Curtis JJ

That's a great trio of positively-identified Valentinian III's! Amazing how much better the style at Cyzicus was compared to the weird little misshapen ones from Rome mint, etc.

Great idea for a thread, I would've had no idea! And what better opportunity to bring out (again) the coin that I've nicknamed, "The Gran Constantinople..." The name references its unusual size (almost 7.7g, making it one of the few largest documented specimens; but see note below about a couple larger ones). I have some with better/more interesting reverses or better surfaces, but I do really like the portrait on this one, and "the whole package." Photo Credit: Bertolami. (My own attempts still aren't as good as I feel it deserves.) Roman Empire, Constantius II Fallen Horseman, Constantinople 348-351 CE. Overweight specimen (7.67g, 25mm, 12h). Coin-in-hand video: LINK [or slightly longer video (1m0s) with others] Constantius II (Augustus, 337-361 CE) AE Centenionalis (7.67g, 25mm, 12h). Struck in Constantinople, 348-351. Obv: D N CONSTANTIVS P F AVG. Pearl-diademed, draped, and cuirassed bust, surrounded by border of dots. Rev: FEL TEMP REPARATIO // Γ to left // CONSЄ* in exergue. Soldier standing left, holding long oval shield with circular boss, and spearing fallen horseman; bearded horseman astride fallen horse, turning and reaching back with left arm (FH3), wearing short-brimmed Scythian helmet, ornate tunic, and trousers. "Centering dot" (?) between soldier and horse. Dotted border. Ref: RIC 82, LRBC 2026; cf. RIC 81 (FH4). NVMMVS BIBLE II NBD N° 61536 (this coin; LINK). Prov: Ex-Bertolami Fine Arts Auction 37 (19 Sept 2017), Lot #689 (corr. RIC 81) & e-92 (2 Oct 2020), Lot 1554 (corr., RIC 81, weight reported as 7.70g). Note: Based on the weight distribution provided in RIC VIII (Kent et al. 1981) for all "Large AE2" types (not just fallen horsemen), only 2 of 405 specimens are as heavy or heavier than this one (7.7g & 8.2g). One Constantius Gallus Fallen Horseman weighing over 8.10g is reported in ACSearch (Roma 13, 939); Doug Smith has reported a 9.5g (!) Cyzicus FH in his collection, c. 1997.

By the way, for anyone interested, the AugustusCoins.com/ed/ pages on very late Roman AEs seem to have been updated recently. (I hadn't checked in a long time, but I'm glad I did just now.) Here's the very useful Valentinian III page: http://augustuscoins.com/ed/ricix/ValentinianIII.html The starting page for all three late rulers: Esty's Guide to Late Roman AE Coin Types, AD 364-450

I don't have many (possibly only the following one), but I find many of the Kushan coins interesting for their bilingual legends. (That's a topic that fascinates me, how the coins show the collision of cultures; bilingual ones appear in particular kinds of contexts beginning, I think, in the Hellenistic period and continuing through to medieval Islamic and European coinage, among other places.) This particular Soter Megas / Vima Takto type, though, uses only Greek (plus a Tamgha). But his coins are right at the boundary between Greek & Kushan traditions. His later coins were bilingual, using Greek and, if I understand correctly, Prakrit written in Kharoshthi script on the reverses. It's also interesting that his identity only came to light with the discovery of the Rabatak inscription [wiki], a sort of Rosetta Stone for the Kushan world, “…an inscription written on a rock in the Bactrian language and the Greek script, which was found in 1993 at the site of Rabatak, near Surkh Kotal in Afghanistan.” From CNG's listing for a different example: "The legend reads only Soter Megas - the Great Savior, and the actual name of the issuing king long remained unknown. The discovery of the Rabatak inscription, though, changed Kushan history by providing evidence to verify the elusive identity of 'Soter Megas'. His name was Vima Tak[to] (the last syllable is still uncertain).” See also: Razieh Taasob 2008, “Language and Legend in Early Kushan Coinage: Progression and Transformation.” (I pulled the trigger on this one because it was from the Clain-Stefanelli Collection [formed c. 1930s-1990s; Vladimir: 1914-1982; Elivra: 1914-2001; and Alexander: 1943-2015], in which I have a particular interest.)

