thenickelguy

Arcadius AE4 of Antioch. 395-401 AD. Obverse D N ARCADI-VS P F AVG, pearl-diademed, draped, cuirassed bust right. Reverse VIRTVS-EXERCITI, emperor standing left, head right, holding spear and resting left hand on shield. Victory, standing beside him, crowns him with a wreath which she holds in her right hand. Mintmark ANTΓ. RIC X 70, Γ A weak ruler, his reign was dominated by a series of powerful ministers and by his wife, Aelia Eudoxia. As emperor he was more concerned with appearing to be a pious Christian than he was with political or military matters. Not being a military leader, he began to promote a new type of imperial victory through images, not via the traditional military achievements, but focusing on his piety. Arcadius's reign saw the growing push towards the outright abolishment of paganism. On July 13th 399, Arcadius issued an edict ordering that all remaining non-Christian temples should be immediately demolished. info snippets from wiki and image as well

Constantine VII, AE Follis. 913-959 AD. Constantinople mint. OBVERSE: CONST BASIL ROM, crowned bust of Constantine facing, with short beard and wearing vertical loros, holding akakia and cross on globe REVERSE: CONST / EN QEO BA / SILEVS R / OMEON, legend in four lines. SB 1761 Constantine VII as "The Scholar Emperor" He was a passionate collector, not only of books and manuscripts but works of art of every kind. More remarkable still for a man of his class, he seems to have been an excellent painter. He was the most generous of patrons—to writers and scholars, artists and craftsmen. Finally, he was an excellent Emperor: a competent, conscientious and hard-working administrator and an inspired picker of men, whose appointments to military, naval, ecclesiastical, civil and academic posts were both imaginative and successful. He did much to develop higher education and took a special interest in the administration of justice. Having never exercised executive authority, Constantine remained primarily devoted to his scholarly pursuits and delegated his authority to bureaucrats and generals, as well as to his energetic wife Helena Lekapene. I felt I had to find a half decent example of this because I have another coin in my collection that this particular issue was used and struck over. That coin is the Anonymous follis, Class A1, John I, 969-976 Sear 1793. It makes for a nice pair which belong together from now on.

Pretty sure you meant "doubt" and I agree with you. I doubt it is Philip II myself and lean toward Ares. I'm getting better in my researching and identifying coins as time goes on. I thank you for your comments. My looking to nail it had me settling around this coin. Top one on the page here http://www.wildwinds.com/coins/greece/thessaly/phalanna/t.html

I wanted one of these types from my first jump into ancient coins and think I found a satisfactory example although it might be the most common encountered and just above average at least. I hope so, but I like it. Pontos, Amisos ca. 100BC (Coast of Southern Black Sea Turkey) AE20 Obverse Aegis (skin of a slain gorgon) with facing head of Gorgon at center Reverse Nike walking right, holding palm over shoulder with both hands. Not sure but I believe this is BMC 72 At first glance, the obverse might look like some kind of flower with a face in the center but it is far from it. OK, that's just me maybe, silly me. The head in the center is a gorgon. The most famous gorgon was Medusa. Upon looking into the eyes of Medusa it would turn a human to stone. What looks like petals of a dahlia type flower are actually scales of the hyde of the gorgon.

Thessaly, Phalanna AE17 Male head / head of Nymph Possibly Later 4th century BC. AE dichalkon 17mm, 350-300 BC? Obverse Young male head (possibly of Ares} right Reverse ΦAΛANNAIΩN, head of the nymph Phalanna right, A behind neck. BCD Thessaly 579; Rogers 449-451 var (letter A). ( I wondered if the male shown on this coin might be Philip II ) Just my thinking with no other reasons except that the coin is from the same era and to me the male head dort of resembles that of my Philip II coin shown here. I dunno? Nymphs are generally regarded as personifications of nature, are typically tied to a specific place or landform, and are usually depicted as beautiful maidens. They were not necessarily immortal, but lived much longer than human beings.

