ewomack

I had not heard of this book previously, but I see it contains 1,481 pages and weighs 9 pounds. Wow. That's not a book, that's a weapon. I could almost get rid of my free weights and just heft that thing around to stay in shape. Regardless, it looks like a reference worth having.

Late Medieval Mittelalter Deutschland. Pfennig (1441). Leichte Prägeschwäche. Sehr schön-vorzüglich. Augsburg-Bistum u. Stadt (gemeinschaftlich).

Welcome the world of ancients. I'm fairly new to the world myself, but it's growing on me to the point that I may just start selling my moderns. One of my first ancients was also a Constantius II, though a rougher one. I liked the reverse and the price was right. Cyzicus RIC VII 69 Constantius II AE3. 330-334 AD. FL IVL CONSTANTIVS NOB C, laureate, draped & cuirassed bust right / GLORIA EXERCITVS, two soldiers, helmeted, standing with spears & shields, facing two standards between them, dot on banners. Mintmark SMKΓ dot.

Since it's a "free for all," I'm going to get out some of the rougher stuff that probably wouldn't fit anywhere else. 😁 France ARCHBISHOPRIC OF VIENNE - ANONYMOUS AR Denier, 11th - 12th Centuries; Obv: .+. S. M. VIENNA. (Saint Maurice of Vienne), profile of Saint Maurice, facing left; Rev: MAXIMA. GALL

Yes, that was the first version of the song that I heard as well. I had no idea that it was a cover until I once spontaneously sang it in front of my mom, who said "how do you know that song? That's an old song!" and then she starting singing it. My teenage self didn't take it well. How could my mom like a cool song? How could it be a cool song if my mom liked it? Oh, the adolescent drama! I decided to give the older version some air time since many people have probably heard the TMBG's version. As a more sober adult, no longer obsessed with "cool," I now like both versions equally.

Though ordered over a week apart, 2 Byzantine coins arrived in my anticipatory mitts today. The first ordered was the Leo V in another thread and the second was this one, discussed in a different earlier thread. Both came from different dealers on VCoins. I was shocked at the size and heft of this coin, especially in stark contrast to the comparatively minuscule Leo V Follis of some 3 centuries later. I'm guessing that this somewhat reflects the relative health of the empire between the two reigns. Having never previously seen a Justinian follis in the bronze, I can now attest that these coins make quite an impression. Justinian I Follis (540/1 - Year 14), Constantinople mint, Obv: DN IVSTINIANVS PP AVG, helmeted, cuirassed bust facing holding cross on globe and shield; cross to right. Rev: Large M, ANNO to left, cross above, XIIII (date) to right, A below, CON in exergue, Sear 163

Justinian I Follis (540/1 - Year 14), Constantinople mint, Obv: DN IVSTINIANVS PP AVG, helmeted, cuirassed bust facing holding cross on globe and shield; cross to right. Rev: Large M, ANNO to left, cross above, XIIII (date) to right, A below, CON in exergue, Sear 163

I've always really liked this rough depiction of Saint Maurice from the Archbishops of Vienne. Not exactly fancy iconography, but a Saint nonetheless. France ARCHBISHOPRIC OF VIENNE - ANONYMOUS AR Denier, 11th - 12th Centuries; Obv: .+. S. M. VIENNA. (Saint Maurice of Vienne), profile of Saint Maurice, facing left; Rev: MAXIMA. GALL (Grand Gaul)

This Leo V coin didn't take extremely well to photography. It looks much better in hand. Regardless, I really like the obverse portraits, despite some of the text missing on top. Having finally held one myself, I can fully understand some people's fascination with Byzantine coins. There isn't anything else quite like them. Their "roughness" actually has quite a bit of unique appeal, especially when experienced in person. Leo V AD 813-820, AE Follis (23mm, 4.43 gram) Constantinopolis; LEON S CONST; facing busts of Leo (l.) and Constantine (r.); Large M between XXX and NNN; cross above and A below; Sear 1630 The introductory passage in Sear on Leo V suggests a pretty troubled reign. It says that he attempted to re-establish iconoclasm and the resistance led to his assassination "before the high altar of St. Sophia on Christmas Day 820."

