Pellinore

2822. Jovian (363-364). AE3, Heraclea. Obv. Pearl diademed, draped and cuirassed bust left. Rev. VOT V in wreath. Exergue: HERACA. Glossy dark greenish patina. 20.5 mm, 3.02 gr. Sear 19218. RIC VIII Heraclea 108. Frank S. Robinson auction, March 2018 2823. Jovian (363-364). AE3, Heraclea. Obv. Pearl diademed, draped and cuirassed bust left. Rev. VOT V in wreath. Exergue: HERACB. Glossy dark patina. 19.5 mm, 2.53 gr. RIC VIII Heraclea 108. Biddr Savoca 28th Blue auction nr. 1732, Febr. 2020.

These Celtic coins are really fascinating. This one I found some years ago: So scyphate you can drink a drop of wine out of it. A tiny coin of the Bellovaci (who lived, naturally, not far from Beauvais). Celtic coinage. Bellovaci (Beauvais), after 57 BC. AV starkly scyphate quarter stater. Obv. Schematized portrait to the right. Rev. Horse galloping to the left, pellet-like body, with a large pointed ear. Above and below, a star. Class I. 11 mm, 1.49 gr. Scheers, Traité 160. Scheers, Dan., 308; B.N. 7236. Elsen auction 145, nr. 221.

I wondered about the R meaning 2. ET = short for Greek ‘etous’, year. But what is that R short for? In Greek it should be B. Paul

Julian the Apostate! I read a fascinating historical novel about him a long time ago. It was in German, by Wolfgang Cordan. Though I resolved to bring a nice collection together, it never really worked out. My (official) bull maiorina and bearded Harptree siliqua need improvement. There's still a lot to be achieved in the Julian line. But there's this: AR siliqua Julian II. Lyon, 361. Obv. Diademed bust t.r. Rev. VOTIS V MVLTIS X. 17 mm, 1.51 gr. RIC viii, p. 195. AE Julian II (360-363). Obv. helmeted bust t.l. with shield and spear/ DNFLCLIVLI ANVSPFAUG. Rev. VOT X MVLT XX in wreath/ BSIRM. RIC Sirmium VIII 108. AE maiorina Julian II. Obv. Diademed and cuirassed bust t.r. Rev. Bull t.r. under two stars. VZT in exergue. (‘NIKB’ according to Lanz description!) Barbarous. 23.5 mm, 7.74 gr. ‘From the E.E. Clain-Steffanelli collection, former curator of the Numismatic Collection at the Smithsonian Museum, Washington’. With an old penciled little envelope. AE maiorina Julian II. Obv. Diademed and cuirassed bust t.r. Rev. Bull t.r. No texts. Barbarous style. 26 mm, 6.04 gr. Auction Frank Robinson, November 2019.

Faustina iunior! Faustina Junior 146-175, AR Denarius. Draped bust right, FAVSTINAE AVG…/Pudicitia standing left, PVDI/ CITIA. 18 mm, 3.21 gr. RIC-Robertson II 5.

A large cornucopia is central on this coin: Sinope, Paphlagonia, 120-111 or 120-100 BC. AE. Obv. Winged head of Perseus t.r. Rev. Cornucopia flanked by two star-topped pilei. SINWPHS. 15mm, 4.16g. Hoover 424.

The coins of Magnentius are sometimes leaning to barbarous. And this one was cleaned so severely that there is little character left of it:

