Edessa

Cilicia, Soloi. Balakros, Satrap of Cilicia, 333-323 BC. AR Stater (24mm, 10.82g, 7h). Obv: Baaltars seated left, holding scepter; grain ear and grapes to left, Σ below throne. Rev: Draped bust of Athena facing slightly left, wearing triple-crested Attic helmet. Ref: Casabonne series 2; SNG France 196/197 (for obv. die/rev. type); SNG Levante 52. Good Fine, toned, test cut. Ex CNG.

Link: Horseman right Celtic Tribes. Danube Region. Imitating Philip II of Macedon. Circa early 3rd century BC. AR Tetradrachm (25mm, 13.43g, 12h). 'Siegesreiter" type; an early imitation copying an issue of Amphipolis. Obv: Stylized laureate head of Zeus right. Rev: ΦΙΛΙΠΠ-ΟV; Youth on horseback right, holding palm; Λ over torch below horse; (EY) monogram under horse's foreleg. Rev: Lanz 351; cf. CCCBM I 1-4 (various control marks); cf. KMW 963.

I have submitted several new examples to the RPC Project, corrections to their current listings and even a few corrections to my corrections. Most have been adopted in a short period of time and only a very few have been ignored for one reason or the other.

Celtic. Central Gaul. Sequani. Circa 50-30 BC. Potin Unit (20mm, 5.11 g, 3h). Obv: Diademed head left. Rev: Horned horse left, with S-shaped tail. Ref: Depeyrot, NC IV, 261; D&T 3087; CCCBM III S349. Good Very Fine. Brown patina, a couple of light scratches. From the Miami Collection. Ex Liz’s List 64 (April 2013), Lot 4, with ticket marked at 120 GBP. Ex CNG eAuction 515 (4 May 2022), Lot 325.

Some family portraits from the Capitoline Museum...

I have asked for clarification and will give them a day or two to respond. I did find out that "Mail Boxes" is a French shipping company. Perhaps I will just call them tomorrow and see about a pickup. And sure, FedEx or DHL might do the same. I have never asked FedEx or DHL to do a pickup, but I can see where that might be required if the item was a large and valuable antique. My impression is that the parent firm usually deals with auctions of such material. The invoice did not show shipping costs. I have seen that before, but once the auction invoice was paid the firm involved always sent me a supplemental invoice for shipping. While that is also odd, it's never actually been a problem before. I do agree that some of the confusion appears to be due to a translation issue. They are not using the terms in the way we would interpret conventional English. Thanks for the ideas!

I am looking for a little advice. I did something that is looking as if it was probably a mistake by bidding in the latest Jean Vinchon Numimatique auction on Numisbids and winning two lots. First of all, when the email arrived with the invoice, it did not reference Vinchon at all. It was from a firm called Osenat Paris and the upper part was all in French. I thought it was spam and deleted it. Only a week later when I was checking my bids on Numisbids did I realize that I had one two lots and finally figured out that this "spam" email was actually for the Vinchon auction and contained my invoice. I paid the invoice with TransferWise, no issues. I get a reply back saying thanks for the bids, your invoice is paid, now your items are sitting in our office in Versailles, and we do not ship. We will start charging you a storage fee of 5 EUR per day per item 15 days after the date of sale. Please either pick up your items at our office or arrange shipping with a shipping company. Send your slip to à Mail Boxes mbe2509exp@mbefrance.fr / Exploit International-logistic exploit@international-logistic.fr / /fine.art@golden-transports.com /hello@thepackengers.com or, to the carrier of your choice. So, I take it that I am supposed to contact one of these companies and arrange for them to physically pick up an envelope with two coins in Versailles, fill out all the export paperwork about an item they know nothing of and mail it to me in the States? I guess I can do that, but it's about the most customer-unfriendly procedure that I can imagine. Anyone had to deal with the Vinchon system before and have any recommendations?

