Fortuna Redux

I’ve only received real stamps in parcel once (from France), it’s so lovely and truly adding value to my purchase experience 

with my win… an early constitution 5 sols 

Here’s my Severan family

One more year into this hobby, I’ve added two more couples into my collection.

Septimius Severus and Julia Domna

Caracalla and Plautilla (A tragic couple…)

SELEUCIS & PIERIA. Antioch. Vespasian (69-79). Regnal Year 2 (69-70 AD). AR Tetradrachm. 
Obv: laureate head of Vespasian, facing right. ΑΥΤΟΚΡΑ ΟΥƐϹΠΑϹΙΑΝΟϹ ΚΑΙϹΑΡ ϹƐΒΑϹΤΟϹ

Rev: eagle with wreath in beak standing facing left, on club.; in left field, palm branch. ƐΤΟΥϹ ΝƐΟΥ ΙƐΡΟΥ Β (Holy New Year 2, 69-70 AD)

Weight: 15.3g
Diameter: 27.3mm

RPC II 1954

22 minutes ago, Kaleun96 said:

Had a relatively successful Leu, won most of the targets I thought would stay at reasonable prices. I managed to win two of them at below what they had previously hammered for and one for just a bit more (was a pre-Covid auction though).

@Kaleun96 Love the Aspendos stater, I’ve never seen such a beautiful slinger 🤩

Here’s my Vima Kadphises Ae tetradrachm and a silver coin from their fellow Yuezhi ancestor

Kushan Empire, Vima Kadphises, c.105-143 AD, Ae Tetradrachm, 25mm, 12.68g

Yuezhi, Sapalbizes (Sapadbizes) AR Hemidrachm. Late 1st century BC. Helmeted and draped bust to right; CAΠAΛBIZHC around / Lion standing to right; crescent and Λ above, NANAIA to left and right. ANS Kushan 1-2; Senior A6.1; Alram 1259; HGC 12, 516. 1.40g, 15mm, 1h.

53 minutes ago, DimitriosL said:

Best I could do with my phone.

Lovely! Congrats for the addition to you collection. The test cut adds charm to the coin!

It has been a long wait but my Philip II Tet has finally arrived!

What a majestic portrait of Zeus😍

KINGS OF MACEDON. Philip II (359-336 BC). Tetradrachm. Amphipolis.

Obv: Laureate head of Zeus right.
Rev: ΦΙΛΙΠΠΟΥ. 
Youth, holding palm frond, riding horse right. Monogram below horse, Λ below raised foreleg.

Le Rider pl. 45, 5; SNG ANS 630-5.

Weight: 14.12 g.
Diameter: 23 mm.

2 hours ago, Sulla80 said:

The contemporary imitations can be pretty appealing: this one imitating Le Rider pl. 47, 23

Eastern Europe, imitating Philip II of Macedon, 3rd century BC, AR Tetradrachm, (25mm, 13.80g). Complete legend type. Struck in the central and lower Carpathian region (Modern Romania)

Obv: Laureate head of Zeus right

Rev: ΦIΛIΠΠ-OY, Nude youth on horseback left, holding rein and palm frond; Λ above torch below, monogram below raised foreleg.

 

It makes me wonder did barbarians hired Greek engravers to create the dies, it seems the creator of this imitation was familiar with Greek art and style

30 minutes ago, DimitriosL said:

We dodged a bullet there man! Congrats to you too then, there were all pretty nice coins in that auction.

Nice auction indeed, you don't always have 20 Philip II Tets in one auction (and with good quality!) so I sense a good opportunity to grab one.

I was interested in the Macedon Protectorate Tets as well but my pocket was empty after the win..... will fight another day

Congratulations and what a lovely portrait of Zeus! I've bid on another Philip II tet in the same auction and won it as well, luckily we didn't compete on the same coin😜

A fantastic collection! Here’s my only coin from Aeolis

AEOLIS. Myrina.(Circa 155-145 BC).Tetradrachm.

Obv : Laureate head of Apollo right.

Rev : MYPINAIΩN.
Apollo Grynios standing right, holding branch and phiale; monogram to left, omphalos and amphora at feet to right; all within laurel wreath.
SNG von Aulock 1660.

Weight : 14.8 gr
Diameter : 29 mm

@kirispupis Lovely coin! It’s interesting that the same coin design with 2 versions having inscription in different languages, wonder is this the only example in ancient world.

