dougsmit

There are those of us who find test cuts interesting. Which is more interesting: a coin with several cuts, a coin with one really severe cut or a coin which actually was plated and that fact was revealed by the cut? I have never been all that decisive so I bought all three spending less than one half decent uncut owl. Has anyone seen a test cut obol? I have not.

My favorite Carinus is the Alexandrian tetradrachm honoring Legion II Traiana making it very unusual compared to types less common than it. The type is listed also for Numerian but I have never seen one. As with the coins of his father and brother, there seems to be a rather ordinary set of reverse options. To find something 'special' one might look for 'different' letter forms. This one has A's that could be H or N as well as M and N that seem to swap places once but be normal elsewhere on the coin. There is quite a variation in lettering on coins attributed to Cyzicus mint in this reign. Probably due to the lack of really interesting reverses, coins of Carinus are not terribly popular so I could afford a few. Two from Antioch: Tripolis Lugdunum

You folks confuse me greatly making a 'thing' about which of the two should come first. Numerian died first but which of the two gained the title of Augustus first or were they simultaneous? On what evidence do you base that answer? I'm sorry I missed Carinus, if I did. Numerian also has a few hard to answer questions when it comes to the 'rule' so important to some people that coins with AVGGG refer to a time with three Augusti. That makes a couple of my Numerian as Caesar 'interesting' since it has the AVGGG reverse and the NOBC obverse. Of course my favorite is the one with boardwalk margins but I considered them each to be 'different' enough to warrant buying. My confusion gets worse. I do not have an Alexandrian tetradrachm of Numerian but, if I were to restart buying, it might be high on my list. Emmett lists coins of both sons as Caesar for LA (year one). Carinus has coins as Augustus listed as LA as well but LB has both for Numerian with no known LA Augustus coins. Does this mean Carinus was made Augustus before the September cut off date used by the Alexandrian calendar OR doe it mean that he, but not his brother abandoned the Carus dating and restarted LA when he became Augustus? Both of them ended the series with Lgamma suggesting neither was seem as current at the start of the new year that would have been four. Perhaps the guys at the mint were as confused as I am. BTW, Emmett lists Carinus first and Numerian second. I don't know who started the idea that Numerian's coin should be listed first. but I don't see where the matter is all that important either. Sear listed Carinus first in his Greek Imperial book and Numerian first in his Roman Coins single volume. (I don't own his Millennium volume for them). Raz put Carinus first in ERIC (I). Sorry I missed Carinus if I did. I have seven of his, too, but that is a mere accident since I never believed in the concept of one coin per emperor. Trivia: Using Emmett ratings, both sons most rare tets were the ones showing the two shaking hands. Hmmmmm. Do you think there could have been something like an undercover Geta like thing here? Who has any evidence they liked each other? There are DIVO NVMERIANO coins but I do not have one.

I miss collecting coins but the hobby has left me in the dirt. Coin shows have largely died in my area leaving me with auction houses I do not trust or that charge so much in fees that $100 coins are rare and $50 coins are non existent. I have not bought any more coins and have no desire to sell the ones I have that most people would want so there is not much incentive to read this every day. It hurts to see people paying the current prices for coins even the low end dealers would not have handled not long ago. Things like this EID MAR shenanigan add to my increasing tendency to look at coin dealers like used car salesmen so I assume they are crooks until shown otherwise. There was a time when I felt comfortable buying coins but that is now past. I enjoy the coins I have and the experiences that led them to me. The current state of the hobby? Not so much. I really should be taking better photos of my coins that could use photo upgrading. My last 'new' coin was last October from a show dealer I felt like patronizing (nice guy, does shows and seems honest - what I miss from too many sellers today). Arados, Astarte / bull, 94-3 BC with legible date under bull, pleasantly green and worn into my price bracket. It barely fits my collection 'style' and I probably have shown it before.

You should listen to this even if you only buy uncleaned Constantinians.

