Sulla80

46 minutes ago, DonnaML said:

My example of @Sulla80's excellent M. Volteius denarius:

Roman Republic, M. [Marcus] Volteius, AR Denarius, 78 BCE (Crawford) or 75 BCE (Harlan). Obv. Head of young Hercules, wearing lion’s skin headdress, right / Rev. The Erymanthian boar running right; M•VOLTEI•M•F in exergue. Crawford 385/2; RSC I Volteia 2; BMCRR 3158, Sear RCV I 313 (ill.); Harlan, RRM I Ch. 12, pp. 62-79 at pp. 74-77, Sydenham 775. 18.5 mm., 3.96 g., 7 h.*

My full story on this coin can be found here: https://www.sullacoins.com/post/heroes-gods-wild-boars

The Mithridatic Wars are a top period of interest so I recently gave into a long standing temptation to pick up a tetradracm of Tigranes II - this one with the die break and doubled reverse helped me to stay in the stratosphere on pricing.  My notes on this coin are here: https://www.sullacoins.com/post/tigranes-ii-the-great

Kings of Armenia, Tigranes II ‘the Great’, 95-56 BC, Tetradrachm, AR, 28.5mm, 15.66g, 1 h), Tigranocerta (literally meaning built by Tigranes), circa 80-68

Obv: Draped bust of Tigranes II to right, wearing five-pointed tiara decorated with comet star between two eagles

Rev: BAΣIΛEΩΣ - TIΓPANOY The Tyche of Tigranocerta seated right on rock, holding long palm frond in her right hand; below, river-god Araxes swimming right; on rock, monogram; in field to right, θ; all within wreath

Ref: Kovacs 74.2; Nercessian die study Group 2, A22

Edit: oops shared the wrong coin, this one is the one I think you were looking for:

"The Diva Faustina coin is only known from a sale by Lanz (Auction 60, 11 January 1992, 513; I thank Bernhard Woytek for sending me a copy of the original photograph from Vienna, where the Lanz photo archive is now stored). The same reverse die was used with an obverse die of Faustina the Younger, of which there are at least three examples: British Museum, Pius 1089; J. Hirsch Auction 20, 13 November 1907, 607; Stack's 24 April 2008, 23

See: BECKMANN, MARTIN. “Intra-Family Die Links in the Antonine Mint at Rome.” The Numismatic Chronicle (1966-), vol. 169, 2009, pp. 205–11.

Voting with pebbles shown in an detail from an Attic Red-Figured Kylix, 490–480 BC, attributed to the Brygos Painter, active about 490 - 470 BC. Public domain image used with thanks to the Getty Museum Collection.

Ancient coins and art can give us insights into ancient peoples. The coin that I share today shows an image of a representative voting in ancient Antioch, province of Syria, region of Seleucis and Pieria.

Seleucis and Pieria was a region within the greater province of Syria that included the northwestern part of modern Syria and southeastern Anatolia in modern Turkey. Seleucia was the ancient sea port and capital of the Seleucid empire under Seleucos I and Pieria refers Mt. Pieria, the mountain the rises above Seleucia. After Seleucus I was assassinated (281 BCE), his son, Antiochus I, moved the capital to Antioch. The region retained the name Seleucis and Pieria.

Dating System
I enjoy coins that can be pinpointed to a specific date, this one reads ЄIP (5+10+100 = Civic Year 115 dated from the start of the Caesarean Era). Civic years in Antioch were measured from the This date 115 years from the start 49/8 BC and a Caesarean era that Antioch began to use after Caesar granted the city Autonomy.

More on the visit of Caesar to Antioch can be found here:
https://www.sullacoins.com/post/julius-caesar-in-antioch

A Parthian invasion in 40BC disrupted this dating system - for a coin from this period see:
https://www.sullacoins.com/post/parthian-invasion-40-bc

The Boule (βουλή), was a council (Greek: βουλευταί) in the representative democratic system of ancient Greek city states that was appointed to operate daily affairs or the city. This coin is a beautiful example showing, on the reverse, the voting of the Boule, by placing a pebble into an urn.

