Ocatarinetabellatchitchix

This topic won’t be easy; I do not own many Roman coins with a BLUE patina. The first coin below was greener but its color changed after soaking in a mixture of vinegar and salt… I read somewhere that chemical fertilizers can cause this reaction on copper coins, also specimens with azurite deposits often have a bluish shade. I also heard that if you want to create an artificial blue patina , you may use cupric nitrate to achieve your goal. PLEASE SHOW ME YOUR BLUE COINS !

Fantastic addition. I remember the study of Elkins with his theory about this issue: it was not a currency but rather a Largess. He based his assumptions (among other things) on the number of coins that could have been struck (calculated from the 5 obverse dies known) and suggest it could correspond to the number of seated places in the building. Are there new evidences confirming his hypothesis ?

If there’s a rudder it may be Fortuna…

Usually it’s Homonoia who holds the patera & the cornucopia.

This work is the result of research begun more than thirty years and which sees its culmination in 2023 with the publication of this book which had been hoped for for a long time. But he is not alone in this case. Just think of works of Michel Prieur on the Syrophoenician tetradrachms or even that of Kevin Butcher on the coinage of Syria, published in the same collection. But what is the link between the Antioch mint and the Caesarea one ? The answer: Roger Bland, through his study of incomparable clarity through a corpus which includes 3818 pieces for the Antioch workshop, including two series of imperial antoniniani and four series of provincial tetradrachms and 1312 coins of silver and bronze for the workshop of Caesarea in Cappadocia, demonstrated that these two productions were made by the engravers of the workshop of Antioch ! This work combines two types of coins, normally treated separately: on the one hand the so-called imperial coins, in this case the antoniniani for the reign of Gordian III (238-244). These are normally struck in Antioch in this case and are described in the Roman Imperial Coinage (RIC). The fourth volume of the latter, where the coinage of Gordy III can be found, was published in 1949. On the other hand, the Greek-speaking provincial coins, formerly colonial, which are manufactured here for the workshops of Antioch for the tetradachms and of Caesarea of Cappadocia for the tridrachms, didrachms, drachmas, as well as bronze coins of three modules (/ 2, 3 and 4) including one which presents a reduction in weight, and which are now found in the Roman Provincial Coinage (RPC), currently being published and of which volume VII.2 has just been delivered in 2022. So Bland undertook a tedious study of the die connections for all of this coinage through a sample of more than 5,000 specimens, the result of which isillustrated for each die on 100 photographic plates in high quality (black and white). Another « must have book » even if it’s not cheap (98 euros).

