Pellinore

Link: Helmeted Roma 2715. Constantine dynasty, Heraclea, AE3, AD 336-337. VRBS ROMA commemorative. Obv. Helmeted head of Roma left. Rev. Two soldiers with one standard between them. GLOR-IA EXERC-ITVS; // SMH(epsilon). Intentional mule of a ROMA obverse with GLORIA EXERCITVS reverse. 17 mm, 1.71 gr. RIC VII Heraclea 156.

Some coins of the Emperor Heraclius have entered my collection over the years, but being in the first place an Orientals collector, what I always looked for are the bronze coins of 12 (and 6) nummi that are said to have been minted during the occupation of Alexandria by the Persians of King Xusro II. I had one dodecanummium (Latin Greek for "12 nummi coin"), but that was eaten up by bronze disease and I sold it to a friend who's less afraid of that affliction. But a few years ago I was lucky and three toppers came in, a 12 nummi of the large module, a ditto of the small module and a silly coin looking out from the inside of a mirror. 3552. Heraclius, 610-641. 12 nummi, Persian occupation of Egypt. Larger module. Alexandria, ca. 618-628. Facing beardless bust of Heraclius with crown set on crescent and surmounted by a cross set on a crescent (!), wearing cuirass; in field to left, star; in field to right, crescent. Rev. Large IB, with cross potent on globe between; in exergue, AΛЄΞ. 24 mm, 16.18 gr. DOC 192. MIB 202a. SB 856. Zeno 251794 and see this Zeno Gallery. This coin "From a European collection, formed before 2005". This issue is usually attributed to the period of the Persian occupation of Egypt, which lasted from 618 to 628. 3551. Heraclius, 610-641. 12 nummi, Persian occupation of Egypt. Alexandria, ca. 618-628. Facing beardless bust of Heraclius with crown surmounted by a cross, wearing cuirass; in field to left, star; in field to right, crescent. Rev. Large IB, with cross potent on globe between; in exergue, AΛЄΞ. 19 mm, 9.60 gr. 6h. DOC 191. MIB 202b. SB 855. Göbl 8.9. This coin is "From a European collection, formed before 2005". 3553. Heraclius, with Heraclius Constantine, 610-641. AE 12 Nummi, a crude and irregular imitation of a dodekanummion from Alexandria. Irregular mint in Egypt, perhaps under Sasanian occupation. Obv. At the left, the beardless bust of Heraclius Constantine facing; at the right, the draped bust of Heraclius at the right side, with long beard, facing; between them, a long cross. Rev. Cross potent on a triangle = two steps flanked by mirrored B and I! Text in exergue is unreadable. 18 mm, 6.2 gr., 6h. Cf. Goodwin, T.: Some Aspects of 7th C Egyptian Byzantine Coinage, fig. 6d (for similar type). See also Castrizio, D.: Le monete della necropoli nord di Antinoupolis (2010), both articles on Academia. Castrizio shows 3-5 comparable retrograde coins (in a hoard of 309 pcs), but none exactly like mine. One may distill from these articles that this type of imitation coin was possibly minted in or near Antinoupolis, on the Nile 200 miles upstream from Persia-occupied Alexandria. It was marked by the auction house "From the collection of J. Knudsen, formed from the late 1970s to the late 1990s." I found the name of Knudsen (a Danish name, but it could well be German) here on Numis, in a contribution by @Harry G. But apparently nothing more was found out about this collector Knudsen of Hamburg.

I should add two other coppers before Phokas comes to his end. Phokas (602-610). AE half follis (20 nummi), Constantinopel. DN FOCA PERP, crowned and mantled bust facing, holding mappa and cross. Large XX, star above. Mintmark CON… 22 mm, 5.67 gr. A colorless coin with colorful gaze, on another picture it looks like Phocas bought a pair of glasses in the 1970s: Phokas (602-610). AE follis (40 nummi), Cyzicus, y. 3 = 604/5. Obv.: Facing bust of Phokas, wearing consular robes, holding mappa & cross. ‘Jarenzeventigbril’). Rev.: large XXXX, ANNO above, III to right, exergue KYZ A. 28.5 mm, 10.16 gr. Sear 665.

