ambr0zie

23 mm, 4,80 g.
Aelia Flaccilla. Augusta 383-386. Æ follis. Constantinople.
AEL FLAC-CILLA AVG, bust of Aelia Flaccilla, with elaborate head-dress, draped, necklace, and mantle / SALVS REI-PVBLICAE, Emperor, head right, standing facing, arms folded on breast, Christogram to right. Mintmark CONSϵ.
RIC IX Constantinople 82.

Next - another Roman empress, on any Imperial bronze coin 

Last weekend I was in an auction and, against my expectations, I managed to win a respectable number of interesting coins. All budget indeed and nothing extremely spectacular, but all of them were on my wish list and on some of them the price was a pleasant surprise. 

But one of the highlights for me was that I managed to add not one, not two, but three provincial tetradrachms - this was unexpected.

Here they are in the order I bought them in

25 mm, 13,22 g.
Syria, Seleucis and Pieria, Antioch. Nero 54-68 AD. AR Tetradrachm. Struck 56-57 AD.
ΝΕΡΩ[ΝΟΣ ΚΛΑΥΔΙΟΥ ΘΕΟΥ ΥΙ ΚΑΙΣΑΡΟΣ ΣΕΒ], head of Nero with oak wreath, right / ΑΓΡΙΠΠΕΙΝΗΣ ΣΕΒΑΣΤΗΣ, Γ (regnal date) above ΕΡ (civic date), draped bust of Agrippina II, right.
McAlee 253; RPC I 4175; Prieur 74.

I wanted a coin from the early reign of Nero but the imperial coins are prohibitive and I haven't seen a provincial coin to fit my tastes and budget. This coin is worn (but a little better in hand - not sure what was wrong with my camera today as the colors were very wrong and it took me a lot of attempts to take decent pics). A coin with young Nero and his dearest mom is a large bonus. 

Although the coin is modest, I was expecting a bigger price. It wasn't the case and I got it for much better than expected. 

29 mm, 11,57 g.
Syria, Seleucis and Pieria, Antioch. Billon tetradrachm. Gordian III 238-244 AD. Struck 242-244.
ΑΥΤΟΚ Κ Μ ΑΝΤ ΓΟΡΔΙΑΝΟϹ ϹΕΒ, laureate, draped and cuirassed bust of Gordian III, right, seen from rear / ΔΗΜΑΡΧ ΕΞ ΥΠΑ ΤΟ Β, eagle standing facing, head left, with wreath in beak; tail to left; between eagle's legs, ram running right with head turned back; crescent above ram's head.
Bland 1991b, 24; Prieur 302; McAlee 874; RPC VII.2, 3520.

Nothing extremely spectacular about this Gordian III tetradrachm. But I couldn't let it pass because I wanted a coin with this reverse (ram under the eagle). Gordian's portrait is pleasant, so why not. 

24 mm, 11,01 g.
Egypt, Alexandria. Claudius 41-54. AR tetradrachm. Dated RY 4 – 43-44 AD.
ΤΙ ΚΛΑΥΔΙ ΚΑΙΣ ΣΕΒΑ ΓΕΡΜΑΝΙ ΑΥΤΟΚ(Ρ), laureate head of Claudius, right, L Δ (date) below chin / [MEΣΣAΛINA] KAIΣ ΣEBAΣ, Messalina, veiled, standing left, leaning on column, holding two children in outstretched right hand, grain ears with left.
Köln 81; Dattari (Savio) 125; K&G 12.35; RPC I 5145; Emmett 74.4.

This coin was attributed as Nero. But I quickly realized it's Claudius. And the reverse is very interesting (well, more or less on my example) 

A much better specimen reverse:

Although RPC doesn't specify this, the two children in Messalina's hand should be Britannicus and Claudia Octavia. 

Of course I would have preferred Messalina's name to be readable and, especially, the two children on the flan, but the price would have been very, very different. In the end, not a top 10 coin but not junk either, especially since it was cheap. 

Let's see freshly added provincial tetradrachms from your collections. 

Kantharos

11 mm, 2,38 g.
Boeotia, Thebes. AR hemidrachm. Circa 395-338 BC.
Boeotian shield / Kantharos; above, club right; battle axe to left; Θ-EB across lower field; all within incuse square.
BCD Boiotia 411.