Sorry I missed Aurelian but I miss a lot of deadlines anymore. For Tacitus, I feel obligated to post one of the double value XI coins from Antioch with twice the silver as the XXi regulars. Other than alloy, it is a very ordinary looking type. I lack and always wanted one of the IA types from a mint that used Greek officinae. More unusual and lower grade is the one with ovberse legend including INVICTVS from Serdica.

I don't get here every day and am sorry I missed some people. Those who like CIIG should watch for the one with obverse DIVO CLAVDIO GOTHICO but I hope the one you find has the right side clear unlike mine. The T is there under that split, really it is. Aurelian straightened out some bad actors in the mint after he took over. Coins of Quintillian often show that Aurelian was right in killing a few mint workers. I looked at quite a few Q coins before finding one I liked and could afford. ex. Frank Robinson 2012

Since you asked for the cheap answer: Unless you are making large prints, modern DSLR and mirrorless cameras have a lot of resolution to spare so you can just shoot from farther back and crop the result to get what you want. My latest camera has 32.5 megapixels and responds well to cropping. I am not familiar with Nikon models. If you want a consistent gray background, replacing is easier than shooting that way. It helps to have some light reflected onto the edges before starting and there are software routines sold that do cut outs but I only shoot black backgrounds and have very little experience with cut and paste. Every time I try white or any other color, I say 'why?' and go back to the black I prefer. I have insufficient interest in the subject to try to figure out how to take every kind of coin photo so I am not good for such questions. I don't patronize Roma, shoot Nikon or like gray. Sorry. I made this slideshow for a local (non-ancient) club 15 year ago. In it I mentioned replacing backgrounds but have done nothing since. https://pbase.com/dougsmit/coinphotobasic

Two Valerian CONCORdia variations honor the army. CONCOREXERC CONCORLEGG My last is an odd case where two flans stuck together but separated after striking. I have the obverse. It is very unlikely I will ever find the reverse. I'd guess the chance would be slightly less than winning a billion dollar lottery even considering that I don't buy tickets.

I'll limit my Decius group to items that I consider a bit out of the ordinary. First is a very atypical but I consider beautiful portrait with a victory reverse. Mint? Official? Next is a fourree /Uberitas that I also consider to have better diework than most of the real Rome mint coins. Quite a few later period Decius antoniniani were overstruck on earlier denarii thus doubling their face value. This was struck over a Geta. I am particularly fond of the very late Decius coins with very abbreviated legends. At one time these were assigned to a branch mint but later studies moved them to Rome in the last years. I am not aware of anything more recent on their status. This is IMP CAES TRA DEC AVG / GEN ILLVRICI. I would enjoy seeing others you may have.

Sestertius as Caesar My favorites of GIII are mostly Provincials. This Nikopolis / Hermes is almost unusual because the large reverse legend fit on the edge of the design without being abbreviated or being finished in the fields. Hadrianopolis / Apollo Silver drachm of Caesarea from year four noting the second neocorate 4 1/2 assaria of Tomis with Tranquillina This coin has always been special to me with the obverse raised layout dot overlapping the recessed centration pit. I need to work on getting a macro close photo of just that detail.

That strikes me as beyond impossible. It would be worst with long term rulers that changed greatly in the time they were on the scene. Caracalla is one example. There is no single 'best'.

Yes, I do miss having one of those but not as much as I enjoy what I got in trade or miss the other item lost in the deal. That is a problem with trading when the items 'lost' were not previously seen as expendable. We each have coins the other would like to own but those rarely are the ones we would consider letting go. I'm glad the coin weeent to a 'good home'. May all of our coins be so lucky as to find homes where they will be appreciated for something other than investment value.

Banti in his specialty work on sestertii I Grandi Bronzi Imperiali (vol IV-I Geta #20) lists 33 specimens of this Geta type making it the most common of all the Severan family sestertii. At one time I thought that had to be a mistake but there are a lot of them out there. There is even one that was tooled to remove the beard trying to make it look like a coin of the Caesar. Geta as Caesar sestertii are quite rare as are all of the family for the period while Geta was Caesar. I do not have a sestertius (just an as). My big question I have never seen addressed is why there are so many of that one Geta Augustus sestertius. Perhaps there was a single find of a bag of them that escaped destruction when the order was given??? Mine has a hammered edge suggesting the possibility that it was once used in a standard or other decoration. I'll claim it to be 'worst known' but, in fact the one tooled to deceive is rather worse in so many ways.