See also "The Avitus AE Problem" by Rasiel Suarez, 20 Aug 2014

One more -- not sure anyone calls Byzantine AEs "AE4s" but this one definitely fits in the tradition of the late Roman AE4s since it's modeled on the "VOT X" in wreath style minima from the 4th-5th centuries. I might do a separate post with this coin and others from my "Justinian Plague" Collection. It was struck in Regnal Year 14 (540/541 CE), about 6 years after Belisarius expelled the Vandals and reclaimed the territory for the Byzantine / E. Roman Empire. Year 14 of Justinian was also the year that the bubonic plague first hit Carthage and N. Africa. The plague more-or-less ended Justinian's dreams of reuniting the Roman Empire and reclaiming its former glory (despite having already taken N. Africa and the West from the Vandals and Goths). This little 12mm nummus is quite the contrast from the ~40mm jumbo folles he was striking the same year:

I'm sure that's true. I've got bunches of the cross coins but I don't think I've ever had one I thought was Valentinian III (yours is fantastic for the type, BTW, very impressive for a tiny). I agree about the one I showed being Val II vs. Val III -- hard to tell, must be 20 years since I labeled it, but I think it was based on the style of the reverse (flan size is a bit larger than usual, though). Here's another I put down as probably Val III (?). Given the distinct characters of the partial legends (and the distinctive Victory), I could probably narrow this one down further: Here are a few of my crosses that I happened to have photographed (all mine are probably all Theo's and Vandal, I think). (I have another group photo of 20 or 25 others that I can't find presently...). Like most of my AE4s, they're group lot rescues, some downright awful. Some I've sold years ago: Sorry for all the group shots... There was a nicer Theo in this one, can't find it's solo shot:

Another great example of a Theodosius Cyzicus captive! It can be hard to tell how the captive's clothing and "accessories" are any different from Victory's, but combined with other examples, this one gives me more confidence that what's being illustrated on the captive is a collar with two bindings running down the front of the torso (or some kind of harness) to a waist restraint. (You see it on @Jims,Coins example above and mine above in the first reply.) The hands are probably bound to the waist restraint in back. Not 100% sure yet if the legs are bound or have manacles, but on other types from other times and mints they appear to.

Congratulations! Welcome to ancient coins! (Now that you've entered, you will never escape!)

This exactly. I've got bags and bags and bags of VLRBCs (very LRBC) that I was never able to fully ID. Val III? Johannes? Avitus (if they even exist!)? Majorian? I'm sure there are some of each in the hundreds I pulled from group lots over the years and decades, but I'll probably never know (until photo die matching technology improves). Deciding between Johannes and Val III is especially tough. Here are two I have photos. First one has the name, I'm assuming Val III not II. Second one is more typical, could maybe be Johannes or someone else. EDIT: Couple more (the next two probably Johannes not Val III, possibly the one just above ^ too): I love AE4s -- but they got pretty weird at the end!!

Just FYI everyone, I suspect there may be a corruption from the Samoan or Portuguese original. Per Google Translate: "Vae, puto..." in Samoan reportedly means "feet, feet..." (or "leg fall" or "drop foot")... Further mixing-and-matching: "Vae puto me..." in Samoan is apparently "Foot drop me..." or "Fallen legs and..." And "Vae puto me fio ..." = "Falling feet with strings..." (in Samoan) or "Go f--- me wire" (in Portuguese). The Portuguese translation of Vespasian's full quote is "Come on, goddamn wire." Samoan and Portuguese just sounded like the two most plausible languages the emperors could have been speaking, but they probably had diplomatic business all over the world, so they might've been speaking any number of other languages when Seneca Jr & Suetonius quoted them. Read it again and it does kinda sound like maybe they were discussing the import of exotic foreign goods (shoes, string, wire...). I'm just saying.

“Eventually one realizes that the simple recording in one’s mind of hundreds, perhaps thousands of related coin images has become a virtual time bridge between Antiquity and our Era.” BCD. 2004. “A Note from the Collector,” in BCD Olympia. Zurich: Leu Numismatics. Same quote on my BCD Collection Biblio. page. Not one coin, but one coin type (here are 11 of my Phalanna AE with BCD's tags, but I've got dozens more, so I hope his quote is true!):