18,6 mm, 2,8 g.
Byzantine Empire, Syracuse. Theophilus 829-842. Ӕ follis.
+ ΘEOFI / LOSbASI, diademed bust facing, wearing chlamys and holding globe cruciger / Large M at l., XXX, at r., NNN, above, cross, below, Θ.
DOC 30; Anastasi 548; Spahr 431; Sear 1681.

Next - Syracuse, but an ancient coin. 

A recipient for wine 

17 mm, 3,73 g.
L. Censorinus 82 BC. AR denarius. Rome.
Laureate head of Apollo right / L·CENSOR, Marsyas walking left, naked with right arm raised and holding wine-skin over left shoulder; behind, column bearing statue of Victory. Banker’s marks on legend.
Crawford 363/1d; Marcia 24; Sydenham 737.

Not easy to beat this one in grumpiness

25 mm, 12,22 g.
Syria, Seleucis and Pieria, Emesa. Caracalla 198-217. AR tetradrachm. 215-217.
AΥ•T K M ANTΩNEINOC CE•B•, laureate bust right / ΔΗΜΑΡX ΕΞ VΠΑΤOC TO Δ, eagle standing facing, head left, with wreath in beak; H under beak; radiate, draped, and cuirassed bust of Shamash left between legs.
Prieur 983.

6 hours, no Epirus here so I will post a similar reverse 

16 mm, 4,45 g,
Kings of Cappadocia. Eusebeia-Mazaka. Ariobarzanes I Philoromaios 96-63 BC. AR drachm. Year 27 (69/8 BC).
Diademed head r. / Athena standing l., holding Nike and spear, hand resting on shield at her side; monogram to inner l., ZK (date) in exergue.
Simonetta 37b; HGC 7, 846.

Next - any coin from Cappadocia

26 mm, 10,95 g.
Macedon, Philippi. Claudius 41-54. Ӕ.
TI CLAVDIVS CAES AVG IMP P M TR P P P, bare head of Claudius, l. / COL IVL AVG PHILIP, DIVVS AVG (on base); statue of Augustus in military dress crowned by statue of Divus Julius Caesar wearing toga on central base; altar, l. and r.
RPC I 1654 var. (reverse legend COL IVL AVG instead of COL AVG IVL); SNG Copenhagen 307-8 var.; Varbanov 3774 var.

An exceptional coin, especially the obverse. Congratulations!

My favorite Neapolis

13 mm, 1,68 g.
Macedon, Neapolis. AR hemidrachm. Circa 425-350 BC.
Facing gorgoneion with protruding tongue / N-E-O-Π, head of the nymph of Neapolis to right, her hair coiled around her head and with a bun at the back.
SNG ANS 430-454.

My favorite MFB

22 mm, 4,78 g.
Akarnania, Oeniadae. Ӕ. Circa 219-211 BC.
Laureate head of Zeus right, Λ below, eagle behind head / OINIAΔAN, head of the river-god Acheloös right, trident above.
BCD Akarnania 349; BMC 12; SNG Copenhagen 403.

21 mm, 3,77 g.
Trebonianus Gallus 251-253. AR antoninianus. Rome.
IMP C C VIB TREB GALLVS AVG, bust of Trebonianus Gallus, radiate, draped, cuirassed, right / LIBERTAS PVBLICA, Libertas, draped, standing left, holding pileus in right hand and transverse sceptre in left hand.
RIC IV Trebonianus Gallus 70; RSC 68.

Next - another emperor with beard 

The paper says Faustina II ("Jnr") wife of M Avr (Marcus Aurelius)

But the coin is a Salonina antoninianus. Salonina was a different empress, in the next century. 

https://www.acsearch.info/search.html?id=11266121

Wheel 

13 mm, 2,16 g.
Thrace, Mesembria. Ӕ. Circa 420-320 BC.
Crested Corinthian helmet facing / META between four spokes of wheel.
SNG BM 272-274; SNG Stancomb 225; Serdica CCCH IX, 14-18; Karayotov II, 47-54; SNG Cop. 653.

18 mm, 2,52 g.
Hadrian AD 117-138. Æ quadrans or semis. Rome. 121-122.
IMP CAESAR TRAIAN HADRIANVS AVG, eagle standing facing, head right / P M TR P COS III // S C (in field), winged thunderbolt.
RIC II Hadrian 624.

Next - semis

My favorite portrait of Alexander is this deified portrait, on a Lysimachos drachm. 