This week we’re gonna talk to a long time collector and a student of ancient coins. We are used to admire his numerous eagle-reverse tets, but every time he presents his new acquisitions to us we exclaim WOW ! Only one word to describe this numismatist: a real gentleman. Let’s learn more about Al Kowsky. Can you tell us a bit about yourself, where you’re from, your family, hobbies, work…? I was born in Rochester, NY on April 18, 1948 with my twin brother Henry Jr. to Henry & Celia Kowsky. My parents have long since passed on, & my brother Henry passed on 4 years ago, leaving only my older sister Barbara & myself left from the immediate family. My father migrated from Bochum, Germany in 1932, & my mother was born in Rochester, NY from parents who migrated from the island Sicily. I have remained a bachelor all my life as did my brother Henry. How did you get interested in ancient coinage ? What was the first coin you ever bought ? I began collecting U.S. coins at 8 years old by searching through coins in circulation, & this was made easy by mom who worked as a bank teller. Every other week she would bring me rolls of unchecked coins to look at, beginning with pennies & gradually working up to silver dollars. Within 2 years I had an impressive collection & wanted to expand my horizon to world & ancient coins, so I had my father take to to local coin shows. At the second show we attended he bought me a 1873 $ 2 1⁄2 gold coin in AU condition for $30, & my first ancient coin, a denarius of Septimius Severus in near mint state for $15. My father worked with food most of his life & had his own restaurant at one time, so without surprise his hobby was cooking. Mom loved old things & began collecting antiques while brother Henry was a serious stamp collector. Mom's antique collection grew so large that my parents decided to move from Wisconsin St. to a home on East Main St. that had a small store front added to it. The store front turned into “Celia's Antiques” store. After a family visit to the Corning Museum of Glass, I became enamored with glass as an art form, put my interest in coins aside, & seriously began reading about the history of glass. The new interest in glass sparked a new collecting interest, antique glassware. Mom allowed me one showcase in the store for coins, medals, & antique glassware if I helped her in the store during weekends when customer traffic was often heavy. This was a great learning experience for me. Shortly after graduating high school in 1966 everything changed for me. I received a draft noticed from the U.S. Army & knew I'd be going to Viet Nam. Rather than being stuck with an infantry unit I enlisted for a 3 year commitment in the U.S. Army Signal Corp. I became a Communication Center Specialist with a Secret Crypto clearance. My first set of orders was to report to the 4th Infantry Division, headquartered in Pleiku, Viet Nam. After a grueling monsoon season in the central highlands, I was able to transfer to a safer location in Dong Ba Thin, on the southern coast where I became a shotgun & courier driver. The Viet Nam experience triggered an interest in Asian art & history. I spent the last 18 months with the Army in various duty stations in Germany. After receiving an honorable discharge from the Army in January 1970, I returned to Rochester & got a job with Gleason Works as a machinist doing precision boring, milling, drilling, & taping. Al, can you tell us more about your antiques business ? Not happy with that kind of work, I moved to Santa Barbara, CA to start my own business buying & selling antiques. With two partners we leased a store front & opened an antique business called “The Renaissance Shop”. Business was great until the gasoline crisis of 1974 turned into an economic recession. I returned to Rochester knowing I could get a job as a machinist again & did that work until 1980. Mom grew tired of running her antique business with little help from dad & closed the shop in 1978. After a conference with my parents, I quit my last machinist job & reopened the business in my name as “Eastside Coins & Antiques”. Pictured below is a shop poster painted by a dear friend that was used for the business in Santa Barbara, & an old advertisement for my business in Rochester. I still own the coin pictured in the advertisement. Along with running my new business, I began teaching continuing education classes two nights a week on antiques & collectables at Greece Olympia High School, & two nights a week at The Rochester Museum & Science Center. The heavy workload became too much for me after 6 years, so I closed the shop, stopped teaching, & did machinist work until retiring in 2010, after mom passed away. I still did some guest lecturing for groups interested in antiques. What is your favorite coin ? I don't have a single favorite ancient coin but many, & pictured below are some of those favorites. Many thanks for this overview of your numismatic journey. Now I would be curious to know what our reader’s favorite coins are among your collection !

Wow. Pretty cool coin. I think you’re gonna like those two reverses too: And for the world record, same dies for three Emperors: https://www.cointalk.com/threads/same-dies-different-emperors.383411/#post-7786689

We were waiting for the publication of the article since a second specimen was presented on a French website a few months ago. A new time line of the Gallic rulers is also offered in the paper. Please take a look. https://www.academia.edu/108306195/CONCORDIA_MILITVM_AND_ADVENTVS_AVG_TWO_NEW_REVERSE_TYPES_FOR_THE_GALLIC_EMPEROR_TETRICUS_I_AND_AN_IMPERIAL_VISIT_THAT_NEVER_HAPPENED