P is for Philip Philip I - Temple of Zeus on Rev 244-249 AD Philip II as Caesar - Philip I and II seated on Rev. 244 AD

So I'll revisit my old post here. I just had to buy an example of a Constantine VII, Sear 1761. Now I have a "set" of sorts. I can't see exactly where any of these line up with text or design. Yes, I know that the original coin, turned planchet, may have had some minor differences in scale of whatever relief it had yet still very much have the basic similarities of my new coin entirely shown on top. They don't have to be struck obverse on obverse, it could have been flipped to have obverse on reverse I suppose. I just can't seem to see the understruck coin. Can you? Thanks for reading and looking.

Supposedly Proto Ring Money? There is debate on this type as "money" but oh, yes they are O o o 's.

O is for Obol too PISIDIA. Selge. Ca. 4th century BC. AR obol (9mm, 0.9 gr 7h). NGC VF. Head of gorgoneion facing with flowing hair / Head of Athena right, wearing crested, winged Attic helmet; astragalus to left.

O is for Owl on this Greek Mysia. Pergamon circa 133-27 BC. Bronze Æ Head of Athena right, wearing crested Attic helmet decorated with a star / AΘHNAΣ above, NIKHΦOPOY below, (ATHENA above NIKIFOROU below), owl standing facing, wing's spread, on palm branch, A to left, Δ to right.

N is for War Nickels!

M is for Montreal 1842 Montreal Bank Half Penny

M is for the M on my Justinian I AE20 Decanummium. Antioch year 25 527-565 AD. Theoupolis Antioch M is also for Mike

M is for Mesambria Mesambria was an important Greek city in ancient Thrace. Here is an Ae15 Circa 300 BC Corinthian helmet with the other side showing a META Four spoked wheel.

M is for Macedonia Philip II AE18 Olympic Champion 359-336 BC from MACEDONIA OBVERSE – Head of Apollo right, wearing taeniaREVERSE – ΦIΛIΠΠOY (PHILIPPOU), Naked youth on horse prancing right, Δ (DELTA) below.OLYMPIC CHAMPION IN 356 BC, 352 BC & 348 BCThis coin was designed to immortalize Philip's own victory in the equestrian events at the Olympic games in 356 BC, the year of Alexander the Great’s birth. Philip II was an Olympic champion three times.• In the 106th Olympics, in 356 BC, Philip II won the race, riding his horse.• In the 107th Olympics, in 352 BC, Philip II won the four-horse chariot race.• In the 108th Olympics, in 348 BC, Philip II was the winner of the two colt chariot race. (This info came with the coin description)

Even though I bought my only antiquity on eBay and I feel a little guilty for getting a real steal of a deal, NO WAY am I going to an embassy in Iran or Turkey just to repatriate an ancient jar I have. In Turkey, I think they still chop off your hand for stealing. Who knows what they'll do in Iran? That guy, making himself feel so good at grandmas expense, shheeeesh!

L is for Louis XVI I am to believe this US quarter size "jeton" could possibly have been minted in Germany, but I am finding most associated with France. I suspect it was minted sometime in the early 1800's. Louis XVI was the last king of France (1774-92) in the line of Bourbon monarchs preceding the French Revolution of 1789. He was executed for treason by guillotine in 1793. Marie Antoinette, wife of King Louis XVI was executed at the guillotine on October 16, 1793 nine months after her husband. I do think the motto OMNIBVS NON SIBI translates in Latin roughly to NOT FOR HIMSELF BUT FOR ALL.

L is also for Long Island 1936 Long Island Commemorative Half Dollar MS64

L is for Licinius I on my bug-eyed Follis of Licinius I Jupiter 308–324 AD

K is obviously for the K on this Justin II & Sophia AE21 1/2 follis. Thessalonica Delta officiana

K is for King George VI and the Kangaroo on the reverse of this 1942 Australia Florin.

I thought I had replied but I guess I never hit submit reply the other night. I totally understand, maybe next year I'll have something in the ancient or medieval area to gift. I'll bow out this year, not a problem. Jaz does not answer my messages on eBay or Vcoins. Does not answer my CT inbox. I have tried numerous times.

J is for Japan 1957 JAPAN Silver Phoenix 100 YEN Minted with this pattern in silver for 1957 and 1958. Each coin contains 0.093 troy ounces of silver.

J is for my 1971 No S Jefferson Nickel Proof too!

J is for Alexander Jannaeus, c. 103-70 BC Widows Mite JUDAEA Procurator Antonius Felix 52-59 AD era