Severus Alexander

We should've suggested follow-up posts! Please post your... • coins from other NumisForums members' collections • coins from Larissa • coins related to the Peloponnesian War • beautiful coin cases • Roman revolt coins (e.g. Domitianus and Saturninus-related) • Severus Alexander denarii and whatever else you think is relevant! 🙂 like maybe cool old tags...

How exactly does one follow @DonnaML's Hadrian extravaganza?! 🤯 A good place to start is with Hadrian's first issue, an eastern denarius proclaiming his legitimacy as the adopted son of Trajan: And here's another eastern denarius, with the Genius sacrificing reverse. I find this reverse interesting as a precursor to the standard nummus reverse introduced in Diocletian's reform: Moving to provincials (which surely have the best reverse types!), here's an alternate reverse to the one Donna showed for a Tarsos tridrachm. This one hearkens back to the early staters of the city, e.g. under Mazaios, showing a lion attacking a bull (example shown just below): Continuing the theme of reaching back into history, here's an issue of Athens under Hadrian. It's the last ancient occurrence of the classic Athena/Owl type. Crudely made and at only 13mm and 2.41g, it doesn't quite live up to its ancestors: From Egypt, here's an Osiris canopus on a drachm: And the Uraeus serpent on a diobol: I'll close with this Sabina dupondius, which is an uninteresting Vesta seated with palladium, but I felt it was worthy of inclusion due to its anepigraphic design: P.S. I skipped Trajan, but I'll just pop in the boar that I love:

I think de-nosing you in the Hippodrome would be more appropriate! 😝 I need to up my game on pre-reform Alexius. Are those silver tetartera supposed to be electrum, @voulgaroktonou? Here's a "metropolitan" tetarteron issued for use in Constantinople, with some silver in it: (Contrasting with the Thessalonican tetartera like this one, with zero silver: ) And here's my trachy:

My Saturnalia exchange with Curtis was definitely one of the highlights of my holiday, both the giving and the receiving. Curtis and I message a lot here on NumisForums, both about coins and life, and I especially enjoy following live auctions with him. He has become not just a great coin-friend but a great friend, period. Thanks, man. Our collecting motivations are pretty similar. So similar, in fact, that (confession time!) I certainly felt the pull of "oh, but I really would like to keep that!" when picking out his coins. 😝 The good side of that, of course, is that it made it easier to know what he was going to like. One thing I was sure of was that that I really wanted him to have an ex Severus Alexander collection Severus Alexander coin, something that would especially remind him of me. What a happy coincidence that he had just given away his favourite Sev Alex... to me! (Shades of Gifts of the Magi, by O. Henry, but where the accident is a good one!) The historical significance (and difficulty obtaining) the other two completed the picture. An extra nostalgic tidbit about the Domitius Domitianus Maximian: it was just such a coin (though Constantius I) that was my first entry in Curtis's fantastic Imperator contest from a few years ago, a contest that I remember very fondly. Fun times! Enough about Curtis, though. You wanna see the goodies I got, right?! 😋😁 Here's what first came out of the package: Holy crow, how cool is that!! And I know you're dying to see more of that inside box, as I was... He had actually carved my collection logo into the box!!! OMG, this was already the coolest thing ever!!! (My logo is a Byzantine style monogram... can you find the SEV ALEX?) I can't imagine how many hours this talented man put into making this amazing coin box, made of beautiful mahogany I might add. Just WOW. Flabbergasted. I probably shouldn't be posting it, because he'll be inundated with requests! OK, now let's open the box: Holy cow!!! There's a Larissa taurokathapsia in there!!! and that ex Helbing Sev Alex Antioch that I coveted too!!! Just unbelievable. But you need to see these coins up close and personal: Curtis totally nailed it with this drachm (as he knew he would). Such beautiful dies, with both sides conveying a great sense of action and movement. Very attractive toning, and please do enlarge the photo to see the mesmerizing crystallization pattern (I love that stuff, as Curtis knows). Along with the coin was a spiral-bound pair of articles by Lorber and Hermann on the coinage of Larissa. As Curtis explained in the letter accompanying my gift, the implication of the two papers is that my new drachm (in Hermann Group III F) was most probably issued near the beginning of the Second Peloponnesian War in 431. Larissa was an important ally of Athens, and the horse on the reverse is has a symbolic relevance, because their main contribution to the war effort came as a supplier of cavalry (Thessaly was of course well known for its superb horses). I also wonder if the bull-wrestling motif was symbolic of the struggle that engulfed Greece. Beautiful artistry and great history, a fabulous coin for me! Plus I had been wanting a taurokathapsia (bull-wrestler) coin ever since @zumbly posted one. How perfect, then, that the coin came from zumbly's store (minotaurcoins.com)! Next one: Just as I intended for Curtis to have a coin provenanced from my collection, so he did for me as well, from his collection. This was his choice, and it's perfect. First, I have a strong interest in the eastern coinage of Sev Alex. Second, it's actually from an AMCC auction, and I had coveted it ever since then, it being from an old Otto Helbing auction way back in 1942, held in Munich just after the first allied bombing of the city. (You can see the cool old ticket in the photo of the box interior, above.) This is a coin that has many stories to tell, not all of them good! But I like to think this most recent chapter has made it happy. It certainly has done so for me! 😊 Thanks again, Curtis, for everything. For everyone reading, please join me in a toast to coins and the friendships they inspire!

