Coinmaster

See this great article about this fantastic coin find: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/emed.12640

This is a great publication related to this topic: https://www.academia.edu/37325921/Suspended_Value_Using_Coins_as_Pendants_in_Viking_Age_Scandinavia_c_AD_800_1140_

There are different kind of hoards. One type is a 'savings treasure', that usually contains selected coins with high value, high weight and high silver content. In short: the best coins from circulation. These hoards were hidden just as a way as you would put money in your savings account (for later purposes). Another hoard type is the 'circulation treasure'. These exist of random coins from circulation and contain usually all denominations that where used in circulation at a specific time. These hoards are mainly formed in times of acute danger, like attack on a village. It are these hoards that we learn a lot about coins. So if there are hardly any civilian hoards (villages/towns) with these smaller fractions, than their purpose must have been different than other coin types.

What's interesting is that the use of the quadrants was limited to the military camp(s), while other denominations are being found in rural settlements. This must mean something. What's also interesting is the presence of large amounts of AVAVCIA-coins in early military camps. So what the specific use of these small coins? Possibly this was used both as gambling money and used as money in the camps for small goods and services, but limited to the boundary of the camp. I see a relation to much later 'camp-money', like plantation coins/tokens.

You can try this with a soft eraser.

Many thanks, I'll send you a pm. About the purpose/usage of semis/quadrans, it seems they aren't found in settlements and mainly in the context of military camps. That would indicate they were produced not as small change, but more as tokens or for exchange for a specific item, service of goal. Like entrance to a bath house. See als: 'Consignments of bronze coins Consignments of coins with specific reverse types, relevant to the recipients and contingents of quadrantes from one emission were apparently sent to a specific area or army camp. Direct shipments of coin consignments were recognized elsewhere too. A remarkable consignment of quadrantes under Domitian warrants special attention. Quadrantes are usually thought to have circulated mainly in Italy during the Julio-Claudian period. However, in the canabae legionis of the castra of the tenth legion Gemina in Nijmegen, 414 quadrantes were found, 304 of which were struck for Domitian. All of the latter coins were of the same type: ric ii² 123 (= ric 436 in the first edition of ric ii), see figure 2. The coins were probably produced in ad 81-82. In the area of the Rhine limes, these coins were also found in Augst and Vindonissa, Neuss and in smaller numbers in some other Rhine forts. Judging by the quantities, Nijmegen was the hub in the distribution. The coins are found on military sites and did not proliferate to civilian sites, neither rural nor urban. Oddly, type ric ii² 123 is rare in Italy and a consignment of these coins seems to have been produced or earmarked for the legion in the Nijmegen castra. In the provinces Gallia Belgica and Britannia quadrantes were very scarce. From the Sacred Spring in the temple for Sulis Minerva in Bath 12,595 coins were recovered, none of which were quadrantes. Of a total of 143,349 coins in the Portable Antiquities Scheme (PAS) database, 11,443 coins date from the quadrantes production period, ending with Antoninus Pius in ad 161. Only eight of these coins were quadrantes. The large-scale supply of quadrantes by Domitian to Nijmegen is consistent with this emperor’s interest in financial and monetary matters and might have been prompted by the emperor’s presence on the Rhine during the war against the Chatti in ad 83. Opportunistic distribution by nummularii to obtain a profit is very unlikely in view of the unfavourable weight/value ratio of this coinage. Rather, we recognize the expression of a quite sophisticated and detailed monetary policy.' (source: https://jaarboekvoormuntenpenningkunde.nl/jaarboek/2019/2019a.pdf (page 5-6)) I also found this publication about the quadrans of Caligula: https://cora.ucc.ie/server/api/core/bitstreams/a3bf0d9a-4d54-498a-bac4-4468042760b6/content. And this topic is interesting: https://www.cointalk.com/threads/a-common-quadrans.373983/. Plus here are some: https://www.forumancientcoins.com/numiswiki/view.asp?key=ERIC - ANONYMOUS COINAGE

Yes, great question! And why wasn't this continued?

This weekend I purchaised this nice denarius from Septimius Severus via the Savoca auction, for € 50,-. Including fees and shipping almost € 75,-. I think (and hope) not too much for this nice portrait.

What a great topic this is, thank you all! I found the Van Heesch thesis: https://www.academia.edu/20381200/Studie_over_de_semis_en_de_quadrans_van_Domitianus_tot_en_met_Antoninus_Pius And fortunately I own the Woytek books about the Traian coins, but are there any catalogues or other (digital?) overview publications with these coins? And a question: are there no hoards with (also) these coin types? If not, what could be the reason?

Yes! And tomorrow present at: https://koninklijkgenootschap.nl/voorjaarsbijeenkomst-2023/ 👍🏻

Hi all, I'm researching coins from Gaius Julius Vindex from the year 68 that are found in Dutch soil (The Netherlands). Very interesting topic and I found several new variants. I just wrote this short article for a general public. It's in Dutch, but you'll get the picture. Please share if you have any Vindex coins in your collection! ☺️👍🏻 https://www.utrechtaltijd.nl/verhalen/de-wraak-van-vindex/

Just basic tools except a drill. According to my wive I'm really, really clumsy, so this should be a big encouragement to create your own coin cabinet - good luck!

