558 lots, of superlative quality for the most discriminating connoisseurs. Enter the catalog and you will be transported on wings of angels into a veritable dreamworld of numismatic treasures.

Your portal to bidding ecstasy opens at: http://www.fsrcoin.com/t.html"

I quoted, at CT, a selection of Frank's coin descriptions from another FSR auction, this one back in 2020:

"97 Orodes II, 48.9, VF, off-ctr, edge split, bright silver, sharp portrait.
(A VF+ sold for $500, CGB 11/09, bought by an alien from the planet Xorgon who didn't know any better.) MB $40"

Lot 132 is a didrachm from Segesta, Sicily. From Frank's description: " A nice bold coin. I segesta strong bid."

From lot 173: "...insignificant imperfections that only an OCD nitpicker would notice. But of course you are not one of those"

Frank's sales pitch for 176: "A pretty ugly coin."

251: "Ops std l...(Ops was the goddess of wealth, still widely worshipped today. Not to be confused with Oops, the goddess of errors.)"

281: "a thoroughly ordinary Joe Sixpack everyday coin, forgotten by the complacent elites of numismatics."

291: "Uberitas stg l;...Uberitas was the god of chariot-hailing services."

This is fascinating. Basically, quasi-Provincial. Those turrets sure look like books...she seems to be balancing a small library.

8 minutes ago, Spaniard said:

Next....More Elymais

Kamnaskires IV

AR tetradrachm, c. 63/2 - 54/3 BC (dated 58/7 BC)
Van't Haaff 8.3.1-1

Next: Any coin minted in the first century BC.

8 minutes ago, Phil Davis said:

Next up: Another Musa.

A used-to-own, which I miss:

Phraataces and Musa, drachm

Sellwood 58.9

Next: left-facing obverse and reverse (portraits, animals, whatever...)

13 minutes ago, Spaniard said:

I can almost feel them

Hopefully not in a bad, deeply lodged way. I refuse to be held liable, Paul.