Herodotus

Not a coin, but I was down near Mazatlan, MX a few weeks ago to experience the total solar eclipse...

On 4/15/2024 at 3:55 PM, KenDorney said:

Working on a collection of Roman ladies and their hairstyles, just picked up some of the easiest for far (trying to get decent EF if possible).  

Speaking of hairstyles...

This empress seemed to have a fairly unique style.

(SELLER'S PHOTOS)

GALERIA VALERIA, wife of Maximian Galerius. (AD 308-309). AE follis. Antioch Mint.

O: GAL VALERIA AVG B; diademed, draped right.

R: VENERI VICTRICI/ B/ ANT; Venus standing left, holding an apple and lifting her dress over her shoulder. At the top left, a crescent.

RIC 107

Nice!

I have this variety...

SEVERUS ALEXANDER (AD 222-235). Denarius. Rome.

O: IMP SEV ALEXAND AVG. Laureate head right.

R: VIRTVS AVG. Severus Alexander (as Romulus) advancing right, holding spear and trophy.

RIC 225

29 minutes ago, David Atherton said:

The video shows the coin as it really is 'in hand' and those 'green' spots are not present. Apologies, I should have adjusted the photo's colour more accurately.

Yeah...

The vid looks good.  Nice coin.

Congrats!  I love me some good Flavian bronze..😊

I'm certainly not an expert on cleaning ancient coins.

However, I do know that a sustained soak in some distilled water may do no harm.  It may loosen some of the lesser adhered earthen encustrations.

On a side note...

The flourescent green spots on the S VI of the obverse legend look to possibly be the early onset of bronze disease, and it may warrant some close observation, and perhaps, treatment.

The first coin appears to be a reverse portraying Apollo holding an arrow and grounded bow.

Perhaps(?), Demetrios II Nikator - Seleukid Kings of Syria, Damaskos - 2nd reign 129-125 BC, or Antiochos VIII Epiphanes(?)

A picture of the obverse side may help.

ACSearch(suggested by RYRO above) is a great resource.

This type appears to be from Syracuse, Sicily 5th Republic(minted from 215-212 BC). The exergue looks to be a fragment of: ΣΥΡΑΚΟΣΙΟΝ

Here's another example...

A few years back, I was the winning bidder of this coin in an eBay auction(Hammer: $173.51 +$10 shipping).

After receiving the coin (and pleased with the transaction), the seller messaged me a few days later. He mentioned that he had a few more coins that his late cousin had left him, and asked if I would be interested in purchasing them together as a lot outside of eBay. He claimed that he didn't want to take the time to list them individually, and that he would take a reasonable offer.

Of course, my scam-sensor started pinging. Yet, the guy seemed legit. He maintained a solid seller feedback history, and he also had a brick & mortar (watch-repair)business (associated with his name) on a card that came with the above coin.

So, I said I would take a look, and he sent me the below photos. Still fairly new to collecting at the time, I wasn't really too sure what I was looking at. So, I figured $20 per coin for the larger coins was a safe bet, and $25 for the rest.  He accepted my $125 offer, and the coins arrived a few days later. I notified the seller that I received them, and I thanked him. He also thanked me for making it convenient for him to take them off his hands.

He had used the proceeds to go out for a nice Sushi dinner with his wife.

Includes: Severus Alexander, Hadrian, Antoninus Pius and Nero Claudius Drusus Sestertii; a Galba Alexandrian Bi Tet; Macrinus; a couple Byzantines, and a cool-looking Medieval weight(?)

I think I scored pretty 'lucky' on this transaction; the Boeotian Stater too, for that matter.

Nice coins in this thread!

I have this one of Julia Domna.

Julia Domna. Augusta. (AD 193-217). AR Denarius. Rome mint.

(Struck under Septimius Severus, circa AD 207-211)

O: IVLIA AVGVSTA, draped bust right.

R: FORTVNAE FELICI, Fortuna standing left, holding cornucopia and resting arm on rudder.

RIC IV 552 (Septimius)

Nice collage!!!

I have this one coin portraying Lucilla.

Lucilla. Augusta. (AD 164-182). AR Denarius. Rome mint.

Struck under Marcus Aurelius and Lucius Verus, (AD 161-162).