Xenophon was the first author we read at the secondary school I attended (a VERY long time ago). To us 14-year olds it was very dreary reading, all those parasangs these Greeks marched and all those tribes they fought in hostile country. But there were enchanting elements, like fascinating Cyrus the Younger, like the rough nature of the Anatolian landscape, and naturally that liberating shout at the end: Thalassa! Thalassa! I'm still mumbling it whenever I see the Sea, and that's often, for I live only one mile from it as the raven flies, or the vulture (they were rife in those threatening surroundings). And unknowingly I learned the basics of Greek grammar and I was imbued with the Greek breath, the roots of our civilisation, the atmosphere of rationality. Are there any Ancient coins showing Thalassa? the Sea? Waves? That's what we need for our Xenophon collection. Don't know if Cyrus the Younger ever issued coins, but I have some Persian sigloi and several fractions. And when one says 'siglos fractions' the tetartemoria are jumping into one's mind that were issued by unknown satraps and petty rulers. Siglos. Achaemenid Empire. Silver Siglos Carradice Type 3a, Darius I-Xerxes I 490-475 BC. 15 mm, 5.03 gr. Iran, Achaemenid Empire. Temp. Artaxerxes III to Darios III. (4th century BC.) Silver Tetartemorion (1/24 siglos). Obv.: Persian Great King in kneeling-running stance right, holding dagger in his right hand and bow in his left. Rev. Forepart of a horse running to right. 5.5 mm. Sunrise 101. Achaemenid Empire. Local issues. Tetartemorion. Uncertain mint in Cilicia? 4th cent. BC. Obv. Persian king or hero, in kneeling-running stance right, holding dagger and bow. Rev. Head (Male? Female? Athena?) to the right. 5 mm, 0.17 mm. Achaemenid Empire. Local issues. Tetartemorion. Uncertain mint in Cilicia? 4th cent. BC. Obv. Persian king or hero, in kneeling-running stance right, holding dagger and bow. Rev. Hair-circled head (male? Female?) facing slightly left in incuse field. 5 mm, 0.18 mm. Cf. Sunrise 98.

Decentius! Compared with Magnentius a pretty decent fellow, I think. Decentius (350-353), AE maiorina. Obv. Cuirassed bust right, DN DECENTIVS NOB CAES. Rev. Two Victories facing each other, holding between them wreath inscribed VOT / V / MVLT / X. 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. From the YOC Collection. Attractive photograph by John Zielinski, JAZ auction, January 2017, € 65

Link: Trebonianus Gallus AE Trebonianus Gallus, Alexandria Troas. Obv. Laureated bust t.r. Rev. Marsyas with wine skin on his shoulder t.l. COL AVG TROAD. 21 mm, 7.54 gr.

AE broad dirham Möngke Khan (1251-1259). Otrar, AH 650-658. Obv. 4 horizontal lines of text under a V-like motif and in a circle, encircled with text. Rev. 4 lines of text in a double circle, encircled with text. Over the Kalima the words ‘Mönge-Khani’. 41.5 mm, 7.68 gr., 2h. Album 1978C.1. Zeno 86152, 158858. Time of Chingiz Khan 1206-1227. AE dirham Shafurqan. With name of caliph al-Nasir li-Din (1180-1225). 22.5 mm, 5.37 gr. Tye 325. See Zeno 7318. AE Jital Mongol Great Khans. Time of Chingiz Khan (Genghis) (AH 602-624 / AD 1206-1227), Nimruz, undated. 12.5 mm, 2.71 gr. Billon jital, Great Mongols. Great Khans. Möngke, AH 649-658 / AD 1251-1260. Jital without mint and date. 'Be govvat e aferidegar e alam' ('By the Power of the Creator of the World' in Persian). Rev. Tamgha of the great khan Möngke in shape of a thunderbolt between floral patterns. 14 mm, 3.20 gr. Album 1978E. Zeno 5 or 6 pcs. See 170947. Mainly known from one hoard. Struck on a somewhat short flan as usual. Leu Web auction 16, nr. 4635.

Maybe I don't quite understand your message (being a Dutchman), but I'm using Google Translate now photographing the text and instantly translating, for instance for Greek or Russian language books about coins. It's very useful and simple. Often the translations are ludicrous, but you get the idea and it really helps.

