Edessa

Thessaly. Larissa, circa 420-400 BC. AR Drachm (20mm, 5.97g, 10h). Obv: Thessalos, naked but for chlamys and petasos flying in the air behind him, holding a band with both hands around the forehead of a bull leaping left, all within a dotted border. Rev: ΛΑΡΙΣΑ above, ΑΙ below, bridled horse with trailing rein left, no ground line, slightly concave field. Ref: HGC 4, 421; SNG Ashmolean 3866; BCD Thessaly II, Lots 176; Herrmann group III, J, pl. III-22; Weber 2833. Very Fine, toned, light porosity and graffito in reverse field. From the Syracuse Collection of Ancient Coins, The July 2011 Stacks Coin Galleries Sale Auction 94, Lot 983.

British Anglo-Saxon, Kings of All England. Æthelred II, AD 978-1016. AR penny (21mm, 1.67g, 5h). Last Small Cross type. York mint, Othgrim moneyer. Struck circa 1009-1016. Obv: ✠EÐELRED REX A(NG)LORVI; Diademed bust left in circle. Rev: ✠OÐGRRIM MΩO EOFRPI; Small cross pattee. Ref: SCBI -; BMC -; Hildebrand -; N 777; S 1154; ‘York e’ style. Good Very Fine, weak centres, tiny peck marks in reverse field. Provenance Ex-Baldwin's Auction 57 (23 Sept 2008), Lot 337. Next: Cross

Phrygia Phrygia, Laodicea ad Lycum. Pseudo-autonomous issue. Time of Tiberius, AD 14-37. Æ15 (4.90g, 12h). Dioskourides, magistrate. Obv: ΛΑΟ-ΔΙΚΕΩΝ; Laureate and draped bust of Mên right, wearing Phrygian cap. Rev: ΚΟΡ ΔΙ[ΟΣΚΟΥΡΙΔ]ΗΣ; Eagle standing right on club, head left. Ref: RPC I 2907; SNG Copenhagen 513-4.

I'd agree that it has a Iberian Celtic look. The coins of Iltirta have this motif, however the portrait style it a bit different, as is the reverse. I have attached the relevant page from ACIP (Ancient Coinage of the Iberian Peninsula, Villaronga and Benages.

A dozen years ago I picked up a couple of multiple lots of Alexandrian coins from a Stacks auction. The coins were unillustrated and did not attract much attention, so I picked them up cheap. These coins were generally middling grade and common issues, but one coin stood out as being a quite rare type. However, the coin had a "mushy" feel and so I pitched it in a box and forgot about it. I have finally gotten around to photographing some of these lots and I believe that this is a cast of a coin illustrated in RPC as 4626.1. In addition to the "mushy" design, you may observe the filled-in edge splits and traces of a casting seam with hammering on the edge. Not sure this cast was meant to deceive; it very well may have been a study copy. The host coin is in the Bibliotheque Nationale de France in Paris (SNG 1145). The ANS has several examples donated by Newell, but none are illustrated. My cast is 33mm, 16.89g. The host coin is 33mm, 17.60g. Two of the unillustrated examples in the ANS are lower weight (14.74g, 16.08g) and two are much higher weight (20.26g and 25.46g). The one example I found on CoinArchives and ACSearch is also of a higher weight and not die matched. Anyway, I thought this was an interesting case. The host coin was not in the best condition. RPC 4626 My cast example

Nero. AD 54-68. Æ Sestertius (35mm, 25.95g, 7h). Lugdunum (Lyon) mint. Struck circa AD 65. Obv: NERO•CLAVD•CAESAR•AVG•GER•P M TR P IMP P P; Laureate head to left. Rev: Roma seated to left on cuirass, holding Victory and parazonium, shield behind; S-C across fields, ROMA in exergue. Ref: RIC I 443; C. 262; BN 83; WCN 428; Giard, Lyon 119; BMCRE -.