The First Jewish Revolt

This coin was issued during the time of the First Jewish Revolt against Rome and the last years of the reign of emperor Nero (reign 54 – 68 AD). The first legions sent from Syria to quell the rebellion failed and their commander Cestius Gallus died on his return to Syria.
"Insomuch that the soldiers, through the astonishment and fear they were in, left behind them their engines for sieges, and for throwing of stones, and a great part of the instruments of war. So the Jews went on pursuing the Romans as far as Antipatris, after which, seeing they could not overtake them, they came back, and took the engines, and spoiled the dead bodies, and gathered their prey together which the Romans had left behind them, and came back running and singing to their metropolis. While they had themselves lost a few only, but had slain of the Romans five thousand and three hundred footmen, and three hundred and eighty horsemen. This defeat happened on the eighth day of the month Dius, [Marhesvan], in the twelfth year of the reign of Nero."
-Josephus, Antiquities, 19.9

Licinius Mucianus succeeded Gallus in 67 AD as governor of Syria and emperor Nero appointed Vespasian, future emperor, as commander of the Roman forces to address the rebellion in Judea.

Syria, Seleucis and Pieria, city of Antioch a Pseudo-autonomous issue. Assarion (Bronze, 19 mm, 5.89g, 1h), CY 115 = 66/7 AD.
Obv: ΑΝΤΙ[ΟΧЄΩ]Ν Diademed head of Zeus to right
Rev: ЄTO - ЄIP Boule seated left, placing vote in urn
Ref: RPC I 4305. McAlee 112

Another favorite voting scene is this one from the Roman republic:

L. Cassius Longinus, moneyer, AR Denarius minted at Rome, 63 BC.
Obv: Draped bust of Vesta veiled left, kylix behind, letter before
Rev: Male figure left, dropping inscribed tablet into a cista
Ref: Crawford 413/1; Syd. 935; Cassia 10

For more coins depicting voting in ancient Rome and discussion of voting and voting laws in the Roman republic see: https://www.sullacoins.com/post/roman-voting-laws

Post your coins or art with ancient voting scenes, or anything else that you find interesting or entertaining.

References

• Kristina M. Neumann, Antioch in Syria: a history from coins (300 BCE-450 CE). Cambridge; New York: Cambridge University Press, 2021. Pp. xxvii, 410. ISBN 9781108837149. (available from Cambridge University as a Digital Book for about US $40).
• Antioch in Syria: a history from coins (300 BCE-450 CE) a review in Bryn Mawr Classical Review by Alan Stahl, 21-June-2022, Princeton University.
• Coinage in Roman Syria: 64 BC - AD 253. Kevin Edward Templar Butcher, Ph.D Thesis, University of London, 1991, University College London, Institute of Archaeology

My latest isn't a pretty coin, but it is an interesting coin from the Olympia Sebasmia Games in Damascus issued in the name of Volusian, son of Trebonianus Gallus.

1 minute ago, CPK said:

Was Titus' use of the reverse type the first since Republican/Imperatorial times?

I am not certain, but I think "Yes".  There are later examples as well e.g. this coin that CNG calls a Vespasian  "Judaea Capta" Restitution issue of Trajan.

https://www.acsearch.info/search.html?id=5977957

and this Antoninus Pius AV Aureus Indian imitation

https://www.acsearch.info/search.html?id=3334199

this coin leaving the question - what could be underneath that created this curve:

On 2/27/2024 at 8:01 AM, CPK said:

The past several months I've been working at shifting my collection from 'lots of average coins' to 'fewer coins but of higher quality'. Part of that has involved selling off a lot of coins to free up funds for new purchases, and there's still a bunch more I want to move on.

In the meantime, I've greatly enjoyed being able to spend a bit more per coin and being a bit more discriminating in what I purchase.