@nomisma and @Edessa, you’re right that today we start on the Comnenus/Komnenos dynasty, but if you look on p.1 of the thread, you’ll see that the switch time isn’t until 3pm Eastern (noon Pacific). I’m quite grateful, though, as it means I finally get to post this again: The troops have been far too rules-observant, I’ve been missing Donna’s wonderfully pissed off Constantinopolis! 😁

That's a spectacular set of anonymous folles, @voulgaroktonou! I highly recommend @Valentinian's excellent guide to these on his website: http://augustuscoins.com/ed/ByzAnon/ Here are mine, with a few extra related coins added in: I didn't really set out to "build" this set, most of it happened by accident (group lots, opportunity buys, and such), except for the most recent two or three. "Class A3" is in scare quotes because it probably doesn't exist. The difference between A2 and A3 is allegedly the size, but size variation is more or less continuous. Still, I suspect my A2 is earlier than the one I've labeled A3 because it's close in style and design to A1.

My portrait coins for the Aug. 6 slot: Constantine X alone: With Eudocia: Bonus: An imitation of the above by Nur ad-Din ibn Zengi from roughly 80 years later: (Zengi captured Bohemond III of Antioch in battle, but restored him to the throne later, preferring him to the Byzantine emperor at the time. It was under Nur ad-Din that Saladin got his start.) Romanus IV (of Manzikert infamy), 1/3 miiaresion: Bonus: dirham of Alp Arslan, victor of Manzikert, Balkh mint: Michael VII: (Wow I really need a new photo of that one!) And for Nicephorus III, one of my few electrum coins: Tomorrow we get a little sideshow of anonymous folles! 👍 I'd like to join everyone in welcoming @nomisma. That Rome Leo III is amazing!!

Very cool coin! I love imitations. 😋 I vote for fourrée core. There were multiple methods of producing fourrées, not all of which entail a “softness” in the underlying AE core. Striking a foil-wrapped flan typically has that result, but other fourrées were produced by striking the core first and plating the silver on after, e.g. by dipping the core in molten silver or melting powdered silver onto the core. I’ve also wondered about wrapping a struck core with foil and heating it, though I haven’t seen this method discussed. I think these other methods aren’t known to have come about before Imperial times, but that’s quite uncertain. @Valentinian has at least one very sharp fourrée core on his Republican fourrée page (the Licinius Crassus). Also, @DLTcoins may well be right that these Antony counterfeits were made in Imperial times, in which case there’s no obstacle. Here’s one with remaining silver. Without the surface corrosion, it seems the devices would be plenty sharp: The plating seems very thin here, which argues in favour of plating after striking. Overall I think fourrée core is the best explanation. There are plenty of fourrée Antony denarii around, but as you point out, there seems to be no plausible reason why a base metal version of these denarii would have been needed. What would Sherlock say? 😁

Thanks, Al… it is indeed quite rare, at least with the left-facing Tyche. 😊

My Basil II miliaresion: I love that imitation, @Valentinian!