All quiet on the Western front... Link: Lugdunum 2785. Decentius (350-353), AE maiorina. Obv. Cuirassed bust right, DN DECENTIVS NOB CAES. Rev. Two Victories standing facing one another, holding between them wreath inscribed VOT / V / MVLT / X, supported on short column, VICTORIAE DD NN AVG ET CAE; SP between figures // RSLG. Lugdunum, 351-353. 20 mm, 4.21 gr, 6h. Reference: RIC VIII 137, p. 187. Photo John Zielinski.

Well, combining one plus one, and I don't know anything about either - but can the OP coin also be a sort of weight? A model? -- Paul

These two solidi were the most important coins from the small but eclectic coin collection of my late father-in-law, that set me up in my second period of collecting when he died (ten years ago). Numismatically I had slept for decades, like in the fairy tale, but now I was in my element again! It also launched me into (eclectically) buying Phokas coins. Maybe I should try to remove the little brown spots.

I have an unofficial sestertius like Doug's stamped with DV upside down and scarred with a test cut at 9 o'clock. 2124. AE unofficial sestertius of Claudius valued as a dvpondivs. Obv. Laureated head t.l. with countermark upside down DV. Test cut at 9 o’clock. Rev. Figure standing. 30.5 mm, 16.36 gr. ------------------------------------------------ And I looked up seeing @Roman Collector's Commagene diassarion: Because of its likeness of this coin of mine. I rather wondered about the reverse, and now also the metal and head style are comparable. Can anybody tell me more? 29 mm, 12.77 gr. And a detail photo of the countermark. By the way, the ear looks a bit like a counterstamped S . ???

...aaand here's Fortuna again. 2842. AE Magnus Maximus (383-388). AE Lugdunum. Obv.: Diademed, draped and cuirassed bust right. D N MAG MAXIMVS P F AVG. Rev.: Magnus Maximus standing left, holding crowning Victory on globus and extending hand to Fortuna kneeling right. REPARATIO REIPVB / LVGS. 23 mm, 5.02 gr. RIC 32.

Caricaturous angry Phokas: 3517. Byzantium, Phokas (602-610). AE half follis (20 nummi), Cyzicus (off.A.), year II. Obv. Crowned frontal head. Rev. XX/ ANNO/ II/ KYZA DOC 79. 24 mm, 6.25 gr. Sear 670. And two pentas with minimal portraits, but portraits they are (although you probably wouldn't recognize this emperor if you only knew his coins): 3526. Byzantium, Phokas (602-610) pentanummium. Cyzicus. Obv: [d]N FOCA[...] diademed, draped, and cuirassed bust right. Rev: Large Ч. 16 mm, 1.9 gr. DOC 40; MIBE 82; Sear 647. 3527. Byzantium, Phokas (602-610) pentanummium. Cyzicus. Obv: FOCAC. Head right. Rev: Large Ч. 14 mm, 1.45 gr. Sear 647.

Very interesting coins with the ΓΑΛΒΑ c/m, that obliterates Nero's face. I never knew they existed - and that Asklepios. Rare is better than attractive, I often find.

Link: Trajan 3125. AE18, Traianus, Coracesium in Cilicia. Obv: ΑΥΤΟΚΡΑΤωΡ ΤΡΑΙΑΝΟС. Laureate and draped bust right. Rev: ΚΟΡΑΚΗСΙωΤωΝ. Demeter standing left, holding grain ears and torch. 18 mm, 4.72 gr. RPC III 2742 (14 exx.); Ziegler 96; SNG BN 612-3; SNG Levante 388. Ex Dr. P. Vogl Collection; ex Bankhaus Aufhäuser (sold 30.01.1989; with dealer's ticket).