Like many people I am drawn to the fine portrait artistry on Roman coins, so I've been building a small collection of portrait denarii, prioritizing eye appeal - artistic style, top condition, quality of strike, and toning. Of secondary importance is good full weight, rarity of type, interesting provenance, etc. The goal is to buy the very best I can afford - which naturally varies somewhat by emperor. Needless to say, I won't be able to acquire them all.

My rule is one per emperor, so if I want to upgrade I will have to sell the current coin. Hopefully that will keep it manageable and affordable. I also am trying to keep it to lifetime coins as Augustus, so no 'DIVVS' or coins as Caesar.

So far I am content with my representations of Augustus, Tiberius, Antoninus Pius, and Septimius Severus. I've posted all those before and I won't bother with them again here. 

But more recently, I was thrilled to acquire this beautiful denarius of Titus. Not only does it have great 'eye appeal', but it's also a somewhat rare and historically significant reverse type:

TITUS, AD 79-81
AR Denarius (18.54mm, 3.34g, 6h)
Struck September-December, AD 79. Rome mint
Obverse: IMP TITVS CAES VESPASIAN AVG P M, laureate head of Titus right
Reverse: TR P VIIII IMP XV COS VII P P, bound captive kneeling under trophy of arms and armor
References: RIC II 49, RCV 2511 var. (obv. leg.)
A choice specimen, sharply struck with a superb portrait.
"The reverse type refers either to the victory in Judaea or, alternatively, may be associated with the activities in northern Britain of the celebrated governor Gnaeus Julius Agricola, father-in-law of the historian Tacitus." - David R. Sear (Roman Coins and Their Values, Vol. I, p. 465)

 

Being able to afford coins like this takes the hobby to a whole new level for me. I will be posting more later on, so stay tuned. 😉

 

I like the classic style of your Titus - imitating the reverse of this coin Crawford 427 from 56 BC where C. Memmius C. f. recalls his uncle, C. Memmius L.f., and victories in Asia Minor (Bithynia & Pontus) with a kneeling captive at the base of a trophy.

Roman Republic, C. Memmius C. f., AR Denarius, Rome, 56 BC

Obv: Head of Ceres to right, wearing wreath of grain ears; C•MEMMI•C•F downwards before

Ref: Naked captive, his hands tied behind his back, kneeling right at foot of trophy of arms with a Greek shield; C•MEMMIVS downwards to right, IMPERATOR downwards to left

Ref: Crawford 427/1; BMCRR Rome 3937; RSC Memmia

P.S. love the portrait on your second coin!

2 hours ago, NewStyleKing said:

Looking like obverse T104. With the reverse of T103 , the DELTA being off flan.  See where the palm breaks through the amphora handle!  Many new Palm behind owls have appeared over the years  no doubt with new obverse/reverse pairings. You can download Thompson via WILDWINDS, Athens  at the bottom . 

Thanks! for the ID and the pointer to Thompson - didn't realize it was there from ANS/Hathi Trust!

I always enjoy your posts @NewStyleKing, here's my entire NewStyle sub-collection.

ATTICA. Athens. Circa 165-42 BC. Tetradrachm, Phanokles, Apollonios and Hieron, magistrates, 111/0. Head of Athena Parthenos to right, wearing triple-crested Attic helmet adorned with Pegasos and long tendril on the bowl, and with the foreparts of four horses above the visor. Rev. A-ΘE / ΦΑΝΟ-ΚΛΗΣ / ΑΠΟΛ/ΛΩΝΙΟΣ / IE/PΩΝ Owl standing facing on amphora; to left, Artemis Phosphoros standing front, holding torch with both hands; on amphora, [Θ]; in exergue, ME; all within laurel wreath. Thompson 706a.

This one not attributed properly (by me) - no controls on the amphora that I can see and perhaps something below? AP?

ATTICA. Athens. Tetradrachm (149/8 BC). New Style Coinage. Polychares and Timarchides, magistrates.
Obv: Helmeted head of Athena right.
Rev: A - ΘE / ΠO / ΛY - TIM (monogram). Owl standing right on amphora, head facing

Ref: Thompson 109c.

