Sulla80

Wow - that is surprisingly agressive.... Another interesting post & coin @David Atherton! Congrats on your latest good looking Flavian coin. The reference to βαλανηφdγοι or "acorn eaters" is one that I find entertaining: often used as a derogatory term to mean "primitive" or "barbarous"... not having yet discovered grain or not haveing been given grain by Ceres. Acorns appear on some early coins in Rome e.g. this semiuncia from Numismatica Ars Classica (not my coin) Plutarch puts a noble spin on "acorn eaters": "This is the civic crown which the law bestows upon one who has saved the life of a fellow-citizen in battle, either because the oak was held in special honour for the sake of the Arcadians,who were called acorn-eaters in an oracle of Apollo; or because they could speedily find an abundance of oak wherever they fought; or because it was thought that the garland of oak leaves, being sacred to Jupiter, the city’s guardian, was fittingly bestowed upon one who saved the life of a citizen." -Plutarch, LIfe of Caius Marcius Coriolanus 3.3

I sold my Tiberius denarius a few years ago. It wasn't my favorite coin and I thought that I would quickly find another one to fill its spot. Then I am not sure what happened....a coin at the right price with the right style in the right condition didn't show up, I got distracted with other interests,.... The search ended this week, with this coin now taking the place of its predecessor. Tiberius, 14-37, AR denarius (18mm, 3.61g), group 4, Lugdunum Obv: TI CAESAR DIVI AVG F AVGVSTVS, laureate head of Tiberius to right Rev: PONTIF MAXIM, Livia (as Pax) seated right on a chair with ornate legs, holding long scepter in her right hand and olive branch in her left, her feet set on footstool Ref: BMC 48. Cohen 16. Giard 150. RIC 30 and here's the coin that it replaced: for a story of Tiberius' favorite food - Pliny described it this way: "a delicacy for which the emperor Tiberius had a remarkable partiality" ....full story here: https://www.sullacoins.com/post/tiberius-cucumbers Post your upgrades with their predecessors,stories of imperial eating habits, denarii of Tiberius, or anything else that you find interesting or entertaining.

You may enjoy this movie: and this coin of C. Papirius Carbo - who was on a roll until he returned from his governorship in Bithynia to be prosecuted by the son of Marcus Cotta and convicted of corruption. He receded into obscurity afterwards. https://www.sullacoins.com/post/romans-in-bythynia

Antoninius Pius (Elagabalus), priest of the sun god, worshiped in Emesa with the Phoenician name Elagabal. The followers worshiped a large black stone from Zeus as divine and linked to the sun god. This coin explicitly references him on the reverse as "SACERD DEI SOLIS ELAGAB" or "priest of the god of the sun, Elagabal". https://www.sullacoins.com/post/son-of-caracalla Elagabalus, (A.D. 218-222), silver denarius, issued 221-222 A.D., Rome Mint, (3.33 g, 6h) Obv: laureate draped head of Elagabalus to right, with horn over forehead, around, IMP ANTONINVS PIVS AVG, Rev: SACERD DEI SOLIS ELAGAB, Elagabalus standing to right. sacrificing out of a patera over lighted altar, holding club upright, in field to right a star Ref: S.7542, RIC 131, BMC 225 note, RSC 246

https://www.sullacoins.com/post/gallienus-and-usurpers-in-ad-260 https://www.sullacoins.com/post/gallienus-regnal-year-8 Egypt, Alexandria, Quietus, Usurper, AD 260-261, Tetradrachm dated RY 1 (circa September 260-May 261 AD) Obv: A K T Φ IOVN KOVHTOC Є CЄB, laureate, draped, and cuirassed bust right Rev: Eagle standing left, wings open, wreath in its beak; L A (date) to lower left Ref: Dattari (Savio) 5382

“We knew Plato was buried at the academy, which was very large, but thanks to the scans we now know he was buried in a garden in a private area, near the sacred shrine to the Muses,” Prof Graziano Ranocchia

Beautiful coins as always @panzerman, and I would agree that especially with gold coins there is higher probability that they were stored more carefully and there is a higher likelihood of finding a coin with an undisturbed surface as @Heliodromus notes: "Gold is mostly non-reactive".

one sold 2/26/2024 for 46 Euro https://www.acsearch.info/search.html?id=12272791, not including buyers fees - for me it is also the rough surface that puts the value in the <$50 range. (agree with RIC 343 - draped) another one https://www.acsearch.info/search.html?id=11563479 10/6/2023 for 44 Euro, not including buyers fees.

