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This is my only image of Pompey the Great, Denarius of Sextus Pompey Minted in Sicily 42-40 BC Obv Head of Pompey the Great right Rv. Neptune standing left foot on prow flanked by the Catanean brothers running in opposite directions each carrying one of the parents on their shoulders. Crawford 511/3a CRI 334 3.89 grms 19 mm Photo by W. Hansen Though not clear on my coin Pompey had adopted the anastole, the curl of hair over the forehead that was characteristic of the portraits of Alexander the Great. One can see this more clearly on some of the portrait busts of Pompey seen at some museums. On the reverse Sextus is clearly advertising two themes that reoccur on his coinage, the command of the sea that he enjoys as well as his fidelity to his family.

Aspendos Stater or double siglos 400-370 BC Obv Two naked wrestlers grappling Rv Slinger standing right in throwing stance. In right field triskeles GCV II 5390 SNG France 53 10.91 grms 24 mm Photo by W. Hansen One cannot help but wonder if this coin was apart of an event known from history. There is absolutely NO evidence linking my coin to this story but it is fun. As a result of the Persian Wars Aspendos became a tributary member of the Delian League. The city was lost to Persia in 411 BC In 389 BC (within the dates suggested for the minting of this coin) Thrasybulus of Athens tried to regain the city for Athens. Apparently the citizens of Aspendos raised a sum of money to essentially make him go away. He took the money but had his men trample all the crops in the fields surrounding the city. Enraged the Aspendians sallied out raided the Athenian camp and killed Thrasybulus. (He should have just taken the money)

Nerva Ae Sestertius 97 AD Obv Head right laureate Rv Fortuna standing left holding rudder and cornucopia RIC 83 28.47 grms 33 mm Photo by W. Hansen Sandwiched as he is between the last of the 12 Caesars and Trajan Nerva does get rather short shrift. However I have always found his portraits to be quite interesting. He has a very thin face his skin stretched taught over the boney substructure all perched on a rather long neck. He has a full head of curly hair as well as a large aquiline nose. This image is the more striking when you compare it to that of Domitian.

Great talk and I stand in awe of his library. Actually I did get him to help me put a pedigree on a few of my coins. I had done Basil a favor so I asked if he may be able to look up a few of my coins. I knew from which firm I had bought the coin from and roughly the time period. He did so or more precisely his librarian did so. I think I did a bit too much I am still friends with Basil but his librarian..........not so much. Lampsakos Ar Trihemiobol 390-330 BC Obv Head of Apollo right laureate Rv Forepart of Pegasos right below dolphin right Gaebler 64 1,119 grms 10 mm Photo by W Hansen At one time I was quite interested in some of the smaller denoms of Greek coins. Back in September of 1986 I saw this one be offered at a Colosseum Coins List 44 Lot 42. I liked it and bought it. Naturally in those days no one thought about pedigree: Like who knew. Thus as I embarked upon trying to re establish my pedigrees I was very fortunate to have been able to meet Basil and gain some limited access to his wonderful library.

Julius Caesar Ar Denarius Utica? 46 BC obv Head of Ceres right wearing wreath of barley. Rv Sacrificial implements In left field M Crawford 476/1b CRI 57a 4.03 grms 18 mm Photo by W. Hansen This is the first coin of Caesar that bears the title of Dictator. It is noteworthy for another feature as well. This particular issue is divided into two subsets which are distinguished by a letter on the reverse. Above in @Qcumbors post a similar denarius to mine is marked with the letter "D" Donative Mine is marked with the letter "M" Munus or Gift. Though Caesar's name is not on the coin many of his offices including that of the priesthood make it clear that these coins are minted with his authority.

Denarius of Caracalla Rome 213 AD Obv Head right laureate Rv. Moneta stg left holdind scales and cornucopia RIC 236 3.67 grms 18 mm Photo by W. Hansen What drew me to this coin is the rather fierce expression seen on the face of Caracalla. He actually looks angry. Not all of his portraits have this look and from what I have been able to decern it was used during a brief period while he was sole emperor.

This is as far as I can remember my only coin that I can say that is from a British hoard. However I cannot find anything about the find Av Solidus of Constantine I Trier mint 314 AD Obv Head right laureate Rv Emperor seated on curule chair. RIC 21 This coin referenced 4.47 grms 19 mm Pedigree Naville & Cie Ars Classica III Lot 190 June 16 1922 Ex Arthur J. Evans Collection Winchester trove 1879 As mentioned before I cannot find out anything on the Winchester Hoard of 1879 if it even is one.

