JAZ Numismatics

That's a nice coin, though. A full, centered reverse on those types is scarce.

Real or not, you made the right choice. If something about a coin bothers you, that feeling only gets worse over time, not better.

Yes, I would send it to CNG and have them take a close look.

I believe it's RRC 12/2. To my knowledge there are only two known examples: this one in The British Museum, and one in Copenhagen, KP 2060.2. It's rare enough that despite its rough grade, it might be quite valuable - IF it's authentic. As to how valuable, nobody can say. There are no auction records of similar pieces being sold. But I'm not an expert in these old Roman currency bars. Somebody else will surely come along and correct me.

It's an amazing coin to be sure, and worth every penny, but what I find even more amazing is that it's in a "mint state." It's a testament to advanced Byzantine technology that they could apply a patina and mineral deposits to a freshly-struck coin.

The "spooked lion" reverse.

A coin I sold last year was this bronze of Caracalla from Pautalia. But this bust is not recorded with the coiled serpent reverse (to my knowledge). The military bust left is paired with other reverse types, but the coiled serpent types invariably have a laureate bust right on the obverse. Is it a one-off mule, or the discovery of a new type? I'd like to know if anyone else has ever come across this coin... Caracalla, AD 198-217 AE29, 15g, 6h; Thrace, Pautalia. Obv.: AYT K M AYΡHANTΩNEINOC; Laureate, draped bust left with spear and shield. Rev.: OYΛΠIAC ΠAYTAΛIAC; Coiled serpent with forked tail. Reference unknown.

Lovely! Those pics remind me very much of my travels in Chile.

It's possible that the inscription PVDICITIA is not actually naming the pictured personification. The message might be that modesty and sexual virtue resulted in concord or harmony, i.e. PVDICITIA fosters CONCORDIA. As you surely know, there are various Roman types that proclaim VIRTVS on the reverse, but show a variety of gods, and sometimes even emperors.

I have but one coin of Macrinus at the moment, from Marcianopolis... MOESIA INFERIOR, Marcianopolis. Macrinus, AD 217-218. Pontianus, legatus consularis. Æ26, 10.3g, 12h. Obv.: AYT K OΠEΛΛIOC CEYH MAKPEINOC, laureate, draped and cuirassed bust right. Rev.: VΠ ΠONTIANOV MAPKIANOΠOΛITΩ, eagle standing facing, wings spread, head right, holding wreath in beak. Ref.: Varbanov 1125.

Beautiful collection!

Another nice little bit of Syracusan eye candy, Litra of Agathokles with an unusually nice lion... SICILY. Syracuse. AE Litra, 21mm, 9.5g. Time of Agathokles, 317-289 BC. Obv.: ΣVRΑΚΟΣΙΟΝ; Diademed bust of Heracles left. Rev.: Lion advancing right, club above; arrow to right in exergue. Ref.: SNG Cop 767; SNG ANS 740.

Certain Syracusan issues were very masterfully and finely engraved, and extremely well-struck - to the point that they can look tooled, if not altogether fake, especially if they haven't circulated much. An example is this coin of Hiketas II... SICILY. Syracuse. Hiketas II. 287-278 BC. AE25, 9.7g, 12h; struck c. 283-279 BC. Obv.: Laureate head of Zeus Hellanios right. Rev.: Eagle standing left on thunderbolt, wings displayed. Reference: HGC 2, 1449 (p. 376). If you search the usual databases, CNG, CoinArchives, ACSearch, you'll find quite a few of these particular issues in very sharp, clean grades. There must have been a hoard of uncirculated coins - something like the Randall Hoard of US Large Cents. They were struck, put in an urn, and promptly buried and forgotten for 23 centuries. So other than the patina, they look pretty much brand new after a light cleaning. If you pursue the coins of Syracuse, you'll find that the engravers of the bronzes often put as much care and artistry into their creations as the famous engravers of the the silver tetradrachms. Also, I encourage you to get the absolutely indispensable Handbook of Coins of Sicily by Oliver D. Hoover, published by CNG. Some of the best bedtime reading you'll ever encounter.

Vcoins doesn't actually inform customers that a coin has shipped. That's up to the seller. If you use PayPal, the seller can upload the tracking number and then PayPal will send the buyer an email. But if a buyer uses a credit card, it's up to the seller to contact the buyer directly with the tracking number.

They look natural to me, no obvious evidence of alteration.