This shilling of Edward VI has a great portrait, but the rest of the coin has seen better times. Edward VI - Shilling Second Period, debased - Tower Mint Spink 2466 1549 (MDXLIX on reverse) Obverse: EDWARD VI : D • G • AGL • FRA • Z : HIB • REX Reverse: Arrow Mintmark, TIMOR • DOMINI • FONS : VITÆ • M : D : XLIX; E - R across fields The opposite is almost true of this later shilling in my pile: Edward VI - Shilling Third Period - Fine Silver Issue Spink 2482 1551 - 1553 Obverse: Tun Mintmark, EDWARD . VI: D . G . AGL . FRA . Z: HIB . REX: Reverse: Tun Mintmark, POSVI DEVM:A DIVTOR E . MEV . I think these represent my only Shillings.

Julian II (360 - 363) AE1 (BI Maiorina); Thessalonika Mint; Obv: DN FL CL IVLIANUS PF AUG; Diademed, draped and cuirassed bust right; Rev: SECVRITAS REIPVB; Bull standing right, two stars above;*TESΓ in exergue; Ref: RIC 226; NGC Graded Ch. XF "So never think that you are free, my friend, as long as you are ruled by the belly and nether regions. They are masters who can either furnish you the means of pleasure or take them away. And even if you prove stronger than them but remain enslaved to the opinions of the crowd, you have not yet reached freedom or tasted its nectar, 'I swear by him who entrusted me with the secret of the tetrad.'" -Julian II, "Against the Ignorant Cynics (Oration 9)" Julian didn't practice Cynicism, but he loathed what it had become in his own time. Socrates and Diogenes of Sinope remained the Cynic exemplars and some 600 years after they lived, Cynicism had, in Julian and other's opinion, degenerated into a mere 'literary' form where adherents wrote about the "glory" of the Cynic life but lacked the courage to live it fully themselves. "Against the Ignorant Cynics" rails against this de-evolution.

Here are a few basic books that helped me get into Medieval coins - they all have their ups and downs, but taken together they provide a decent overview of the whole incomprehensible spectrum of medievals. The Torongo book appears out of print and goes for heftier prices, but the other two look readily available. I bought my copy of the Walker book at the ANA gift shop when I attended a Summer Seminar on hammered coin striking.

Philppe IV Silver Denier Tournois, 18mm, 1285 - 1310; Obv: + PhILIPPVS REX, Rev: + TVRONVS CIVIS, Duplessy#223

I have only a single, and rather humble, Constantius II example. Constantius II - Cyzicus RIC VII 69 Constantius II AE3. 330-334 AD. FL IVL CONSTANTIVS NOB C, laureate, draped & cuirassed bust right / GLORIA EXERCITVS, two soldiers, helmeted, standing with spears & shields, facing two standards between them, dot on banners. Mintmark SMKΓ dot.

Just this past week, I purchased my first Byzantine coins and they hopefully will make their way across the pond to me at a decent gallop. I have also had the fantastic luck to have seen Basilica di San Marco in person - and without risers or any water covering the floor. Though, sadly, as I walked through it the floor squished audibly underneath with each step. My many photos (then in physical form) vanished forever during a life-changing event that I won't go into, but, suffice it to say, they are lost. Despite this, I have not forgotten its blazing gilded and heavily mosaicked interior. I need to return someday, probably the sooner the better. I personally have always loved the look and style of Byzantine coins. I don't know what took me so long to finally dive into them. Currently, I'm making my way through an introductory text on the subject and hope to leap over next to the Sear book for a full plunge. I expect to accumulate more specimens after filling my brain some more. Please don't stop posting pictures!

My only Probus coin and the first ancient coin that I ever purchased. Thanks to this forum, I was ecstatic to find out that it doesn't actually have bronze disease, despite appearances. @Leo I also enjoy your videos - I have seen maybe 10 or more at this point. Probus AE Antoninianus. Siscia, 281 AD. IMP C M AVR PROBVS AVG, radiate draped bust right / CLEMENTIA TEMP, Probus standing right, holding sceptre, receiving Victory from Jupiter standing left, holding sceptre. Officina letter in lower centre. Mintmark XXI. Cohen 87, Ric 644.

I read about, and works by, many of the subjects on the coins that I purchase. It adds an extra dimension for me and often guides my selections. So I had a thought: Post a coin and a quote or a passage either by or about its subject, be it human, non-human, or anything. Marcus Aurelius. AR Denarius. Struck 161/2 AD. M ANTONINVS AVG, bare head right / CONCORD AVG TR P XVII, COS III in exergue, Concordia seated left, holding patera, resting left elbow on statuette of Spes set on base. 18mm 3.4gm "The best revenge is not to be like your enemy" Marcus Aurelius, Meditations, Book 6, §6

This is the oldest coin in my pile that features a bird - the double-headed eagle of the Hapsburg Empire (descended from Rome & Byzantium) on the reverse This is another bird, one I happen to live with. He's not on a coin, but he should be. He would appreciate it if I would up my game and get some more birds-on-coins.