Domitian Drachm of the Lycian League Minted at Rome? Obv Head right laureate Rv Caduceus flanked by two lyres RPC 1504 This coin featured on On Line version 3,46 grms 18 mm Photo by W. Hansen When I was looking at these and other silver coins minted for the eastern part of the Roman Empire I was struck as to how many of these coins appeared to have been struck at Rome. The 80% silver content is interesting as it would mean that these coins would have a difficult time being accepted in the west and thus were more likely to remain close to where they were intended to be used.

Definitely one of the no or very minute silvering remaining coins Nurmerian Ae Aurelianus Lugdunum 283-284 AD Obv Bust left radiate draped and cuirassed holdin spear over shoulder and carrying shield Rv Pax standing left holding olive branch and scepter. RIC 395 2.79 grms 22 mm Photo by W. Hansen I have always wondered how some coins have almost intact silvering whereas others like this one have virtually none left. I do not see this coin having much circulation so I am left with the thought that the modern cleaning process may have inadvertently stripped the silver from the coin or in this case turned it black. The other option is that some of the coins missed the silvering process all together.

There are a number of questions and comments here and I will try to answer them all. In regard to @Nerosmyfavorite68 I do not. I did speak to my agent and was informed that the coin was "Baktrian" and worth over $100K I did a basic search of Peus 430 and 431. I was unable to find the coin. I did see another coin that might fit the bill. It is Pontic but it appeared to have a pretty decent pedigree. I can only assume that if it is this coin and I am not certain that it is that it may have some cultural patrimony issues. As I have only the most cursory understanding of these regulations I really cannot say. In regards to @Limes There are a number of books that should be referenced. They include Alexander the Great Coinage Finances and Policy by Georges Le Rider. This one is more specific to the mint of Amphipolis Studies in the Coinage of Alexander the Great by Hyla Troxell There also a number of articles written by Lloyd Taylor which can be found in the ANS AJN and Koinon as well. If you are truly desperate I did do some discussion on the thread "Saturday Night Free for All" on the old CT site. If you find one and would like my opinion feel free to contact me and ask. Now to @NewStyleKing I cannot be certain when you started your collection of New Style Athenian coins however after Margaret Thompson published this book back in 1961 There was a very lively discussion on the dating of this coinage throughout the sixties. The debate was divided into three camps The early championed by Thompson The middle championed by Morkholm and the late. I believe it was eventually resolved in favor of the chronology proposed by Morkholm. This may have been the genesis behind the different dating you experienced. It must be noted that dating of ancient coins especially the Greek is a very complex and difficult problem. Much of what we know has the solidity of a floor made up of Jell-O. It looks good and appears to be solid but.... My thinking on this coinage is always in flux. My thinking on individual coins within my collection can change over time. One was this coin Alexander III Ar Tetradrachm Salamis 325-323 BC Obv Beardless head of Herakles right wearing lions skin headdress. Rv Zeus Aetrophoros seated left Price 3139 HGC 910h 17.18 grms 24 mm Photo by W. Hansen When I bought this coin in 2013 I was happy with the attribution that it was a tetradrachm minted in Salamis during Alexander's lifetime. However sometime in 2020 I began to question this assumption. A number of things bothered me principally the lack of a footstool and the placement of Zeus' legs. So after ready an article by Troxell which moved the Av staters from Cyprus to Asia Minor, I wondered if perhaps my coin might belong there as well. This would mean that this coin would most likely be posthumous. I really go nowhere but I then contacted Llyod Taylor and asked him his thoughts on the problem. He responded by sending me an article showing a tetradrachm clearly from the mint of Arados with a very similar image of Zeus. I decided based on this information that my coin was indeed from Salamis and is likely lifetime. The date of 325-323 BC is speculative. There appears to have ben a great deal of activity in the production of Alexander tetradrachms within the Levant commencing in 325 BC.