I wish I had said that ---- oh, wait, maybe I did. I do believe the concept of striking 'safe' coins for a few weeks until you decided who to support has great merit. We are rapidly approaching the 100 year anniversary of the recognition of the Alexandria mint denarii by a French numismatist who recognized the similarity in style of the denarii and tetradrachms. Relatively few dealers were particularly good at IDing them 30 years ago when I got interested in them and was corresponding with the late Roger Bickford-Smith whose passing set back the study of these coins by decades. I have shown most of my coins online often enough that anyone who cares must be tired of seeing them. To make the point here, compare the style of these year tetradrachms and denarii. Opinion: There is no obvious reason I see to believe these denarii circulated much in Egypt where they had their standard and separate coinage. I believe that the mint there produced the coins and shipped then to the 'front' to augment military pay. Can I prove it? Certainly not but that is the advantage of being an amateur hack and not someone trying to get a PhD. Commodus Septimius Domna Believe me I do regret not owning a Pertinax tetradrachm so I'll show a specimen of each of the two common Alexandria mint denarii. If anyone was considering sending me a Valentine's Day gift, A Pertinax Tet would be greatly appreciated. 😁 Finally, the single most common Alexandria mint denarius type is the Domna second legend IVLIA AVGVSTA / VENVS FELIX. These were not recognized by standard reference book authors and dealers until relatively recently. When Roger died, I don't think even he was clear on just how common they were but most were low grade and confused with Rome mint coins of the type which were always higher grade. Don't pay a premium for these (or the Pertinax) unless they are really nice. Alexandria was not particularly good at any phase of coin production and there are many really trashy ones out there.

This is a very common problem. I, too have a few Domnas including some not seen all that often. There have been many of the 'from the rear' coins shown. Who has the one with the reverse legend spelled out? If that is too easy, try the one using the same obverse die with the reverse legend spelled out using B for R. There are several spellings of this reverse from Alexandria. I have this one and would like the others. Die clashes are common from the Several period but this one is stronger than most with a bold DO on the reverse. Who knew Julia held two Consulships as memorialized on this 'Emesa' coin. The concept was unclear to the guys at the mint. I always liked this basket type but especially like it because it used the same die as one of my coins of her husband. These are shown together on one of my old web pages 'The Bride'. Once I felt lucky to have what I considered the most rare Domna that was listed in Cohen. He knew the coin in the BnF collection. Hopefully someday they will post their photo of it. Later, I felt luckier to find a second one from the same die set but then the British Museum posted images of their coins including their two specimens an both were nicer than mine. I have no idea about the quality of the French coin or even if it still exists. Knowing of five of a coin takes it from super rare down to 'a bit scarce'. I still want to see others as they become available. That is enough denarii but my wife is calling me so the provincials and bronzes will have to be for another post. One could collect Domna and nothing else hardly risking running out of something to 'want'.

You can always place a scale on the image: I always liked this shot pieced together from two shots of the same cent. I did not do it perfectly so you can see a bit of waiver in the steps from the seam. I have a lot of coins but the only interest in the family is from my daughter who wants my tiny coins. I keep separate from the rest anything 10mm or less. When I'm gone, I expect her to dump all the big stuff.

I assume you have an ultra wide lens for your camera so you can work in tight spaces. Pay attention to keeping it level.

While they always say that there is nothing more common than a rare ancient coin, there is nothing wrong with having something that no one else has. As usual I am terribly out of fashion. I have more than one Carinus when fashion dictates only one. Carinus gets no respect. My favorite is an Alexandrian tetradrachm with reverse legend honoring Legion 2 Traiana. I bought it at a Baltimore show from a rather well respected dealer who had it in his junk box. I really wonder if he read the reverse. Ants: 2 as Caesar 3 as Augustus I find it interesting how varied the portraits and letter forms are from the various mints. I also have a few from Carinus' even less respected brother Numerian who did use the IMPC legend start with no MAVR on my Clementia ant. I chose this coin for the style and particularly Eta like Alphas. Mint??? Things like this serve to remind us how little we know about our coins.