Each time he introduces us to a new topic, we are sure to learn something new, not only about ancient coins, but especially about periods of antiquity that we know less about. Let's chat a little this week with one of the members we all really appreciate, seth77. Can you tell us a bit about yourself, where you’re from, your family, hobbies, work…? I'm an European citizen and a rather EU enthusiast. I consider myself a centrist in political terms and an agnostic in terms of religion, although I lean more towards Christianity/Judaism in terms of moral predisposition. I am a father of two kids and a cat, friend of critters and the environment. I like hanging out with my kids, I really enjoy decorating for Halloween and Christmas, although I prefer the sun and the summer heat to anything winter has to offer. I love Halloween because if we are lucky the weather is nice enough to allow the kids to costume up and the nights are soft enough to allow beers outside until around 2am easily. Besides coins, I really enjoy old horror movies, Stephen King books and Nike sports shoes -- AF1 and Air Max in particular. I have done work in: networking (setting up local networks for businesses and homes), translation (mostly Darwin, genetics, personal ancestry, etc) and AI linguistics. How did you get interested in ancient coinage ? I was into coins and currency since I was a child. I was attracted to both the aesthetic and utilitarian aspect of money. Living in a country where the design of the national currency changed often served to preserve my interest and helped me develop an additional interest in the symbolic and political aspect of money. What was the first coin you ever bought ? I cannot recall. I used to go to the local 'coin club' as an early teen and save up my weekly allowance to buy coins and notes there. But what that first coin I ever bought was I just don't remember. I remember the first coin I bought in the internet age: a 348-9 'centenionalis' of Constantius II. What did you write about ? I generally follow my present interest. In terms of numismatic articles I have written about the coinage of the 'Congiura dei Baroni' and Nicola di Monforte in the context of the pro-Angevin revolt in the Kingdom of Naples between 1459 and 1463/4, the help that very specific coinage legends might give us to make educated guesses regarding the whereabouts of an emperor at a specific time, pedigree sleuthing connecting disparate specimens to old and famous collections based on old numismatic literature, personal hypotheses regarding details and adjuncts on coins in connection with ancient sources in both Roman coinage and 'Crusader' coinage -- Frankish Greece in my case. In terms of general history I have written for national periodicals about the Crusades with emphasis on poetics -- with multimedia support from the Trouvère culture. Also did limited translations from Occitan and langues d'oil in this context. Also regarding the Danube as a place of both margin and center for the Imperium of Constantine the Great. 1. the coin of Nicola di Monforte and the paper it was discussed in the background 2. another example, with a separate set of privy marks Can you tell us an anecdote about a coin you own ? Your best bargain ? Your rarest coin ? The specimen you will never sell ? The one you dream of acquiring ? I think this an opportunity to dwell on two specimens of the same type, bought 8 years apart. The coinage is the so-called 'Poemenius centenionalis' struck at Trier only sometime in August or early September 353 for Constantius II but using the large chi-rho reverse of the Magnentian large base metal denomination of 353. The first coin is an 'ex Ernst von Ferrari collection' -- which I have traced back to Leo Benz who had bought it in Lanz 100 Lot 579 in 2000. A ca. 150EUR coin in 2014 (which at that time was more than 200USD): A beautiful coin, although underweight and missing most of its mint mark. 8 years later this one was 15EUR Fedex factored in: Certainly not as beautiful, but 10 times as cheap, with a fuller weight and a clear mint mark. Is the pedigree and patina worth 10 times the price when you factor in the fuller weight and the mint mark on flan of the 15EUR spec? These are of course market things and not numismatic things, which show the volatility of the collectibles market in general. I actually think that for strict numismatic purposes the second coin is better, as it shows a median regular example for the type with most its devices there. It also shows a middle point in the evolution of the type, from the heavier early pieces to the very late September 353 emissions that are light and have at least some of the die off flan. As for the 'rarest coin' -- this is a very hard question. One could add the almost unique 'barbaric imitations' as very rare coins and be technically right. In fact I'm going to do exactly that with a coin of (likely) pre-Visigothic Barcino, either one of the 'Spanish maiorinae' that copied with some degree of latitude the 'maiorinae' of the first half of the 380s and were probably the blueprint for the AE2 coinage of Maximus of Barcino in 410. The series of AE2s continued after 411 and with the partial mint mark of SM[B...], this coin could be post Maximus. I went to some lengths with this coin, from my initial enthusiasm that it might have been an official AE2 of Maximus to the likelier chance that it is part of the ongoing series of local imitations in the area around Barcino and in Barcino proper. Manuel Pina of Tesorillo discusses these coins more here. The one you dream of acquiring ? Well, I have to admit that I have no such dreams. The coins that I would like to have and study are too few for me to hope to have a chance at buying. And they are mostly medieval. But I would like to happen upon an auction with an unidentified denier tournois of Salona. And/or a lead tessera mercantile of the Crusader community at Vadum Iacob in the 1170s. What do you collect exactly ? What is the size of your collection ? These days I would say: - Medieval, with a special focus on the denier tournois denomination; Crusader realms and Levantine colonial from the maritime city states (Venice, Genova) - Late roman, but starting not with the Diocletian reform but rather with the third century crisis - Provincial Roman, with a special focus on Balkan-Black Sea area and an even more special focus on Glykon - Late Byzantine, mainly trachea/stamena starting with the 