Olbia:

Any coin that has survived ~1900 years and is readable is in my view a nice coin. This is not a "high value coin" - I'd say <<$50 and it does show signs of cleaning that have removed tarnish and revealed the rough surface and pitting underneath. I would guess some form of electrochemical cleaning applied not long ago.

Q: most classical Coins and medieval ones have been cleaned in the past, might have been cleaned even 500 years ago or 1000 years ago, that people in the past did not cared about luster or patina, he said that more that 90% of Coins in the market were cleaned or polished at some point, is that true? There are probably some differences across types of coins, but these seems about right - most coins have had some sort of "cleaning" Q: Also, a little question, does Coin that were polished in the past, when you polish one, It Just takes the dirt, patina and luster out, right? Or does It also makes the Coin lose metal and Weight? Again depends on the specific coin - but often you might remove horn silver and encrustations that can reduce the weight of the coin. "polishing" in general is not great - you will see some ancient coins that are slabbed and marked as "brushed" - this can be from heavily rubbing with brushes or cloth in a way that has damaged the surface. Here are my notes on one of my cleaning experiments: https://www.sullacoins.com/post/a-chemistry-experiment "luster" is a word that I've never really understood properly - for me this just means "good surface", "good metal", not pitted, not crystalized, not rough, maybe a little shine showing through the patina or tarnish, but can also be some risk that this means "brushed:", "polished", and other negatives... your video didn't work for me: My favorite coins give at least the illusion that they haven't been cleaned in a long time...a bright shiney coin is unattractive to me.

follis Licinius Next : any AE with nice silvering.

Far from any area that I can suggest that I have expertise, but I do have several anchor countermarked tetradrachms. https://www.sullacoins.com/post/between-the-seleucid-and-attalid-kingdom Your countermark doesn't look like a Seleucid anchor to me, perhaps an owl of Syrian origin? with Persian style countermarks: more like those on Persian sigloi?? I would like this suggestion better if there were a countermark in van Alfen's paper that looked more like yours. This paper may be helpful: van Alfen, Peter G. “The ‘Owls’ from the 1989 Syria Hoard, with a Review of Pre-Macedonian Coinage in Egypt.” American Journal of Numismatics (1989-), vol. 14, 2002, pp. 1–57.

Interesting - I haven't seen one of those before - but it reminded, me of this image of a bird sitting on a plow (Roman aratum; Greek arotron) from SICILY, Kentoripai. Circa 211-190 BC. Æ Sextans Obv: Draped bust of Demeter right, wearing stephane; grain ear behind Rev: KENTO / PIΠΙΝΩΝ, bird perched on plow; two pellets to left. Ref: Campana 5A/a; BAR Issue 4; CNS 7; HGC 2, 637; Virzi 914

Nice addition, @DonnaML! "Weird stuff I never heard of on ancient coins" might have been a better name for the thread .... here's another one: Astragalus (Greek) or Talus (Latin) "In antiquity, one of the most popular games of chance was played with astragaloi, knucklebones of sheep and goats. They could be used like dice or like jacks, thrown in the air and caught on the back of the hand. Knucklebones have been found in tombs where they must have been intended to help the deceased while away endless time." -The MET: Bronze astragalus (knucklebone) Bronze astragalus (knuckle-bone), probably used as a gaming piece or for fortune telling. -The British Museum: Astragalus "An astragalos (plural astragaloi) was a ;gaming piece made from the "knuckle-bone" (typically the anklebone from the hind leg) of a sheep or goat, used in antiquity in for divination and games in a manner similar to dice. Each side had a unique numerical value and, like modern dice, the values on opposite sides added up to seven. They were also used in children's games games, where players attempted to knock an opponent's knucklebones out of the center of a circle, or throw their own knucklebones in the air, catching them on the back of their hand, like jacks." -Numiswiki, Forvm Ancient Coins "Ivory knucklebones (Tali eborei) When the bone (talus) you've thrown stands without the same face as another, you will say that I have given you a big present" -Martial, XIV.14 (Note: iactus Veneris was a high throw in the game where each of 4 dice show a difference number)