Probably my most exciting Titus reverse is this AE21 from Antioch, dated 79/80: I find it rather amusing that the thunderbolt is sitting on a cushion. (The Titus-featured Tyche is rather amusing too!)

Catch-up post #2: Augustus Unlike in the Republican slots, I have a few interesting Augustus reverses that didn't make an appearance earlier, and one that did, but which I'd like to draw particular attention to. I love the Signis Receptis types everyone showed. This one's a bit different: The difference being that it shows a German returning a lost standard. It did happen! A bit ironic, though, considering the next coin: This is a coin of Berytus in Phoenicia, issued by the infamous legate P. Quinctilius Varus (you can see his name in the reverse legend). It's particularly ironic that the coin features legionary aquilae on the reverse, exactly what Varus would lose in the Teutoberg Forest disaster! Another neat provincial is this coin from Paphos on Cyprus, showing the very ancient cult statue and temple of Aphrodite: Another interesting thing about this coin is that it was issued by Aulus Plautius as proconsul. He went on to play a major role in the conquest of Britain (and is a major character in the fun but somewhat bizarre historical fantasy TV series Britannia). Here's a crappy but rare and important coin: I should have put this in the earlier time slot as it dates to as early as 30 BCE, just after the final defeat of Antony and Clopatra. It is in fact the first Egyptian issue of Octavian and the first issue of Roman Egypt. So the classic Ptolemaic eagle, while not an interesting type in general, is very interesting in this case! @Octavius posted a magnificent example of the last coin I'm going to place here. It was issued by Caligula but I'm going to put it under Augustus: Personally, I think this coin is the most representative reverse type for Augustus as the founder of the Empire. Consider the legend: Consensu senat(us) et eq(uestris) ordini(is) p(opuli)q(ue) R(omani) = with the consent of the senate, the equestrian order, and the Roman people. This refers to the constitutional settlement whereby Augustus was granted supreme power, albeit with Republican legislative tools; in other words, it refers to the legal foundations of the Empire. This "universal consent" is the highlight of the Res Gestae (paragraph 34). (I agree that Caligula is portrayed on the reverse... if you blow up my coin image, it does look like Caligula, as on most other detailed examples. He was hearkening back to the foundation of Augustus's power as a part of asserting his own claim.)

John Tzimisces was my first miliaresion: As soon as I got it, I wanted another one! 🤩 Some rare ones coming up later this week, can't wait to see them!

Nike isn't a particularly interesting type, but this one is, for what it represents: Vespasian's victory in the civil war. These year 1 Alexandrian tetradrachms are among the earliest coins featuring Vespasian. (This coin is particularly early, as you can tell by the Galba-like or Vitellius-like portrait.) Another very early coin is this Ephesian denarius. Again, the type (Concordia) isn't particularly interesting, but the Ephesian style and mint mark (phi in the exerge) are neat: Something a little different from the First Jewish War: these minims are found near the sites of legionary camps in Caesarea Maritima, and are thought to be a token currency used in those camps (see H. Hamburger in "Minute Coins from Caesarea" Atiqot 1954:115-138.) ^ this particular example imitates small bronzes from Antioch (Apollo/palm). Finally, here's a reverse I really like the artistry on: For some reason I just think that Mars is really cool!