4th Crusade and the Palaiologoi but also assaria and tornesi - Odds and ends -- the general Greek world, 'Celtic' imitations, Crimea As to how many, I think there are around a couple hundred items. After losing some during the covid-related relocations, I am not really weary of counting and having an exact number. Coming to terms with that loss also made me more restrained about the funds I spend on coin collecting in general. Why are you interested in medieval history ? This is even a mystery to myself. It just happened that way in my evolving interests, from the cheap late Roman bronzes that were so easily available on ebay to the complex and rich history behind the feudal and royal coinages of Western Europe and to the melting pot between West and East that was the Balkans, the Black Sea and the overall Levant area. Since my main interest is as a historian, I am unapologetically accepting lesser grade coins if I find something in them that attracts my interest. With the late Roman era I also go for the shift in aesthetics as well as ideology that is encapsulated in the 3rd to 4th century, moving away from the naturalistic portrait of the specific emperor to a more standardized effigy that would eventually reign supreme in Byzantine coinage. Since this period is known for the overabundance of coins, it is also easier to get higher grade material. Provincial Roman offers an interesting fusion between the centralized power of the emperor and the particularities of local religion and politics. These coins have a sense of identity that is more specific and their smaller patterns of circulation and lower emission outputs make it very easy to find great rarities which in turn make great identification and attribution projects. To an extent, this is also true for late Byzantine coinage, which is a field that still needs a lot of research and systematization and where collectors have a more pronounced importance due to us being relatively fewer. The billon denier tournois is a staple of the medieval world, being at one time or another in circulation between north-western Europe and the Eastern Levant. There were dozens of minting places and the quality and material variation is amazing and so is the array of polities that minted them. This focus overlaps partially with the late Byzantine focus as the Palaiologoi tornesion is a direct response of Constantinople to the 'denarization' of Eastern Europe under the influence of post-1204 Frankish, Venetian and Genoese expansion. Inside the medieval focus there are also sub-focuses that haven't fully developed: monastical coinage, Italian pre-Renaissance, colonial coinage of the maritime powers, medieval Netherlands, the denier parisis, etc. There are also some questions that I am trying to address with my collection - like for instance regarding the possible tournois and parisii of Louis X and Philippe V of France, the 'war money' from the Congiura dei Baroni in southern Italy, the series of tournois imitations from the Balkan-Greek-Aegean area, the elusive separation line between late Carolingian and early feudal issues and who actually minted them, etc. Medieval European history in particular has also the particular appeal of a complex and evolutive social and political system based on land ownership, law and a highly dynamic system of social relationships known as 'feudalism'. Coinage plays a lot into this interest, because droit de monnoie starts as a centralized feature during Carolingian times, devolves into (often competing) monetary systems starting with ca. 1000, where the seigneuriage is enjoyed by not just the royalty but a countless number of barons and even lesser nobility, the right is often usurped, types are often imitated and economies are undermined by lesser coins of the same general types as the better coins, etc. The general history of medieval Europe and to some degree the 'Crusader' principalities in the Levant is tightly connected to the monetary systems of medieval Europe and to the financial powerhouses that developed starting with the 12th century. Do you have a numismatic goal for the next year ? No, not really. I hope to spot interesting things and keep my interest despite the real life responsibilities that have impacted on my available time for numismatics. I would really want to get a denier tournois of Mehun-sur-Yevre, since the only one I have seen for sale in the last 10 years got 'lost' en-route from France. But I don't know how likely that is. What numismatic books do you own / consult most often ? For the Greek Frankokratia I go to Tzamalis - Coins of the Frankish Occupation of Greece and Baker - Coinage and Money in medieval Greece; for the Holy Land I go with Robert Kool - The Circulation and Use of Coins in the Latin Kingdom of Jerusalem and any adjacent paper, including his research on tesserae mercantile and the permeation of Frankish coinage in the Kigdom of Jerusalem during the early phases of the Crusades; for French royal and the Frankish feudal coinage I go with Duplessy and Poey d'Avant as catalogues and periodical papers on particular periods and polities that I have a particular interest in -- and that includes French contemporary documents and copies of documents from chancelleries like Histoire de Berry for instance; for Late Roman I go with RIC and DO for catalogues and papers on specific aspects of late Roman coinage, I also use the many online resources, from Not In RIC to Victor Clark's forum on late Roman bronzes, Nummus Bible Database and the forums, Numismatikforum.de, LaMoneta.it, etc; for late Byzantine I use DOC and the series by Bendall and Donald on the Palaiologoi, also the great site at Glebecoins; for the 'provincial' Roman coinage I use RPC extensively in tandem with local authors for the provinces of Thracia and Moesia Inferior -- these are easily available either on academia.edu or on the home sites of local periodicals from Bulgaria and Romania. And I'm sure I did leave stuff out too. I am particularly fond of Tzamalis which, although dated in some respects is still an illuminating read for the context and importance of Western coinage in Frankish Greece and Abruzzi e Molise was helpful in my study of the tornese of La Congiura. Many thanks for participating in our project, seth77. You certainly piqued our curiosity and gave us the desire to broaden our numismatic horizons. Looking forward to see what NF members have to say about your generous responses !

