ambr0zie

Great coins and write-up. I was aware about herms but only had a general idea - checking about these means another ancient term clarified. Here is my Aspendos stater Pamphylia, Aspendos, ca. 415/10-400 BC, AR Stater Obv: Two wrestlers grappling within a dotted border / Rev: Slinger discharging sling right, triskeles in right field, ethnic EΣTEE to left, all within incuse square. Countermarked. Tekin Series B; SNG Aul. 4525; SNG BN 45ff 21 mm, 10,90 g

I was just about to congratulate Paddy for the new addiction entry but seeing the outcome I I felt sorry and annoyed. I am always a little worried about my coins that are in shipping phase and especially when shipping is delayed. But I hope this will not discourage you and you'll start this journey anyways. There are plenty nice coins to choose from.

Just remembered I have 2 coins that are not ancient, but quite interesting anyways and probably unknown to most collectors here. An aurochs - being the symbol of the medieval principate of Moldova/Moldavia (now split between Romania and Republic of Moldova) MOLDAVIA. Stephen III the Great (1457-1504). Groat ca 1488 Obv: MONETA MOLDAVIE. Facing bull's head (aurochs); star above, crescent and rosette flanking face. Rev: STEFANVS VOIEVOD. Coat-of-arms. Cf. MBR 610. Alexandru cel Bun (1400 - 1432) Obol (copper). Type V Obv: Bull's head, left of it rosette, right of it crescent, between horns star. Rev: Split coat of arms, horizontal bars on the left, lilies on the right. 16mm 0.57g MBR (as half groat) 418 ff.

Not bulls, but probably they would have liked to be bulls 😐 Vespasian (69-79) AR Denarius, Rome, 77-78 IMP CAESAR VESPASIANVS AVG - Laureate head right Rev: Pair of oxen under yoke left, In exergue, COS VIII. C 133. BMC 206. RIC 943. CBN 184 2,67 g, 18 mm

I would like to apologize if it was understood that I am blaming the owner. It was not my intention. He did not post it to be sold or whatever, and probably was under the impression he bought an exceptional coin. I understand your point of view, but if I post a coin (to be discussed, I don't sell anything) and a colleague or more suspect it's a fake, with arguments, I would be happy (as happy as one could be in this situation anyways) as other collectors might see and learn from this. I am also interested in discussions about forgeries as I don't want to pay anything on a fake. This is why I consider the practice used by some auction houses when a fake is discovered in an auction - replacing the picture with a red WITHDRAWN - incorrect as at least somebody will see that forgery and might recognize it in another auction if it appears. One of the reasons I am inactive on another board was that I requested a while ago some info regarding a coin I had. It was a problematic Apollonia Pontica drachm. Where it's difficult to be sure. The coin was immediately considered fake. I was asked (and not politely) to update my details with full name, and home address. I felt extremely unwelcome (I didn't have the slightest intention to sell the coin) and since posting on a forum is a privilege, not a right, I just stopped posting there. (I had the chance to discuss with a specialist from a major auction house eventually who told me that in his opinion the coin is genuine) Not the case here and I don't think anyone blamed the owner.

Actually the first thing that came in my mind was the font. I also compared it with OCRE examples for Tranquilina sestertii and it was very different. But as I didn't see to many Tranquillina imperial coins (amd most likely I won't) I wasn't sure if this assumption is correct. The drapery looks like a very bad case of tooling (if we can call tooling good in any case). I also compared it with the "uncleaned version" and either I'm imagining things or something is very strange. Check the letters after each TRANQV. Left - "cleaned" - L. Right, "uncleaned" - I. Or the "dirt" obscured the I and cleaning made it a perfect L. Anyway the name is spelled incorrectly. TRANQVILLINA should be the correct one. Not TRANQVILINA with a single L, not TRANQVLLINA. @seth77 - what is the facebook group name, please? It appears it's a closed group and I need to register but I can't see the name of the group with that link.

I might be wrong, I think there is big chance that this is a sestertius that was heavily tooled to transform it into a Tranquillina.

Incoming! Gallienus AD 267. Antioch Antoninianus Æ silvered 22 mm, 3,00 g GALLIENVS AVG, bust of Gallienus, radiate, cuirassed, right / LVNA LVCIF, Diana, draped, walking right, holding torch. Exergue PXV. RIC V Gallienus 609 Next - coin without major circulation wear but weak strike

I am not a Tranquillina expert (for obvious reasons, there are not many Tranquillina experts out there) but I don't like this coin at all. I might be wrong. But I would recommend opening a topic about it. I see some red flags on it.

I was extremely pleased to receive a phone call from DHL Express courier today. I bought 3 coins from an auction house I recently found out about. The communication was not 100% perfect and I only realized they already shipped the package a few days after they actually did! And the shipping was the fastest I have ever seen - departed from Italy on Thursday afternoon (17:44) and reached my door on Monday at 9 AM. Package contains a RR denarius I wanted for a long time as I just love a reverse showing minting tools. A coin about coins! Also another RR I wanted for a while due to mythological symbols But although the circulation wear level is low, I wasn't happy with my choice because of the bad strike. We can see king Tatius in the alopecia version. So technically my last coin is one I requested from the auction house (being unsold) - possibly the same version, But I think I like this one more, even if more worn and centering is bad, losing the control mark and the reverse legend.