Some Constantius II coins, the first rather dotty Constantius II (337-361), AE3 Constantinopolis. Obv. Rosette-diademed, draped and cuirassed bust right. DN CONSTAN / TIVS P F AVG. Rev. Helmeted soldier to left, shield on arm, spearing fallen enemy; shield on ground at right. FEL TEMP R / EPARATIO/ CONSE. 17 mm, 2.71 gr. Nice with all the little dots on reverse. A jolly Constantius Caesar coin with a smiling prince and two soldiers looking coyly across a traffic light. Constantius II as caesar (324-337), AE reduced follis, Antioch. Obv. Laureate and cuirassed bust r. Rev. Two soldiers flanking standard. GLOR- IA EXERC- ITVS/ SMANZ. 15 mm, 1.64 gr. Constantius II, cententionalis, Antioch. Obv. Double diademed, draped and cuirassed bust t.r. DN CONSTAN / TIVS P F AVG. Rev. Soldier spearing fallen horseman, shield right. FEL TEMP REP/ ARATIO. Exergue ANAI. 22 mm, 5.91 gr. Some silvering. Nicely preserved. Vetranio, 350, AE Maiorina, mpl Siscia. Obv.: D N VETRA-NIO P F AVG, Laureate cuirassed bust, met on the left in field A, on the right a star. Rev.: CONCORDIA MILITVM / A / • A SIS • . Emperor with two labara. RIC 285. 4.47 gr, 24 mm. AE barbarous centenionalis ‘Constantius Gallus’, 351-354. Obv. Head r. with Caesar’s text all around, readable only NST and IVS I. Rev. Emperor in military dress between two standards with christogram, unreadable text around, SMAL in exergue. 21.5 mm, 4.84 gr. AE ‘Constantius II’. Obv. Head t.r. with striking large forehead jewel. Inscription THIS WTIIII. Rev. Two Victories extend a wreath to each other. Inscription IIII. Smaller than usual. 13 mm, 1.06 gr. Constantinus II as caesar, ca. 320-325 (prototype). AE follis. Local imitation. Stylized (or caricatured) laureated bust t.r./Wreath with VOT/ XX. Both sides with ‘mumble script’. 2.18 gr. Constantius II siliqua. Contemporary barbaric imitation. VOT/ V. 15 mm, 1.59 gr.

This is a very attractive coin in excellent condition (save for the usual striations), but it has a little hole, like a tache de beauté. A tenth-century wonder of islamic calligraphy, in my opinion. Samanid dynasty, AE fals. Abd al-Malik I b. Nuh + Ashath b. Muhammad. Mint Quba (Ferghana) 349 AH = 960 AD. Obv. Three concentric circles, the outer showing place and date, the second the Kalima. In the centre, a cruciform monogram formed from 4 x the name Muhammad, the midpoint ringlet being the first M! Rev. 6 lines in stipple circle, surrounded with text. 26.5 mm, 3.16 gr. Zeno 69828. Album 1463. Quba or Quva is in the east of current Uzbekistan.

That's a very interesting reverse and an attractive coin, despite its wear and tear. You may find another example here - it comes with a stiff price tag, but there's your information.

Slightly smiling Delmatius Delmatius (or Dalmatius) caesar. AE centenionalis Nicomedia, 336-337. Obv. Draped and laureated bust r. Rev. Two soldiers, one standard. SMNE in exergue. 15.5 mm, 2.19 gr. S. 16899.

Though short of cash, I thought it wise to buy this nice Justinian solidus on a coin fair in February. 275 euros is 300 dollars. It was offered by a venerable old seller whom I know well, who very well might have bought it 50 years ago.

Like you all, I have a large number of Constantine the Great's coins - a few dozens. Not wanting to double your portraits, here's what I can do for you. Constantinus I. 307-337 AD. AE follis Siscia, 1st officina, 319. Obv. helmeted bust to left. CONSTANT INVS AVG. Rev. Two Victories facing, holding a shield with text VOT/ PR, under it I, over an altar. VICT. LAETAE PRINC PERP. Exergue: ?SIS-dot. 19 mm, 2.80 gr., 6 hrs. 2926 B. AE follis after Constantinus I, about 340. Donau area. Obv.: Helmeted and cuirassed bust to left with scepter. Rv.: Two victories vis-à-vis holding a shield over an altar. Dotty style. 17.5 mm, 2.21 gr. 2936 B. AE follis, barbarous imitation after Constantinus I. Obv. Helmeted bust t.r., IHUMMM. Rev. Two victories MAMX, on the shield IO/OI. Brownish-rainbowy. 17.5 mm, 2.88 gr.

