Finn235

Nice pickup! These Japanese pieces are a great low-cost way to get gold.

A while ago I picked up both the pre-reform and the post-reform smaller size version

Picked up a few group lots to go through and got this interesting little thing I absolutely can't seem to ID.

AE, 9x10mm, 0.56g

Obv: Facing nimbate head, wearing robe(?) Cross over left shoulder?

Rev: Very fat bull walking right, head facing? Perhaps flying Nike over?

Obverse reminds me of something medieval, but the bull seems more Greek in execution. Can't get anything remotely close to this no matter what I search. Any ideas what on earth this could be?

Rare & Expensive - 

Classical Greek AR, AV, EL other than Lydia, Athens, and Alexander

Rare Roman emperors

Common & Expensive 

Lydia, Athens, Alexander

Roman emperors like Augustus, Tiberius, and Diadumenian whose denarii are super common but routinely go for 2-10x what they "should" (none to share because I haven't bothered buying any)

Rare & cheap

Rare but decidedly ugly Greek

Lots of Roman coins are technically rare but don't have the collector base to drive demand, especially for provincials.

Basically all of Central Asia falls into this category

As does most of India, especially the post-Mauryan and post-Gupta material

Common & Cheap

Greek AE

Basically all Roman coins that aren't of a rare emperor

Most "Persian" and Islamic coin types

Lots of Indian types 

Basically everything from China

Found it - remembered I had downloaded it off of CCF to post on CT a few years ago. Not even sure which emperor this one is, but this was the actual in-hand appearance of the blue Song Cash

26 minutes ago, Severus Alexander said:

Wow, that coin looks like a 3D relief of an alien moon!

I immediately think of Chinese coins for this sort of thing.  Definitely some sort of crystally thangs going on here, on this early Chinese bronze cowrie:

 

Must be some interesting minerals on this heavy (9.45g) early Qin ban liang, c. 350-300 BCE:

 

And for a different sort of adhesion, check out the actual ancient fabric at the top of the reverse of this Han ban liang (H7.17, c. 175-120 BCE):

I'll need to hunt down the picture, but probably about 6 years ago I bought 200ish Song dynasty cash from Lanz's ebay shop with the intent of making a collection of it. Sat on it for a year, realized that Chinese didn't "click" for me outside of Wang Mang's coinage, and I sold most of them to an interested local collector on FB marketplace. One of the coins was completely encrusted in this absolutely stunning electric blue azurite like that Ban Liang, but brighter. I regret that I sold that one.

Sometimes when buying large lots, you will get coins like this

This AE20 was probably a Greek coin at some point judging by the thickness (and weighing in at probably 8g before losing so much of the patina) and coins like this tend to just get passed around and around, used only to bump up the coin count in lots and entice bidders to bid just a little higher. As I was prepared to carry on the tradition, I noticed the tiniest little sparkle on the coin and decided to give it a closer look and then research what I saw.

On one side, there are two crystals, one whitish and one more clear (difficult to see in the photo) which I believe are cerussite (PbC03) - a natural lead ore, probably originatinf from impurities in the coin, or something lead touching it in the ground.

On the other side is a reddish black crystal which I believe is cuprite (Cu2O), a natural ore of copper

Neither of course will restore any numismatic value to the coin, but I still think it's interesting enough to hold on to. I tend to forget while collecting XF denarii just how long 2,000 years really is. To overly-romanticize the whole thing, it made me stop and think about all the work that went into mining and refining and minting this coin, only for nature to return those metals back to their natural state.

Anywho, anyone else have coins with cool mineral/crystal growths on them? Post 'em up!

Wonderful coin with a powerful portrait!

My favorite is this AE As of the same type, struck on a medallic flan... not too much of a stretch to imagine that these were distributed as some sort of Liberalitas or door prize at the games themselves.

I became interested in these coins a few years ago and as luck would have it, I managed to acquire some very cheaply, thanks to a hoard that is apparently flooding the market as I've seen these offered in quite large group lots where they used to be quite scarce. 

Since there isn't any legend at all on these coins except the large SC, attribution has been somewhat contentious, with some arguing that they are imperial issues of the Uncia, a denomination worth 1/12 of an as or 1/3 of a quadrans, which had otherwise not been minted in 300 years. Others argue variously that they are either coins minted in Rome but then shipped to Syria to circulate in Antioch (based on style) or that they are a native product of the Antioch mint. They are fascinating little coins that deserve more study!

The first two are very clearly of Trajan and of exceptional style on flans of about 10-12mm and weighing 1.4g

But! Then there is this one that also comes on a 12mm flan but weighs 0.71g - exactly half!

I have seen no mention of there being multiple denominations within this series, but I can't help but wonder if that must have been the intent here?