I don’t possess any Araiathes I coin but I have his successor’s drachm, here you go

KINGS OF CAPPADOCIA. Ariarathes V Eusebes Philopator (Circa 163-130 BC). Drachm AR
Obv. Diademed head right.
Rev: Dated regnal year B/2. ΒΑΣΙΛEΩΣ - ΑΡΙΑΡΑΘΟV - EVΣEBOYΣ, Athena Nikephoros standing l., holding Nike on her right hand, resting hand on shield ornamented with Gorgoneion; transverse spear behind her; in field, T Λ

4 hours ago, Etcherdude said:

Yes, I’m reasonable certain that you’re not going to get out of this cheaply either.

Well…I might need Nero’s help to close the gate for me

My main collection area has always been Greek and Imperial Rome, so I never place serious bids on any Roman Republic coins. 

This coin has a typical RR denarius design……bust of Roma on the obverse and quadriga on the reverse, what stands out is its unique design of a laurel wreath around Roma’s portrait, adding that the four horses of quadriga are in reasonably good shape, so I placed a low ball bid……and here comes my first RR coin collection😃

Cn. Gellius, Denarius, Rome, 138 BC. AR (18mm, 3.9 g).
Obv: Helmeted head of Roma r.; denomination mark behind; all within laurel wreath

Rev: Mars driving galloping quadriga r., grasping Nerio beside him and holding shield; CN•GEL below, ROMA in exergue.

I only started my research on the coin after my won, and was surprised to learn that the moneyer Gnaeus Gellius was a Roman historian, and a very productive one - his Roman history work “Annales” has at least 97 volumes, only surpassed by Livy’s “From the Founding of the City” of 142 volumes, but unfortunately his work didn’t survive and only scattered fragments remains in other historians’ work, what a pity so much history has been lost in time……

The gate of the Republic has opened, surely more republican coins will be joining soon

This post has been flooded with Grypos, so I’m going to add mine to the mess 😉

Seleukid Empire, Antiochos VIII Epiphanes (Grypos) AR Tetradrachm. Antioch on the Orontes, circa 121-114 BC.
16.34g, 27mm, 12h.

Obv. Diademed head to right / ΒAΣΙΛEΩΣ ΑNTIOXOY EΠIΦANOYΣ,

Rev. Zeus Ouranios, draped, standing facing, head to left, holding star in outstretched hand and long sceptre; crescent above, IE over A in left field, O in inner right field; all within laurel wreath border.  

9 hours ago, Curtis JJ said:

Okay, this one is highly speculative, and there’s no evidence that one half of the couple ever existed: Vergingetorix and his wife, Ms. Vercingetorix (AKA the "Dreadlocked Gallia").

But it's just my theory. I'm not betting my life, or swearing in a court of law, or even lecturing to bored undergrads pretending to take notes while they're actually watching the Tik Tok or making Snapchats. Call it fan fiction if you must.

I am among those who believe the Hostilius Saserna and Julius Caesar Denarii (probably/maybe) depicted Vercingetorix (the Gallic warlord/leader/French national hero who was brought back to Rome, held for 2-3 years, and probably killed during Caesar’s Triumph).

 

Description here

Julius Caesar’s pair of “trophy captives” also appear to have been portrayed on two denarii by Hostilius Saserna (struck ~2 years earlier), illustrated below.

As many have commented, the male head looks like a portrait of a real person. I accept it’s highly possible that Vercingetorix is shown. (Showing actual conquered leaders on coins was a tradition from Republican coins [e.g. Perseus & sons on the Aemilius Lepidus denarius].)

On the female type, the “dreadlocked Gallia,” there are two distinct varieties of dies. (It boggles my mind that no one comments more on the differences.) One type is a very idealized image, clearly not a portrait, but the personification Gallia (and/or Gallia-as-Pallor, but Pallor and Pavor are another topic.) Mine is the other kind.

The other set of dies – only one of them is really done well – clearly looks like portraiture. It’s been hypothesized that this also is a real person, possibly a companion of Vercingetorix during captivity. There is very little historical record of Vercingetorix’s life or captivity, and nothing, as far as I know, about whether he ever had a wife.

So it’s just my suspicion.