OK, I hope you won't mind if I indulge in a bit of catch-up. I'll generally try to avoid posting reverses we've seen already, unless I'm really attached to my particular rendition! This one will be Republican only. The first slot I missed was 84-70 BCE... and I have nothing that wasn't already posted! But here's a Stannard scooped Tiberius Claudius Nero denarius... i.e. it has had metal scooped out of it when the mint bag it was in was found to be overweight: IMO every Republican collector needs at least one scoopie! I'll also plop in my Postumius hound, which I think is pretty snazzy, despite other examples having been posted: Next up is 69-50. Again, I don't have any interesting reverses that weren't posted, so I'll add one of my favourites, a Scaurus/Hypsaeus with nice toning, and a cool tiny portrait of King Aretas (I'm allowed to draw attention to this because the obverse qualifies as "reverse-like"!): For my 49-44 BCE I have some nice Caesars but nothing we haven't seen before. My choice is a favourite type of several thread participants: While the obverse is perhaps the star of this particular Plautius Plancus show, I do think the reverse features an especially nice Aurora and an overall pleasing rendition of the painting from which it's derived. (Very cool to have a famous and irretrievable ancient painting depicted on a coin!) Now for 43-27. Finally I have a few interesting types that didn't show up earlier in the thread. First, there's this Brutus civil war denarius with the symbolism of Apollo on the reverse: (See also the friendly greeting on the obverse, in the form of a banker's mark!) I was surprised nobody posted the Venus Cloacina reverse (L. Mussidius Longus), celebrating Rome's great sewers! 😁 I was even more surprised nobody posted a Mark Antony legionary denarius! (Surely they did and I just missed it?) I picked Legio X, which was Julius Caesar's favourite (well, at least until they mutinied, perhaps at the instigation of Antony): Here's a post-Actium orichalcum issue from Asia. The more common reverse type has an ordinary wreath, but this one includes rostra, making the reference to the naval victory at Actium pretty clear: Finally, just squeaking in under the line, here's a quinarius celebrating the reception of Asia by Octavian after his final defeat of Antony and Cleo: (Of course these last two could just as well be placed in the Augustus category, but I have a few other things in mind for that. Probably tomorrow, unless I'm told to shut it...)

I've been away for a little while and am just now getting a chance to go over what I missed. I'll post a catch-up comment in a little while, but first, a contribution to the current 68-69 slot... I don't have any interesting reverses for Galba, Otho, or Vitellius, but I do have an interesting civil war denarius, produced in Gaul for the Rhine legions revolting under Vindex: Mine is a fourrée, I wouldn't be willing to pony up what it would take for an official issue. (Interestingly a large portion of the extant pieces are plated.) The reverse shows an aquila and an altar between two signa; "SIGNA" is in the exergue and P R (for Populus Romanus) in the left and right margins. The thing I find particularly interesting about the reverse is that on most examples (including mine) it seems at first glance that the eagle is eating some grain from the altar! More likely, I think, is that the eagle is in fact dropping grain on the altar; see this super-expensive and clear example (official): The altar itself is flaming, so it looks like the legionary aquila is making an offering. I haven't been able to find any comment about this, but it seems pretty significant. My suggestion is that this represents the Rhine legions making a vow somehow connected with the Roman people (thus the P R), e.g. to protect them or something like that - a justification for their revolt against Nero. Dropping some grain or other food into a flame was a very common (perhaps the most common) way for an ordinary person to make an offering, and offerings of this sort were also a standard accompaniment to making a vow. Here's another example which I'm pretty sure is unofficial and plated (like mine), but where the forger misinterpreted the image, and filled in the details in accordance with the idea that the eagle is eating the grain: The forger copied the bottom part of the signum and placed it on the altar to serve as a convenient bowl! I'm pretty sure the Rhine legions didn't intend that image... which is suggestive of them stealing an offering intended for the gods in the name of the people! Not exactly the message they wanted to send. 😆

My Nic II follis is one of my favourite Byzantine portraits: I'm also fond of my fourrée solidus (includes Basil II), an ex @Steve coin fondly known on the old forum as "Zombie Jesus." (The coin, that is, not Steve!) Definitely not one of my best portrait coins. 😆

Continuing with Leo VI, both alone and with Alexander the very much not Great: Next, Constantine VII with the regent Zoe: Romanus I takes over: Constantine VII reasserts himself: And finally Constantine VII with Romanus II: Phew... all caught up! Thanks for indulging me... P.S. I am amazed by your pattern solidus, @voulgaroktonou!