O: LVCILLAE AVG ANTONINI AVG F; Draped bust of Lucilla right, hair weaved and coiled at lower back of head in small chignon.

R: VESTA; Vesta standing left, holding simpulum over lighted altar in right arm and palladium in left arm.

RIC III 788 (Marcus Aurelius) 

Nice!!!

A coin type that I will likely (at least in the near term) have to live vicariously through others' acquisitions.

I'm a tad envious... Only a tad.😉

While not uncommon for some later Imperial Denarii to weigh in @ <3.00g, that is not the case with RR issues.

Short of major flan damage(chips etc.), that weight alone ought to be enough to safely presume it's a fouree.

NERVA

SELEUKID KINGS of SYRIA. Antiochos VI Dionysos. (144-142 BC). Antioch on the Orontes mint.
O: Diademed and radiate head right, wreathed with ivy.
R: BAΣIΛEΩΣ ANTIOXOY EΠIФANOYΣ ΔIONYΣOY; elephant standing left, holding torch in trunk; ΣTA above cornucopia in right field.
SNG Spaer 1772

I love big bronzes, I can't deny...

Nero Claudius Drusus. (Died 9 BC). Æ Sestertius. Rome mint. 36mm, 28.05g.
Struck under Claudius, (AD 42-54).
O: NERO CLAVDIVS DRVSVS GERMANICVS IMP; Bare head left; 
R: TI CLAVDIVS CAESAR AVG P M TR P IMP P P; Claudius seated left on curule chair, holding branch and scroll; below, weapons and armor on either side of globe.
RIC I 109 (Claudius)

Sicilian bronzes are among some of my favorite types.

SICILY, Syracuse. Dionysios I. (405-367 BC). Æ Litra.

O: Head of Athena left, wearing Corinthian helmet with neck guard.

R: Hippocamp left.

That coin is not worn/flan-damaged enough to be so underweight, unless it's a fourrée. RR coins ought to firmly be in the 3-4g(+/-) range.  Anything well under 3g, throws up flags.

After looking at the seller's 'website', it would be a big "nope" for me.

I wonder how many inner cheeks(and not the ones inside of one's mouth) these coins have seen.  Ooh, did I just go there?😝

As alluded to above... I would advise not handling these minis on a rug or carpeted surface.

ASIA MINOR. Uncertain. AR Tetartemorion. (Circa 5th century BC). (5mm .13g).

O: Head of bull right.

R: Stellate pattern/Star of four rays, with pellet at center; all within incuse square.

Nope.

Virtus looks pretty hip in those boots...

Hadrian. (AD 117-138). Æ Dupondius. (27mm 14.8g). Rome mint.

Struck (AD 119-120).

O: IMP CAESAR TRAIANVS HADRIANVS AVG P M TR P COS III; Radiate head of Hadrian to right, with slight drapery on his left shoulder.

R: VIRTVTI AVGVSTI / S - C; Virtus standing front, head to right, holding inverted spear in her right hand and parazonium in her left.

RIC II.3 278

Publius Licinius Crassus was the son of Marcus Licinius Crassus.

Their ill-fated demise at Carrhae, in search of military glory, effectively ended the Triumvirate in 53 BC; helping set the stage for the eventual civil war between Pompey and Caesar.  This coin is well worn, but with some interesting banker's marks.

P. Licinius Crassus M.f. (55 BC). AR Denarius. (19mm, 3.38g). Rome mint.

O: Laureate, diademed, and draped bust of Venus right, wearing cruciform earring and necklace of pendants; S • C downwards to left.

R: P • CRASSVS M • F; Soldier standing facing, holding spear in left hand, and with right hand leading horse by bridle left; at his feet, trophy to left, shield to right around. 

I think provenance is cool if it has a pedigree reference that can be attributed to a notable historical person -- I.E. Coins that were at one time owned in the collection of a U.S. president, or royalty, or even AVGVSTVS himself.

Also, if it has something interested associated with it; such as the eagle inlays from the 16th Century d'Este collection, or if it is accompanied with a decorative old-collection tag; written with a fine calligraphy style.

Would I personally put an additional value, and pay an extra premium for the above?  Probably not.

Provenance that only shows when/where a coin had been sold at previous auction(s) is not so interesting. 

4 hours ago, Ryro said:

Looks more like Tiberius to my eye. 

 

I agree.  That was my first thought as well.