Alexander III Av Stater Amphipolis 332 -323 BC Obv. Head of Athena right wearing crested Corinthian style helmet. Rv Nike standing left holding wreath in one hand and stylis cradled in other. In upper left field kantharos Price 168 Troxell 480 Series 2 8.61 grms 18 mm Photo from Dr Busso Peus Auction 431 Those who may have known me from CT may remember my continual efforts to study the coinage of Alexander III and my attempts at decerning his lifetime coinage from that struck after the death of Alexander in June of 323 BC. This effort has not been made easy by the fact that coinage in his name has been struck into the first century BC. Up to now my primary efforts have been centered on the silver coinage however if the silver is a major headache than the gold is even worse. One of the biggest problems with the gold is that the symbols which accompany the main image on the reverse can be used for a very long time and can be seen being used in different mints. As an example Kassander Av Stater Amphipolis 300-290 BC Obv Helmeted head of Athena right wearing Corinthian style helmet Rv Nike standing left holding wreath and stylis In left field Trident Price 172 HGC 987 8.60 grms 18 mm Photo by W. Hansen The symbol of the trident can be seen on staters commencing in 332 BC and ending in 290 BC. Thus style is the major consideration when dealing with these coins. When I bought this coin back in 2017 I had some hope that this one was a lifetime issue and I was badly disappointed that is was not. This launched my current drive to study the lifetime staters of Alexander. Using Troxell's study on the coinage of Alexander as a basis I began to identify the features that distinguish the lifetime issues from those that came later. Back to my coin. Back in April 2022 I was looking through the auction lots offered by Dr Busso Peus Auktion 431 Sammlung Dr Plumacher when I spotted this coin. I immediatly checked it out and was happy to discover that it was a obverse die match (and possibly the reverse s well) to Troxell 480 O10/C4 Series 2 As the Series I coins consists of some 6 obverse dies that should place my coin fairly early in the sequence of the Group 2 coinage. I was unable to access the Peus site of Biddr so I used an agent. needless to say the bidding this coin was rather spirited. I won the coin. So what happened. Well one of the coins in the group that mine was in ran afoul of some new German law on antiquities. (wonderful better living through bureaucracy) So everything took forever. However now I got it and all is well.

Denarius of L. Titurius L. F. Sabinus 89 BC Obv Bare head of King Tatius palm frond below Rv Twp Romans facing each other each carrying female under their arm. Crawford 344/1c RBW 1300 4.30 grms 18 mm Photo by W. Hansen I concur with @ambr0ziecomments seen above. Nice coin and an interesting look into Rome's distant past.

Galerius As Caesar Ar Argenteus Heraklea 295 AD Obv, Head right laureate. Rv four princes sacrificing over altar in front of enclosed fortified structure. RIC 8 Gautier 13ac This coin referenced 2.99 grms 18 mm Photo by W. HansenThe argenteus was part of a short lived effort to revive a more or less pure silver coinage into the Roman monetary system. It failed largely because the available supplies of silver were insufficient to supply not only this silver coin but the huge numbers of silver washed folles as well.

Seleukos I Ar Tetradrachm Susa 305/4-295 BC Obv Head right wearing Attic style helmet and knotted panther skin. Rv Nike standing right erecting a military trophy. Marest-Caffey Group 1.11 16.97 grms 25 mm Phot by W Hansen The individual featured on this coin has been described as Alexander III, Dionysos and Seleukos I. I believe the current consensus favors Seleukos and even though at one time I had advocated on behalf of Alexander I now concur. I believe that the bull horns and ear featured so prominently on the helmet are adjunct symbols of Seleukos as they are not associated with Alexander. The panther skin appears to decorate the helmet as well. The rather grim visage of Seleukos is in keeping with his other known portraits. The reverse is interesting as well. A similar image of Nike and a trophy can be found on tetradrachms struck by Agathokles of Syracuse circa 310-308 BC. Interesting coincidence or somebody from Syracuse made it to Susa in about 5 years.

Nero as Caesar Ar Denarius Lugdunum 50-54 AD Obv Bust right bareheaded and draped Rv Priestly impliments RIC 77 (Claudius) 3.65 grms 18 mm Photo by W. Hansen When this type commenced Nero was about 13 years old.

Great site @Valentinian This is one that was not pictured in your great site. Constantius II Ar Light Miliarense Thessalonika 350-355 AD Obv Bust right draped and cuirassed wearing pearl and rosette diadem. Rv Soldier standing facing head right holding spear and shield RIC 160 4.25 grms 22 mm Photo by W. Hansen

Magnesia ad Maeandrum Ar Stephanophoric Tetradrachm 160-150 BC Obv Bust of Artemis right draped wearing stephane. Bow and quiver over far shoulder. Rv. Apollo Delphios standing left leaning on tripod,all within laurel wreath. Jones 10 16.83 grms 31 mm Photo by W. HansenI have always been impressed with the so called stephanophorii. They appear to have been created as a transfer currency, converting the cistophorii of Pergamon to the Attic weight tetradrachms favored by the rest of the Hellenic world. However as numbers appear to be found in Syria it would appear that these are also a form of coinage of convenience by which the Kings of Pergamon can intervein in Seleukid affairs without seeming to do so.