GET WELL SOON RC !!!

Very very nice coins everyone. I read somewhere that the reddish patina is typical of lead oxyde (like we often see on Alexandrian tetradrachms), so many of the coins here may have been made with an alloy which contains lead. Red could also be an indicator of harmful corrosion. In geology, when you see a rock that color, it always indicate the presence of a few percent of manganese. Is there a chemist here to confirm that ?🤓

This week please show us your RED coins. SHADES of red; so we’ll also accept pink, orange, burgundy…….. Here are some of mine: SEVERUS ALEXANDER TETRICUS AUREOLUS

This week our interviewed member is certainly one of the most prolific poster here on Numisforums. Like no one else, he knows how to combine humor and numismatic knowledge in each of his threads. In summary, is it humanly possible not to love this unique collector ??? So let’s get to know Ryro better ! I was born a square shaped Greek in Thebes, along with my scrawny twin brother (from a different father). My mother, Alcmene, was tricked into having me. Blah, blah. I killed my wife and kids (who hasn't?). I spent 12 years paying for my crimes and was released back into normal society a changed man (not really, I still suffer from incurable bouts of rage). Someday, I hope to be poisoned and set on fire, so that I will be sent to live in the mountains with my pig of a father... Jk, that's the story of a friend of mine. You don't know him. Names Philburtakles. Here he is: Can you tell us a bit about yourself, where you’re from, your family, hobbies ? My name is Ryan. I've most always been a West Coaster. My dad being in the USAF meant I got to move around a lot as a kid and develop a unique personality traveling around. (I coulda been the Gerber baby or I coulda been a contender all in one) My wife and I just celebrated our 18 year wedding anniversary, have 3 boys, a bird and a new dog. I enjoy most all things ancient. I prefer to drink scotch, whiskey, vodka and absinthe (in that order😉). I play the guitar, bass, ukulele and most any thing with strings. Though, not ham. NEVER a ham. From time to time, I suffer from depression and anxiety, you could say I've got Stevie Ray Vaughan and... but I hate being dependent on medication... that I don't drink of my own accord. Meditation is very helpful. Still, I struggle. I don't suffer fools, but who likes being an axehole? Not me. So, I do my best. I love athletics. Boxing in particular. I've been on radio, live and recorded TV, podcasts, and even a few documentaries (movies) as a boxing historian: (Me at the gym, years ago, with the, now deceased, Fullmer brothers ((whom helped open plenty of doors for me in my broadcasting career)) learning the craft. I interviewed each of them on radio and TV broadcasts over the decade I spent training with them and helping train and mentor wayward youths like myself). Ran two marathons, more halves than I can count and LOVE mud runs and Spartans! (me doing my best Sisyphus impersonation) I've gone back to school, while working full time and taking care of the fam, and am just passed halfway to getting my bachelors in business management. How did you get interested in ancient coinage ? My dad is a HUGE history buff and collects ancients as well. He started my big brother and I on American coins (Yuck! Gross. I know...though, I still collect em occasionally). As I got older he started sharing his ancients with me and even gave me my first Greek and roman coins... My first fouree into ancients😉: (I still haven't taken the proper time to identify where my first coin really may have came from. Posthumous and plated) Alexander III ‘the Great’. 336-323 BC. AR Plated Drachm Head of Herakles right, wearing lion skin; s / Zeus Aëtophoros seated left; in left field, holding Eagle. What was the first coin you bought ? I truly don't remember the first coin that I bought online. However, I do remember the first coin that I bought in person at a coin show. It started my love of Sicilian coinage: Sicily, Akragas. Tetras 10.35 g), ca. 420-406 BC. AKPA, eagle right, head lowered to devour hare held in talons; in left field, crab right. Reverse Crab; below, three pellets above crayfish left. CNS 50; SNG ANS 1037; HGC 2, 140. Glossy dark chocolate brown patina. Purchased at Salt Lake coin show 2017. Ryan, can you tell us an anecdote about a coin you own ? Your best bargain ? Your rarest coin ? The specimen you will never sell ? The one you dream of acquiring ? I have met exactly one other Numis Forums buddy in real life (though have had a raucous good time communicating with plenty of you via PM and on platform). We planned it in advance, of course. We met up at the biggest coin show that I have ever attended. I had