red_spork

This unfortunately doesn't surprise me at all. It's quite rare in my experience to find any employee at USPS who cares about your missing mail until you really cause a fuss and get the postal inspector involved. In the town I previously lived in things would go missing quite often and usually be marked as delivered - they'd always show up after I complained, sometimes from a delivery driver in a personal vehicle but I've always wondered what would've happened had I not always complained the day something failed to show up.

My only Julius Caesar, currently: Roman Imperatorial period Orichalcum dupondius?(17.0g, 28mm). Julius Caesar, dictator, Autumn 45 BC, Rome. Draped bust of victory right, wearing necklace. Wing visible behind shoulder. Before, CAESAR DICT TER/Minerva walking left with trophy over right shoulder and, spears in left hand and shield decorated with Medusa. Snake at feet. C CLOVI PRAEF around. Crawford 476/1a; Sear HCRI 62; RPC 601; Sydenham 1025; BMCRR 4125. This coin has a strange place in the Roman monetary system as an orichalcum dupondius, unlike anything minted before. This coin was likely minted to be handed out during Caesar's triumph after Munda. Unlike his previous triumphs which were ostensibly celebrating victories over foreign enemies such as Juba(who were allied with Roman armies), this triumph was explicitly celebrating a victory over other Romans, by a dictator who had recently been granted a 10 year term. If this was not the moment that started the plot against Caesar, it very likely gave the conspirators a lot of ammunition for casting him as a dangerous threat to the Republic. And Cassius: The Liberators, AR denarius(19mm, 3.71 g, 6h). Gaius Cassius Longinus, Imperator with Publius Cornelius Lentulus Spinther, Legate, late 43-early 42 B.C., military mint with Cassius and Brutus, possibly Smyrna. Head of Libertas right, wearing veil and diadem; before, LEIBERTAS upwards; behind, C•CASSI•IMP updwards. Border of dots / Jug and lituus; below, LENTVLVS SPINT in two lines. Border of dots. Crawford 500/5; Sear HCRI 223. Ex Andrew McCabe Collection, CNG e-Auction 408, October 25 2017, lot 440, ex JD Collection, Numismatica Ars Classica 78 part II, May 27 2014, lot 1892, ex Jacques Schulman 265, September 28 1976, lot 454, ex Auctiones AG Basel 3, December 4 1973, lot 328 his denarius comes from a joint issue of denarii and aurei of the Liberators Brutus and Cassius struck at a mint in the East(probably Smyrna), late 43 or early 42 B.C.. At this point in the civil war between the Liberators and the Second Triumvirate, Brutus and Cassius had met up in Smyrna(Modern day Ismir, Turkey) for the first time since the two parted ways at Piraeus(a port near Athens), Brutus for his Provincial assignment of Macedonia and Cassius for his assignment in Syria. When they left Italy, neither man had much of an army or much money, but while abroad both had raised considerable forces on land and sea for the cause of the Liberators and Cassius had managed to amass a considerable war-chest of gold and silver as well. A conference was called between the two men in Smyrna to plan their next moves in this war and prepare for the arrival of the Triumviral armies. It was decided that Cassius would bring his forces to neutralize Rhodes and Brutus, Lycia before meeting back up and moving towards Greece and eventually, Philippi.

Possibly. Or they are simply attempting to argue that all the evidence and actions point to it likely being stolen or possibly just that the defendant believed it to be stolen based on his actions - many crimes in the US have an element of "knew or should have known" that can in some cases make a party guilty of a certain crime like possession of stolen property when property is not stolen but it can be proven that the defendant believed it was. Famously in the case of Arnold Peter Weiss even though the coins were declared fake he still technically plead guilty to the attempt to commit certain crimes. Ultimately it's hard to understand exactly where that charge comes from. Hopefully we get some clarification. I would really like to know if this is some new legal theory being tested and applied to antiquities or a more germane, straightforward case they intend to argue.

So, a few things here. First, the MOUs are not criminal law. The MOU status of an object does not make it stolen property, it simply means CBP can seize it but nothing in the MOUs allow any sort of criminal penalties related to a seizure. As far as proof for the MOUs in theory, you need not demonstrate anything - a sworn statement should be enough(of course that does nothing if there's evidence it's untrue). But the MOUs do not apply here at least as concerns the Eid Mar Aureus because the Greek MOU only covers coins in silver and bronze. If the aureus was minted in Greece(debatable, but I think likely, and the prosecution docs seem to suggest that's what they think too), then the MOU doesn't cover it. I looked through the whole MOU - nothing in it applies to gold coins at all. Here's how the section describing Roman coins struck in Greece starts: In general for the MOUs the burden of proof is on the importer who either needs to provide some evidence of provenance or a sworn statement if a shipment is stopped.