Really, if I can do it.., you can as well!

As requested! ☺️👍🏻

This is my one (and only) Gordianus. Isn't this portrait just incredible?

After four coats of lacquer, the coin cabinet had the correct nut colour. The last steps were to make the drawers run smoothly with wax and then a very long search for gold-colored knobs. Of course it didn't fit right away either and the drawers had to be drilled out to the right thickness, new screws had to be found at the right length and then mounted. But voila, look at the end result! If something takes so much effort and you have two left hands, then the satisfaction is also there: this coin cabinet will last the rest of my life!

The next step was choosing the right walnut color lacquer and lacquering the cabinet and all twelve drawers. Unfortunately, this did little with the color. So after drying overnight a new layer came on. And a new layer. And another layer. Yes, it takes some effort but then you also have something! See the below photos.

Because I didn't like the yellow-like colour of the cabinet I had to sand the wood of the whole cabinet and each of the 12 drawers on all sides. Imagine a half day spent, not my best day I may add, haha. See the next photo.

Unfortunately, the coin trays did not fit, so I had to cut them to size as well. This was a difficult job, because only a certain type of tableau fit. See photos 8-11. The coin trays where now a perfect fit!

I ordered coin inlays The bottom of the drawers was too deep and had to be filled. For this I bought a filling that I cut to size per drawer. See photos 6-7.

Now each of the 12 drawers had six holes, because of the removed deviders. So the next step was to fill these with a filling which hardened like wood and next to sand the wood. See photo 5. You can imagine this took some hours of work. 😉

Hi all, I made myself a coin cabinet. It took me a while, because I'm not handy at all. But I finally made it and, well, I'm proud and happy with the outcome! Below the steps it took to make the coin cabinet. Excuse me if my English is not perfect, I'm not a native speaker. First I bought an old wooden dentist drawer cabinet (80,- euro), about 60 or 70 years old. The 12 drawers where divided into three compartments each in where paper was laid. I removed the papers and all wooded dividers - which was not an easy task. See photos 1-4.

What a great story, I didn't know this one! 'The history of this coin is the history of two Roman emperors, two Armenian kings and a Parthian royal couple, for in 20 BC, Augustus' stepson and future heir, Tiberius, led a military campaign to Armenia to replace the Armenian king, Artaxias, II with his brother, Tigranes III. The swift Roman reaction to an Armenian embassy expressing their discontent with Artaxias II impressed the Parthian king, Phraates IV (38-2 BC), so much that he accepted the Roman supremacy over the long-contested Kingdom of Armenia. The king also returned the legionary eagles captured from Crassus in the battle of Carrhae in 51 BC, in exchange for the return of one of his sons who had been held hostage in Rome. It was one of the major diplomatic victories of Augustus, who celebrated the success with a broad propagandistic campaign, which included this very rare coin emission depicting Armenia not as an ally, but as a captured and subjugated kingdom. Aside from concluding peace between the two superpowers of their time, the diplomatic embassies between Augustus and Phraates had a certainly unexpected consequence: in his son's entourage, there was a beautiful slave girl named Musa, whom Phraates would eventually marry and accept as his queen. To his fatal misfortune, Musa turned out to be a highly talented but ruthless power seeker, and in 2 BC, she poisoned her husband and replaced him with their mutual son, Phraatakes, whom she married as his mother-wife.' Augustus, 27 BC-AD 14. Denarius (Silver, 19 mm, 3.41 g, 1 h), Pergamum, circa 19-18 BC. Bare head of Augustus to right. Rev. CAESAR - DIV F / ARMEN - CAPTA / IMP - VIII Armenian standing facing, wearing bashlyk and long garnments, holding spear in his right hand and bow set on ground in his left. BMC 678 and pl. 16, 19 = RIC 519 corr. (reverse legend) and pl. 9 (same dies). Cohen 59. Very rare. Minor deposits and with light scratches, otherwise, good fine. (source: Leu Numismatik Lot 2077 | Web Auction: 25)

You'd think that a temple that old would be highly influenced by the Greeks. The figurine-columns makes me think of the Greek temple / Caryatid Porch at the Acropolis in Athens (ca. 421-405 BCE). With this example I think the image on your coin could represent real figurine-like columns (temple facade). Not 100% proof of course, but it could be. I've been on the Acropolis myself some 20 years ago. 🙂 The image on the column of Traian is the river god of the Danube if I'm not mistaken.

Wow, you'd wonder what's the story behind that. It seems the depiction is that of Cybele. She was the mother of other gods. I think Julia Domna expresses herself with this coin as the mother of emperors (Caracalla and Geta) as Cybele is for gods. You might even say Julia Domna is personalizing or identifying herself as Cybele. Truly a great coin! For more info about Cybele, see here.