I had the worse results on fourrees. Especially the ones that were in a bad shape. On a very cheap lot I bought in an auction (about 3 EUR/coin - I was happy but soon after I was wondering if I didn't overpay 😄 ) I had major issues with 2 fourrees. This was indeed impossible to photograph and what you see was a result of a lot of photoshop fiddle. This is either a limes or a core of a fourree. Another one from the same lot was this Gordian III fourree. Tried everything I know - natural/artificial light, different backgrounds, in the end I used the same old "coin on finger" method. Next - let's see a Julia Domna coin from Caracalla's reign.

I agree the portrait is Julia Domna. The reverse is too worn for me to distinguish 100% something but the stance on the reverse makes me think of this PHRYGIA. Hadrianopolis. SNG von Aulock 3608; SNG Copenhagen 406; BMC 2. Not a match though (obv legend different)

Thanks for looking, @dougsmit. Unfortunately identifying after the style is not my best point. My instinct says it's a Hadrianopolis. The wildwinds example for Hadrianopolis 3657 var seems similar at the reverse style, especially the first one from this collage I made It's interesting that on Wildwinds both are marked as 3657 var and I can't find a single example of a Varbanov 3657 coin to see on acsearch or coinarchives. Perhaps mine is exactly the example Varbanov 3657 entry?! I need to buy the Varbanov catalogue anyways. Attribtutions from wildwinds examples (pics 2 and 3 in the collage) Geta AE18 of Hadrianopolis, Thrace. Λ CEΠTI ΓETA KAI, laureate, draped and cuirassed bust right / AΔΡIANOΠOΛITΩN, Thanatos or Weary Eros, winged, standing right leaning on burning torch. Varbanov (Bulg. 2007); (Engl.) 3657; not in Moushmov. Geta AE18 of Hadrianopolis, Thrace. Λ CEΠTI ΓETA KAI, laureate, draped and cuirassed bust right / AΔΡIANOΠOΛEITΩN, Eros, winged, standing right, legs crossed, resting on burning torch. Varbanov 3657 var (obv. legend); Moushmov -. Obverse legend clearly different on my coin. Reverse legend might be the same as coin 2 (having the ending of the reverse legend missing....)

Welcome!

You mean second one from top to bottom https://www.acsearch.info/search.html?id=30306 Legends wouldn't match on both obverse and reverse.

Got help from Curtis Clay on my absolute beginner phase. Discussed also with Dane from wildwinds in regards to an Istros fraction that was also published. Many people I met in this hobby are true experts.

I don't have access to Varbanov or Jurukova. Since I heard many good things about Varbanov especially, I'm seriously considering buying the catalogue.

Thanks, Mike (check my other coin with Marsyas, that was easy to attribute 😄 ) This Geta still remains a mystery as the reverse legend might suggest Hadrianopolis, but the obverse legend doesn't fit any of the coins I found. Either unpublished or I can't pinpoint it.

Thanks for looking, but I already know this, I am after the mint. I provided some cities I found issuing Geta coins with similar reverses. Nothing fits. Close match I found is this Hadrianopolis, Varbanov 3657 var From wildwinds Hadrianopolis page https://www.wildwinds.com/coins/greece/thrace/hadrianopolis/t.html But obverse legend doesn't match.

Identifying coins is one of the most pleasant aspect of this hobby for me and for the areas I'm most interested in (Provincial and Imperial) I handle the identification in a satisfactory way. But now and then I get stumped 😐 Won this coin as I liked it overall. And it was a reverse I wanted for a while. Slightly off centered, but this is not a problem (.... in fact it is) I don't think the attribution provided by the house is correct. THRACE. Anchialus. Geta (Caesar, 198-209). Ae. Bareheaded, draped and cuirassed bust right. Rev: Winged Genius standing facing, legs crossed, resting on torch set on altar. Varbanov 43 The Anchialus coin with this reverse has the legend AΓXIAΛEΩN. On mine it starts with a Λ (or A) and ends with ΛITΩN or AITΩN. So Anchialus is not an option. I know this reverse is common for several Thrace cities BUT - not Pautalia - ΠAVTA-ΛIΩTΩN (on my reverse it ends with ITΩN - one "extra" Ω on Pautalia - not Marcianopolis - MAPKIANOΠOΛITΩN - as the city on my coin starts with a Λ or A - not Nicopolis - NIKOΠOΛ ΠPOC IC - not Augusta Traiana Any help is greatly appreciated.

Neat to see decent coins at low prices @Spaniard And @Parthicus I also want to thank you for the aulos video. Never heard one and I thought it has a higher pitched sound. I had this kind of sound in mind, also an archaic wind instrument used by the Romanian band Phoenix on their 1974 album called "Mugur de fluier" (Flute's bud)

Bulls? How about 3 bulls on a coin, on this Caria, uncertain mint Tetartemorion?

Historically interesting; appealing design; affordable price. Condition is not the major criteria for me. Rather than spending 100 EUR on a common coin in XF conditon I prefer 3 more interesting ones in F.

For me there is only one annoying thing - delays in sending. There are houses who send the package the next working day after the invoice was paid. I don't expect this level of performance for everyone. But when a house sends a package after 7-10 days I wonder why do they offer expensive shipping. Insurance is the same for normal post at least here.