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This is commonly encountered - a quick search of sixbid sold (& upcoming) items shows up this in many descriptions from several auction houses (I counted 8 different auction houses before I gave up scrolling): https://www.sixbid-coin-archive.com/#/en/search?text=var (same) There's no need for "var" in the Elektron attribution as they've already used "cf." I don't have SNG Kayhan, so don't know whether they're right or wrong! ATB, Aidan.

To explain the (same), the CNG attribution is: "Cf. Weidauer Group II (unlisted denomination, plain incuses); Artemision –; cf. Elektron I 3 (plain incuses); Traité I 11 var. (same); SNG Kayhan 673 var. (same); SNG von Aulock 7762 var. (same); Rosen –." The "cf Elekton I 3 (plain incuses)" means that the coin is similar to the Elektron coin, but that the Elektron coin has plain incuses, while the coin being described doesn't. Now, all the following coins are listed as var. (same) - this means that the described coin has the same variation from the referenced coin - i.e., the referenced coins all have plain incuses. This usage of (same) is commonly found in sales descriptions - they're just not listing (plain incuses) repeatedly. ATB, Aidan.

This is always my example of bad obverse, good reverse - Augustus denarius, RIC 187a: And the other way around - Augustus denarius, RIC 199: No prizes for guessing which sides are facing up in the tray 😄 ATB, Aidan.

Here's Athena on the reverse of a coin. State, City: Thessaly, Pharkadon Coin: Silver Obol - Horse trotting right Φ-ΑΡ-ΚΑΔ - Athena standing right, holding spear and shield; all within incuse square Mint: (5th-4th C. BC) Wt./Size/Axis: 0.71g / 11mm / 3h References: HGC 4, 297 BCD Thessaly II 606 var. Provenances: Ex. BCD Collection Acquisition: CNG Online auction E-auction 417 #155 28-Mar-2018 Next - a horse

Buy the slab, not the coin, as they say. Or something like that 😛

I've only one Otho - RIC 2, Ceres on the reverse: ATB, Aidan.

I record what I spend on Tantalus. I don't include postage but do include buyer's fee and any other charges like VAT, if I have to pay it. I've recorded prices for 2083 coins there and have another 224 without any price information - some were gifts, some I don't remember what they cost or where I got them. I've never sold any coins and don't bother with any current value estimates. I think I will offload some duplicates in the next year and maybe eventually sell - whether the proceeds will fund a night out or a holiday home somewhere is TBD! ATB, Aidan.

Very sad news of the death of Sinéad O'Connor today. Intro' by Gay Byrne for about 40s... Here's a Naevius Balbus denarius -Cr. 382/1a: 😞

Here are a couple of Claudius reverses. Zeus: Ruler: Claudius (Augustus) Region, City: Phrygia, Aezanis Coin: Bronze AE19 KΛAYΔIOC KAICAP - Laureate head right AIZANITΩN - Zeus standing left with eagle and sceptre. Mint: (ca 41-54 AD) Wt./Size/Axis: 4.14g / 19mm / - References: RPC 3100 Acquisition: Naville Numismatics Online Auction NN Live Auction 24 #335 17-Jul-2016 And a simple S C reverse Ruler: Claudius (Augustus) Coin: Copper Quadrans TI CLAVDIVS CAESAR AVG - Hand left, holding pair of scales above P N R PON M TR P IMP COS DES IT - Legend around S C Mint: (41 AD) Wt./Size/Axis: 2.90g / - / 6h References: RIC 85 BMC 174 Acquisition/Sale: London Coin Fair 6-Feb-2010 ATB, Aidan.

Ruler: Orbiana (Augusta) Coin: Silver Denarius SALL BARBIA ORBIANA AVG - Diademed draped bust right CONCORDIA AVGG - Concordia seated left on throne, holding patera and double cornucopiae Mint: Rome Wt./Size/Axis: 2.80g / 19mm / 0h References: RIC 319 (Severus Alexander) RSC 1 BMC 287-290 Acquisition: Mayor 25 Madrid 9-Oct-2010 Next - Concordia