I think I've shown this one before, but I always liked to think that the sun was rising when this one was struck. Islands off Caria. Pseudo-Rhodes. Circa 88-85 AD. AR Hemidrachm (13mm, 0.86g, 11h). Plinthophoric type. Obv: Radiate head of Helios facing slightly right. Rev: MAHΣ / P - O; Rose with one bud, Isis headdress to right; within incuse square. Ref: SNG Cop 846; Jenkins, Group E, 246; HGC 6, 1464. Ex Sammlung Karl, Lanz 131 (27 Nov 2006), Lot 627.

Roman Republic. Anonymous. Circa 215-212 BC. AE Semis (40mm, 51.03g, 12h). Rome mint. Obv: Laureate head of Saturn left; S (mark of value) to right; all on a raised disk. Rev: Prow of galley left; S (mark of value) above; all on a raised disk. Ref: Crawford 41/6a; ICC 107; Sydenham Aes Grave 102. Green patina. Good Very Fine. Ex Astarte Web Auction 1 (July 31, 2023), Lot 84. Next: More Roman Republic.

Roman Egypt, Alexandria. Hadrian, AD 117-138. Æ Drachm (33mm, 26.31g, 12h). Dated RY 18 (AD 133/134). Obv: AVT KAIC TPAIAN-AΔPI[ANO]C CЄB; Laureate, draped and cuirassed bust right, seen from behind. Rev: Demeter, holding long torch and grain ears, standing right, vis-à-vis Euthenia standing left, holding grain ears and scepter; L-IH (date) across fields. Ref: Köln 1109; Dattari (Savio) 1672; K&G 32.579; Emmett 941.18. Next: Another Roman Egypt Bronze

Link: DIVA Galba, AD 68-69. AR Denarius (3.51g). Rome mint. Struck circa July AD 68-January 69. Obv: IMP SER GALBA CAESAR AVG P M; Laureate head right. Rev: DIVA-AVGVSTA: Livia, draped, standing left, holding patera in right hand and long scepter in left. Ref: RIC I 224; RSC 58; BMCRE 12; BN 101. Ex Stacks Bowers Jan 2023 NYINC Auction (13 Jan 2023), Lot 20162.

Nero, AD 54-68. AR Denarius (18mm, 3.57g, 6h). Rome mint, AD 65-66. Obv: NERO CAESAR-AVGVSTVS; Laureate head right. Rev: SALVS; Salus seated left on throne holding patera in right hand, left resting at her side. Ref: RIC 60; BMC 90.

Yeah, trying to do too many things at once! Did not post soon enough, so here is an Elagabalus link... Roman Syria, Seleucis and Pieria, Antioch. Elagabalus, AD 218-222. Billon Tetradrachm (28mm, 13.93g, 11h). Antioch mint. Struck AD 219-220. Obv: AVT K M A-ANTωNЄINOC-CЄB; Laureate, draped, and cuirassed bust right, seen from behind. Rev: ΔHMAPX ЄΞ YΠATOC TOB; Eagle standing facing, head left, with wings spread, holding wreath in beak; Δ-Є across upper field, star between legs. Ref: McAlee 764/3 (Rare); Prieur 255 (3).

Link: Marcus Aurelius Marcus Aurelius, as Caesar, AD 139-161. Æ Sestertius (31mm, 23.01g, 12h). Rome mint. Struck under Antoninus Pius, AD 145. Obv: AVRELIVS CAESAR-AVG PII F COS II; Bare head right. Rev: S-C; Minerva standing to right, holding spear and resting on shield, S-C across fields. Ref: RIC III 1245 (Pius); BMCRE 1779 corr. (reverse type).

Attica. Athens. Circa 449-404 BC. AR Tetradrachm (23mm, 17.01g, 10h). Mid-mass coinage issue, struck circa 440-430 BC. Obv: Head of Athena right, with frontal eye. Rev: Owl standing right, head facing, closed tail feathers; olive sprig and crescent to left; all within incuse square. Ref: Kroll 8; HGC 4, 1597. Very Fine, major test cuts on obverse and reverse, countermarks on Athena's cheek. Next: Athens.