Congrats on your Spartan coin @Ryro! Here is the closest I can get to Sparta : a coin from Mantineia where the largest land battle of the Peloponnesian War was fought. Sparta and its allies defeated an army here led by Argos and Athens 418 BCE (more that 230 years before this coin was issued).

Achaia. Antigoneia (Mantinea). Achaian League circa 188-180 BC. Triobol-Hemidrachm AR
Laureate head of Zeus right / League monogram, A-N across field, monogram below, all within wreath.

4 hours ago, antwerpen2306 said:

 

Socrates ?

https://play.google.com/books/reader?id=915THY1ZeNEC&pg=GBS.PP1&hl=en

Posted as an admonition at the entrance of the Temple of Apollo at Delphi, and before that attributed to others including Chilon, philosopher and councilor in the city-state of Sparta and one of the Seven Sages of Greece, "Chilon of Lacedaemon, son of Damagetus, said: 1. Know yourself (γνῶθι σαυτόν). 2. When you drink do not speak too much: for you will commit a wrong. 3. Do not threaten free men; for that is not just...." (Ref: Early Greek Philosophy: Reflections On Gods and Men)
 

"Solon, son of Execestides,1 an Athenian philosopher, lawgiver and leader of the people. He flourished in the 47th Olympiad (592/89), according to others in the 56th (556/3).2 When the tyrant Pisistratus plotted against him, he spent time abroad in Cilicia and founded a city which he called Soloi after himself. [SKIP] He is also one of the Seven Sages, as they are called. The maxims “Nothing in excess” and “Know yourself” are said to be his.Sages, as they are called. The maxims “Nothing in excess” and “Know yourself” are said to be his."

- Solon, Testimonium

there are others....

1 hour ago, Roman Collector said:

The bottom one is particularly horrible. Wouldn't you rather have this one?

 

no question for me - this coin is nicer than the "supertooled" example from Tauler and Fau 🙃 https://www.acsearch.info/search.html?id=9426420

1 hour ago, SimonW said:

For me personally, tooling is definitively starting as soon as the image is changed (e.g. by adding new details). If this is your definition, then the majority of ancient bronze coins are certainly not tooled.

There is certainly an element of "how badly tooled" vs. just "cleaned" that factors into my personal buying choices. Although I wouldn't buy it annotated as "smoothed and tooled", I would probably not notice if it weren't called out.  Roma described this coin as "somewhat smoothed and tooled."

and I would not consider this coin (properly described or not) that Tauler & Fau describe as "Tooled". 

I am sure that there is more subtle tooling and smoothing (not called out by the seller) that I have overlooked. 

XXVIII. On Travel as a Cure for Discontent Do you suppose that you alone have had this experience? Are you surprised, as if it were a novelty, that after such long travel and so many changes of scene you have not been able to shake off the gloom and heaviness of your mind? You need a change of soul rather than a change of climate."
-Seneca the Younger, Letters, XVIII

a 22g Lucilla Sestertius with Hilaritas standing to left, holding cornucopiae and long palm; S-C across fields

I have a couple of nice coins from http://akropoliscoins.com/ and I would have to agree that Pete B is great!  I also enjoy a good Vespasian from Ephesus.  Here's one with Titus and Domitian.

I'll add another vote for harshly cleaned, not fake.

Here is my first Alexander - unlisted Price 1379 variant from CNG that shows up as an example on wildwinds.  It took me a while to realize that there are non-Roman ancient coins.

here's a favorite occurrence of lillah in an eye from Eretnid 'Ali Beg, 1366-1380 CE, AR akçe, AH 768

2 hours ago, seth77 said:

Thank you, that one an a couple of Mamluks are similar, especially with the hexagram design. Since I can't read Arabic it's the inside of the hexagram that I have been focusing on, and it doesn't fit what I have seen. The more I look at what's in the hexagram the more it looks like 𐍀P.