This is my biggest unanswered question and my biggest worry here. If the case was just about known-to-be-looted coins and an allegedly fake provenance, that's pretty standard stolen property and fraud stuff. If instead the "stolen" bit hinges entirely on the lack of provenance then that's quite worrying indeed.

Here are a couple more with provenances I particularly like. First a nice denarius of Antony ex Rashleigh collection, Glendining 1953 Roman Imperatorial period AR Denarius(3.82g), Marcus Antonius, Summer 38 B.C., Athens. Marcus, veiled and wearing the priestly robes of an augur, standing right, holding lituus in right hand; M•ANTONIVS•M•F•M•N•AVGVR•I(MP)•TE(RT) around clockwise. Border of dots / Radiate head of Sol right; III•VIR•R•P•C•COS•DESIG•ITER•ET•TERT around clockwise. Border of dots. Sear HCRI 267; Crawford 533/2; BMCRR East 141; Banti Marcus Antonius 57/3(this coin) Purchased from Numismatica Varesina, 8 July 2022, ex VL Nummus Auction 12, 15 September 2019, lot 87, ex Giuseppe De Falco FPL 51, December 1960, 272, ex John Cosmo Stuart Rashleigh Collection, Part I, Glendining, 14th-16th January 1953, lot 427 And another from the Signorelli collection that my Faustus Cornelius Sulla denarius above came from. I've verified the provenance but don't seem to have a picture of the plate at hand. Will have to grab that later: Roman Imperatorial period AR quinarius(14.5mm., 1.69g), C Caesar Octavianus and Marcus Antonius, military mint with Octavian in Gaul, late 29 BC. Diademed and veiled head of Concordia right, III•VIR R•P•C around counterclockwise/Two clasped hands holding caduceus, M•ANTON C•CAESAR around counterclockwise. Crawford 529/4b; Sear HCRI 304; Banti Marcus Antonius 112/3(this coin) "From a European Collection", Naville Numismatics Live Auction 64, 21 March 2021, lot 470, ex Dr Angelo Signorelli collection, part II, P.P. Santamaria, 4 June 1952, lot 853

Here's one, the first Roman silver coin, purchased from a private seller advertising it on a Facebook group, no provenance listed, but I was able to find a 1958 provenance to the Count Luigi Brunacci collection for it Roman Republic AR Didrachm(7.27g, 6h), anonymous, circa 326-300 BC, Neapolis mint. Helmeted head of bearded Mars left; behind, oak-spray / Horse's head right on base; behind, corn-ear; on base, ROMANO. Crawford 13/1; Burnett 5(Ob/R2); BMCRR Romano-Campanian 1; Sydenham 1 Privately purchased from M.V. Collection on 15 September 2022, ex Count Luigi Brunacci Collection, P & P Santamaria 24-28 February 1958, lot 1 Another one purchased at Aureo & Calico, no provenance listed but found a provenance to the Martini Collection, sold by Ratto Roman Republic AR Victoriatus(2.90g). Anonymous, second Falcata series, 206-195 B.C., Rome mint. Laureate head of Jupiter right; border of dots / Victory standing right, crowning trophy; falcata between. In exergue, ROMA. Line border. Crawford 120/1 Ex Aureo & Calico 375, 20 October 2021, lot 111, ex Joseph Martini Collection, Rodolfo Ratto Lugano 24 February 1930, lot 151 This one was sold by NAC with the 1952 Signorelli provenance, then later by CNG who crucially omitted the Signorelli provenance(and it sold at a nice discount to the NAC price). I found the note in the NAC listing while doing my due diligence before the CNG sale, verified it was in fact the Signorelli coin and was very happy to win it for a few increments under my max: Roman Republic AR Denarius(18.5mm, 4.02 g, 9h), Faustus Cornelius Sulla, moneyer, 56 B.C., Rome mint. Head of young Hercules right, wearing lion skin headdress; behind, SC and monogram, downwards / Globe surrounded by three small wreaths and one large wreath; apluster to lower left, stalk of grain to lower right. Crawford 426/4a; Sydenham 882; Cornelia 61; RBW 1529; Banti Cornelia 86/5(this coin). Ex CNG Electronic Auction 525 session 1, 19 October 2022, lot 789, ex JS collection, ex Numismatica Ars Classica Spring Sale 2021, 10 May 2021, lot 1081, ex Dr Angelo Signorelli collection, part II, P.P. Santamaria, 4 June 1952, lot 329 Sorry about the plate pic, I need to grab a better one.