Sicily, Himera. Circa 415-409 BC. Æ Hemilitron or Hexonkion (16mm, 3.92g, 12h). Obv: ΙΜ-Ε; Head of nymph left; wearing sphendone. Six pellets (mark of value) before. Rev: Six pellets (mark of value) within wreath. Ref: Kraay, Bronze, Group b, 3; CNS I, 35; SNG ANS 186-187; HGC 2, 479.

Campania, Neapolis. Circa 300 BC. AR Didrachm (21mm, 7.19g, 3h). Obv: Diademed head of nymph to right; four dolphins around. Rev: Man-headed bull walking to right, head facing, crowned by Nike flying to right above; OYIΛ below, NEΩΠOΛITΩN in exergue. Ref: HN Italy 576; Sambon 458; SNG ANS 338-9. Next: Dolphins.

Roman Asia Minor. Pisidia, Antiochia. Claudius II Gothicus, AD 268-270. AE25 (8.82g). Obv: IMP CAES-CLAVDIV; Radiate, draped and cuirassed bust right. Rev: ANTI-OCH C-L; Vexillum between two standards, the Vexillum surmounted by an eagle standing right, wings closed. Two pellets to left and right of the vexillum shaft; S-R in exergue; L in reverse legend below exergual line and retrograde. Ref: SNG France 1337 (same obverse die).

One of my favorite barbs...

Roman Phoenicia. Tyre. Trajan, AD 98-117. AR Tetradrachm (25mm, 14.79g, 6h). Dated Cos 5, RY 15 (AD 110/111). Obv: Laureate head of Trajan right; below, club and an eagle standing right. Rev: Laureate bust of Melkart-Herakles right, lion's skin tied around neck. Ref: Prieur 1515. Ex CNG e213 (1 Jul 2009), Lot 338. Ex Goldberg Pre-Long Beach (30 Jun 2022), Lot 2321.

Nezak Huns. Anonymous Group I (Npki Mlka). C. 600-700 AD. Æ Drachm (24.7mm, 2.7g). Kabul mint. Obv: 'NPKY MLK' in Pahlavi, bust right with winged bull's head crown; 'A' in Pahlavi behind. Rev: Fire altar with attendants; wheel symbols in fields above, control marks in outer fields. Ref: Gobl, Dokumente Em. 198/34; cf. MACW 1510.

Trajan, AD 98-117. Æ As (11.74 gm). Rome mint. Struck circa 103-111 AD. Obv: Laureate bust right, slight drapery on left shoulder. Rev: Ceres standing left, holding grain ears over modius containing four grain ears, and cornucopiae; stern of merchant ship with goose-head acrostolium behind. Ref: BMC 927; Coh 470 (Abundantia); MIR 325b; RIC 492 (Abundantia). Ex CNG 66 (19 May 2004), Lot 1425. Ex Kunker e78 (18 July 2023), Lot 5241. Next: More Trajan.

Baktria. Indo-Greek Kingdom. Eucratides I. Circa 170-145 BC. AR Tetradrachm (32mm, 16.86g, 12h). Balkh mint. Obv: Helmeted and draped bust right. Rev: BAΣIΛEΩΣ MEΓAΛOΥ/EΥKΡATIΔOΥ; Dioskouri charging right with couched spears and holding palm branches; monogram to right. Ref: Bopearachchi Series 6W, 40. Mitchiner 177f; SNG ANS 469; HGC 12, 131. Very fine, light deposits. From the Otakirak Collection. Ex Stacks Coin Galleries, January 2012 NYINC Auction, Lot 324.

We would love for all of our coins to be EF, but Severus Sestertii can still be magnificent when worn. Septimius Severus, AD 193-211. Æ Sestertius (30mm, 18.94g, 6h). Rome mint struck AD 195-196. Obv: [L SEP]T SEV PE-RT AVG IM[P VII]; Laureate bust right. Rev: [P] M TR P III COS II P P; Fortuna standing left, holding rudder set on globe and cornucopia; S-C across lower field. Ref: RIC IV 706a; BMCRE 580. Fine, nice apple green patina.