18 mm, 4,2 g.
Kings of Thrace. Lysimachos 305-281 BC. AR drachm. Ephesos.
Diademed head of the deified Alexander right, wearing horn of Ammon / BAΣIΛEΩΣ ΛYΣIMAXOY, Athena seated left on the throne, holding Nike, crowning the king's name, in her right hand and leaning with her left arm on shield decorated with lion's head, transverse spear with point below, lyre to the inner left field, A under the throne.
Thompson 174; Müller 355.

Plautilla.

19 mm, 3,24 g.
Plautilla. Augusta 202-205. AR denarius. Rome.
PLAVTILLA AVGVSTA - draped bust right / VENVS VICTRIX, Venus standing left, holding apple and palm frond and resting elbow upon shield decorated with hourglass(?); to left, Cupid standing left, holding helmet. RIC 369 (Caracalla).

We had a total sun eclipse in 1999 here. For this event, national bank of Romania issued the first polymer banknote in the world. 

Here are my 2 coins from 71 AD

23 mm, 11,02 g.
Vespasian 69-79. Æ as. Rome. 71 AD.
IMP CAES VESPASIAN AVG COS III, head of Vespasian, laureate, right / AEQVITAS AVGVSTI S C, Aequitas, draped. standing left, holding scales in right hand and long vertical rod in left.
RIC II, Part 1 (second edition) Vespasian 287.

17,2 mm, 3,38 g.
Vespasian 69-79. AR denarius. Rome. July-December 71.
IMP CAES VESP AVG P M, head of Vespasian, laureate, right / AVGVR TRI POT, Simpulum, sprinkler, jug and lituus.
RIC II, Part 1 (second edition) Vespasian 4; old RIC II Vespasian 30; RSC 43; BMC 50.

Your life partner was right - that is not a genuine coin - it is a tourist fake. 

The coin wants to be an Antoninus Pius coin (not Hadrian). 

You can see the full description here. 

https://www.forumancientcoins.com/fakes/displayimage.php?album=search&cat=0&pid=11255#top_display_media

If you do not have an account there, here is the description 

Modern fake of AE sestertius of Antoninus Pius.
obv: IMP CAES T AEL ANTONINVS AVG PIVS laur head, l.
rev: PONT MAX Antoninus Pius on horseback, right, right hand upraised
cf: RIC 879 & 890, but inverted: i.e. obv w/ bust right (and PP at end of obv. legend); rev: on horseback, l.
Cast. Older (i.e. 19th cen.) tourist fakes of the same type (with identical orientation) exist as struck pieces. This appears to be a later (20th cen.) fake cast after these.

The actual genuine coin is a Pius medallion (with a different obv legend) - from Cohen catalogue 

Your coin has 0 chances to be genuine.

Caracalla, provincial 

25 mm, 12,22 g.
Syria, Seleucis and Pieria, Emesa. Caracalla 198-217. AR tetradrachm. 215-217.
AΥ•T K M ANTΩNEINOC CE•B•, laureate bust right / ΔΗΜΑΡX ΕΞ VΠΑΤOC TO Δ, eagle standing facing, head left, with wreath in beak; H under beak; radiate, draped, and cuirassed bust of Shamash left between legs.
Prieur 983.

Wrong style, mushy surfaces. This only comes with experience. 

Also all three are expensive when genuine (especially Didius Julianus and Balbinus). No chance these are real. 

Educational post - I did not know of this denomination. 

I knew that the denomination is written on Black Sea coins, most common one being the pentassarion. 

28 mm, 11,42 g.
Moesia Inferior, Marcianopolis. Septimius Severus, with Julia Domna 193-211 AD. Pentassarion Æ. 210-211. Flavius Ulpianus, legatus consularis. AV K Λ CEΠ CEYHΡOC IOYΛIA ΔOMNA CEB, laureate, draped, and cuirassed bust of Septimius Severus and draped bust of Julia Domna facing one another / ΥΦΛ ΟΥΛΠΙΑΝΟΥ ΜΑΡΚΙΑΝΟΠΟΛΙΤΩΝ, Tyche standing left, holding rudder and cornucopia; Є (mark of value) to left.
H&J, Marcianopolis 6.15.35.4; AMNG I 601; Varbanov 868; Moushmov 411.

Here is one of the first coins in the history where the denomination is specified on the coin - a tetartemorion from Kolophon

6 mm, 0,23 g.
Ionia, Kolophon. AR tetartemorion. Circa 450-410 BC.
Laureate head of Apollo right / TE monogram (mark of value) in incuse square; stork in left field.
Milne, Colophon, 36; SNG Kayhan 360.