Aspendos Ar Double siglos 330/325-300/250 BC Obv Two wrestlers grappling. Rv Slinger about to launch his projectile standing right. In right field forepart of a horse prancing right above a star. Tekin Series 5 SNG BN 114 11.47 grms 25 mm Photo by W. Hansen Though the dating of this series is very broad it is possible that this coin was part of a tax imposed by Alexander III. Apparently the citizens of Aspendos had come to an agreement with the Macedonian King and then reneged. (Really big ooops) Needless to say Alexander was not amused came back and imposed even harsher terms. However if this series does continue until circa 250BC it is a testament to the resilience of this coinage in the face of the overwhelming popularity that was the Attic standard throughout the Hellenistic world.

In reply to @DonnaML I do not believe it is an aurochs. I always thought the animal looked like a representative of one of the humped backed breeds which appear to originated in India possibly a Zebu. However I am no expert on cattle domestic or otherwise. Photo from Wikipedia Looking at the pic of this animal I can see a number of similarities to the coin. The overall appearance the size of the head in relation to the neck. The hump and the overall shape and angle of the horns. The one area that is dissimilar is that the image on the coin does not have the folds of skin which appear to be hanging from the neck and chest as can be seen on the photograph. Otherwise to two are very close. My coin again Here for comparison

Septimius Severus Ae 27 195-196 AD Tyana Obv Head right laureate Rv Bull standings right SNG von Aulock 6542 var 13.66 grms 27 mm Photo by W. HansenI have always been impressed by the reverse on this coin. That bull must have been absolutely massive. He has a relatively small head compared to his massive neck and shoulders.

This is my one coin that is in MIR Gallienus Reduced Av Aureus Rome 266-267 AD Obv Head right laureate Rv Securitas standing facing head left holding sceptre and leaning on low column. RIC 118 Biaggi 1471 This Coin Gobl MIR 36 43 43 670b This Coin Illustrated Plate 53 It was in the Frank Reinhardt Collection Roma E Auction 66 Lot 1116 , Biaggi as well as the Apostolo Zeno Collection Dortheum Lot 2019 January 13-16 1955 1.43 grms 17 mm Photo by W. HansenGiven its weight (really light) and its diameter I wonder if this coin could float. ( I have never tried)At the time of writing Gobl believed that this coin was part of the last issue of gold minted during the reign of Gallienus from the mint of Rome. This would be Issue 9 in Gobl's chronology which was followed by his last issue 10 which features the vey popular "animal" series. I have seen offerings of what may be issue 10 reduced aureii. however I am not convinced that they are official striking's from the mint of Rome. It is interesting to see how the Romans responded to the crises in their coinage. With the silver coinage they chose to debase the currency however with the gold they maintained the purity but reduced the weight.

This coin was minted at Halikarnassos a few years before the siege. Ar Stater of Pixodaros 341-340 BC Obv Head of Apollo facing slightly to the right Slight drapery around neck Rv Zeus Labraundos standing right. Pixodaros Hoard 12f This Coin 6.19 grms 20 mm Photo by W. hansen The Hekatominid Dynasty is responsible for some of the more impressive coins minted in the ancient world. They clearly took their inspiration from the 3/4 facing heads adopted from some of the other Greek city states all of whom ultimately got their inspiration from the tetradrachm of Kimon featuring a three quarters facing head of Arethusa. It is interesting to see that once the type was seen other engravers took up the challenge of trying to reproduce this very difficult type. This coin is relatively successful and though it is found late in the series, still displays a level of technical compentency.

Denarius of Otho 69 AD Obv Head right bare Rv Victory advaning left holding wreath and palm. RIC 16 3.34 grms Photo by W. Hansen Viewing this image it is clear that we can see what his famous wig may have looked like. It appears to be in four parallel waves running across his forehead contrasting with the rest of his hair which is combed forward. Given my recent experienc wearing masks due o Covid it seems likely that the supports were fixed around his ears.

I am pleased to see the coin posted by @KenDorney liberated as well. I have liberated a few myself. This is not one of them Claudius Ae Sestertius 50-54 Ob Head right laureate Rv. four line inscription within laurel wreath RIC 112 25.76grms 35 mm Photo by W. Hansen Claudius is the second emperor to have his portrait placed on a sestertius and this portrait is quite different than that of his predecessor Caius. Even though both heads are perched on remarkably long necks this image of Claudius shows an older man with a tired eye long straight nose and a receding chin. At least he has a full head of hair.

Demarius of Lucius Verus as Divus Minted during reign of Marcus Aurelius circa 169 AD Head right bare. Rv eagle standing slightly to the right head reverted wings open. RIC 596a 3.22 grms 18 mm Photo by W. Hansen Sources vary as to the death of Verus. Some suggest food poisoning others suggest small pox