Celtic Tribes. Danube Region. Imitating Philip II of Macedon. Circa 2nd Century BC. AR Tetradrachm (23mm, 12.84g, 2h). Gjurgjevac, "Mit liegendem Achter" type. Obv: Celticized, laureate and bearded head to right, with S shaped forms in hair. Rev: Heavily stylized 'Baumreiter' on horseback to left; pellet and bar ornament in front. Ref: Göbl, OTA pl. 13, 143/1; Lanz 432.

Link: Venus Roman Republic. L. Memmius Galeria. 106 BC. AR Serrate Denarius (18mm, 3.62g, 1h). Rome mint. Obv: Laureate head of Saturn left; harpa and ROMA to right. Rev: Venus driving biga right, holding scepter and reins; above, Cupid flying left, holding wreath; V • below horses. Ref: Crawford 313/1c; Sydenham 574a; Memmia 2.

Lovely coin, great idea and thanks for doing this! However, I will choose to ask you to redraw. Let this go to a younger collector that doesn't have so much grey in his (or her) beard.

Iberia. Barskunes. Late 2nd century BC. AR Denarius (18mm, 3.69g, 11h). Obv: Bearded head right, Iberian inscription BENKOTA behind. Rev: Horseman, holding sword, riding right, Iberian inscription BASKUNES below. Ref: ACIP 1630; SNG BM Spain 904–7.

In CCCBM Vol III, Derek Allen and Melinda Mays say about this issue: "There is a wide distribution, especially concentrated in Belgium (including eighty-nine anepigraphic and twelve AVAV- CIA coins from Liberchies), Luxembourg, the Netherlands (fifty-eight recorded specimens, thirty-seven of which are from Nijmegen), Germany and Switzerland. The four examples found at Augsburg-Oberaden indicate that this coinage was struck before 8 BC. Examples of this type have been found in the hoards from Hussigny-Godbrange and Köln. The traditional attribution has been to the Aduatuci. An attribution to the region of the Eburones is equally defensible."

Link: Another Julia Roman Egypt, Alexandria. Julia Mamaea, Augusta, AD 222-235. Billon Tetradrachm (24mm, 12.28 g, 12h). Dated RY 12 of Severus Alexander (AD 232/233). Obv: IOV MAMAIA CEB MHTE CEB K CTPA; Draped bust right, wearing stephane. Rev: Homonoia standing left, raising hand and holding double cornucopia; palm frond to left, L IB (date) to right. Ref: Köln –; Dattari (Savio) 4493; K&G 64.94; Emmett 3209.12. About Very Fine, edge pits, nice brown patina. Ex Stacks Bowers Coin Galleries Auction 94 (7 July 2011), Lot 1223 (part of multiple lot).

Iberia. Kelse. Circa 45-44 BC. Æ As (30mm, 18.09g, 8h). Obv: Bare male head right; two dolphins to right. Rev: Horseman right, holding palm frond over right shoulder. Ref: ACIP 1490. Good Very Fine, dark green patina with earthen highlights. Ex CNG Inventory 723092 (2000). Ex CNG e431 (24 Oct 2018), Lot 5. Next: Iberia

Achaia. Achaian League. Pallantion. Early 1st century BC. AR Triobol – Hemidrachm (16mm, 2.29g, 2h). Obv: Laureate head of Zeus right. Rev: Monogram of the Achaian League; Π to left, A above, Λ to right, monogram and trident below; all within laurel wreath. Ref: BCD Peloponnesos 1593.2; Benner 4; HGC 5, 969. Very Fine, toned. From the BLS Collection. Ex AG Collection (CNG eAuction 380, (10 August 2016), Lot 190. Ex CNG eAuction 476 (9 Sept 2020), Lot 86.

More S&P, Antioch: Syria, Seleucis & Pieria, Antioch. Nero, AD 54-68. Æ As (29mm, 14.5g). Struck AD 66/67-68. Obv: IM•NER•[CLAV] CAESAR; Laureate head right; lituus before. Rev: Large S•C within laurel wreath with eight leaves. Ref: RPC I 4307; McAlee 295c; Butcher 125i.

Hmmm, perhaps returning victorious with the Ram of an enemy vessel had a special significance? Such as, you "wrestled" with the enemy and won.