Where to start... The earliest coins from the lands where I live and that I feel a link with, i.e. Northwestern Europe: Celts of Gaul and Britain, early medieval sceattas, and of the towns where I lived - 11th century coins of places in the Netherlands. Roman Imperial coins is where I started when I was 13 or 14. Moreover, it was my second start decades later, when my father-in-law died and I inherited his small but pointed collection of Romans and Byzantines. I want all emperors, empresses and princes, be they Imperial or Provincial. Some emperors are more interesting to me than others, and I like expanding and deepening areas of interest. Alexandrian coins for instance, or Ryro's interest: where Roman culture differs glaringly from ours, in the history of sexuality. Also, what he calls the dopest coins: with a madly dancing pot (Antioch Provincial, 68/69 AD), an emperor with thick-rimmed glasses or a running king in sport shirt numbered 8 (Siglos, 4th century BC). As for Byzantine coins, I'm collecting only one emperor: Phocas. Because of my interest in history, I'm not averse to earlier coins like Anastasius and Justinian, and my interest in the Persians brings me to Alexandria, that was Sasanian for a decade or so in the 7th century. Yes, Sasanians! I started to collect these, too, when I was fifteen, to the point where I pondered going to study Middle Persian. This interest expanded into imitations and developments (the area of @Finn235), and to the prequels: Persis, Elymais, Parthia and the Achaemenids. Imitations and developments are to be found in the Roman and Greek worlds, too, and there I have a few hundred 'barbarous imitations' of all kinds. In the earliest place, the Celtic imitations (see my avatar, an imitation of a Philip of Macedon horse reverse). Western Celts are interesting as my 'forefathers' (don't know if they really are, naturally), the people living where I and my (partly British) family lives now. Eastern Celts are interesting as a development of Greek coinage. They were followed by imitations of Roman coinage by the Sarmatians and the mixed cultures (Chernyakhiv-Goth) after them. For some time in my collecting life, these coins were not so difficult to acquire, and there I am. And then there are the fringes. The transition from Christian and Zoroastric religions to Islam, and the fringes between these are engrossing me. In the 7th century a lot happened: you may see a Sasanian-like drachm with a Buddhist-Hindu obverse, and an Islamic coin that looks very much like a Byzantine coin. And 400 years later the Normans conquered Sicily, where they issued coins with both Arabic and Western legends (this red-and-green coin was issued by the famous Norman king Roger, but it was also the first coin with an Arabic numeral date: 533 AH = 1138/1139 AD). Some years ago I started collecting medieval Islamic coins. That starts in the 7th century and for me it ends in 1336 AD. I'm interested in the history and in calligraphics. History says (for instance) Genghis Khan - and calligraphics are (for instance) to be found on 11th century silver of the Qarakhanids, a forgotten dynasty reigning in what's now Uzbekistan. (This is a large AE coin, 34 mm, dating from the time and realm of Chingiz Khan, minted in Balkh, 1222/3 AD, see Zeno 208241) ( A Qarakhanid silver dirham, 25 mm, dating from 1005 AD, Zeno 265532) So many areas and eras! But I want to place firm boundaries, too. I'm collecting only ancient and medieval, the end year being 1336 (that is when the Ilkhan ruler Abu Sa'id died, who issued many different, finely crafted coins). Not collecting Spanish coins (only some Islamic medieval coins and a few Celtiberians), no Chinese (I started but stopped soon). Some later coins have been drifting in that attracted me because of the design, and I'm collecting funny political banknotes and notes of the Notgeld kind - these are more or less political too, 1920-1923. Feel free to ask for more pictures.

I’m not surprised, Viking treasures often consist of very diverse coins, ex-coins and ex-jewels - hacksilber. Literally tons of Samanid silver dirhams, minted somewhere North of the Himalaya.

The billon argenteus of Licinius I. Licinius I, BI argenteus, Arles, 319-20. Obv. IMP LICI NIVS AVG. Laureate and cuirassed bust right. Rev. IOVI CONSERVATORI AVG Emperor riding on eagle, flying to right, TARL in exergue. 16.5 mm, 2.46 gr. RSC 99var. RIC 196. And another Licinius - somehow I have five Liciniusses I and three IIs. Licinius I. AE reduced follis, Rome, 318. Obv. Laureated, draped and cuirassed bust r. IMP LICINIVS P F AVG. Rev. Jupiter standing left, chlamys across left shoulder, holding thunderbolt horizontally, and sceptre. Wreath in left field. IOVI CONSE-RVATORI/ RQ in exergue. 20 mm, 3.34 gr. Bought from Frank Robinson in 2017. Poor Licinius II somehow was put on coins with an extra small bust, put up as a doll in military clothes, and murdered when he was useless some time after his father's execution. Licinius II, caesar (317-324). Follis, Cyzicus. 317-320 AD. Obv. Small laureate, draped half-length bust left, holding mappa, globe and sceptre. D N VAL LICIN LICINIVS NOB C. Rev. Jupiter standing left, holding Victory and sceptre, wreath to left, Γ to right. IOVI CONSERVATORI CAESS. Mintmark SMK. 18.5 mm, 3.00 gr. Licinius II, caesar (317-324). Follis, Cyzicus. 317-320 AD. Obv. Helmeted and cuirassed bust left, holding spear over shoulder and shield on arm. D N VAL LICIN LICINIVS NOB C. Rev. Jupiter standing left, holding crowning Victory on globe and sceptre; at feet to left, eagle standing left, head right, holding wreath in beak; to right, bound captive seated right, head left. X/ III in the field. IOVI CONSERVATORI / SMKΓ. 18.5 mm, 3.18 gr.