FBFS, I like it! As you say, as soon as one tries to count it becomes clear there could be a few possible standards. Do we count it if the border is a 360-degree circle, but the beads weren’t differentiated or are worn enough to have smoothed together? What if the circle is complete, but its outer edge appears to touch the edge of the coin? Do we forgive a crack that doesn’t eliminate a full or partial dot? (We may need to add a few new 5-point scales to the NGC label, lol!) Using the strictest two-sided standard, honestly…I could see awarding as few as zero! But, like you, I came up with 3-5 total with no real FBFS-defects (two of them with very minor ones). The only way I could figure to tabulate them was by counting the number of flaws from a list of four (undifferentiated – wear; undifferentiated – strike; edge split; edge contact) and make separate counts for the one-sided and two-sided standard. (Just using 2-sided below.) Those with 360-degree borders on both sides: Very minor defect, or none: 3 – 5. One defect: 10 (Σ = 13-15). One defect (significant): 2 (Σ = 15-17). Two defects: 14 (Σ = 29-31). That’s out of 62 total qualifying entrants (both sides shown, coin type ideally includes ~360’ borders of some kind on both sides). Wow, exactly half qualified on a loose standard! Most of the ones that have it (or close) might be surprising – tending to be late Roman Antoniniani and Folles. It is impressive how well they could strike those large tetrarchy folles, considering the “pearl ring diameter” could probably be well over 25mm. So, I think one could say, within any given type, those with two full rings will be more desirable on average. But, most of those with full rings won’t be the most desirable overall, since they’re usually going to be Late Roman Antoniniani and Folles (or a Justinian Follis or one of the Provincials that had big flans and small dies).

“What an artist dies in me!” Nero probably didn't really say that, but that's Suetonius' (Nero 49) story and he's sticking to it! (Or, "What an artist the world is losing!" in the Loeb Classical Lib. translation on Penelope.) The reverse below shows Nero as Apollo, radiate, playing a lyre/kithara. Suetonius famously described not only statues of this type, but the Roman Imperial Dupondii and Asses. (Nero liked to portray himself radiate in general, as a sun god, but especially as Apollo in his role as Apollo Musagetes, the music god.) The RIC versions may have first been struck a couple years before my Provincial type, which clearly copied them. Roman Provincial. Thessaly, Koinon of Thessaly. Nero (Augustus, 54-68 CE) Æ Diassarion (22mm, 9.52 g, 6h). Struck under Aristion, strategos, ca. 66-8 CE. Obv: ΝЄΡΩΝ ΘЄCCΑΛΩΝ. Laureate head right. Rev: APIΣTIΩN/OΣ ΣTPATH/ΓOY. Apollo Kitharoidos standing right, holding kithara in his left hand, playing it with his right. Ref: Rogers Type 79; BCD Thessaly II 931.1 var. (arrangement of legend); Burrer Em. 1, Series 1, 1.1 (A1/R1 – this coin, illustrated on pl. 9); RPC 1439 (this coin cited, RPC Suppl. 1 & Online, as Burrer 1.1). Prov: Ex-BCD Collection; CNG EA 325, “Coinage of the Thessalian League from the BCD Collection,” (23 April 2014), Lot 29; Peter J. Merani Collection (NVMMIS HISTORIAM DISCENS, Part II); CNG e-Auction 490 (21 April 2021), Lot 65. People are fond of saying Nero didn't really fiddle as Rome burned. Actually he did fiddle while Rome burned -- he just wasn't in Rome. He was returning from one of his musical and theatrical tours when they fire broke out. When the Great Fire started in Rome in 64, it seems that Nero was performing elsewhere in Italy. From what I can tell, Nero seems to have been a popular and bemusing attraction to the Greeks, which is probably why he hung around them. (He is documented with varying degrees of certainty as having (victoriously) competed in games in many Roman-Greek colonies across the provinces -- in Patras, in Corinth, Nikopolis, and Achaea, etc.) They were also thrilled that he liberated large regions, and hopeful that he'd liberate others. This coin was almost certainly coincident with his Greek musical tour of 66/67 CE (a couple years after the fire), shortly after his liberation of Achaea. I haven't managed to figure out if Nero's "liberation of Achaea" included Thessaly -- in which case this flattering coin would be their thank you -- or if they issued this flattering coin in hopes that he would liberate Thessaly as well.