Homonoia - as imagined by openAI's ChatGPT 4.0 edited to include the tetradrachm of Gallienus. How is it that the word EYTYXHC has not yet appeared in this forum?....it must not be that common on ancient coins....yet the Roman Equivalent "FELIX" has 348 hits in searching NF. Roman Egypt, Alexandria, Gallienus, 253-268, BI tetradrachm (24mm, 10.38g, 11 h), RY 3 = 255/6 Obv: Α Κ Π ΛΙ ΟΥ ΓΑΛΛΙΗΝΟϹ ΕΥ ΕΥϹ, laureate, draped and cuirassed bust of Gallienus to right Rev: L Γ, Homonoia seated left, raising her right hand and holding double-cornucopiae in her left Ref: Dattari (Savio) 5204. Emmett 3735.3. K&G 90.16. RPC X online ID 75324. Expanding the Greek Legend: ΑΥΤΟΚΡΑΤΩΡ ΚΑΙΣΑΡ PVBΛIOC ΛICINIOC OYAΛEPIANOC ΓAΛΛIHNOC EYTYXHC EYCEBHC in Latin IMPERATOR CAESAR PUBLIVS LICINIVS VALERIANVS GALLIENVS FELIX PIVS in English: Emperor Caesar Publius Licinius Valerian Gallienus Fortunate and Pious (or Dutiful) Here are a few useful words for translating: ΑΥΤΟΚΡΑΤΩΡ (AUTOCRATOR, abbreviated: AVT or AVTOK) = EMPEROR ΚΑΙΣΑΡ (KAISAR), KAICAP (K. or KAI.) = CAESAR ΣΕΒΑΣΤΟΣ, CΕΒΑCΤΟC (ΣΕΒ., CΕΒ.) = AVGVSTVS ΔΗΜΑΡΧΙΚΗC ΕΞΟΥCΙΑ (ΔΗΜΑΡΧ.ΕΞ.) = TRIBVNICA POTESTAS (TR.P.) ΥΠΑΤΟC, ΥΠΑΤΟC Β, ΥΠΑΤΟC Γ, etc. = CONSVL (COS. II, COS. III etc.) ΥΠΑΤΟC ΑΠΟΔΕΔΕΔΕΙΤ ΜΕΝΟC = CONSVL DESIGNATVS (COS. DES.) ΘΕΟΥ ΥΙΟC (OE. YI.) = DIVI FILIVS (DIVI F.) APICTOC (API.) = OPTIMVS ΕΠIΦΑΝΗC (ΕΠIΦ.) = NOBILISSMVS (NOB.) EYCEBHC (EYC.) = PIVS (P.) EYTYXHC (EY., EYTY.) = FELIX (F.) ΘΕΟΣ, ΘΕΟC, ΘΕω = DIVVS, DIVO And here is a useful page from Barry P. Murphy for reading dates on Roman Provincials and Greek Coins Dates on Roman Provincial Coins :http://bpmurphy.ancients.info/misc/rpcdates.htm Post words that are useful in reading Greek legends on provincial coins and coins as examples

prize urns. cippus, and oomphalos - definitely fit in the right category: objects from ancient rome...stuff I wouldn't have ever heard of if it weren't on my coins....in the furniture category: here's a less obscure currule chair on a Roman republican coin of L Lollius Palikanus with Honos on the obverse circa 45 BC:

Some of my favorite ancient coins depict objects that I would not have heard of if they hadn't appeared on a coin of interested. Today I turned my attention to a coin from Perge, Pamphylia, that features an iron box or "arca ferrata" (a Roman safe). My notes on this can be found here: https://www.sullacoins.com/post/arca-ferrata Post your coins with unusual ancient objects on them or anything else you find interesting or entertaining.

maybe not the worst 🙂 but perhaps top 10!

With several caveats: - I lean Roman more than Greek - these books are modern not ancient sources - I don't read these cover to cover, but use as starting point for cities that interest me (no surprise that this is often coin related) Getzel Cohen's 3 volume series on Hellenistic settlements might interest you. Cohen, Getzel, The Hellenistic Settlements in Europe, the Islands & Asia Minor. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1995. Reviewed here: https://bmcr.brynmawr.edu/1998/1998.11.19/ Cohen, Getzel M., The Hellenistic Settlements in Syria, the Red Sea Basin, and North Africa. Hellenistic Culture and Society XLVI. Berkeley: University of California Press, 2006. Reviewed here: https://bmcr.brynmawr.edu/2008/2008.08.40/ Cohen, Getzel M. The Hellenistic Settlements in the East from Armenia and Mesopotamia to Bactria and India. 1st ed., University of California Press, 2013. Available from University of California Press (and many other places used and new) https://www.ucpress.edu/search.php?q=Getzel+M.+Cohen#gsc.tab=0&gsc.q=Getzel M. Cohen&gsc.page=1 I just purchased the third having enjoyed the first two on my shelf for a while.