I've been away for a while, but had time tonight to go over all the posts I missed. @voulgaroktonou's coins continue to amaze (many WOWs e.g. the Naples Theophilus solidus), along with @Valentinian's (that Theophilus + Constantine!), and @Hrefn's gold. Also impressed by @ewomack's Leo V and Michael II. Thanks to everyone for keeping the thread going during my absence, and to @sand for the maps and pointer to the "Every Month" video! I hope you'll forgive me a couple catchup posts. I have all the emperors I missed. Here's Leo V: And with Constantine, first from Constantinople, then Syracuse: Michael II, with Theophilus: Theophilus, two full folles followed by a half follis: Next comes Michael III, with his (not so good) buddy Basil: My Syracuse coin for him is the rather rare SB 1698, with a lambda rather than latin L in the obverse legend: CNG notes: " “A historic little coin. It is not only the last bronze coin struck for the Byzantine possessions in Sicily, but also the last follis struck anywhere with the denomination mark of M, thus it is the last vestige of the reform instituted by Anastasius I in 498 AD.” (Well... if we discount an alleged example under Basil of doubtful authenticity.) Basil I with Constantine: and for my Syracuse coin I'll post this debased semissis: So much for Byzantine Sicily! No wonder they look so forlorn. Seems a good place to take a pause.

Excellent job!! You’re a great presenter. I love the feeding frenzy in the third clip too, and can relate to the curse of the low-end trachy infestation! 😆

Love those! The FEL TEMP reverse is great, as is the cross altered to a swastika. I have one where they went even further afield, placing a chakra on the reverse (you've seen it before, it reminded you of a Pallava coin): I also have a Gloria Exercitus: @JayAg47, these were both found in the Tamil Nadu state in south India rather than Sri Lanka. Is the attribution of your coins to Sri Lanka definite, or could they be South Indian? (If South Indian, I'm thinking they'd be best attributed to the Kalabhras, given the rough date. Of course the Kalabhras would have traded with the island, so that find spot doesn't mean anything.) I also have an example of the earlier denarius imitations. I love this portrait of Tiberius:

I love that Gordie, I would have bid on it if I didn't already have a Gordie imitation that I like. Here it is, rather wilder if less beautiful than yours: Here are some other favourites. First, proof that the dinosaurs still roamed the earth in the 3rd century! A little known historical fact: Marcus Aurelius attempted to add Gumby to the Olympian pantheon, believing he was an ideal examplar of Stoic philosophy: And finally, a very silly looking lion:

Oh so many "wanna have" coins posted in this slot! My two favourite 104-85 BCE reverse types from my own collection are, first, this L. Calpurnius Piso/Q. Servilius Caepio denarius from 100 BCE: The "EX•S•C" on the reverse marks this as a special issue authorized by the senate (rather than the usual sort issued by the tresviri monetales). In this case, the coins were used to fund the Marius/Saturninus law subsidizing grain for the people of Rome. AD FRVmentum EMVndum = "for buying grain". Another law at the same time provided land for Marius's veterans. These laws were highly controversial and the cause of much violence. My other favourite, a quinarius from 87 BCE: This example has its probems, but I just love the ebullience of that Victory! It's an issue from Rubrius Dossenus in the context of the civil war between Marius and Sulla. The serpent and altar on the right likely refers to Asclepius, possibly in thanks for lifting the plague that struck Pompey Strabo's forces and which spread through the city of Rome. (@Sulla80 has a great writeup on this coin here.) Honourable mentions: This one's interesting for two reasons, 1) it's an issue of the infamous Saturninus (onetime ally of Gaius Marius and instigator of a popular revolution in Rome that was quickly quelled, and he himself killed), and 2) part of the reverse makes an appearance on the obverse! This "partial brockage" is quite unusual. Here's that quinarius: I tend to agree with you, @DonnaML, that both the denarius and quinarius issue refer to Marius's victories, whether they were produced in 101 or a few years later. It's interesting to note that this and a couple other quinarii mark the first time in 90 years that the denomination was issued. Contemporary documents suggest that the coin was popularly referred to as the "victoriatus"... further evidence that Marius's victories lie behind the issue. It was a HUGE deal in Rome that Marius managed to turn back the German tide that threatened Rome itself. He was regarded as a superhero.

Good to see more nice wins today! Love that Patraos, @Kaleun96, the Titus Judaea Capta @Salomons Cat, and both of your wins, @Prieure de Sion! All of those coins caught my eye when browsing. My win today: This is the less common German warrior restoring standards (RIC 416) rather than the Parthian. 200 chf hammer, which I regard as an excellent deal for the grade. I expect the porosity won't bother me at all in hand. I love both dies!

Oddly enough, my Stannard scoop example is on exactly the same type, @Edessa! We are Adjustment Bros. (Though your coin is much, much nicer!)