Christian cross is on the reverse, Victory has it on her Glogus Cruciger. The AV Tremissis and Semissis were, as far as I know, among the last places where Victory survived on Byzantine/Eastern Roman coins. Since the start of Justinian's reign, while co-emperor with Justin I, the AV Solidus had replaced the image of Victory with that of a (male) Angel. (The image of Constantinopolis enthroned survived a bit longer on Solidi w/ Victoria legends, at least through Justin II's reign, 565-578.) Why Victory survived on Tremisses through to the seventh century is a bit mysterious. I believe her final appearances were on a few rare coins of Heraclius (610-641). Justinian AV Tremissis (17mm, 1.45 g, 6h). Constantinople, c. 527-565. Obv: D N IVSTINIANVS PP AV. Diademed, draped, and cuirassed bust right. Rev: VICTORIA AVGVSTORVM. Victory advancing right, head left, holding wreath and globus cruciger; star to right; CONOB. Ref: DOC 19; Sear Byz 145. Prov: Ex Jack A. Frazer Collection (CNG EA 455 [30 Oct 2019], 394), acquired from Harlan J. Berk Buy-Bid Sale #27 (13 Sep 1983), Lot 8. NEXT: A DIFFERENT TRI-DENOMINATION (A THREE, TRIPLE, ONE-THIRD ANYWHERE IN THE TYPE/NAME OF DENOMINATION)

Yup, exactly. Those work great for Roman AE4s. It's hard to find small capsules (my favorite are the 17, 18, 19, and 20mm ones -- best to get a variety and just pick the best fit for each coin). For a 10-15mm Roman AE you want a small capsule and then you have to cut the foam circle to fit each coin. I've never had a Roman coin too small to fit (too big, yes), but with tiny Greek coins there's a certain point beyond which they're just too little. I've got some in the 3-5mm range, and they're just too small to fit in the foam and see both sides. For those I use a flip (clipped shut to avoid spillage) or a small box. Sometimes I even use the capsule like a box, so one side is visible, but I have to open it flip the coin & see there other side. For small Roman coins, though, the capsules are perfect.

Oh -- and -- Did someone say chicken? I got my first two chickens recently: TROAS, Dardanos. 5th century BCE. I think both types are usually described as a Tetartemorion. (But I wonder if the right/bottom coin might even be a Hemitetartemorion? These are generally considered a bit rare, maybe scarce, but especially so for the ones with head right, which I don't think has been published, though there are a couple examples from past sales -- assuming the rev. is oriented properly.) They're plainly not nice. But I love tiny coins. Came in kind of a "floor sweepings" group lot of 18 unidentified tinies from the Herbert Cahn (1915-2002) and "J. de Wilde" (?) collections at CNG EA 516 in May. Got them for the opening bid (like $10 each or something) and didn't expect much. I was actually pleasantly surprised. (I shared a quick 16s coin-in-hand video showing 8 of them on both side in another comment.) I believe both have an incuse calf head on the reverse. Obverse, a very happy but headless chicken!

Yeah, that's a big problem even for putting in them in flips or capsules. With 2x2 plastic SAFLIP types, they can easily slide right out. A lot of my tinies I keep in groups, loose in boxes with cotton/felt/etc., or sealed in plastic bags or paper envelopes. I always keep a little count or inventory on the outside and double-check whenever I handle them. Again, slightly off topic (tiny Greek AR not tiny Roman AE)... but I recently got a group (18 low grade fractions ex-Herbert Cahn (1915-2002) Collection, via CNG e-auction) that I wanted to keep separate. I've been having to really closely monitor the flips (I keep those flips all grouped together in a little plastic box), since a couple times already some have slipped out without my noticing. I've posted a video (0:30s) elsewhere showing how I keep a Carian hemiobol in a plastic capsule with custom fitted foam gasket. Here are 8 of those tiny Cahn Collection Greek archaic fractions (being a short clip, I like watching it on a loop on imgur, but they're my coins & fingers so I guess it's guaranteed that I would) Tiny Archaic Greek Silver Coins ex H Cahn.mp4

@CurtisimoI think our Koson eagles are die matches (actually, both sides)! And I think we have obv. die matches to @jdmKY's Koson Consul & Lictors & co. (Different eagle though. I like how that one looks almost spotted like a leopard!)