One of my big annoyances with eBay lately is the insistence on charging me sales tax even though my state does not charge sales tax on coins! I don't buy coins that often on eBay but it does add an extra charge I have to be aware of when making offers now.

10. The first coin I'm sharing isn't a particularly rare one but it's a very pleasing example of the type and one I surprisingly found on eBay at a pretty reasonable price, thanks to a tip from a friend. This is an Anchor series denarius, a relatively early issue. The exact meaning of the anchor is not clear but the anchor also shows up on some earlier Roman currency bars and some later issues and seems to have been an important symbol. Roman Republic AR Denarius(4.26g). Anonymous, first anchor series. Circa 209-208 B.C. Rome mint. Helmeted head of Roma right; behind, X. Border of dots / Dioscuri galloping right; below, anchor; in linear frame, ROMA. Line border. Crawford 50/2 Privately purchased 9 September 2022, ex Harlan J Berk Buy or Bid Sale 121, 10 July 2001, 262 9. The second coin I'm sharing is a type that I've been wanting to upgrade for quite some time and annoyed me every time I saw it in my trays, but I couldn't quite bring myself to sell my old example for some reason until I got an offer I couldn't refuse on this new example. This type is the anonymous(i.e. without letters) sibling of the C AL series from Sicily, a scarcer type that seemingly always comes with strike issues and on flans that are just a bit too tight for the dies they're struck with, and my new example still isn't perfect but I find it much more pleasing in my trays than my prior example. New example below with white background, old with black background. Roman Republic AR Denarius(19mm, 4.47 g, 1h), anonymous(related to C AL series), 209-208 B.C., Sicilian mint. Helmeted head of Roma right with loop beneath visor; behind, X / The Dioscuri galloping right; below, ROMA in linear frame. Crawford 75/1c; Sydenham 191a; Russo RBW 321 Privately purchased from Michael Stolt, 28 October 2022, ex CNG e-Auction 514, 20 April 2022, lot 350 8. The third coin I'm sharing is an overstrike I've looked for a clear example of for years and it's probably the most "different" coin I'll be sharing from what I normally collect. This type features a facing head of Silenus on the obverse and a wreath surrounding MAKEΔONΩN on the reverse. The exact chronology of these mysterious types is debated, but I am a fan of Pierre MacKay's argument in ANSMN 14 that these should be placed in the period after the third Macedonian War. These types virtually always show signs of overstriking and, when the undertype can be deciphered as it can here(note the locks of hair at 9 o clock obverse and wings at 12 o clock, among other things), the undertypes are virtually always Roma/legend in wreath issues of the Roman quaestors Gaius Publilius or Lucius Fulcinnius. MacKay argues that these quaestors were striking coins under Lucius Aemilius Paullus directly following the end of the war, but that once word got to Rome, in an attempt to keep up the illusion of a free Macedon, the Roma-headed coins were recalled and overstruck with this Silenus design(the prominent D at the top of the obverse standing essentially for "deletion"). I disagree with the standard assumption that a D. Junius Silanus was responsible, I think the design could be somewhat arbitrary but I do think the overall narrative is correct. Macedon under Roman Rule. Uncertain official(traditionally, D. Junius Silanus), Æ25 (9.96g), 167-165 BC. Facing mask of Silenos, wearing ivy wreath / MAKE/ΔONΩN in two lines, D above; all within oak wreath. MacKay, "Bronze Coinage In Macedonia, 168-166 BC," ANSMN 14 (1968), pl.III, 10; SNG Copenhagen 1324. Overstruck on a quaestor Æof Gaius Publilius or Lucius Fulcinnius as evidenced by the Roma obverse undertype remnants at 9-12 o clock obverse Privately purchased from NeroNumi via Vcoins, 10 June 2022, ex Gorny & Mosch Giessener Münzhandlung Auction 220, 11 March 2014, 1249 7. Another example of a coin that's common but has eluded me for years is a nice denarius of C Mamilius Limetanus. This type is a perfect example of the explosion of personal types you see in the period after the Social War. This moneyer's family claimed descent from Telegonus(and thus, Odysseus) and celebrated the famous scene from the Odyssey where Odysseus, having returned in disguise as a beggar after 20 years, is only recognized by his old dog Argos, who wags his tail