Italy, Normans in Sicily. William II, AD 1166-1189. Æ Trifollaro (24mm, 7.64g, 12h). Messina mint. Obv: Lion's head facing. Rev: Palm tree. Ref: Spahr 117; MEC 425; Biaggi 1231. Next: Lion

Link: Time of Commodus Provincial Roman Egypt, Alexandria. Commodus, AD 177-192. Billon Tetradrachm (26mm, 11.93g, 12h). Dated RY 29 (AD 188/189). Obv: M A KOM ΑΝΤⲰ ϹƐΒ ƐVϹƐΒ; Laureate head right. Rev: Nilus seated left on rocks, holding reed and cornucopia (from which Genius issues holding a wreath); LKӨ (date) to left. Ref: Köln 2240; Dattari 3878; Milne 2681; Emmett 2553.29 (R1); RPC IV.4 3537 (63 examples). Very Fine, nice chocolate brown patina.

India, Kashmir, Didda Rana (Queen), AD 979-1003 (sole reign), AE panchi or stater (19mm, 5.74gm). O: Goddess Ardoksho enthroned facing. Nagari inscription Sri Didda. R: Queen standing facing. Nagari Rana Deva. Mitchiner NIS 177-178. Good Fine, brown patina. Ex DLT Coins! Next: Another coin with a Mitchiner reference.

Link: Consecratio/Eagle Divus Marcus Aurelius. Died AD 161. AR Denarius (18mm, 3.25g, 6h). Consecration issue. Rome mint, struck under Commodus, circa AD 180. Obv: DIVVS M ANT-ONINVS PIVS; Bare head right. Rev: CONSE-CRATIO; Eagle standing right on globe, head left, wings spread. Ref: RIC III 273 (Commodus); RSC 91. Ex Ed Owen, Sept 1996.

Nerva, AD 96-98. AR Denarius (18mm, 3.50g, 6h). Rome mint, struck AD 96. Obv: IMP NERVA CAES AVG-PM TRP COS II PP; Laureate head of Nerva right. Rev: AEQVITAS-AVGVST; Aequitas standing left, holding scales in right hand and cornucopia in left. Ref: RIC 1; RSC 3.

Germany, Bamberg. Arnold von Solms, Bishop, AD 1286-1296. AR Bracteate Pfennig (17mm, 0.47 and 0.48g). Obv: Star within circular frame of alternating crosses and semicircles. Rev: Incuse of obverse over enthroned Bishop. Ref: Krug 87 Not sure of the intent, but all of these issues seem to have a reverse of an enthroned Bishop that is all but obliterated by the incuse design from the obverse. Next: More Medieval Germany.

1876 Penny Next: More British Copper

Link: Grain Ears Roman Egypt, Alexandria. Hadrian, AD 117-138. Billon Tetradrachm (24mm, 13.24g, 12h). Dated RY 21 (AD 136/137). Obv: ΑΥΤ ΚΑΙϹ ΤΡΑΙ(Α)(Ν) ΑΔΡΙΑΝΟϹ ϹƐΒ; Laureate head right. Rev: Demeter standing left, holding grain-ears, poppies and torch; L-KA (date) in fields. Ref: Köln 1209 var. (bust); Dattari (Savio) 1334; K&G 32.720; RPC III 6136; Emmett 832.21. Very Fine. Ex CNG e125 (26 Oct, 2005), Lot 154. From the John F. Sullivan Collection.

Thessaly, Trikka. Ca. 440-420 B.C. AR Hemidrachm (16mm, 2.71g, 2h). Obv: Youth restraining forepart of a bull right. Rev: TIP-K-KA-I (retrograde) around forepart of a horse right. Ref: HGC 4, 311; SNG Copenhagen 262 var. (legend position); BCD Thessaly II 775.4 var (legend position). Ex Heritage Auction 425 (Jan 8, 2007), Lot 50058.