Wow, this cross-post turned out to be a great gauge of the relative activity here compared to somewhere else! (Two guesses about which was more activity. Hint: It wasn't there!) I'll cross-comment this one first. With apologies for photo credit, I should say the coin half (left) is from Zumbly's photo, edited. Egypt, Alexandria. Antoninus Pius Billon Tetradrachm (23mm, 12.6g, 12h). Regnal Year 18 = 154/5 CE. Obv: ΑΝΤⲰΝΙΝΟϹ ϹƐΒ ƐVϹƐΒ. Laureate head of Antoninus right with drapery. Rev: L IH. Draped bust of Sarapis right, wearing kalathos & taenia. Ref: RPC IV.4 [Temp.] 13833, this coin cited as "Reference"; Dattari-Savio (2007) Suppl., Pl. 14, No. 17 (this coin illustrated). [Both Zumbly and I had this one (erroneously, I now think) as RPC 13832; now that I see it's cited in the refs., I may send photos to RPC).] Prov: Ex Giovanni Dattari (1858-1923) Collection; Robert L Grover Collection (formed mid-1930s-1980s); Art Institute of Chicago Collection, 1981-2017 (ref./acc. number: 1981.460); Gemini XIII (cataloged by Curtis Clay, HJB Ltd.; Chicago, 6 Apr 2017), prob. Lot 460 (part, not ill.; poss. 462); acq. from Zumbly - Minotaur, 2021. AND... Ooh, exciting an opportunity to post this funny little ex-Clain-Stefanelli coin I've never posted anywhere before! Sicily, Katane AE Hemichalkon? (15mm, 1.80g), 3rd cent BCE. Obv: Jugate busts of Sarapis and Isis. Rev: Grain ears. Ref: Calciati type 23. Provenance (extended cut!): This one is ex-Elvira Clain-Stefanelli (1914-2001) Collection, from which I've bought an inordinate number of coins, mostly from Naville, partner company of NAC. NAC was first to sell under the name "E.E. Clain-Stefanelli Collection," partnering with Stack's, who had previously been selling it under the name "The Demarete Collection" (since at least 2012). But really it's a family collection; Elvira wasn't the first or last of them. Elvira and Vladimir Clain-Stefanelli (1914-1982) were important curators at the Smithsonian (Washington, DC), and basically re-built the U.S. National Numismatic Collection from the ground up. They also worked at Stack's / Coin Galleries and Hesperia after immigrating to the US (following WWII), but before starting at the Smithsonian, where they worked for the rest of their careers. Vladimir Clain-Stefanelli collected throughout his life, until the end, having begun no later than the 1930s. Despite being imprisoned at Buchenwald Concentration Camp for 1.5 years, the kept at least some of their pre-war collection and library (I have a book signed/stamped by Vladimir both before AND after the war). Elvira was pregnant in Buchenwald, so even their son Alexander (1943-2014) was there, in a sense. Alexander inherited the books and coin collection, and I think may have been something of a numismatist himself, though not professionally or as dedicated to it as his parents. (Elvira inscribed a copy of her 1985 bibliography to Andrew's wife, "Eleanor, who had the 'luck' to marry into a family of numismatists, and possibly to a new generation of numismatists...." I know they had two daughters, but not whether they had any numismatic interest.) A couple years before his death, c. 2012 and 2013, Andrew seems to have begun donating (mainly to ANS) and selling the library (Kolbe & Fanning) and coin collection (to Stack's, where his parents had both first worked in America).

Whoa, GREAT captive! That's one of the things I love about these. You can often find indications of the actual practical details and technologies of Roman slavery and prisoners of war. Such as, how did they actually bind them? What kind of manacles and collars and cordage did they use? How were the captives positioned? Of course, you can't take all the coins literally or rely on any single coin too heavily, but collectively it gives a better picture. This captive appears to be on his knees, hands behind the back (as usual). That may be a binding around the waist and cords running vertically (slightly diagonally) over the torso, probably connecting the collar, the hands, and the waist restraint together. It's hard to distinguish, especially on small coins, between bindings and clothing (e.g., do we see coils of cord or just baggy trousers and tunics?), but all that above is based on the context of comparison with many other examples in all sizes and metals, as well as other forms of Roman artwork depicting captives (everything from terracotta oil lamps to marble friezes).

Sorry, I hate when that happens to me! And... I didn't even get to see yours... Hopefully you can still use it again soon!