and looks at his master one last time to greet him before passing away. It's a touching scene for dog lovers like me. Given the timing of this issue I can't help but wonder if there weren't also some subtle undertones about the return of Sulla baked into this design, but this is all debated and I can't really do that discussion justice here. Roman Republic AR Denarius serratus(3.72g), 82 BC, Rome mint. C Mamilius Limetanus, moneyer. Draped bust of Mercury right, wearing winged petasus; caduceus over left shoulder and behind, I / C·MAMIL – LIMETAN; Ulysses standing right, holding staff and extending his right hand to his dog, Argus. Crawford 362/1 Privately purchased from the personal collection of Edgar L. Owen 31 January 2022, ex Numismatica Ars Classica 64, 17 May 2012, 2304 6. Another overstrike! I really like overstrikes and I knew I wanted this one as soon as I saw it. This is a very clear McCabe Group H1 semis ovesrtruck on captured Carthaginian Tanit left/Horse issue from about the middle of the Second Punic War. While Rome-over-Carthage overstrikes of smaller denominations are quite common, enough that you can find group lots of them from time to time, Hersh & Crawford only cite a single example of an approximately uncial weight semis overstrike on a Carthaginian coin in the Scullard collection. In about 8 and a half years of collecting and focusing on overstrikes, this is the only example I've ever seen offered, so I was stoked to be able to acquire it. Roman Republic Æ Semis(11.47g, 27mm). Anonymous, after 211 BC, mint in Southern Italy, Sicily or Sardinia. Laureate head of Saturn right, S behind/Prow of galley right, S above, ROMA below. McCabe Anonymous group H1(half weight overstrikes); Cf. Crawford 56/3 Overstruck on Carthaginian bronze with head of Tanit left/Horse standing right, head turned left. For overstrike, cf Hersh, Numismatic Chronicle 1953, 6; Crawford, overstrikes 31. Purchased from Lucernae, 14 July 2022 5. There's a lot to like about this coin: interesting moneyer, interesting devices, great provenance, great surfaces(minus a couple small bankers marks) and really beautiful toning. The type was minted by the moneyer Faustus Cornelius Sulla, son of the Dictator Sulla, in 56 B.C..The three small wreaths on the reverse refer to Pompey's three triumphs, and the larger one to the Corona Aurea(gold crown) he was awarded in 63 B.C.. The globe probably refers to the globe carried in Pompey's third triumph as he claimed that he had now conquered the entire known world, having Triumphed for victories in Spain, Asia and Africa. The apluster and wheat-ear likely refer to Pompey's position as cura annonae in 57 B.C.. Roman Republic AR Denarius(18.5mm, 4.02 g, 9h), Faustus Cornelius Sulla, moneyer, 56 B.C., Rome mint. Head of young Hercules right, wearing lion skin headdress; behind, SC and monogram, downwards / Globe surrounded by three small wreaths and one large wreath; apluster to lower left, stalk of grain to lower right. Crawford 426/4a; Sydenham 882; Cornelia 61; RBW 1529; Banti Cornelia 86/5(this coin). Ex CNG Electronic Auction 525 session 1, 19 October 2022, lot 789, ex JS collection, ex Numismatica Ars Classica Spring Sale 2021, 10 May 2021, lot 1081, ex Dr Angelo Signorelli collection, part II, P.P. Santamaria, 4 June 1952, lot 329 4. If I ever post a top 10 list without at least 1 victoriatus you should probably congratulate me on having collected them all or try to figure out if someone is impersonating me. This victoriatus is from the "LT" series, previously thought to have been a later emission or a different workshop of Luceria but more recent analyses such as that by Andrew McCabe suggest LT to be the product of a separate mint, basically marking the transition of the Luceria mint's role to another, more convenient locale in Apulia closer to where the coin was needed during the Second Punic War. This victoriatus is part of a large hoard that's been dispersed by a handful of auction houses and dealers over the last 4 or 5 years, mostly in slabs. A lot of these were overpriced but this scarcer type was seemingly overlooked by a dealer who seemingly priced a bunch of victoriati by the slab grade, neglecting that some were scarcer types or were way better condition than others. Of course I have liberated it since purchase but I've neglected to get a better photo. Roman Republic AR Victoriatus(3.81g), Anonymous("LT" series). ca. 214-212 B.C., Central Apulian mint, perhaps under Quintus Fabius Maximus