Not that I want to protect the emperor Phokas for vile invectives, but the 11th century Byzantinian chronicler was not supposed to be a neutral commentator. Historians before 1800 (and many after that period, too), were paid by persons with a Point Of View (POV) that had to be satisfied. The Historia Augusta, but also Tacitus and Sallustius had an interest in portraying their employer's opponents as negatively as possible and their patron as a faultless, almost heavenly administrator. However, Phokas apparently had a fatal influence on Byzantine politics. Nevertheless, I have been collecting his coins much more than those of other emperors. Here's two decanummia, one with Phokas and Leontia, one with the famous triangular portrait. But this is a tremissis from Constantinopel. And an emaciated 40 nummi coin on a large flan: 3530. Byzantium, Phokas (602-610). AE follis (40 nummi), Constantinopel, 606. Obv.: D N FOCAS. Facing bust of Phokas, wearing consular robes, holding mappa & cross. Rev.: large XXXX, ANNO above, V to right, exergue CONΓ. 35 mm, 12.02 gr.

To me it seems that Rauch is reputable enough. They have a not very user-friendly website, but they are also on Numisbids where you can search for the German word "Bearbeitungsspuren" = traces of tooling, that is the word they are using in the case of the four Philippus II tetradrachms (and two other ancients). There are about two hundred ancient coins in this catalog, and nr. 91 as well as 128 and 148 have "[minimale] Reinigungsspuren" or [minimal] traces of cleaning, an expression that would incite a sense of reluctancy in me. There are 8 ancient coins using this term. So, if you want to do some more detective work, investigate the coins with "Bearbeitungsspuren" and "Reinigungsspuren".

@Prieure de Sion,what a fantastic WOLF! It inspires me: 4149. Potin, Carnutes, Gaul (near nowadays Chartres), ca. 40 BC. Obv. Head to the left with wild hair. Rev. Howling wolf to the left under text SNIA. 17 mm, 3.28 gr. Ref: D&T 2602.

I've shown part of these before, but don't mind to do it again in this specialized thread. 4005. Eastern Celts, Lower Danube. Uncertain tribe. Early 3rd century BC. // Thracian imitation by an uncertain issuer from the 350-300 BC period, Lower Danube. Early imitation of a Philip II tetradrachm of Amphipolis. Fourrée (at the edge some giveaway spots). Obv. Laureate head of Zeus t.r., behind it, a leaf. Rev. Jockey and horse riding t.r. Under it, labda over a bucranium. Under the prancing leg of the horse, an A. 24.5 mm, 13.85 gr. 4008. Eastern Celts, mint in the Central Carpathian region, 2nd century BC. Scyphate, thick AR tetradrachm. Obv. Vague Zeus head to the right, ‘Kinnlos’ = chinless. Rev. Rider on a horse, ‘Entenschnabel’ = duckbill. 24 mm, 12.38 gr. Sergeev 70-71 (p. 36). Aninoasa-Dobresti type. Lanz 554-63; OTA 244/1-16. 4009. Eastern Celts, mint in the Northern Carpathian region, 2nd century BC. Scyphate BI tetradrachm. Obv. Vague round Zeus head to the right. Rev. Horse to the left, no rider, ‘Entenschnabel’. 23 mm, 8.88 gr. Lanz 666-8; OTA 326. And here are some drachms imitating Alexander's. 4003. Eastern Celtic imitation of an Alexander drachm. Thracian Getae? Those letters look almost readable, but in what script? 16 mm, 3.83 gr. 4007. Eastern Europe, Celtic AR drachm, imitation of Alexander III of Macedon 300-200 BC. AR 17 mm, 3.38 gr. Cf. Sergeev nr. 135: ‘Between the Balkans and the Dniepr basin’. Ostkeltischer Typenatlas (Göbl) 591,1.

Amisos, Pontos Rough coin, this copper of Amisos with the god Perseus and the mythical winged horse Pegasos. From a famous collection. 1509. Amisos, Pontos, AE20, time of Mithridates, 85-65 BC. Obv. Helmeted head of Perseus right. Rev. Pegasos grazing left; two monograms in exergue. 20.5 mm, 11.11 gr. Ex Stevex6 collection.

