zadie

I think it's mostly toning, not hoard patina. Regarding the coin from Roma, I'd say yes it's a delamination. Could also be some sort of flan flaw.

With CNG's post-triton esale closing today I did a last sweep of the catalouge to see if I had missed anything that I wanted to bid on. Browsing through the RR section I was surprised I had not added this coin to my watchlist: The Liberators. C. Cassius Longinus. Spring 42 BC. AR Denarius. Struck at a military mint, Smyrna (?). Pulius Cornelius Lentulus Spinther, legatus. Diademed head of Libertas right, LEIBERTAS / Capis and lituus, LENTVLVS - SPINT. 17.5mm, 3.16 g. Crawford 500/3. Looking closer at the lot description I found out why I had skipped it when browsing earlier, it was a fourrée. I don't have any particular desire to collect fourrées but I was impressed by the style and metal of this coin. My curiosity piqued, I did my usual thing trying to find die matches on acsearch. No more than a few minutes after beginning I found this coin that sold with Elsen in 2016: https://www.acsearch.info/search.html?id=4221805 An obverse die match, it certainly didn't strike me as a fourrée. Fairly confident at this point that the CNG coin wasn't plated, I kept looking for more die matches to substantiate that. https://www.acsearch.info/search.html?id=2710587 https://www.acsearch.info/search.html?id=3059440 And so, I'm happy to add what is usually quite an expensive coin to my growing RR set. It might not be a stunner but there's a certain satisfaction to getting a good deal because you did the due diligence.

You're right of course, it's unfortunate that you can't filter out single results with the image search. I'd like to highlight that all other hits from this search are obverse die matches to OP's coin. I've actually been pleasantly surprised by the capabilties of the image search function, having used it throughly during the last year due to the five free searches you get every day with premium.

Oh? That is a very decent provenance to add to the coin, congrats!

Those are definitely from the same die. Finding die matches varies greatly between different types of coinages. Some series are smaller and thus used fewer dies, making it more likely to find matches between two different coins. I'm not very familiar myself with the Greco-Bactrians or how large Antimachos emissions were, however judging by the amount of obverse die matches found on acsearch I would venture to say that this die is quite prevalent in the series as a whole.

Here's the Rauch coin: Sadly your coin is not the plate. I can't see the dies being a match either

Videos are great to convey the true "in hand" look of a coin. I didn't realize how great of a coin this was until seeing the video, lovely reverse!

Having to recoup this investment is going to be near impossible!

Did anyone watch the Heritage sale last night? I've been gawking at the bids "5/5" coins get at Heritage but this take it to an entirely new level... Who are these people?

Lovely coin! The cricket too certainly adds to the appeal in my mind

Absolutely and furthermore, they're bilingual! Legends in both Greek and Latin

After having endured a significant cistophori-drought in the latter half of 2022, the market seems to have finally rewarded my patience with new targets. Bidding at Heritage tonight I was able to secure my first cistophor since May last year: Promagisterial Cistophori. Publius Cornelius Lentulus Spinther as Proconsul of Cilicia. AR Cistophoric Tetradrachm. Laodicea on the Lycus, 56-53 BC. Artemidoros son of Damokratos, magistrate. Serpent emerging from cista mystica; all within wreath / P·LENTVLVS·P ·F - IMP. Two serpents entwined by a bow case. In the left field, ΛΑΟ. In the exergue, APTEMIΔOPOΣ / ΔAMOKPATOY. Stumpf 77. Lentulus is one of those individuals for which we have an abundance of historical records. He's mentioned directly by both Caesar and Cicero, and his distuingished career as a roman politician gives us great insight throughout his entire climb up the cursus honorum. Beginning public life in 74 as Quaestor Urbanus, Lentulus would go on to serve as Aedile during Cicero's consulship in 63. Roused to action against the Catilines attempt at usurping the Republic, Lentulus supported Cicero as consul in supressing the conspirators. Climbing ever higher up the cursus honorum, Lentulus was elected as Praetor in 60, and finally Consul in 57. During his year he successfully lobbied the senate to recall Cicero from his exile. After serving his term, he was alloted the proconsular command of Cilicia for a term of two years. Early in his tenure, he was hailed as Imperator by his troops. The overwhelming amount of coins issed by Lentulus during his command of the province displays the title IMP or IMPERATOR, only two different dies are known in which PRO·COS is used.