Coins of Hadrian are markedly more crude, to the point that they can be a bit difficult to attribute to him. They usually have Greek letters which I assume to be some sort of control mark. It is more difficult to argue for multiple denominations here, as the weights varied from 0.9 - 1.2g and diameters from about 8mm - 11mm. This was the finest in the lot

These coins are generally attributed to only Trajan or Hadrian, but I'm having a hard time accepting this one as a Hadrian bust

Could it perhaps be Antoninus Pius? Or even Aelius?

Much more to learn from this series!

As always I welcome thoughts or any additional coins you have to share!

5 hours ago, Harry G said:

When I've consigned with them in the past, they've sometimes suggested putting a rare coin in a lot to get some interest in the whole lot, and I assume that's what's happened here. I remember there was another lot that came up for sale around the same time as the Didius Julianus lot posted above - It included a sole reign Vabalathus antoninianus and several very rare quinarii of the tetrarchy, as well as lots of other very nice coins (Claudius II Smyrna ant, Maximian under Carausius ant eyc.) Unfortunately, I was the underbidder of that lot.

 

 

I remember that one - I tried to win it but I didn't have the funds to go any higher after winning the other lots! What really caught my eye with that one was the Vabalathus of course, and the Tacitus quinarius. I've never understood lots like this one - if you wanted to save money on the flat listing fee, you'd probably do much better just selling the coins yourself, either on ebay or a direct channel like this forum.

On 9/16/2023 at 10:16 PM, thenickelguy said:

I see Finn just "liked" with a "clap"

I acquired my first small batches of ancient coins from him. Still very happy to have those coins in my collection.

It's all your fault LOL, seriously though, I have enjoyed the introduction to this area of collecting and the history I have learned has been awesome.

You all have been awesome! Thank you!

Remember this one Finn235 ?

Gallienus 253-268 AD Rome Antoninianus Mars God of War

I do indeed remember it - it feels like a lifetime ago but I'm glad to see your collection is still growing and growing!

CNG and Roma have some pretty incredible large lots and a pretty substantial number of my collection has come from them. This was one of my favorites from Roma a couple years ago

Yes, that is a Didius Julianus sestertius - that coin alone I sold for almost as much as the whole lot cost me

Nice catch!

I picked up one a couple years back - these seem to often go under the radar unlike the Caesar portrait provincials which alway attract the deep pocket bidders. Here's mine, I'd have to go back and figure out where I bought it from and for how much.

As Mike said, I've seen these attributed as being anything from lifetime issues to as late as Flavian.

So I stumbled into these two as part of a group lot and to be honest I am way out of my element here. All I've worked out is that these are blue faience but date and whether they are even authentic is a mystery to me. Anyone care to lend a helping hand?

#1

#2

Both are holed all the way through, I assume to be used as a necklace

Any help appreciated! I'm leaning toward these being modern creations based on some awfully similar pieces being listed on Etsy, but want to confirm first!

If it requires hand assembly, can we please stop calling it a coin?

18 hours ago, Severus Alexander said:

Not that I'm aware of, but I found it pretty easy to find die matches on acsearch... there aren't that many known dies, I believe.

You were right! I think this one from Kunker is a match

3 hours ago, NewStyleKing said:

Can somebody point out the inscriptions on these coins.............I can hardly make anything out!

Admittedly, the legend isn't really visible on my coin. You can sort of see a little bit of it in front of the lion's nose. These are attributable based on style and weight as well as having two punches. Here is one in more crude style that has the legend visible

Examples that are legible are very rare, and the hammer prices reflect that

https://www.numisbids.com/n.php?p=lot&sid=2451&lot=246

From a group lot that arrived last week and currently going through

This one absolutely threw me for a loop until I worked out that the reverse was a sword and shield. Here's what I've arrived at:

Celtic tribes(?)

Imitating silver obol of Leukon II, king of Bosporus, ca 250-220 BC, Pantikapaion mint

Obv: Celticized diademend head right

Rev: Sword/dagger and shield, retrograde ΔIOC to right

10mm, 0.75g

Prototype:

This is very much out of my usual wheelhouse - anyone have any insights on this one?

Very nice hemihekte!

I haven't looked top hard for a die match to mine - is there a study published on the net?

Ever since I was a child and read a book about the history of coinage, I've always dreamed of owning one of "the first coins ever struck" even though I now know that to not be exactly true. I've put out bid after bid after bid but always came up empty-handed - until now!

This one is not one of the anonymous Lydian tribes, but rather somewhat earlier, and is probably the first coin ever struck in the name of a king, assuming Phanes was probably not a king forgotten by history. The coin is quite circulated for the type, which I prefer on Greek coins, as IMO it brings a character that isn't present on those that went into the ground before they were used.