Link: Elymais Those Elymais coins (=Western Persia) often have poor reverses and / or poor obverses. Little dumpy blobs of copper. When I was fourteen, my headmaster at school, a Jesuit, gave me one that he had brought from his missionary times in Persia in the 1950s. It worked. At home under the blankets at night, I used my then still fresh, active boy's brain to memorize everything about the Persian Empire (as well as the Roman Empire). When I can't sleep at night I sometimes try: can I still, after half a century, name all Roman emperors up to (say) 360 AD, complete with their dates? And the Sasanians? And how about the Parthian kings.... It's still going pretty well. Well... (grrr...snore). Anyway, that's what I try. 1416. AE drachm Elymais. Obv. King’s profile t.l. with high cap, adorned with anchor. To the right, bicycle pump anchor. Rev. Helmeted bust t.r., flower at the left side. 14 mm, 3.52 gr.

Sorry, I was busy elsewhere. I hope to pay more attention from now on. Elymais coins often are intriguing. You call it anchor, but that thing always reminds me of a bicycle pump. Well... 1411. AE drachm Elymais. Obv. King’s head looking with big eyes slightly to the left. Moon over bicycle pump right. Rev. Some vague elongated dots. 14 mm, 3.28 gr.

Countermarks, I like them too, many of the ones above are not only interesting but also beautiful, especially those on Greek coins. I'm not much into test cuts, though sometimes they do good to a coin, like this one: AR drachm Sinope. 425-410 BC. Obv. Head of sea-eagle left; below, dolphin to left; test cut in the eagle’s beak. Rev. Quadripartite incuse square with two opposing quarters filled; Θ. 14-15 mm, 5.86 gr. Hoover 388 (S). What I also like is that the head of the eagle more or less coincides with the coin, even the notch is in place of the beak. This is how it becomes a sculpture! ---------------------------------------------------- Then there's Roman coins, the early ones with a strictly regulated signboardlike countermark: 2121 C. Unidentified host, AE as. Countermark TONZOY (Tonzou), but the sign says TONZO only and it has a mirrored Z. Variation or imitation? The sign points to a river in Macedon. 21 mm, 4.24 gr. ------------------------------------------------------- And this Provincial Roman coin with a star sign: 3108 C. Domitianus 81-96, Phrygia, Cibyra. AE 23 mm. Obv. Domitianus faces Domitia, his queen. A countermark with star between them. Rev. Sitting Zeus. With letters KI BY. 22 mm, 7.17 gr. RPC 1262; Howgego 444 (c/m). ---------------------------------------------------- What I like a lot is the Sasanian area, too, the coins of the mysterious Hunnic tribes that threatened Persia's east in the 5th-7th century. The large and interesting imitations of silver Sasanian drachms often sport various countermarks. This is a good example, a coin type known as the Yabghu (= chief) of Tokharestan (part of nowadays Afghanistan-Uzbekistan, the headwaters of the Oxus, around Qunduz and Balkh). Look at that lively flying camel counterstamp! About 40 of these were auctioned in a short window of time in 2016, I was happy I could acquire some. 5728. AR drachm, ‘Yabghu of Tokharestan’ type, 600-680 AD. Good silver imitation of a drachm of Hormizd IV. Obv. ‘Hormizd IV’ to the right, his name coarsely written, his crown altered. Countermarks: 1. winged camel, 2. vague text (‘Hebrew’ according to Zeno!!). Rev. fire altar with attendants (doublestruck), unreadable mint and date. Countermark: 3. (Pahlavi?) text. 32.5 mm, 2.88 gr. Zeno #168721 (this coin). --------------------------------------------------- This is a witness to the transition from the mighty Iranian empire to the no less powerful Islamic empire in the period 650-800 AD. It is a copper fals (the Arabic word for copper money, it derives from 'follis') from the turmoil of the Abbasid Revolution against the Umayyads, with a countermark of a Sasanian head with (Parthian looking) hair braids. The undercoin is dated 128 AH = 746 AD. But the countermark is a sign of another minting authority, of probably shortly after 746 AD. 6028. Abbasid revolution, fals, Rayy, AH 12x. Abd’allah b. Mu’awiya (744-747). Obv. with 6 ringlets in the edge. Rev. with countermarked portrait of Sasanian type, text right. 21 mm, 3.40 gr. More description, if you are interested, on Zeno 266598 (this coin). -------------------------------------------------------- For me the sad period of conquest by Turkish tribes of the inherently Greek land mass of Asia Minor or Anatolia, is the last era of interest. It started with infighting at the Byzantine side (battle of Manzikert!), something that was rife under Turkish and Arabic tribes, too. Constantinopel was overrun by the Venetians in the early 13th century. Then there was the conquest of Baghdad by the Mongols and two centuries after that the fall of Constantinopel to the Turks. I hope you don't mind that I'm sad about this, even if it's six centuries ago. 6853. AE Artukids, possibly of Mayyafariqin. After 1160. Follis of Constantine X (1159-1167). Obv. with c/m 16 in Lowick, Bendall, Whitting. 28 mm, 5.15 gr. According to the Mardin Hoard book, there were some 100 coins with countermark 16 in that Hoard, of which 81 were combined with other c/ms. See p. 40.