Back to provincials - one of the reasons I bought this coin for is the unusual denomination - tridrachm. This is not mentioned anywhere, but the size and weight are clear clues - too light for a tetradrachm (common denomination) and too heavy for a didrachm (more common than tridrachms)

24 mm, 10,98 g.
Syria, Seleucia Pieria, Antioch. Trajan 98-117. AR tridrachm. 100 AD.
AVTOKP KAIC NEP TPAIANOC CEB ΓEPM, laureate head right / ΔΗMAPX EΞ YΠAT Γ, Roma seated left on pile of arms, holding Nike on her extended right hand, parazonium in left leaning on round shield.
RPC III 3578; S 179 (Caesarea); McAlee 478, Ganschow X11a.

The most unexpected denomination from my collection is a Byzantine 2/3 miliaresion. 

17 mm, 0,87 g.
Byzantine Empire. Romanus IV Diogenes 1068-1071. AR 2/3 miliaresion. Constantinople.
MHP-ΘV (barred), nimbate facing bust of the Virgin Mary, wearing pallium and maphorium, holding with both hands medallion of nimbate bust of infant Christ; dotted single border / + ΘKЄ / BΘ, PΩMA/NΩ ΔЄCΠO/TH TΩ ΔΙΟ/ΓЄΝЄΙ, legend in five lines; three pellets below, linear single border. Sear 1865.

17 mm, 2,14 g.
Domitian 81-96. Æ quadrans. Rome. 84-85.
Rhinoceros walking left / IMP DOMIT AVG GERM around large S C.
BMC 498; Cohen 674; RIC II, Part 1 (second edition) Domitian 251; Old RIC II 435; Sear RCV I (2000), 2835.

Next - quadrans

A great coin. The toning is excellent, the only (minor) minus is the weak strike/worn die as the olive branch is not fully struck and the PAX exergue is off the flan. But again, MINOR.

The attribution is correct. I don't think any other info can be provided. 

My Verus coins: 

1. from the first lot I purchased

18,5 mm, 2,5 g.
Lucius Verus 161-169 AD. AR denarius. Rome. 161-162.
IMP L AVREL VERVS AVG, Head, bare, right / PROV DEOR TR P II COS II, Providentia standing left, holding globe and cornucopiae.
RIC III Marcus Aurelius 482; Cohen 155; BMC 202.

2. a posthumous denarius 

18 mm, 2,70 g.
Divus Lucius Verus. Died 169 AD. AR denarius. Rome.
DIVVS VERVS, head of Lucius Verus, bare, right / CONSECRATIO, funeral pyre in four tiers (ustrina), adorned with statues and garlands, quadriga on top.
RIC III Marcus Aurelius 596B; RSC 55; BMC 503.

3. a sestertius

32 mm, 20,98 g.
Lucius Verus 161-169 AD. Æ sestertius. Rome. 163-164. L AVREL VERVS AVG ARMENIACVS, head of Lucius Verus, laureate, right / TR P IIII IMP II COS II S C, Victory, winged, half-draped, standing right, fixing to a palm-tree with left hand shield inscribed VIC AVG
RIC III Marcus Aurelius 1397; BMC 1116.

Link - lion hunting prey 

23 mm, 10,8 g.
Cilicia, Tarsos. Mazaios 361-334 BC. AR stater.
Baaltars seated left on throne, head facing, holding lotus-tipped sceptre, grain ear, grape bunch and eagle; 'BLTRZ' Aramaic legend to right / Lion left attacking bull left; Aramaic legend above 'MZDI' = Mazaios, Aramaic letters below.
Casabonne Series 2A; SNG France 338-347 (controls); SNG Levante 101 var.

Here is the first coin I ever bought individually from an auction 

20 mm, 2,43 g.
Titus, as Caesar under Vespasian. AR denarius. Rome. 77-78.
T CAESAR VESPASIANVS, head of Titus, laureate, right / IMP XIII, sow left, with three piglets.
RIC II, Part 1 (second edition) Vespasian 986.

Next - pig, sow, or a closely related animal

I have this Geta denarius from Laodicea with an interesting rainbow toning. 

19 mm, 3,28 g.
Geta as Caesar 198-209 AD. AR denarius. Laodicea ad Mare. 198-200 AD.
L SEPTIMIVS GETA CAES, bare-headed, draped and cuirassed bust right / SPEI PERPETVAE, Spes advancing left, holding flower and raising hem of skirt.
RIC IV 96; BMC 688; RSC 192a.