May I present to you…

Vercingetorix and his wife, the Dreadlocked Gallia, looking every bit the proud and fierce Gauls:

Description here

Description here

 

Wow that’s very interesting, I never thought romans would put their captive’s portrait on a coin, not to mention a “barbaric” one

That makes me wonder why romans (republicans of course) were so against having a living man’s face on a coin, but they are fine with coins showing their captive’s face

Great overview on Pergamon coinage! Hope there will be a sequel for Pergamon under Roman rule coming soon~
Here’s my cistophoric as tribute😉

MYSIA. Pergamon. (Circa 133-67 BC.) AR Tetradrachm. Cistophoric standard.
Obv: Cista mystica within ivy wreath.
Rev: Two serpents entwined around bow and bowcase; TH over monogram above, ΠΡYT under TH (representing prytaneis), civic monogram to left, serpent-entwined thyrsos to right.
Kleiner, Hoard 49; Pinder 118; SNG Copenhagen 440.
Weight: 12.05 g.
Diameter: 27.0 mm.

4 hours ago, shanxi said:

Nice couple

IT will probably not remain your only empress. Once you have started collecting them you will continue.🙂

Two more couples.

Kingdom of Elymais
Kamnaskires III with Anzaze
Tetradrachm
Seleukeia on the Hedyphon, circa 82-75 BC
Obv.: Conjoined busts left of Kamnaskires and Queen Anzaze; [monogram above Seleukid anchor behind]; c/m: Nike standing left, within rectangular incuse
Rev.: Zeus seated left, holding sceptre and Nike, who crowns him; BΛCIΛEΩC KΛMNΛIKIPOY KΛI IΛIIΛIICHC ANZAZH (BAΣIΛEΩΣ KAMNΣKIROY KAI BAΣIΛIΣΣHΣ ANZAZHΣ) around, date below (out of flan).
11.88g, 26mm
Ref.: Sunrise 470; Alram 454 and note 548; for c/m, cf. Van't Haaff Type 7.1.1-6.

 

Nero
Alexandria
Billon-Tetradrachm
Obv.: NEPΩ KΛAY KAIΣ ΣEB ΓEP, Radiate bust right
Rev.: ΠOΠΠAIA ΣEBAΣTH, L IΓ=year 13 (66/67), Draped bust of Poppaea right
Billon, 12.28g, 24mm
Ref.: Geissen 168

 

 

Thanks @shanxi I'm sure more will come to my small (but expanding) collection

4 hours ago, ambr0zie said:

Very cool!

When I decided to start collecting ancient coins (not that long ago) I didn't know coins with empresses portraits were available.

But on my first coins, there were a Julia Domna and Faustina I denarii and soon enough this theme became one of my major preferences.

Julia Domna and Septimius Severus (this coin, also from my first coins)

I acquired other coins from them - including one where both are present 🙂

Here is a non-Roman couple:

Thrace, unknown mint    Augustus 11 BC - 12 AD     23mm 8.7g ÆΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ ΡΟΙΜΗΤΑΛΚΟΥ,  jugate heads of Rhoemetalces, diademed, and his queen Pythodoris, r. / ΚΑΙΣΑΡΟΣ ΣΕΒΑΣΤΟΥ, head of Augustus, r.RPC I, 1711, Youroukova 204–8, pl. XXIV

 

@ambr0zie I'm eyeing for a Julia Domna to join my Septimius Severus, hopefully won't take long

3 hours ago, Prieure de Sion said:

This was my royal dream couple... but they don't know that...

Just googled what happened to his couple.... what a tragedy, but not so surprising when you married one of the most bloodthirsty  emperors in Rome

Just received this gorgeous Faustina I denarius, the first Roman empress in my collection.

Obv: DIVA FAVSTINA.
Draped bust of Faustina, right.
Rev: AETERNITAS.
Aeternitas (or Providentia) standing left, holding globus and billowing veil.
Reference: RIC 351 (Pius); T&M 121.
Weight: 3.44 g.
Diameter: 17.10 mm.

My poor Antoninus Pius finally got companion 😄

So, to celebrate the reunion of my Faustina I and Antoninus Pius, share any royal couples that you own!

My dolphin rider…bouncing on the waves! (or flying?)

Calabria, Tarentum AR Nomos. Circa 344-340 BC. 7.70g, 21mm, 10h
 

Obverse: Warrior, holding shield and spear, on galloping horse to left; Δ below

Reverse: Phalanthos, nude, holding kantharos and riding dolphin to left; TAPAΣ downwards to right, small dolphin and E above waves below.

Reference: Vlasto 387; SNG ANS 904; HN Italy 870.