filius at Herdonia. Laureate head of Jupiter right. Border of dots / Victory standing right, crowning trophy with wreath; LT between. ROMA in exergue. Line border. Crawford 98a/1b 3. I didn't add many Imperatorial coins this year but I really like the one Imperatorial denarius I did pick up. I actually added it to my watchlist in late 2021 and found the Rashleigh provenance listed below but felt it was still a bit on the expensive side until the falling Euro made it too cheap for me to resist. This denarius of Antony was struck Summer 38 BC in Athens. On the obverse of this coin is Antony, portrayed in the priestly robes and with the lituus of an Augur, likely Antony's attempt at stressing his adherence to traditional Republican values in opposition to Octavian who was driving towards autocracy. The reverse features a bust of Sol, a symbol of the East, in this case likely attempting to show that affairs in the East were still important to Antony, who had recently returned from Italy where he had been for much of 40 and 39 BC. Roman Imperatorial period AR Denarius(3.82g), Marcus Antonius, Summer 38 B.C., Athens. Marcus, veiled and wearing the priestly robes of an augur, standing right, holding lituus in right hand; M•ANTONIVS•M•F•M•N•AVGVR•I(MP)•TE(RT) around clockwise. Border of dots / Radiate head of Sol right; III•VIR•R•P•C•COS•DESIG•ITER•ET•TERT around clockwise. Border of dots. Sear HCRI 267; Crawford 533/2; BMCRR East 141; Banti Marcus Antonius 57/3(this coin) Purchased from Numismatica Varesina, 8 July 2022, ex VL Nummus Auction 12, 15 September 2019, lot 87, ex Giuseppe De Falco FPL 51, December 1960, 272, ex John Cosmo Stuart Rashleigh Collection, Part I, Glendining, 14th-16th January 1953, lot 427. 2. The penultimate entry on my list is yet another victoriatus but this one is particularly special - probably my third favorite in my entire collection. This victoriatus is from a rare series not listed in Crawford but referred to as "91A"(due to some similarities with 91/1a and 1b) by Debernardi & Carbone in their paper on Hoards from Paestum. This series is relatively small, about 10 die pairs total, and, along with Crawford 91, is too rare to really say where it was minted since they only show up in a few isolated hoards and never in large numbers, but that just makes these coins all the more interesting to me. Roman Republic AR Victoriatus(3.39g, 17mm, 8h). Anonymous. ca. 212 BC. Uncertain mint. Laureate head of Jupiter right. Border of dots / Victory standing right, crowning trophy with wreath. ROMA in exergue. Line border. Crawford - but cf Crawford 91/1b & see P. Debernardi & F. Carbone "The Ara Basilica and Smaller Victoriati Hoards from Paestum", NC 178(2018), pp 312, type 91A. Ex Aes Rude Titano 42, 29 September 1990, 71 1. My top coin is probably no surprise to many of the members here. Its the first Roman silver coin, the first coin in my trays and really the first coin that is purely and entirely "Roman" in design since the two earlier struck Roman coins, 1/1 and 2/1 are in many ways, Neapolitan types with the name of Rome on them. Rather than copy some existing Neapolitan devices, on this type the Romans went with something entirely original: Mars, god of war and guardian of agriculture, and the Equus October or the October Horse, which would be sacrificed to Mars at the end of the connected warring and growing seasons. This type was minted right as Rome's conquest of the Italian peninsula was beginning and it's quite fitting that the first real "Roman" coinage would honor none other than the god of war himself. This coin also has a wonderful old provenance to the Brunacci collection sold by P & P Santamaria in Rome in 1958. I don't alway demand provenances for my coins, but this was the most I've spent on a coin and certainly one of the centerpieces of my collection, so I was very happy I was able to find some sort of provenance for it to help sweeten the deal and help convince me to make that offer and get the coin. Roman Republic AR Didrachm(7.27g, 6h), anonymous, circa 326-300 BC, Neapolis mint. Helmeted head of bearded Mars left; behind, oak-spray / Horse's head right on base; behind, corn-ear; on base, ROMANO. Crawford 13/1; Burnett 5(Ob/R2); BMCRR Romano-Campanian 1; Sydenham 1 Privately purchased from M.V. Collection on 15 September 2022, ex Count Luigi Brunacci Collection, P & P Santamaria 24-28 February 1958, lot 1 Thanks for reading and please let me know what you think and which ones are your favorites!