A coin that has been published in the "plates" of an academic article or book.

Great addition! Ex Dattari is as good as it gets with these. Here's my one and only plate, currently also serving as my profile picture: Promagisterial Cistophori. Gaius Fabius Hadrianus as Proconsul of Asia. Pammenes, magistrate. AR Cistophoric tetradrachm, Tralles 24th march 57 BC - 24th march 56 BC. Serpents emerging from cista mystica; all within wreath / C•FABI•M•F - PRO•COS, Two serpents entwined by bow case, eagle above. In the left field, zebu over a meander, TPAΛ. In the right field, Apollo standing left. ΠΑMMΕΝΗΣ in exergue. 26.90 mm, 12.20 g. Stumpf 32; Metcalf 325 (This coin, O4/R25) Ex NAC Sale 52, 2009, 832.

They very rarely ever come in higher grades. The finest known types could at best be given a gF/VF grade. Usually there's a slight premium if the legends are legible in any capacity, which in itself is an indicator of how low grade most fleets are

No kidding! The Tressis is charming, I'm extremely jealous. The As is also great, good amount of the legends still legible

I certainly think it's possible. The biggest issue isn't so much with the states of the coins themselves but rather the (quite horrid) photography employed on these old plates. Amandry routinely identifies die matches between coins that are of similar wear as mine:

I have made an attempt of finding my dies in Amandry's Le monnayage en bronze de Bibulus, Atratinus et Capito. It's proven difficult considering the amount of wear on my coin and the lack of all legends besides the "B" below the galley. I think I've found a match to my reverse die, there are still however some discrepancies between the two (namely the caps of the dioscuri) that are hard to account for. Lighting could definitely be a factor but I hesitate to attribute them as such becuase of my obvious confirmation bias. Any input on this? My coin Amandry, Bronze II, 3C (D3/R7, this coin) Comparison between both reverse dies with better lighting

As someone who takes a keen interest in provincials from the Republican era, fleet coins have been on my radar for a good while. However seeing as they're very rare and often wallet-breakingly expensive, I haven't been able to add one to the collection. When I came across this example in a group lot (!) I knew I had to change that. It's not the prettiest but damn if I'm not excited to start a fleet coinage set. Hopeful for new acquisitions in 2023! Downgrade.mp4 Fleet Coinage. Mark Antony and Octavia. Æ Dupondius. Uncertain mint in Achaea circa 38-37 BC. M. Oppius Capito, Propraetor and Praefectus Classis. Confronting busts of Antony and Octavia, [M · ANT · IMP · TER · COS · DES · ITER · ET · TER · III · VIR · R · P · C] / Two galleys below caps of the dioscuri, [M · OPPIVS · CAPITO · PRO · PR · PRAEF · CLASS · F · C] - B below. Amandry, Bronze II, 3C; RPC I, 1464.

Managed to snag my first legionary denarius at Aquila on biddr a few weeks back. I felt I was lowballing it when placing my bid but seems like there wasn't much interest considering I won! However, not all was well. I noticed when the coin arrived that a small edge chip had occurred. The damage was not on the picture supplied by the auction house so I have to presume that it happened during shipping. Very unfortunate but I think I'll just have to live with it. Mark Antony. LEG XXII (H264 + mp3).mp4 Mark Antony. Autumn 32-spring 31 BC. AR Denarius. Legionary issue. Patrae(?) mint. Praetorian galley right, ANT·AVG·III·VIR·R·P·C / Aquila between two signa; LEG XXII. 3.2 g, 17.5 mm. Crawford 544/38. Before becoming a formal legion, Legio XXII Deiotariana was originally an army raised by the Galatian king Deiotaros. Having become a staunch Roman ally after Pompey's interventions in Asia Minor during the Third Mithridatic war, Deiotaros' force was later incorporated into the Roman army as the Legio XXII Deiotariana. The 22nd would balloon to the size of approximately three legions and remain active in Roman Asia up to the civil war. During which it defended the province from a Pontic invasion led by Pharnaces II. Fighting at the disastrous Battle of Nikopolis, the 22nd would suffer immense casualties and would subsequently be reformed with the strength of just a single legion. The 22nd is later recorded as being present at the decisive Battle of Zela, in which the Pontic forces were utterly defeated with Pharnaces fleeing shortly after.