Yes, the great coin forum schism. I actually completely missed it and it took me a while to catch up and discover that this forum even existed. It has made some things more complicated, such as the question posed by this very thread: "do I post on both sites?" I personally have no issue with people cross-posting in this context. The two sites have separated definitively at this point, they don't act as affiliates, nor do any feeds seem to exist between the two. They were meant to exist separately, perhaps to a degree of mutual exclusivity? Only the user base, past and present, really provides any link between the sites at this point - and even that feels more and more tentative as time progresses. Similar questions have arisen for me as my activity here increases. With two Byzantine coins making their way directly to my physical being, the thought actually occurred to me whether I should post photos on both sites. Ultimately, it doesn't really matter, a single post will gradually scroll into digital oblivion (yes, I've been reading The Meditations again), but if I had to choose one site, I would post the Byzantine coins here, because deep knowledge on that topic appears to now reside on this site. CT, as a whole, seems to have survived the exodus, but arguably the ancients forum there hasn't. The vanished, and once quite lively, cross-pollination between the ancients forum and the other forums has also, in my opinion, diminished the site's overall appeal. Likewise, the ancients discussions here more than continue the tradition of CT's ancient forums, but also without the same previous cross-pollination with moderns, paper, world, etc. To someone who feels a little caught between the controversy, both sites feel a little incomplete to me compared to "the old days." Time may change that, but that issue makes any questions around cross-posting between the two sites nothing to ever get pedantic about (I'm not arguing that anyone has, I just hope it never happens). Thankfully, if any seething rancor exists between the sites, it appears largely invisible - to me, at least. So where will I post my Byzantine coins? I will definitely post them here. No doubt. Will I post them on CT? I don't know. I noticed when I posted about the Julian II coin that I recently purchased, I semi-consciously put more effort into the post here than the one I posted on CT. I have nothing against CT (again, I mostly missed the events that led to the break-up), but if my current ancients enthusiasm endures, I see myself coming here far more often. But, like others, I may decide to cross-post some things. I hope no one holds that against me if I do. It doesn't sound like it will cause any issues.

Maybe he had just finished reading an early draft of Procopius' "Secret Histories?"

Thank you for the feedback again. Sorry for the thread switch, but I figured that more people would see a new thread. The coin should be on its way to me very soon. It's from a dealer I've purchased from before off of Vcoins, so I'm pretty sure they would not knowingly sell a coin with bronze disease (but I'll check it when it arrives in any case; they have a return policy). I did see some year 14 Justinians that resembled the one above as well, or at least they seemed to (I still have that new Byzantine coin collector smell). It has been a pretty exciting evening. I purchased my first Justinian Follis and I happened to see Saturn outside of my window through high-powered binoculars. I have seen Jupiter and Venus before, but never Saturn. Not only that, I have a Leo V coin on its way to me, also from Vcoins. Those will help fill in the large gap that I have in my collection that ends with Julian II and picks up again with Archbishops of Vienne St. Maurice Deniers right around the year 1000. Then a Byzantine coin book should arrive. It's apparently all planets and Byzantium here tonight. Anyway, I'm tired, it's about 1AM, so I'll sign off. Thanks again for the input!

Hello, the search continues. Does this one show any signs of tooling? Is the lighter green on the obverse of any potential concern? I'm still learning how to distinguish tooling, but this one doesn't give me the heebie jeebies like the other one I posted earlier this week.

Yes, a very nice nickel collection! The Canadian beaver nickel, though it seems to include few rarities, remains one of my favorite coins. I always look forward to receiving them in pocket change while roaming through Canada. I also have the 2015 "Big Coin" beaver nickel as well, technically not a nickel, though I paid too much for it at the Winnipeg mint. If it's okay, here are another few nickels, since this seems to be the theme of the thread (do I like the Buffalo nickel more?)

How about this one? Is the lighter green on the obverse any concern? I don't think I see any signs of tooling, but does anyone else? I may make a new thread since this one has aged

Thank you, everyone. I am not going to pursue the one I posted, because something didn't look quite right to me, either. I also couldn't find a decent match as suggested, also. So, the search for a Justinian Follis continues. I appreciate the input!