Well, it is probably a local issue in Sasanian style under Arabic overlordship. I wouldn’t call it Arabic or even Islamic. In the first years under Islamic dominance, people were in general permitted to confess to their own religion - zoroastrism in this case. That this is not a real Xusro II coin I take on higher authority: it was identified and sold by Steve Album Auctions. You may find it on Zeno as 269068 .

I'd like to revive this interesting thread. I've been collecting Sasanians since I was 16. I had plans to study Middle-Persian language and history, but in the end decided otherwise. Still, it never really went away and here I am, half a century later, with a coin collection centering in Iran and Central Asia. If you say 'Sasanian' (or 'Sassanian') you also have to take the centuries of imitations into account, that went on and on for 800 years. Here is an early iconic coin that I found one of in Belgium a few years ago. Dating from the age of Diocletian. I'm very happy with it! 5398. Bahram/ Varhran II (274-293), AR drachm. Bust of king to the right with ball-topped winged crown, large pearl-netted hairball in the neck; bust of the queen to the right with boar-head topped cap; small bust of a prince to the left, with eagle-head topped cap. Rev. Fire altar, to the left a symbol (pincers with a horizontal ribbon). The attendants both male, with beard and korymbos, both looking out. 28 mm, 3.98 gr. Göbl type VII/2? Apparently bought in New York (not by me), 5.12.1999, USD 200, from Siamak Ahghari, later one of the authors of the Sunrise collection book. It was one of my most expensive coins. And then there are the many early imitations that were issued in the years after the conquest of the Sasanian Empire by the Arabs in the middle 7th century. The copper coins were local issues, like this very unround one. AE pashiz, c.660-700. No place, no date. Obv. Sasanian portrait. Rev. Fire altar with bystanders. 14 mm. 0.79 gr. Album-49K, Gyselen-124. (Gyselen is the detailed catalog.)

Link: Septimius Severus AE35 Septimius Severus & Julia Domna (193-211), Stratonicea, Caria. 3240 S. AE35 Septimius Severus & Julia Domna (193-211), Stratonicea, Caria. Obv. Confronting busts of Severus and Domna. Under them, a countermark with the bust of Caracalla. AY KAI SEYHROS IOYLIA DOMNA. Rev. Hecate, polos on head, standing left before an altar, holding patera and torch. 34.5 mm, 15.24 gr. SNG Cop 506; SNG Lewis 1660; Lindgren III 441; Sear GIC 2291. SNG von Aulock 2674; Howgego 84 for countermark. Ebay Lanz, Sept. 2018, € 57

Freshly inspired by my discovery of the CoinTalk Forum, in 2016 I bought this fascinating Maximinus II Daia coin from the estate of Tom Cederlind at a CNG auction. It was crowned 'Three Stars 2016' in my coin system and put in one of the many Top Ten Lists that populate the forums in the last days of the year. 2572. Maximinus II Daia 307-311, AE follis Alexandria. Obv. Head to the right, IMP C GAL VAL MAXIMINVS P F AVG. Rev. Genius standing facing, head left, modius on head, naked but for chlamys across left shoulder, liquors flowing from patera in right hand, cornucopiae in left. K in left field, gamma / P in right field. GENIO IMP/ERATORIS. ALE in exergue. 25,5 mm, 6.61 gr. Ex-Tom Cederlind. RIC VI, 105c. CNG auction 384 nr. 647, Oct. 2016.