Great writeup. This type has always been one of my favorites over the years. After going through a few upgrades I've finally found one that I think is a keeper

This is actually a corn-ear/wheat ear(above prow) KA(to right of prow) series sextans from Sicily, Crawford 69/6a. These are often worn and/or badly struck and even overstruck which really makes a mess of them, but the style is quite distinct.

I use BC and AD, both in my own personal notes and in my writing because it's what I grew up using. I am not religious but it's what I've always used and I don't really see the point in correcting myself. If anything I don't always write "BC" at all on my tickets since my coins are all Roman Republic and all "BC" and it saves a little space.

It seems to me that selling a fake, replica, whatever you want to call it at a public auction well described as a fake is a great way to treat fakes. There will be high resolution photos of it and it will be part of the auction record, picked up by various auction archives, etc. Anyone doing basic due diligence on a purchase or research on a type via auction sales should be able to find that record. It also makes it easier to find known fakes of a type.

It's really frustrating how many companies seem to want to reuse the names of old respected auctioneers rather than actually making a name for themselves. The new Leu is a similar one. Nothing to do with the real Leu that was around for many years. Wonder which old auction house will get their name reused by a completely unrelated operation next?

@Andrew McCabehas a great story about a "museum coin" that wound up in his collection too, here. He of course did the right thing and returned it.

A couple new additions from Second Punic War Sicily not worthy of individual forum posts. First, a rare uncia variety in the style of the wheat-ear issue(Crawford 42/4) without the wheat-ear mintmark on the reverse. This specific type without the mintmark is not listed in Crawford: Roman Republic Æ Uncia(6.04g, 21mm, 6h). Anonymous, style of corn-ear(wheat-ear) series. 214-212 B.C. Sicilian mint. Helmeted head of Roma right; behind, • / Prow of galley right; ROMA above; below, •. Roberto Russo, Essays Hersh, pl. 18, 34; McCabe Group B1; Crawford -(but cf. 42/4 for similar style with corn-ear); Sydenham - Ex Roma Numismatics E-Sale 101, 13 October 2022, lot 883, "From a private European collection". And a scarcer anonymous denarius, Crawford 75/1c, the unsigned sibling of the C AL issue. This is an upgrade for me. My previous example had some flatness on the reverse and just wasn't a great coin. This is much better and the cost was a very modest uplift after selling my prior example: Roman Republic AR Denarius(19mm, 4.47 g, 1h), anonymous(related to C AL series), 209-208 B.C., Sicilian mint. Helmeted head of Roma right with loop beneath visor; behind, X / The Dioscuri galloping right; below, ROMA in linear frame. Crawford 75/1c; Sydenham 191a; Russo RBW 321 Privately purchased from Michael Stolt, 28 October 2022, ex CNG e-Auction 514, 20 April 2022, lot 350

When my collection gets sold, if I'm still alive and able to direct it, I definitely want it sold under my own name, and as an added wrinkle, with my own personal notes on many lots, for a couple reasons. As for my name, I want people to be able to easily be able to find and reference my collection afterwards. The notes are largely because I have several types that are unpublished or, if published, have never or rarely appeared correctly attributed in the sales record, and many coins have interesting provenances or have been published somewhere and I want all of my coins to be properly attributed, described and provenanced. I've put a lot of effort into tracking down old provenances and correctly attributing my coins and really figuring out everything about them and I want all of this reflected in a sale. I bought many of these coins at auction from these same auction houses with missing provenances or misattributions so I think my insistence on correctness is not unwarranted. Thankfully, the couple of auction houses I've spoken with regarding this seem more than happy to accept these terms if they get my consignment but hopefully I've got many more years of collecting before I need to actually commit to one or the other.