the good fortune to pick the brain of one of the world's foremost on all things Faustinian while we talked with the different sellers. Great sense of humor he has as well. Perusing the merch we came across an incredibly knowledgeable seller who he was friends with. They told some pretty great stories about ancient rulers, coins etc. and we yucked it up. I ended up picking up 2 coins from the seller, Bill Rosenblum, who gave me a helluva good deal on this ancient masterpiece (that is always mentioned when asked what are some of my favorite coins). This coin will be staying in my collection and being handed down to one of my sons someday. It was a great afternoon. I truly recommend treating yourself, if you ever have the chance, to meet up with other ancient addicts...collectors, I mean collectors😉 Just do it! Sicily, under the tyrant Gelon Silver tetradrachm (16.91 gr, 25 mm) Obv: Slow quadriga being driven r. by male charioteer, Nike above crowning horses Rev: Head of Artemis-Arethusa right, 4 dolphins around legend, ΣVRAKOΣI-ON Popular type. Boeh-353, SNG-113 Toned VF, obverse somewhat grainy. Purchased from Bill Rosenblum March 2022 Despite the legend naming the Syracusans as the issuing authority, this gem of early Classical Syracusan coinage was struck while the city was controlled by the Deinomenid dynasty of tyrants. The dynasty was founded by Gelon, who first assumed power as tyrant in Gela in 491 BC before seizing Syracuse in 485 BC. The expansion of the territory under his control and a great victory over the Carthaginians in 480 BC were instrumental in raising Syracuse to the status of preeminent city in Greek Sicily. The greatness of Syracuse only increased under Gelon's successor, Hieron I. Hieron defeated a combined Carthaginian and Etruscan army at Cumae in 474 BC and won the chariot race events at both the Pythian Games in 470 BC and the Olympic Games in 468 BC, one or both of which might be commemorated by the obverse type of this coin. Unfortunately, the Deinomenid tyranny also became increasingly oppressive under Hieron I and not long after his death in 466 BC, a series of revolutions at Syracuse and other cities overthrew the Deinomenids in favor of new democratic constitutions. Rarest coin, I've a few. Here's one that RPC says is singular (though, a French museum has the type of his fratricidal older brother, I've not been able to acquire an image of it) Not just that, it's the last time a Macedonian shield is shown on an ancient coin: Geta. As Caesar, AD 198-209. AE (5.91g 20mm) MACEDON, Koinon of Macedon. Beroea mint. Bareheaded, draped, and cuirassed bust right Rev: Macedonian shield. Unpublished in the standard references. Singular example known. ★ Extremely rare ★ Ex Gorny & Mosch 191 (11 October 2010), lot 1769. Ex CNG auction 415 lot 312, Ex Demos 11 (1 July 2022) Lot 459, From the A. Czarnocka . Collection Warsaw In regards to the question about a dream coin, there are really too many to mention, nor do I want to tip anyone off to what great coins are out there anymore than I already have blabbing on about Sicilians, RRs etc. Keep collecting them LRBs and Byzantines, lads and ladies😁. Ryan, what do you collect exactly ? What is the size of your collection ? Time period, context, artistry and personalities all play a role. And so, I will continue to buy coins outside of areas that I've designated my usual spaces. But those usual spaces are varied a well: MSCs, Sicilians, RRs, naked ladies, ithyphallic satyrs (boner coins), Sakkos, rad designs, beasts, masterful artistry, Herakles labors, and yes, embarrassingly, I have a large collection of most of the Roman Emperors, their wives and Caesars. Like the kids say: In regards to size, it's enormous. As is the collection. What did you write about ? I am currently working on a book featuring all of the different MSCs that I own, the various Diadochi, imitations and coins featuring the Macedonian shield. What period of history interests you the most ? Pretty much all things ancient. Other than most religious stuff. I find it tedious. Paganism or bust for me. Do you have a numismatic goal for the next year ? Find more dope coins and continue to grow the baddest MSC collection on Earth! What numismatic books do you own / consult most often ? I do have an alright collection of books on ancients, but more and more enjoy finding articles on key interests online and downloading PDFs as opposed to spending money on books that take up too much space when I could be spending that dough on coins! Well, if you've stayed with me this far, I thank you. As well, thanks to @Ocatarinetabellatchitchix for reaching out and putting this together. I hope to get to know more of you and see what interests you all. All my best, Ryan