2022 has been a rough year. I lost someone very close to me in August to an abrupt case of cancer. It has left me at the lowest point that I have ever been. Probably to help me cope, I have undeniably spent more time in the hobby than I have before. Keeping my mind occupied has helped but I still find myself overwhelmed by the reality of this loss on a daily basis. Hold your loved ones close during the holidays, be honest with them and do not hold back. Dedikerat till dig mamma, jag älskar dig. The coins are no in particular order: Cistophor (Downgrade).mp4 Promagisterial Cistophori. Gaius Fabius Hadrianus as Proconsul of Asia. Aristoboulos son of Iereous, magistrate. AR Cistophoric tetradrachm, Tralles, 24th march 57 BC - 24th march 56 BC. Serpents emerging from cista mystica; all within wreath / [C•FABI•M•F] PROCOS, Two serpents entwined by bow case, eagle above. In the left field, zebu standing. TPAΛ. In the right field, Hermes standing left, holding caduceus. ARIΣTOBOΥΛOΣ / IEΡΕΥΣ in exergue. 28.10 mm, 12.41 g. Stumpf 31; Metcalf 329 (O5/R28) Three known examples: Gorny & Mosch 130, 1256; Hauck & Aufhäuser 6, lot 262 and this coin. Gaius Fabius Hadrianus is not attested for in the historical record. He evidently served as Praetor in 58 or 57 and was subsequently granted the proconsular command of Asia. Fabius seems to have been the son of Marcus Fabius Hadrianus, a legate of Sulla active during the third mithridatic war. We have very little to go by when it comes to Fabius' proconsulship. Brennan, in his work The Praetorship of the Roman Republic, claims there is no mention for Fabius outside of his coins. The source of Fabius' path from obscurity to proconsul in Asia might be found in his predecessor in the province, Titus Ampius Balbus. Balbus, having assumed command of Asia in 58, was only supposed to serve a single year as governor. However at the end of his term, he was prorouged by the senate and hastily transferred to the neigbouring province of Cilicia. Thus forcing the senate to assign Asia to someone else. dwadswaehrggr.mp4 Promagisterial Cistophori. Publius Cornelius Lentulus Spinther as Proconsul of Cilicia. AR Cistophoric Tetradrachm. Laodicea on the Lycus, 56-53 BC. Anaxagoras son of Artemidoros, magistrate. Serpent emerging from cista mystica; all within wreath / P · LENTVLVS · P · F · PRO · COS. Two serpents entwined by a bow case. In the left field, ΛΑΟ. In the exergue, ΑΝΑΞΑΓΟΡ[ΑΣ] / ΑΡΤΕΜΙ[ΔΩΡΟΥ]. 26 mm, 12.03 g. Stumpf -; Metcalf -. Unpublished. One of only two known: cf. Nomos, Web 16. Lot 872 (Hammer 600 CHF). Overstruck on another cistophor from Laodicea. Publius Cornelius Lentulus Spinther is one of those individuals where we are fortunate to have a full accounting of their journey along the cursus honorum. Lentulus began his political career as a Quaestor for the city in 74 BC. He would go on to serve as Curule Aedile in 63, where he would aid Cicero in the unravelling of Catiline's conspiracy to overthrow the elected consuls. Being elected to the office of Praetor in 60, he served his term in Rome and was awarded the command of Hispania Citerior afterwards. Lentulus reached the final step on the cursus honorum in 57 as he was elected Consul for the year. Serving alongside Quintus Caecilius Metellus Nepos, Lentulus was the one to recall Cicero from his exile. He would later go on to serve governor in Cilicia and be hailed as Imperator by his troops. This coin was struck before this event, as the comparatively meagre title of PRO · COS is employed. All later coins of Lentulus in the province uses IMP or IMPERATOR to highlight his martial success. dwadwadwsdw.mp4 Promagisterial Cistophori. Gaius Claudius Pulcher as Proconsul of Asia. Demostratos, magistrate. AR Cistophoric Tetradrachm. Tralles mint, 55-53 BC. Serpent emerging from cista mystica; all within wreath / C · CLAVDIVS · AP · F · PVLCHER · PROCOS. Two serpents entwined by bow case; In the right field, Isis headdress resting on two grain ears and inverted crescent. TPAΛ to outer left. ΔΗΜΟΣΤΡΑΤΟΣ in exergue. 25 mm, 12.29 g. Stumpf -; Metcalf -, cf. 335 (same obverse die). Unpublished. Despite Gaius Claudius Pulcher serving an extended term as governor of the Roman province of Asia, we knew of only one magistrate minting coins for him at the mint of Tralles (See Stumpf 55-56, APICTOKΛHC). Preceeding Pulcher as governor of Asia was Gaius Septimius, a senator of praetorian rank and a significant member of the conservative faction. Like Pulcher, Septimius minted only a limited number of types at the mint in Tralles. One of these, struck under the magistrate Diogenes (ΔIOΓENHΣ) shares the obverse die seen on the above coin of Pulcher. This is significant because it helps establish a chronology of the emissions and likely places this coin as the inaugural issue of Pulcher in Tralles. After Demostratos followed a much larger emission under the magistrate Aristokles, bearing a slightly more conventional latin legend, C•PVLCHER•PROCOS. Roman Republic. Gn. Domitius Calvinus. 