Kings of Lydia, Alyattes (Walwet), ca 600-561 BC

EL Hekte, 11mm, 2.33g

Obv: Confronted lion heads (only left on flan), 𐤥𐤠𐤩𐤥𐤤 (Lydian "WALWEL") between them

Rev: Two incuse punches

I've personally found this issue to be a lot more interesting than the anonymous trites - there is absolutely no doubt about who issued these, and they are one of only a handful of coins that can certainly be dated to before 550 BC. Alyattes was quite an interesting king who I need to read up on a lot more. He ascended to the throne during a time of war as he struggled with his neighboring cities for supremacy, ultimately attaining it through both force and diplomacy, expanding the Lydian kingdom to encompass roughly half of Asia Minor. His 57 year rule made him contemporaneous not with the Achaemenid empire, but rather with the Neo-Assyrian and later the Neo-Babylonian empires- he even had a close political alliance with the great king Nebuchadnezzar II. Alyattes is traditionally considered to have died in 560 BC, but it may have been as early as 585, as his final battle against Medes is recorded as having been interrupted by a total solar eclipse, taken as a bad omen by both sides, prompting them to seek diplomatic solutions so as not to anger the gods. This would have taken place on May 28 585 BC. Alyattes was succeeded by his son Croesus, the final Lydian king before the rise of the Achaemenid empire.

There are a ton of posthumous provincials. My focus is primarily on people who are only deified on provincials, or at least the provincials are the only way to afford them. Some of mine:

Posthumous Germanicus and Agrippina from Aezanis, issued by Caligula (the overwhelmingly vast majority of Germanicus' coinage was issued posthumously, and all of Agrippina I's was)

This curious coin of Octavia contains the curious epithet ΘΕΑΝ, meaning divine and almost always used on posthumous coinage. Given that she was extremely beloved by just about everyone except her husband, it is possible that this was made illegally upon her death (it wasn't public knowledge immediately that Nero had her killed). It is also possible that it means something more akin to "the Divinely Beautiful Octavia" as the epithet was also used on a few other unambiguously lifetime issues of empresses.

This issue from Judaea is the only one to depict the deified Poppaea, and the only one to depict their infant daughter Claudia at all (ugly budget version I need to take my own pictures of because it actually looks a little better than this in hand)

Nero also issued at Alexandria the only posthumous coins for Tiberius except for Flavian restitution issues

And although there are imperial Divus Claudius issues, the provincial tetradrachms from Antioch are much more affordable

Moving forward a bit, for whatever reason, Trajan only honored Divus Nerva on aureii, but provincials also exist and don't run well into 5 figure hammer prices

Likewise, Hadrian didn't see fit to honor the divine Trajan except for aureii, but provincials exist.

This one from Pergamon has the temples of Divus Trajan and Divus Augustus

And I finally acquired a portrait from the last Leu sale

The last one I have is the only issue for Galerius Antoninus, the biological son of Antoninus Pius and Faustina I. He died probably before Pius was even elevated to Caesar, and the only coin issue came after Faustina's death, from a mint possibly in Cyprus

Three smaller ones are a Miletos diobol, maybe a Parion hemidrachm, and possibly a really beat up Achaemenid siglos. I'm pretty sure it's not a Nero denarius but a really beat up Domitian. The coin to the left of the Etruscus is a fourree Celtic copy of an Alexander drachm.

7 hours ago, ambr0zie said:

Is it Herennius Etruscus with obv legend IMP C Q HER ETR MES DECIO AVG ? for some reason I struggled way more than I usually do because what I see before "HER" looked like a S and this made no sense. 

You got it!

Herennius Etruscus' issue as Augustus is easily one of the rarest of all non-usurpers, reigning for only a few weeks to a month before his untimely death in battle with the Goths. As luck would have it, I did finally spring for the coin on the right earlier this year, figuring that I'd probably never get the opportunity to get one for "cheap".

And these coins certainly never go cheap!

https://www.cngcoins.com/Lot.aspx?LOT_ID=81169

https://www.cngcoins.com/Coin.aspx?CoinID=247009

And I'm very very excited for the opportunity to do so!

Probably obvious - who can spot it?

Wonderful post!

One of my favorite Roman coins is one I had to hunt a few years for - a lifetime issue of Germanicus as Caesar alongside Drusus from Sardes, Lydia:

Perhaps the most honest portrait of Germanicus to survive, we can see a young man with curly, tousled hair, sideburns, and a sharply aquiline nose and an intense, determined stare. This can be observed in watered down format in some of his imperial busts

Sadly, coins of Germanicus from his own lifetime are quite rare, restricted to provincial coins only, and usually of poor style.

Anyway, don't forget that all your LRBs need to be turned over to museums so that they can receive the proper care that only a public institution can provide 😉