Very Interesting story. But you are wrong RC. Cohen did not make a mistake, it was a prophecy !

Thanks for sharing (by the way academia offers a good translation fonction). And talking about dream coins, two Abschlag will be for sale today and tomorrow: 🤯

On other forum his pseudonym is Potator… so many he’s just vegetarian😜 ?

Congratulations on this anniversary Alex. After three years, you can definitely say that you are contaminated by the collecting virus…

There are over 500 active members on this forum, coming from all over the world, with different professions, diverse family situations and varied opinions and beliefs. But what allows us all to come together on Numisforums and be united despite our differences? Isn't it our love for ancient history, numismatics and our individual collections of ancient coins ? Some of us have shared these passions for decades, without this excitement diminishing with the passing years. So why not ask these experienced members what triggered the exercise of this extraordinary hobby, collecting coins that have passed from hand to hand for centuries ? Starting this week, we will get to know some of them who have generously agreed to answer a few questions about the common passion we share between us. Let’s begin with our favorite Frenchie, Qcumbor, aka Q. Q, HOW DID YOU GET INTERESTED IN ANCIENT COINAGE ? I was born in France in 1960, the same year as the « nouveau franc ». As a kid I would get the occasional silver coin (5 francs semeuse, 10 francs Hercule) for my birthday or Christmas, my Godmother being the main provider back then. Later on my parents’ friends would give me their loose change when coming back from a trip to Italy, Spain, Yugoslavia or wherever, just because they new I was interested. The real start of my ancient coins collection has been in 1978 when my grand dad, knowing I had a love for coins, gifted me with the Commodus sestertius he had found at Verdun battle in 1916 while digging a trench. I think every people involved in coins on the internet know that story now !! Link to a fun thread about it The second important event was in 1982 when my wife’s grand ma gave me some old artifacts she had misidentified as junk. There was an as of Titus, a sestertius of Lucilla and a few LRBs’. I had to go to the coin club nearby to get them properly IDed. That’s where I met @Alwin for the first time, who became a close friend shortly thereafter. I got immediately hooked and never ceased collecting since. WHAT WAS THE FIRST COIN YOU EVER BOUGHT ? My first purchases , as a teenager, have been a Napoleon III 10 centimes and a Walking liberty half dollar. The first ancient I bought was an Aurelian antoninianus, that is still sitting in my trays. WHAT DO YOU COLLECT EXACTLY ? That’s a tricky question ! Mainly, as a generalist I collect roman coins, i.e. republican, imperial and provincial. For the most they’re coins that appeal to me for no other reason than « I like it ». But I often go sideways : As a matter of fact, I have several roman sub-collections taking quite a big part in my pleasure and expenses on coins : Trajan Decius Divi series, Plautilla denarii, She wolf reverses, Diana Lucifera reverses, Syro-phenician tetradrachms, Gallienus zoo series, Alexandrian provincials. And when I’m broke I will manage to find some Gordian III coin to get me my fix anyway… I also put together a small a series of greek bronzes that I love, and a few parthians as well. Apart from ancients I also collect some french coins with a few specifics on Jean II (the good) rule and the french revolution era, and british coins. I’m probably a bit too much all over the place as you can see ! As a specialist, on the other hand, I try to built as complete as possible a collection of coins from de principality of Dombes (small region in France around the place I live). I tend to follow the necessary discipline to put together something being attractive and educational, and why not, someday when I retire, writing a book about them. Here's the complete series of all the Grande Mademoiselle demi ecus known to exist : WHAT IS THE SIZE OF YOUR COLLECTION ? I don’t keep exact records. An approximate count would give about 450 ancients, 300 Dombes, 250 french and 250 british. WHAT DID YOU WRITE ABOUT ? Not much really. Four articles for numismatic reviews in total : two were about roman coins, featuring the Trajan Decius Divi series for one, and Plautilla denarii for the other, and two about Dombes gold coins. All of them were written in french. I have translated the one about the Divi series though, and it has been put online at CT. Link to the article at CT DO YOU HAVE A NUMISMATIC GOAL FOR THE NEXT YEAR ? I never know what’s next. I keep enough spare money, should something I suddenly « need » pops up at auction ! 😄 WHAT NUMISMATIC BOOKS DO YOU OWN / CONSULT MOST OFTEN ? My library is a reflection of my collecting habits : almost everything ever published about Dombes and generalist books for everything else : Cohen, Roman coins and their values, auction catalogs, and the like. For the subcollections I try to get at least one of the available reference books : regarding Syro-phenicians I have Prieur, Alexandrian I have Emmett, Zoo series I have Wolkow, etc… Q, merci beaucoup for taking the time to answer these questions. For those who would like to admire the superb Qcumbor’s collection more closely, here is the link: https://www.colleconline.com/fr/users/258/potator-ii We would also like to read your comments about the interview, and do not hesitate if you have more questions to ask, our numismatist of the week will surely be happy to do it in this thread.