I bought this denarius at a nice discount to the previous NAC sale price, perhaps because CNG seemingly lost the 1952 provenance mentioned by NAC. I felt overall the RR section was pretty reasonable. There were a few other coins I bid on as well but missed mostly because I was just looking for cheap deals, but many still hammered at what I would consider pretty low prices given what we've seen over the past couple years. The type was minted by the moneyer Faustus Cornelius Sulla, son of the Dictator Sulla, in 56 B.C..The three small wreaths on the reverse refer to Pompey's three triumphs, and the larger one to the Corona Aurea(gold crown) he was awarded in 63 B.C.. The globe probably refers to the globe carried in Pompey's third triumph as he claimed that he had now conquered the entire known world, having Triumphed for victories in Spain, Asia and Africa. The apluster and wheat-ear likely refer to Pompey's position as cura annonae in 57 B.C.. Roman Republic AR Denarius(18.5mm, 4.02 g, 9h), Faustus Cornelius Sulla, moneyer, 56 B.C., Rome mint. Head of young Hercules right, wearing lion skin headdress; behind, SC and monogram, downwards / Globe surrounded by three small wreaths and one large wreath; apluster to lower left, stalk of grain to lower right. Crawford 426/4a; Sydenham 882; Cornelia 61; RBW 1529; Banti Cornelia 86/5(this coin). Ex CNG Electronic Auction 525 session 1, 19 October 2022, lot 789, ex JS collection, ex Numismatica Ars Classica Spring Sale 2021, 10 May 2021, lot 1081, ex Dr Angelo Signorelli collection, part II, P.P. Santamaria, 4 June 1952, lot 329

I have a few types from the pre-denarius period. Some Aes rude: Italy, Æ Aes Rude(55.02g, 55.81g, 69.57g, 80.41g, 95.05g), before 4th century B.C.. Irregular cast lump with no stamp or mark of value. Vecchi ICC 1 Ex Andrew McCabe Collection, CNG e-Auction 452, 18 September 2019, lot 728, ex RBW Collection, before 2010 An Aes Grave uncia, Crawford 14/6 Roman Republic Æ Aes Grave uncia(27 mm, 25.52 g), anonymous, 280-265 B.C., Rome mint. Astragalos(sheep knucklebone) seen from above; • / •. Crawford 14/6; Vecchi ICC 31; HN Italy 273; Thurlow-Vecchi 6a; Haeberlin plate 40, 19 Ex Triskeles Auction 20(Vauctions 325), June 30 2017, lot 513, ex CNG E-Auction 115, May 25 2005, lot 328 A goddess/lion dilitra or semuncia which looks like it has bronze disease, but eh bright green are actually hard mineral deposits, perhaps malachite: Roman Republic Æ double litra or semuncia(12.95g, 25mm, 6h), anonymous, after 264 B.C., mint in Southern Italy. Female head right, hair bound with ribbon / Lion advancing right with spear in mouth, in exergue, ROMANO. Crawford 16/1a; Sydenham 5; HN Italy 276 And a relatively scarce Minerva-right/Horsehead-right litra or quartuncia: Roman Republic Æ litra(5.75g, 18mm), anonymous, after 264 B.C., Cosa mint. Helmeted head of minerva right; border of dots / Horse's head right, on base; behind, ROMA[NO] upwards. Crawford 17/1d; BMCRR Romano-Campanian 12; Sydenham 3a Ex Thersites Collection, Roma e-sale 32 lot 662, ex Andrew McCabe Collection, acquired in 2009 I'm really going to have to add some more examples of these struck types to my collection and upgrade what I have. Most of these were budget examples that I picked up occasionally when I saw one selling too cheap but now, as silly as it sounds, since I have such as nice didrachm I feel like these look a bit out of place. Hopefully there will be some more of this early roman coinage in my collection in the near future.

Crawford is an excellent reference and a good place to start but RRC is going on 50 years old. There have been many new hoards, new types, new varieties, etc published since RRC and many die studies which have added considerable new information so it's good to look at these new sources of information and see what they have to say. Crawford did a good job of mostly getting the overall framework and story of the coinage right but we now know that a lot of specific details were wrong. Unfortunately no one has yet compiled everything into a single updated reference but it is sorely needed at this point.

Crawford actually later changed his opinion on this issue in Coinage and Money Under the Roman Republic(which covers many areas where Crawford's thinking has changed since RRC) and no longer believes it to be from Metapontum. He also moved the date up a bit to around 300 BC, as many more recent authors have done based on more recent hoard evidence. Thanks, AJ! I am definitely very happy with it, and it's a much better example than I ever thought I'd own.

