Edessa

Arabia Felix. Sabaean Kingdom. Late 4th–mid 2nd centuries BC. AR Unit (16mm, 5.29g, 6h). Imitating Athens. Obv: Helmeted head of Athena right; Sabaean 'n' on cheek. Rev: Owl standing right, head facing; [monogram] to upper left, monogram and AΘE to lower right. Ref: Munro-Hay 1.4ci; SNG ANS 1459; Huth -. Toned Very Fine, some flat spots. Monogram combination 143 in Munro-Hay, but monogram to upper left is struck flat. Ex Munzen & Medaillen with old flip. 

Roman Republic. Anonymous. Circa 225-217 BC. Cast Æ Grave Triens (45mm, 96.85g, 12h). Prow right, libral cast series. Rome mint. Obv: Helmeted head of Minerva left; •••• (mark of value) below. Rev: Prow of galley right; •••• (mark of value) below; all on a raised disk. Ref: Crawford 35/3a; ICC 78; Sydenham 74; RBW 87. Green patina. Very Fine. From the D.K. Collection. Ex CNG e523 (7 Sept 2022), Lot 390. Next: Minerva.

Tyche Seleukid Empire. Demetrios I Soter, 162-150 BC. AR Tetradrachm (30mm, 16.71g, 12h). Antioch on the Orontes mint. Struck 162-155/154 BC. Obv: Diademed head of Demetrios I right, within laurel wreath. Rev: ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ ΔΗΜΗΤΡΙΟΥ; Tyche seated left on throne decorated with a Tritoness, holding scepter and cornucopiae; in outer left field, monogram. Ref: SC 1638.1g; HGC 9, 795f. Very Fine. Fine style portrait deeply toned. Ex Triskeles 23, Lot 187.

Link: Rudder Gordian III, AD 238-244. AR Antoninianus (23mm, 4.70g, 1h). Antioch mint, 2nd series, 2nd issue, struck AD 242-244. Obv: IMP GORDIANVS PIVS FEL AVG; Radiate and cuirassed bust right, seen from behind. Rev: FORTVNA REDVX; Fortuna seated left, holding rudder and cornucopia. Ref: Bland, Gordian III 78; RIC IV 210 corr. (bust type); RSC 98b corr. (same).

Julia Domna, AD 193-217, wife of Septimius Severus. Barbaric Imitation AR Denarius (18mm, 3.65g, 6h). Obv: IVLIA DOM-INA AVG; Draped bust right. Rev: VE-S-TA; Vesta seated left wearing full-length cloak, holding the Palladium and spear (?). Ref: Cf. Rome mint, 193-196 AD, RIC 538; BMCRE 57; RSC 221. Next: Even more imitations.

British Anglo-Saxon. Kings of Wessex. Æthelstan, AD 924-939. AR Penny (22mm, 1.69g, 12h). Bust Crowned (BC) type (BMC viii). Norwich mint; Secgge, moneyer. Obv: +ÆÐELSTΛN REX; crowned, helmeted, draped bust right. Rev: +SECGGE · MO · NORPIC; small cross pattée. Ref: Grierson, Coins of Medieval Europe, pp. 60–1; Blunt, Aethelstan 287; SCBI 34 (BM), 148 (same rev. die); North 675; SCBC 1095. Good Very Fine. Portrait of fine style. Minor weakness in crown. Lightly toned. Rare. From the Richard A. Jourdan Collection of Medieval European Coins, purchased privately from Classical Numismatic Group, 2018. CNG Note: Aethelstan was the first ruler to be recognized as King of All England. In the 930s the Grately Codes decreed that there was to be only one coinage in the kingdom. He is the first English king to be depicted wearing a crown on the coinage. Ex CNG Triton XXIII (15 Jan 2020), Lot 1233.

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A different Claudius... Divus Claudius II Gothicus, died AD 270. Silvered Æ Antoninianus (22mm, 3.11g, 12h). Rome mint, 1st emission of Aurelian, late AD 270-271. Obv: DIVOCLAVDIO; Radiate head right. Rev: CONSECRATIO; Eagle standing left, head right. Ref: RIC V 266. Very Fine, flan crack with some striking weakness. Ex Berk at the Philadelphia ANA August 8, 2000. Ex Warren Esty. Full silvering, which is very unusual.

Wonderful coins! I splurged on this one a couple of years ago. British Anglo-Saxon. Kings of Mercia. Coenwulf, AD 796-821. AR Penny (20.5mm, 1.28g, 3h). Portrait type. Canterbury mint; Deormod, moneyer. Struck circa AD 810-812. Obv: +COENVVLF REX m; diademed bust right. Rev: +DIORmOD mONETΛ; double pincer-shaped cross superimposed on cross pommée; wedges in angles. Ref: Naismith C39.1q (this coin); SCBI 67 (BM), 132; North 347; SCBC 916. Good Very Fine, even glossy find patina. From the G.W. Trow Collection. Ex Spink Numismatic Circular CXVII.2 (May 2009), no. HS3711. Ex CNG Triton XXIII (15 Jan 2020), Lot 1273. 

I won't make any other comment than Buyer Beware.

Altar of Lugdunum Tiberius, as Caesar (Augustus, 27 BC-AD 14). AE Semis (25mm, 10.47g, 7h). Lugdunum mint, struck AD 12-14. Obv: TI CAESAR AVGVST F IMPERAT [VII]; Laureate head right. Rev: Front elevation of Altar of Lugdunum; below, ROM ET AVG. Rev: RIC 246; C 38. Ex-Steve Huston List 144 (20 Mar 1996), Lot 22.

I am using Remove.bg. It's very easy to choose from a large background color pallet. Of course, Photoshop does the same thing, but I find that program to be a lot more work. I have tried many different colors but generally find that the same shade of blue that CNG uses works for a wide range of coin types and colors. The CNG version has a textured background that I have not tried to replicate.

Alexius III Angelus-Comnenus, AD 1195-1203. BI Aspron Trachy (24x26mm, 2.90g, 6h). Constantinople mint. Struck AD 1195-1197. Obv: KE RO-HQ[EI]; Nimbate, bearded, facing bust of Christ Emmanuel wearing tunic and kolobion, holds scroll in left hand; IC-XC across fields. Rev: [AΛЄ] ΣIⲰ [ΔЄCΠ] (pellet in circle) [KOMNHNⲰ]; Full-length figure of emperor on left and of a nimbate St. Constantine on right holding between them globus cruicger. Emperor and Saint wear stemma, divitision, collar-piece and jeweled loros of simplified type; both hold labarum-headed scepter; Symbol in field to right. Ref: DOC 3; SB 2013.

Hungary Hungary. Time of Géza II, King of Hungary, AD 1141-1162. AR Denarius (11mm, 0.19g, 11h). Esztergom mint. Obv: Line between two wedges, two wedges at the middle, four dots around the center, a cross between two E's between two dots above and below; border of dots. Rev: Cross with dots in the angles; border of line. Ref: Huszár 124; Unger 71.

Roman Republic. Q. Cassius Longinus. 55 BC. AR Denarius (18mm, 3.51g, 6h). Rome mint. Obv: Head of Bonus Eventus (or Genius Populi Romani) right; scepter behind. Rev: Eagle standing right on thunderbolt; lituus on left, capis on right, Q·CASSIVS below. Ref: Crawford 428/3; Sydenham 916; Cassia 7. From the Bruce R. Brace Collection. Ex CNG e279 (16 May 2012), Lot: 376. Next: More Roman Republic