For those who are interested, there was an excellent article about Gordy 3 modern Bulgarian(?) fakes written a few years ago. Here are two very dangerous examples: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1yJAR7hmsZuGS_BaQmxAhE0qFSdCBMI10/view?pli=1

I am in the process of reclassifying and re-photographing my entire collection of ancient coins. While I do this, let’s play a little game; show me some of your babies…by colors ! Let’s start with GREEN. Thanks for your participation.

Bravo ! Never saw that reverse before. Victorinus issued two different Salus reverse type, one from Trier and also one at the Cologne mint.

Ok Ok I have to admit it is not technically a Sestertius, but at 27mm and 15g, it’s has the right size, isn’t it ?

Nice silvering on your new acquisition. Here’s one of mine, and his « twin » Florianus, probably the same engraver, don’t you think so ?

The coins posted here reminds me of the only pleasantry found on an ancient coin in the history of coinage. Here is the « joke »: if you only take the writing at the right of the club, you will read this ; the ‘hole’ (ano) of his ‘bottom’ (culi) has been burnt (usto). Now if we make the link with the object on the reverse, it’s easy to imagine the average roman citizen laughing to death at the tavern with his friends....

Was just admiring the next Christie’s antiquities auction and found a nice Hercules bust that would fit perfectly in my living room. Circa 2nd-3rd century AD, 10 1/2 in. high, estimated between 15,000-20,000 USD… but my wife didn’t allow me to sell my car to acquire it… At least I have some coins featuring the old Hercules / Heracles on it. I do not remember showing this one on NF. (Aureolus for Postumus) I think I can see some similarities with one of the most famous ancient sculpture: it is a colossal copy made after a smaller Lysippos original, and intended to adorn the Baths of Caracalla. The sculpture was discovered and removed from the baths in 1546, entering the famous collection of Alessandro Farnese. It now resides in the Museum of Naples. Do you have Hercules coins in your collection ? Please post them here !