Thanks, @DonnaML, for your excellent write-up. Now I understand this coin in my collection better, one of my very few Republicans, but one I very much like and that I bought because of its expressivity. AR denarius, Rome. M. Volteius M. f. 75 BC. Obv. Head of young Hercules right, wearing lion’s skin headdress. Rev. Erymanthian Boar charging right, VOLTEI·M·F in exergue. 17mm., 3.64g. Crawford 385/2.

An interesting and capable emperor, but I have only 1 very small Maurikios coin. 3505. Byzantium, Mauricius Tiberius (582-602). Pentanummium Nicomedia. Diademed, draped, and cuirassed bust right / Large Є; N to right. 13.5 mm, 1.67 gr.

Link: 5th officina 2767. Constantinus II as caesar, (316-337). Æ Follis, Siscia mint, 5th officina. Struck AD 320. Laureate, draped, and cuirassed bust left, holding Victory on globe and mappa / Vexillum inscribed VOT/X in two lines; captive seated to either side; S-F/ HL (ligate)//ЄSIS*above (crescent). 18mm, 2.31g, 6h. RIC VII 133.

My Justinian portraits. Justinian arguably has the most striking pictures of all the Byzantine Empire. Byzantium, Justinian follis, yr. 13 (538), minted in CONstantinopel. SB 163, DOC 37-61. Byzantium, Justinian, 20 nummi. Diademed bust r. Rev.: Large, fat K. Left cross with T H E U = Theupolis, or Antioch. Right a letter, maybe Z or Delta. Strike unequal. 24.5 mm, 7.78 gr. Byzantium, Justinianus, 16 nummi, Thessalonici. Draped, laureated and cuirassed bust t.r./ Large IS, flanked by A – P. TES in exergue. 26 mm, 6.78 gr. And then there's this barbarous Justinian: 'Constantinopolis?', Justinian, 40 nummi, barbarous imitation. Obv. Crude bust right. DNIVSTIAIANVSPPA. Rev. Big fat M. CON in mirror lettering. Stars left and right. Cross above. 30 mm, 11.30 gr.

I'm very curious to know more about the consignor. What's his plan? He (assuming it's a he) doesn't tool out of love for the coins, but because he hopes to makes money from it (what else?). Would these coins fetch more than about a thousand euros now? The consignor risks his reputation, now the tooling has been exposed. The auctioneer's reputation is at risk, too. If I were H.D. Rauch, I would pull the coins from the auction and wave goodbye to the consignor. Also, Leu is in Switzerland, but Rauch is in Austria, Europe. There's a tax to be paid when coins change hands over these borders. You have to win more than 20% to make up for this, or you should have a cunning plan.

Very interesting case. I’m curious about the firm’s answer. It could be the game of one consignor with a mind to gamble, an able tooler and money to spend. Curious also that these are all the same type. Did they fetch high prices at Leu’s, and is it possible to find out the buyer’s paddle number? Then you know where to find more tooled coins.