I've been to Rome a few times, from an inter-railing trip in 1989 to 4 nights in Jan. 2022. I've been looking through photos of the Jan. 2022 trip and can quickly sketch out where I went. A lot of the places you mention are close by each other and easy to catch several in one run around. If you loook at a map, you can see that the Pantheon, Trevi Fountain, Marcus Aurelius Column, Ara Pacis, Mausoleum of Augustus (if it ever is open!) can be seen in short order. Similarly, Colosseum and Forum/Palatine, various arches are close together, along with Trajan's Column, Trajan's Market and Domus Aurea - you might be able to see these in most of a day. 4th January - got to Rome, dumped bags at hotel (quite near Termini railway station) and walked down to Colosseum and went to Domus Aurea - I think I had booked in advance for the Domus - certainly check for now as it's likely very busy in summer. I did not go into the Colosseum or Forum - had been in both before a couple of times. Arch of Constantine is beside the Colosseum and Trajan's Column, Trajan's Markets and Forum are all nearby. I went to Domus Aurea as I hadn't been there before. Finally, after much more walking, a well-deserved break: 5th January - I went to Ostia - I wouldn't say this is essential if you haven't seen other sights in Rome before, but I hadn't been to Ostia and it's a short train trip. Really worth visiting, but maybe leave for a second trip. Basically, I spent all day in Ostia and went back and had an enormous dinner somewhere the hotel recommended. 6th Circus Maximus, Bocca della Verita, Capitoline Museums. 7th - wanted to get to Castel Sant'Angelo, but ended up in Saint Peter's. Also failed to get to Mausoleum of Augustus - it was supposed to be open but wasn't. Went to nearby Ara Pacis instead. Plus Pantheon and other churches, Trevi Fountain, Spanish Steps, Piazza Colonna. 8th - flew back in the evening - went to Basilicas of St. Lawrence & St. John Lateran. And a lot of walking. As an alternative to the Capitoline Museums, the Palazzo Massimo museum is near Termini railway station and maybe not as busy as some of the other museums. It has a fine collection - including the sculpture "The Boxer" and a great coin collection. You can get a ticket to include the Baths of Diocletian which are nearby. You will have to queue up for a long time to get into St. Peter's, but it's free. It's a long time since I've been to the Vatican Musuems and Sistine Chapel (20 years), but it involved booking in advance then, so presumably the same now. The Pantheon has recently started charging €5 entry, it was free before. You would definitely spend a day in the Vatican if you take in the museums as well as St. Peter's. After looking at all the photos I took, I want to go again ASAP. The weather in Jan. 2022 was wonderful, too - blue skies... Enjoy (a bit envious!), Aidan.

I suppose you could throw in a bid on the N&N Mystery Lot and who knows what you'll get 😄 ATB, Aidan.

I never miss an excuse to trot out this guy - RIC 220, as - I need a new photo' - it's closer in colour to the lower pic: ATB, Aidan.

Here are a couple of Tiberius types which haven't appeared already. In spite of being almost worn flat, this is attributable to Tiberius RIC 48 - sestertius with Tiberius seated left on throne on obverse and a large S C on the reverse with legend around. NCAPR counterstamp. 24.77g, 22-23 AD. Here's half of an Emerita coin with the usual city gate entrance. Alvarez-Burgos 830, RPC 42: ATB, Aidan.

I doubt they're real either. As John Conduitt says above, the attempts at legends are reminiscent of some of the later Hiberno-Norse issues - Phase V, VI? By the Phase V issues, the legends had degenerated into lines like you have above. The weights can't be right - are the units grams? Even the later light Hiberno-Norse coins were close to 1g. ATB, Aidan.

Augustus... RIC 529 of 14 BC - Augustus and Agrippa seated on a platform with three rostra before. Moneyers still got to put their names on the coins in the early empire: Several types record the recovery of standards captured by the Parthians (from Crassus in 53 BC and Antony in 40 & 36 BC) - e.g. RIC 287 of 19/18 BC (Turpilianus moneyer): Augustus driving a biga of elephants on the reverse of this coin of L. Aquilius Florus of 19 BC (RIC 301), brought to you thanks to Superglue: A heifer on the reverse of this denarius struck in Samos or Pergamum in 21-20 BC (RIC 475): 13 BC, sacrificial implements - simpulum, lituus, tripod, patera - RIC 410: Denarius from Emerita of 25-23 BC - RIC 7b: Pegasus - P. Petronius Turpilianus moneyer of 19-18 BC - RIC 297: There are some interesting Republican designs restored - this recalls Cr. 401/1 0f 71 BC (RIC 310 of 19 BC): This of 407/1 of 64 BC (RIC 317 of 19-18 BC): Another Emerita denarius, with a trophy set on a heap of weapons - 25-23 BC, RIC 4b. Augusta Emerita is modern-day Merida in Spain and well worth a visit: This is my best Augustus obverse, but the reverse is not so great (cabinet friction) - Gaius Caesar on horseback - RIC 199 or 8BC (Lugdunum): The Tribute Penny of Tiberius is much better known than its Augustan prototype - RIC 220 of 13-14 AD: This is my best Augustan reverse - if it were linked to the obverse of the Gaius Caesar, it would be an interesting coin - as it is, I just keep the reverse side up 😄 - RIC 155 of 11-10 BC: And finally, my croc - RIC 160: ATB, Aidan.