A couple of additionalimperfect matches - maybe enough to reinforce the time period 13th century?

ISLAMIC, Persia (Post-Seljuk). Khwarizm Shahs . 'Ala al-Din Muhammad II. AD 1200-1220.

https://www.acsearch.info/search.html?id=966192

DELHI: Iltutmish, 1211-1236, AE jital (3.36g), Multan

https://www.acsearch.info/search.html?id=9716834

Robert Tye has a category in his book on Jitals that is "Anonymous and Unattributed 13th century Coppers" maybe as "attributable as possible".  Someone with better arabic skills than me might see more in the lettering on the reverse.

1 hour ago, seth77 said:

The more I look at what's in the hexagram the more it looks like 𐍀P.

I think you have this upside down : Allah لله

@Deinomenid, your beautiful coin reminded me of this coin one which I found irresistible...

Phokis, federal coinage, circa 357-354 BC, AR Triobol/Hemidrachm, Philomelos, strategos

Obv: facing head of bull

Rev: Head of Artemis right; branch to left

Ref: Williams 304 (O220/R190); BCD Lokris 463.1; HGC 4, 1046

Notes: https://www.sullacoins.com/post/of-greeks-and-cattle

Any list like this is bound to create controversy...my first question: "has the author conflated the beauty of the subject with the beauty of the engraving"?

Perhaps the Romans would have learned the dangers of comparing the beauty of goddesses and empresses from the Trojan War?

From my own collection, I would add this coin to the list:

For all interested: Coupar, Sally-Anne (2000) The chronology and development of the coinage of Corinth to the Peloponnesian War. PhD thesis. University of Glasgow.
http://theses.gla.ac.uk/2557

12 hours ago, expat said:

Phrygia

LINK: Phrygia

PHRYGIA, Eumenea. Domitia, wife of Domitian. Bronze circa 81-96 (Bronze, 15 mm, 3.04 mm)

Obv: ΔOMITIA CEBACTH Draped bust right. Rev. ΚΛ ΤЄΡЄΝΤΥΛΛΑ ΑΡΧΙЄ

Rev: ЄΥΜЄ-ΝЄΩΝ Cybele seated l., holding patera and drum.

Ref: RPC 1388; Lindgren III 588; Von Aulock, Prygiens –; BMC –. SNG von Aulock –; SNG Copenhagen –.

1 hour ago, Valentinian said:

I see that RPC calls the figure Fortuna. I wonder why.

I am wondering if it is the Tyche-Fortuna connection at work.  Head of Serapis, river god and long scepter not unusual to associate with Tyche and Tyche often aligned with Fortuna in the Roman pantheon.

although there aren't a lot of examples of this coin (RPC IX, 2122) to compare, it is sometimes described in auctions as "Tyche standing facing, head left, resting foot on prow, holding human bust and rudder; behind, half-length figure of river-god, holding anchor" and both Tyche and Serapis seem to have the expected mural crown and modius:

Here's a Roman Fortuna from Trajan with appropriate rudder and cornucopia.

and here's an imperatorial Fortuna from the Roman Republic...Q. Sicinius AR Denarius. Rome, 49 BC...

and jugate busts of Fortuna Victrix and Fortuna Felix also from the Imperatorial period ( Q. Rustius. Denarius circa 19 BC )

Fortuna seems to have grown in importance to the Romans in the Imperial period vs. Republic.  Perhaps an association with Augustus was helpful in amplifying this goddess of chance.  From Augustus' Res Gestae,  listing of his achievement.

"The Senate consecrated in honor of my return an altar to Fortuna Redux at the Porta Capena, near the temple of Honor and Virtue, on which it ordered the pontiffs and the Vestal virgins to perform a yearly sacrifice on the anniversary of the day on which I returned (12 October 19 BCE). to the city from Syria, in the consulship of Quintus Lucretius and Marcus Vinicius, and named the day, after my cognomen, the Augustalia."

-Augustus, Res Gestae Divi Augusti