maridvnvm

Obv:– Head of Athena right with eye seen in true profile, wearing crested helmet ornamented with three olive leaves and floral scroll Rev:– owl standing right, head facing, to right ATE in large lettering, to left olive sprig and crescent Minted in Athens c. B.C. 393 - 370. Reference:– Flamen p. 126, 1 (Pi I); Svoronos Athens plate 19, 17; SNG Cop - Ex-Forum Ancient Coins 16.699g, 24.31mm, 270o The following information was provide by Forum with the coin:- "Transitional style tetradrachms include all of the wide spectrum of variants with the eye in profile issued after the classic "old style" almond eye tetradrachms but before the broad thinner flan "new style" tetradrachms. Recent research has classified variations of the transitional style - Pi Type, Quadridigité Style, Heterogeneous Style and sub-groups of the styles, and proposed chronologies for the different styles and groups. This coin is the earliest transitional type, the first Pi style type, essentially identical to the "old style" with the exception of the eye in profile. The "Pi" designation is based on the P shape of the floral spiral and palmette ornamentation on the helmet bowl. The coin can be classified as Pi style, group 1. The floral ornament on examples this early do not yet resemble Pi."

I could have made a Niger avatar from this coin but am attached to my aged avatar.

Sometimes it does make an interesting contrast as on this Constantine the Great Ae3. Obv:– IMP CONSTANTINVS PF AVG, Laureate, draped and cuirassed bust right Rev:– SOLI IN -VI-CTO COMITI, Sol standing left holding globe in left and raising right, chlamys across left shoulder Minted in Rome (S | F //RP). Reference:– RIC VII Rome 33 (C3). Large flan. Residual golden toned silvering in the fields. 3.49 gms. 21.79 mm generally but 23.55 mm at the sprue

Of course a coin doesn't have to be silver to develop golden toning. It can happen with silvered coinage too though I am not sure the effect is quite as attractive on partially silvered coins like the one below where you get a mix of golden toned silvering and darker bronze showing though where the silvering has worn away. Constantius II - Æ Centenionalis Obv:- D N CONSTANTIVS P F AVG, pearl diademed, draped and cuirassed bust right Rev:- FEL TEMP R-EPARATIO, Helmeted soldier left, shield on left arm, spearing falling horseman; shield at ground to right. Horseman turns to face the soldier, and reaches his left arm up towards him. He is bare headed and bearded Minted in Constantinople (G | _ // CONSIA*). References:- RIC VIII Constantinople 82 (Rare reverse legend break) 4.91g. 23.68 mm. 180 degrees

I have been asked once already on this forum and to what/who is on my avatar. I thought it would be interesting to find out what your avatar is and why you chose it. I primarily collect the early issues of the Eastern mint denarii of Septimius Severus. I sit in the shadows of the acknowledged experts in this field (Curtis Clay, Doug Smith and Barry Murphy) but have been passionate about this coinage for the past 20 or so years and am focussing my collection in on the bits that interest me and areas where I might want to do some amateur research in this generally under-studied area. My avatar is a very primitive attempt at colourising the bust from one of my denarii that I did over 15 years ago. I have been using it as an avatar ever since. The original image of the complete coin:- The obverse coin cropped and colourised bust:- The coin was then cropped to just the bust ready for re-sizing as an avatar:- What is your avatar? Why did you choose it?

My focus with Septimius Severus is on the earlier denarii of his eastern mints. I do occasionally buy his Rome mint coins but they are few and far between. In this case my purchase was somewhat speculative. The coin was described as "SILVER DENARIUS EMPEROR SEPTIMIUS SEVERUS/VICTORIA" combined with rather poor images. I believed the coin to come from the IMP II issue of Rome and thus decided to take a punt. Nobody else recognised it for what I believed it was. The IMP II issue of Rome is generally rare though I have managed to obtain a few examples from the issue over the years. I was quite happy to have my suspicions confirmed when the coin arrived, Obv:- L SEPT SEV PERT AVG IMP II, laureate head right Rev:- VICT AVG TR P COS II P P, Victory walking left, holding wreath in right hand, palm in left Minted in Rome. A.D. 194 Reference:- BMCRE P. 30 Note 61. RIC 29A (Rare). RSC 688a. Weight 2.63g. Maximum diameter 18.36 mm. Die orientation 0 degrees Here is the last IMP II denarius I bought, which was just under a decade ago. Obv:- L SEPT SEV PERT AVG IMP II, laureate head right Rev:- VICT AVG TR P II COS II P P, Victory walking right, holding wreath in right hand, palm in left Minted in Rome. A.D. 194 Reference:- BMCRE -. RIC -. RSC 690b (citing Gnecchi Coll., Rome) The following came from a discussion on this coin with Curtis Clay "I know a couple of other specimens too, BM probably has one from me and I may have another in my new collection. Still very rare and interesting, IMP II generally rare on Rome-mint denarii, a muled obv.-rev. combination because COS II means after 1 Jan. 194, but the medallions prove that Septimius' IMP III must have already been known in Rome by about 25 Dec. 193." Feel free to add other coins from this scarcer issue from Rome.

As a Severan specialist I have to add an IN CARTH type Probus did lions too To the left of Juno is the forepart of a lion The forepart of a lion faces the other way on the reverse of this Lysimachos drachm

Postumus:- Marius - Looks like he is keeping the chin hair free Victorinus Tetricus

George V - 1935 George VI - 1937 George VI - 1951

I have a small collection of British Crowns. Here is a small selection. WIlliam III - 1696 - lots of honest wear George III - 1818 George IV - 1822

Golden toned silver can be very attractive even when it is a Gorgoneion being depicted.

Does the golden hue reflect the colouration of the coins or just an artefact of the lighting and/or colour balance?

Hello folks. I have been inactive on CT for a little while. Nice to have somewhere new....