It's from Laos. ATB, Aidan.

Mongolia - 50 Mongo. ATB, Aidan.

Here are a few from this period. Cr. 494/27 - "Scarface" Regulus denarius of L. Livineius Regulus of 42 BC. Cr. 494/37 of C. Vibius Varus (42 BC): A pretty scarce one of M. Arrius Secundus of 41 BC - Cr. 513/2: An interesting one with a soldier storming a wall - denarius of C. Numonious Vaala - Cr. 514/2 of 43 BC: Kuenker claimed the obverse depicts Cassius, though this is somewhat conjectural and there are no known portraits of him - https://www.kuenker.de/en/information/presseinformationen/aktuelle-mitteilungen/86 This is a coin of Cassius - Cr. 500/1 of 42 BC: Mark Antony, with his brother Lucius on the reverse - Mark Antony always reminds me of a neighbour I had years ago - Cr. 517/5c of 41 BC: Here's the earliest portrait of Octavian on a coin - Cr. 490/1 of 43 BC. The reverse features an equestrian statue of Octavian which stood in Rome: Here are a couple of Mark Antony Fleet Coinage bronzes - a tressis and an as (I think)- HCRI 286/RPC 1463 and RPC 1470: The first has M. Antony and Octavian right facing Octavia left and three galleys on the reverse. I'll skip the legionary denarii! The end of this period saw Octavian alone as ruler of the Roman world, figuring out some constitutional basis for his position. His earliest coins just have the legend CAESAR DIVI F - like this from Rome or Brundisium from 32-31 BC (RIC 253): Here he is ploughing the fields as a pontifex - RIC 272, Rome, 32-27 BC: When he's depicted on the coins, it's a godlike depiction - RIC 250a, RIC 252 - with an ever-popular Venus depiction and Pax: And, enough! Aidan.

potdevin is useful, mostly for cross-references which CRRO (CRRO) lacks, but I'm wondering whether there's any point in buying a PDF of Crawford. It seems like it might be useful at a coin fair and wondering what the difference between XYZ/1a and XYZ/1b is or whether a coin is correctly attributed. I've made a spreadsheet of Crawford with numbers, denominations, some limited other information including his die number estimates or the number of examples in Paris and whether I've got one or not, which is reasonably useful for avoiding inadvertent duplicate purchases. Maybe if I add all the descriptions and/or link to CRRO for photos and descriptions, this will be enough! Thanks, Aidan.

I spotted a while back that Cambridge University Press are selling an electronic edition (they mention it's PDF) of Crawford's Roman Republican Coinage - https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/roman-republican-coinage/BF809A7DBDE86722B6783D20FD6EABFF Has anyone bought it? I'm tempted - I have the print edition, but this could be handy too. I'm wondering what the plates are like and how searchable it is. Thanks for any information, Aidan.

I hadn't heard of the group or song before - it's a good one for describing a lot of coins 😄 ATB, Aidan.

I never really listened to or watched anything Imelda May did until I caught this by accident today - from a concert in memory of Jeff Beck from May: I'm not sure if Johnny Depp is playing much or at all... This is a a much earlier recording of Imelda with Jeff Beck at a Les Paul tribute gig in 2010 In tribute to Ms May's changed hairstyle and indeed dress 😛 - here's Julia Titi (I need a better J.T.): Ruler: Julia Titi (Augusta) Coin: Silver Denarius IVLIA AVGVSTA TITI AVGVSTI F - Diademed bust draped right, hair in plait down back VENVS AVGVST - Venus, viewed half from behind, standing right, leaning on column and holding helmet and spear Mint: Rome (79-81 AD) Wt./Size/Axis: 2.90g / 19mm / 6h References: RIC 388 BMC 141 (Titus) RSC 14 RIC 56 (old - Titus) Acquisition: Ancient Delights Madrid 26-Sep-2012 ATB, Aidan.