39 BC. AR Denarius. Osca mint. are head of Hercules right, OSCA / Emblems of the Pontificate: simpulum, aspergillum, securis, and apex, DOM · COS · ITER · IMP. Crawford 532/1. 19 mm, 3.68 g. Ex Classical Numismatic Group 45 (18 March 1998), lot 1758. Gnaeus Domitius Calvinus was elected to the office of Consul for the year 53. Usually, incoming Consuls would formally enter office on the 1st of January. However, due to an enormous bribery scandal surrounding Calvinus and all other candidates in the consular election for that year, he was unable to do so until July. Serving out the remainder of his term, Calvinus proved himself a staunch ally of Julius Caesar in the senate. In the civil war that would follow he'd command Caesar's center at the battle of Pharsalus in 48. Afterwards being awarded the command of Asia, Calvinus was soundly defeated at Nikopolis at the hands of Pharnaces of Pontus during his invasion of the province later that year. After Caesar's death in 44, Calvinus remained steadfast in his loyalty to Octavian and was awarded a second term as Consul for the year 40. This coin was struck at the mint of Osca, during his promagistierial command of Hispania. Roman Republic. L. Cornelius Lentulus and C. Claudius Marcellus. April-June 49 BC. AR Denarius. Apollonia mint in Illyricum. Head of Apollo right, L · LENT · C · MAR · COS / Jupiter, nude, standing facing, head right, holding thunderbolt and eagle; to left, star of eight rays above Q; garlanded altar to right. 17 mm, 3.58 g. Crawford 445/2. This fascinating issue was minted by the presiding Consuls for the year 49, Lucius Cornelius Lentulus and Gaius Claudius Marcellus. As Caesar crossed the Rubicon in January of that year, the Pompeians back in Rome were caught completely by surprise. So much so that they could not mobilise their forces in time. The difficult decision to leave the capital was made and the Pompeian flight south began. Pompey had hoped to raise sufficient troops in southern Italy in order to quicky regain Rome (which at this time was occupied only by a relatively small force) but even this proved impossible for the great general. The Pompeian forces soon took to crossing the Adriatic to Greece, where they would raise a large army to face Caesar the following year. This coin was minted at Apollonia and shows a statue of Zeus on the reverse. This is thought to be depicting a sculpture by the famous artist Myron that stood in Syracuse. Roman Republic. P. Cornelius Lentulus Marcellinus. 50 BC. AR Denarius. Rome. Bare head of M. Claudius Marcellus right; triskeles to left, MARCELLINVS / M. Claudius Marcellus advancing right, carrying trophy into tetrastyle temple, MARCELLVS - COS · QVINQ. 19 mm, 3.82 g. Crawford 439/1. This coin was minted under the supervision of the moneyer P. Cornelius Lentulus Marcellinus. As was common with moneyer issues, it evokes notable events from the moneyer's noble ancestors. In this case Marcus Claudius Marcellus. Marcellus was a legendary commander during the Gallic and Second Punic wars. Consul an incredible five terms, unprecedented at the time, Marcellus was one of only three recipients of the "Spolia Opima" during the Republican era. The Spolia Opima, literally "rich spoils" was an honor held even higher than that of a triumph. It was gained by defeating the leader of an opposing army in single combat and taking their armor. The reverse of this coin depicts Marcellus presenting the arms of the Gallic chieftain Viridomarus whom Marcellus slew at the battle of Clastidium in 222. Fleet Coinage. Mark Antony and Octavia. Æ Dupondius. Uncertain mint in Achaea circa 38-37 BC. M. Oppius Capito, Propraetor. Confronting busts of Antony and Octavia, [M · ANT · IMP · TER · COS · DES · ITER · ET · TER · III · VIR · R · P · C] / Two galleys below caps of the dioscuri, [M · OPPIVS · CAPITO · PRO · PR · PRAEF · CLASS · F · C] - B below. Amandry, Bronze I, 1C; RPC I, 1464. The fleet coinage of Mark Antony is as enigmatic as they are fascinating. They were minted under the supervision of Antony's fleet prefects M. Oppius Capito, L. Sempronius Atratinus and L. Calpurnius Bibulus. The series was minted in the Æ denominations that would later become implemented by Augustus' monetary reforms: The sestertius, dupondius, tressis, and semis.