A lovely and relevant coin, @David Atherton. I will add a few more coins that connect (at least loosely) to eclipses. In Book 2 Chapter 30 of Natural History, Pliny the elder writes of "Unusually Long Eclipses of the Sun". Perhaps more likely this was something other than a solar eclipse that he is describing. I will add this coin from a year or two after Julius Caesar's assassination from Mark Antony and Lepidus, shortly before they joined forces with Octavian. Mark Antony and M Aemelius Lepidus, 43 BCE, AR Denarius (3.71g, 18mm) Mint: Military mint traveling with Antony and Lepidus in Cisalpine Gaul Date: Crawford dates this issue between 30-May-43 and early 42 Obv: M ANTON [IMP], lituus, capis, and raven Rev: M LEPID IMP, simpulum, aspergillum, securis, apex Ref: Crawford 489/2; Sydenham 1156; RSC 2 The death of Augustus again brings mention of an eclipse of the sun: This also seems a stretch - as the date of the eclipse is calculated as August 17th, AD 10, about 4 years before the death of Augustus. The Romans had a different understanding of eclipses that we do. Here Pliny shares some well established science: And the link between earthquakes and eclipses seems credible given the rare New Jersey Earthquake (Whitehouse Station 4.8) last week! Claudius felt the need to explain to all the real reason for eclipses as one was expected on his birthday (and that might not have ended well for him): Claudius, AD 41-54, Ephesus, AR Cistophoric Tetradrachm (26-28mm, 10.72g) Obv: TI CLAVD CAES AVG, bare head left Rev: Frontal view of the tetrastyle temple of Diana at Ephesus on a podium of four steps, her cult statue within with fillets hanging from her wrists and a polos on her head; pediment decorated with figures, DIAN-EPHE across fields Ref: RIC 119; RPC 2222. My last addition is this coin that seems appropriate for connecting Sun (Apollo Sun God) and Moon (Selene Moon Goddess) on one coin from the time of Domitian, Aegeae, Cilicia: Roman Provincial, Domitian Æ (6.65g, 23mm, 12h) of Aegeae, Cilicia. Dated CY 135 = 88/9. Herakleon, magistrate. Obv: Radiate head of Apollo-Phoibos (phoibos meaning shining or bright) with features of Domitian to right; laurel branch in right field Rev: Draped bust of Artemis-Selene to left, crescent set on forehead, quiver over shoulder; ΑΙΓΕΑΙΩΝ behind, ΗΡΑΚΛΕΩΝΟϹ below, ЄΛΡ (date) in left field Ref: RPC II 1776A (this coin specimen 3 of 3, additional coin-type added post publication); Haymann 24b.

Next : imperatorial https://www.sullacoins.com/post/coins-of-the-second-triumvirate Contemporary imitation of an Mark Antony denarius: 32-31 BC? AE-Denarius (bronze, 2.00g, 16x14mm). Legionary issue, mint moving with Antony, Legion XII? Obv: ANT, war galley under oar right with triple ram prow and scepter tied with fillet Rev: [XII] ANTIQ[VAE], legionary eagle (aquila) between two standards (signa) Next : Mark Antony

PAMPHYLIA. Perge. Trebonianus Gallus, 251-253. Diassarion (Bronze, 21 mm, 5.79 g, 11 h). ΑΥ•Κ Γ•ΟΥЄΙ•ΤΡЄ•ΓΑΛΛΟΝ Laureate, draped and cuirassed bust of Trebonianus Gallus to right, seen from behind; below, globe. Rev. ΠЄPΓAIΩN Three-legged chest with folding doors, with three money purses upon it. RPC IX 1119. SNG von Aulock 4714.

I would call that amazing - well done. not "over-cleaned", "scraped", ""brushed", looks very nice from your photo!

I enjoy this one not only for the perspective and for the eagle countermark Roman Provincial Coins, Commagene. Zeugma. Philip I the Arab (244-249). Ae 30mm, 15.22g Obv: AVTOK K M IOVΛI ΦΙΛΙΠΠOC CЄB, laureate, draped and cuirassed bust right; c/m: eagle standing right(?), head left within incuse oval. Rev: ZЄVΓMATЄΩN, tetrastyle temple atop hill, containing seated figure facing, with structures at base of hill and up either side; in exergue, capricorn right. Ref: RPC - (unassigned; ID 8189); Butcher 34; BMC 42; for c/m: Howgego Greek Imperial Countermarks 340. Butcher also notes: "Like most of the other coinages of northern Syria during this period, the issues for Philip at Zeugma probably had their origin at Antioch. A larger and more complete range of denominations is known than for the other cities of northern Syria with which Zeugma shares dies. Zeugma shares obverse dies with Antioch, Samosata, Cyrrhus, Hierapolis, and Philippopolis in Arabia. " Butcher, Coinage of Roman Syria