Money means nothing to people who have more than they know what to do with. Currently we are eating chickens since they are cheaper than eggs. There are plenty of interesting and beautiful coins available People with a million dollars might be concerned over an extra $100 but people with a billion have no reason to sweat a $100,000 here or there. What is sad about these two is that neither is of even average style. The Caesar is also off center with the trunk touching the edge of the flan. It will be interesting to see if and when either of these coins reenters the market. If I ran NGC, I would offer an upgrade service for only 50% additional where I evaluated not only style as well as adding a nice word on the label. Now we have a single star for fine style. What would a coin be worth if it had two star extra fine style or five star unbelievably stupendous style? I hear that some people tell NGC to just return coins not slabable at 5/5, 5/5 to save the submitter the hassle of cracking them out. True?

Athens obol: Those interested in obols should also be interested in fractions. Athens 1/2 obol: Athens 1/4 obol (apologies for the centering): I regret not having an Athens 1/8 obol but they are relatively common in the East. Kolophon 1/8 obol - tetartemorion (Apollo / cicada with TE monogram)

The weight you give is right for a whole siglos not a 1/3. It is easy to get interested in countermarks on these coins.

I have no opinion on the coins shown above other than we should not be too quick to invent times/dates to fill a plan when it appears that they made several different variations. Both sons were bearded in 211 when Septimius died if we believe the Rome mint coins. The coins where Geta was removed were made long before they were modified. I'll show the coins I always show when this comes up. The one that bothers me most is where a countermark between SS and JD was dug out of the coin of Stratonicaea but many people say it was a c/m showing Caracalla. I do not claim to know what it is but it is not IMO Caracalla. I also show the Caracalla and Plautilla simply because it has a relatively clear countermark. It is not certain what countermark was removed and, for that matter, many of the c/m's I've seen are poorly struck to the point of being uncertain. Collectors of mint state coins don't tend to have any of these. My first coin of this series is worn and unclear but duplicates the position of the removed mark. Who is the mark supposed to represent? If Caracalla, why was it used on coins with his portrait in full size? Could it be Plautianus? I have no idea. Of the coins with removed portraits, the boys are not always placed on the same positions. Septimius was most certainly alive when this Marcianopolis showed both boys. Since Geta is wearing a laurel wreath, I assume it was issued when he became Augustus (209). I also assume that Caracalla was not happy that day. I'm sure regular readers of my posts are tired of seeing this Alexandria tetradrachm of Domna from year 20 (LK) which began less than three months before Geta died. I claim this is the only coin showing both boys that was issued after Septimius died and that neither knew of it being issued in advance. Please show me any other coin from anywhere showing the two together that was certainly issued after Septimius died. Caracalla never was all that pleased with Alexandria and I would not be surprised if some mint official died for releasing this coin unless it was specifically ordered by Domna. I doubt many were made; many fewer survive (but no coins of this date and mint are common). I also believe that this could be the first LK coin since other Domnas of that date use a later portrait style while this matches the coins of the last years of Septimius' life. I am unaware of how long it took for word of Septimius' death to reach Egypt. All this is a mystery I do not expect to ever see explained satisfactorily. Before making any hard theories, do note the number of coins listed in Emmett from Alexandria for any member of the family for years 18 through 20. When there is no material, it is dangerous to venture guesses. Does the figure on the right have his hand on his sword?

Having two year dates for Alexandrian coins could suggest they were issued for a while or simply in September and October of that one year. Have you seen anything regarding this? I believe the two dates seem to be similarly scarce so my tendency is to believe they were not issued for a long period.

Unlike the rest of you, I consider the obverse to be Vabalathus since the mint considered him the senior ruler and placed the officina letters below the reverse portrait of Aurelian. Another coin to be added to that set is the Alexandrian tetradrachm double dtaed to the regnal years for each. Vabalathus id here year four while Aurelian is year one.