One of my absolute favorite kind of coins! I'm really having trouble choosing just one... I showed a coin-in-hand photo of this one previously, but with no accompanying description or explanation. Naville Numismatics had it labeled as Troas, Kebren. It's one attribution that was popular in the past, at least for somewhat similar types. There have been (many) others: Cyprus [various]; Troas, Kebren; Caria, Halikarnassos; Caria, Casolaba [Kasolaba]; Caria, Mylasa; Hekatomnos; Caria, Uncertain... (and I'm sure more). [For another repeatedly reattributed coin from Caria, see my "irreplaceable coins" comment.] Nowadays these types are usually attributed to Caria, though which city and time period is still debated (each individual type may be scarce or rare, but collectively, there are many of variants with this imagery on hemitetartemoria, tetartemoria, hemiobols, and other fractions, with various ethnics or none). Unclear to me if this was a type widely used across Asia Minor or if they're all related series from one mint. Caria, Hekatomnos (?) AR Hemitetartemorion (Milesian standard; 4mm, 0.12g). Uncertain mint, c. 392-377 BCE. Obv: Head of ram right. Rev: Bare head of young male right; in right field, ΕΚ (for Hekatomnos?). Ref: One of four examples cited in HNO Caria (K. Konuk, editor). HN Online 1922.3 [this coin, id = 6188]. Prov: Ex Elvira Clain-Stefanelli (1914-2001) Collection; ex Naville Auction 34 (16 September 2017), Lot 70 [unsold, and subsequent sales]. The legend "EK" is the reason for the Hekatomnos ID. (BTW, How'd they even engrave it so tiny?!) The letters are not retrograde, but could they be in "retrograde order" (for KEbren)? (N.B. We only see them positioned "EK," never "KE.") Apparently, in the early centuries, beyond illiteracy, people weren't yet sure whether it even mattered which way the letters pointed! NEXT: The TINIEST coin you can show us!

Sorry for the derail (albeit to discuss one of the 20th century's most enthusiastic collectors of Jason and the Argonauts!) "T/ne coll." is the difficult part (I have a bunch of these). I'm not sure the collection referred to is that "of T/ne" since "T/ne" appears before many other terms on BCD's collection labels. I have yet to decode if “T/ne” is a specific individual (probably), or a firm/dealer, or possibly even a method of acquisition or something else (the prices do vary in denomination, not always SFr.). Many BCD tags note coins purchased from so-and-so “through T/ne” ["Pr. fr. Ked. Apr. 89 (thr. T/ne) ex Thess., 35000 drs."] or “via T/ne” ["V. via T/ne ex Thessaly, Sept. 1996, SFr. 65.-"] or “T/ne ex.” so-and-so [“T/ne ex Fe. ex Thess., Aug. 89, 4000 drs.”] or frequently just “T/ne ex/ Thess” [here, for example, here, and MANY others]. Etc. Some of those are easy ("Pr. fr." = "Purchased from," which also indicates the tags' default language may be English, though BCD's first language is something else), and some apparent names might be decodable ("Ked." or "Fe."). That's just one code. There are many others that reappear frequently on BCD Tags in literally 1,000s of combinations and with other terms: Th?.(TRz.), Th. S., M/d thz. ... Such as @zumbly's Thr. V ex Thess. I'd assume that's a recent stray find somewhere in Thessaly (most new finds would be made known to BCD through many intermediaries; think, the 20th cent. Giovanni Dattari of Thessalian coins). (I should say, I don't want to reveal sensitive answers publicly. I hope BCD isn't bothered by people sharing the tags in forums. At least once BCD joined a thread to give some answers -- not an exact ID -- on the "GMRH" from his tags, and didn't seem opposed to the discussion in principle, but rather seemed to appreciate the opportunity to give biographical/historical detail. I'm sure many others in addition to me know who GMRH is, but I don't reveal it publicly since I'm not entirely sure it's okay [it seems like GMRH doesn't care, but let's please only name them in private conversation]. I even try to avoid gender-specific pronouns!)

There are a couple places to search expired eBay records, there are probably others. One is commercial: worthpoint. (I've only used the free version, which seems to be limited in time, but I think they claim comprehensive coverage over a large period.) The other, which I prefer, is Rasiel Suarez's coryssa.org (formerly COINVAC). Any time I have a coin with an eBay provenance, I try to find the coryssa record. I'm not exactly sure how he collects the data, but it doesn't seem to be 100% comprehensive (or my searching/navigating skills fail me). It takes a while to learn the quirks of how to use the interface, and it can be slow (since I think Ras must fund the server space and upkeep himself) but it's an amazing service he's donating to the community. I've never found the "donate" button (I do see his email), though I see Rick Shaefer asking about it in the comments in 2020 (I suggest scrolling through the comments, which are very occasional since 2012, but still active).