This type has always been a favorite for me. I really like how you have all these moneyers starting to make very personal designs emphasizing their familial accomplishments but this moneyer decided to go against that, minting anonymously with a type that purely celebrates the founding myth of Rome. Really awesome and interesting departure from the norm. Roman Republic AR denarius(19mm, 3.87 g, 9h), anonymous, circa 115 or 114 B.C., Rome mint. Helmeted head of Roma right with curl on left shoulder; below, ROMA; behind, X. Border of dots. / Roma, wearing Corinthian helmet, seated right on pile of shields, holding spear in left hand; at feet, beside pile of shields, helmet; before, she-wolf right, suckling twins; on either side, bird flying. Border of dots. Crawford 287/1 Ex CNG e-Auction 443, 1 May 2019, lot 455, ex Andrew McCabe Collection, AM#13206-39, ex Roma V, 23 March 2013, lot 519, ex Mayflower (Herb Sukenik) Collection, Heritage 3019, 25 April 2012, lot 25924, ex George N. Polis M.D. Collection, Bowers & Merena, 10 June 1991, lot 74, ex Aurelia Collection, Owl, Ltd. & Thomas McKenna, November 1980, lot 72.

Name and shame. That's the only way to make these dealers care.

It's good to see NGC trying a technique that allows you to view more of the coin. They've almost reached the pinnacle of protection and accessibility that is keeping your coins raw and handling them with your hands. I for one can't wait until they introduce the NGC HandView holder

I recently crossed off a type from my collecting bucket list that also serves as an important bookend for my collection: a Mars/Horsehead “ROMANO” didrachm, the first silver coin of the Romans. As is the case with many early Roman coins, the date and mint at which it was struck, along with the context surrounding its striking, have long been the subject of debate. Various authors have placed it as early as 340 B.C. and as late as the 260s B.C., with Metapontum, Neapolis and Rome, along with the general area of Campania commonly proposed as mint locations. Dating of course drives the context discussion, but some commonly proposed contexts have been the start of the Second Samnite War, the Foedus Neapolitanum, the building of the Via Appia, the funding of the Pyrrhic War and virtually every other important late fourth/early third century BC event in Roman history.The dating I’ve cited below is roughly based on what most recent scholarship seems to be pointing to, with this issue being minted somewhere in the latter quarter or so of the fourth century, and to me the mint location at Neapolis seems most likely since these coins were minted at the Neapolitan weight standard and, at least I am told by collectors of Greek coinage, that the fabric matches contemporary Neapolitan issues. On top of that, these coins are never found in hoards around Rome, so while there is the possibility that they were minted in Rome by some sort of Greek “contractors”, it seems most likely they were minted in Neapolis, which makes sense since, at this time that roughly coincides with the Second Samnite War, Rome would have had plenty of dealings in Campania.As far as the devices themselves, it’s easy to look at Mars and the bridled horse head on the obverse and think these are generic martial imagery and leave it at that, but as Crawford, Burnett and others have pointed out the choice of a wheat-ear behind the horse head perhaps offers a hint that there’s more going on here. Specifically, these devices when taken together seemingly refer to the Equus October(the October Horse). Each year, at the beginning and end of the combined campaigning season and agricultural cycle, festivals to Mars(who was not just the god of war, but also a guardian of agriculture) would be held, culminating in a series of chariot races at the end of season festival. The outside horse of the winning chariot would be ritually slain and sacrificed to Mars, as thanks for the recently completed harvest and as an offering asking Mars to protect the next one. This is notably the only horse sacrifice known in Roman religion.As many of my recent coins have, this coin also has a wonderful old provenance to the Count Luigi Brunacci Collection sold by P & P Santamaria in Rome, 24-28 February 1958, where, fitting its position as the first Roman silver coin, it was lot 1. Unfortunately I’ve been unable to find any biographical information about Brunacci at all. If anyone here has anything to share, I’d be most interested in it. Roman Republic AR Didrachm(7.27g, 6h), anonymous, circa 326-300 BC, Neapolis mint. Helmeted head of bearded Mars left; behind, oak-spray / Horse's head right on base; behind, corn-ear; on base, ROMANO. Crawford 13/1; Burnett 5(Ob/R2); BMCRR Romano-Campanian 1; Sydenham 1Privately purchased from M.V. Collection on 15 September 2022, ex Count Luigi Brunacci Collection, P & P Santamaria 24-28 February 1958, lot 1 As always, feel free to share anything relevant.