dddddd.mp4 Sulla's Civil War. C. Valerius Flaccus. AR Denarius. Massalia, 82 BC. Draped and winged bust of Victory right / Legionary eagle between two standards inscriped H[astati] and P[rincipes], C·VAL·FLA to left, IMPERAT to right. EX·S·C below. 19 mm, 3,67 g. Crawford 365/1b; Syd. 747a. Gaius Valerius Flaccus was an influential player in the tempered political climate of the late republic. Serving as Praetor some time before 96, Flaccus would go on to reach the penultimate step in the cursus honorum by being elected to the office of Consul in 93. Flaccus' had a very active post-consular career, governing both Hispania Ulterior and Hispania Citerior for a five year term between 92 and 87. Later in the decade, Flaccus would find himself in Gaul, serving as governor pro consule during the tumultous time of political infighting between the optimates and populares. To the delight of both factions, Flaccus remained relatively neutral during the ever escalating conflict between the faction of Marius-Cinna and Sulla. This was until his brother Lucius was killed by a Marian legate in Asia Minor. It is hard to pinpoint exactly to what effect Flaccus supported the Sullan regime but considering the substantial forces under his control it is postulated that Flaccus support (or at least, inaction) towards Sulla at least made the dictator's ascension easier.

The plot thickens! My purchases with Numismad have always come from Poland:

Woah! That is interesting and probably only highlights the suspected link between the two. Numismad and Bucephalus accidentally listed the same coin a few weeks back, prompting biddr to get involved. I'm fairly certain at this point that they're owned and operated by the same people

Like others have already mentioned, to make any competent assessment of the coin we'd need the weight and perferably pictures of the edge. Judging by the pictures you've already posted I'm inclined to believe its a forgery. However, I could easily be incorrect as there isn't a lot to go by here.