Here are a few from the period which haven't been posted so far. I'm trying to restrict myself from spamming with dozens of coins 😄 I've put the coins in order of Crawford number, but also referred to Sear's Hisory and Coinage of the Roman Imperators. This denarius was minted in Apollonia in Illyricum by the Pompeians. Apollo on the obverse and Jupiter on the reverse. The Q on the reverse referse to a quaestor involved in the issue - apparently T. Antistius. Cr. 445/2, HCRI 5, 49 BC The same L. Lentulus and C. Marcellus referred to on the first coin are also responsible for this coin, struck in Ephesus in 49 BC. Cr. 445/3b, HCRI 6. According to Caesar, Lentulus raissed two legions for Pompey in Asia. This coin marks Caesar's success in the Gallic Wars and was isued by Decimus Brutus, one of the most prominent assassins of Caesar on the Ides of March. Not to be confused with Marcus Junius Brutus, Decimus was closer to Caesar and even named in Caesar's will. I like the golden toning on this coin. Cr. 450/1, HCRI 25, 48 BC: Here's another coin issued by Decimus, where he depicts one of his adopted ancestors (he was adopted into the Postumia gens). It's an Aulus Postumius Albinus, though there are a couple of possibilities for the exact identity - a consul of 151 BC or 99 BC (who may have been Decimus's adoptive father). Cr. 450/3b, HCRI 27, 48 BC. Here's a coin minted by Caesar's military mints shortly after the Battle of Pharsalus on 9th August 48 BC (Cr. 452/2, HCRI 11): The LII on the obverse probably refers to Caesar's age at the time: This is an issue back in Rome of Gaius Antius Restio - Cr. 455/2a, HCRI 35 of 47 BC. I like the obverse, except for some deposits (iron?): Here's one issued by Caesar in Sicily before he embarked for Africa. Cr. 457/1, HCRI 54, late 47 BC. Sorry about the slab - I have a few that I bought slabbed and haven't released them yet. Funnily, I bought this coin at the second attempt - the first time it was unslabbed and I was outbid; the second time it had been cleaned and slabbed and I got it for less - go figure! Here's one of the Pompeians in North Africa - unfortunately, very worn! Cr. 460/3, HCRI 42, of 47-46 BC (Utica). The city goddess Utica is on the obverse with corn-ear and caduceus, while the reverse has a trophy with lituus & jug. And another - this is ex-Clain-Stefanelli and is illustrated in Elvira Clain-Stefanelli's "Life in Republican Rome On Its Coinage". Cr. 461/1, HCRI 44, with Scipio in Africa, 47-46 BC: Back in Rome in 46 BC, some sestertii were minted - this is the only late sestertius I've got. The moneyer is T. Carisius, Cr. 464/8a, , HCRI 76. Diana on the obverse and a hound on the reverse: In 45 BC, one of the moneyers was L. Papius Celsus, not otherwise known, though possibly a son of the earlier Papia who served as moneyer earlier. The type with the wolf bringing a stick to the fire has two obverses - the one with Juno Sospita has already been posted, here's the version with Triumphus (commemorating possibly Caesar's triumph celebrated after Munda). Cr. 472/2, HCRI 83: Also from Rome in 45 BC, here's a denarius of L. Valerius Asisculus (one of many types like the man-headed owl above) with Sol on the obverse and Luna on the reverse. Cr. 474/5, HCRI 94: Finally, this may be the first posthumous Caesar portrait coin, minted in March or April of 44 BC. The best that can be said about my example is that it was cheap 😄 Cr. 480/17, HCRI 101: ATB, Aidan.

They're separate issues - in rare cases, like the Hosidia of 64 BC, there are similar, though not identical types of denarii with serrated edges and smooth edges - there are examples of both issues above in this thread (Cr. 407/1 & 407/2). I can't offhand think of another example of that 😄 I have a denarius of Augustus which seems to have been overstruck on a serratus - such exceptions are rare (RIC I Augustus 317 denarius overstruck on earlier denarius serratus) ATB, Aidan.