PeteB

Philip I. 244-249 AD. Æ Sestertius (30mm, 17.75 gm, 12h). Commemorating the 1000th anniversary of Rome. Rome mint, 1st officina. 10th emission, 249 AD. Obv: Laur. draped, and cuirassed bust right. Rev: Elephant advancing l., led by mahout, holding staff and goad. RIC IV 167a; Banti 8.

My sestertius depicting Vesta:
Lucilla, wife of Lucius Verus. Augusta, 164-182 AD. Æ Sestertius (30mm, 23.04 gm, 12h). Struck 161-162 AD. Obv: LVCILLAE AVG ANTONINI AVG, draped bust right. Rev: VES-TA, Vesta standing left, holding simpulum in right hand, trophy in left; sacrificing at lighted altar before. RIC III 1779 (Aurelius); MIR 18, 21-6a; BMCRE 1178 (Aurelius); Cohen 94

SPAIN. Philip II. 1556-1598. Cob. AR 8 Reales (37mm; 27.20 gm). ND Toledo mint. Broad flan with full crown, full shield and cross and some legend. Calico-206, Calbeto-1725

PHRYGIA, Laodicea ad Lycum. Pseudo-autonomous issue. Time of Tiberius. 14-37 AD. Æ 16mm; 2.82 gm; 6h. Obv: Laureate head of Apollo right; lyre to lower right; ΛΑΟΔΙ(ΚE)ΩΝ to left and below. Rev: Serpent-entwined altar, surmounted by headdress of Isis. ΠYΘHΣ to left, ΠYΘOY to right. Pythes, son of Pythes, magistrate. RPC 2903; SNG Copenhagen 510 (temp. Augustus); SNG von Aulock 3806 (same); BMC 61 (same). 

I have one, though not in the condition of yours:
Side, Pamphylia. Circa 370-360 BC. AR Stater (10.05 gm, 12h, 21mm). Obv: Athena standing left, holding Nike, shield, and spear; pomegranate to left, Rev: Apollo standing left, quiver over shoulder, holding patera and laurel scepter;a raven stands to left at his feet.  A lighted altar on the left, with a Pamphylian letter above it, and several letters to the right;  SNG von Aulock 4771; Atlan 112. 

On 1/30/2024 at 2:27 PM, panzerman said:

AR Denarius ND

Ephesus Mint

3.12g.   18mm.    7h

Vespasian 79-89AD

IMP CAESAR VESPAS AVG COSV TR PPP

Laureate Bust Right

PACI AVGVSTAE   EPE in field

Victoria advancing/ holding Wreath and Palm

RIC 333 BMCRE 457 CBN 351  RSC 276  Sear  2270

 

The letters in the field are E and PHE ligate.
Thanks for the kind words everyone.
Pete

Dear Donna, I wish you a speedy and complete recovery!!!

I see what appear to be horn silver deposits on the obverse. If so, that would appear to speak for the authenticity. Several "holes" are irregular in shape, unlike circular casting bubbles.

The name Tamerlane comes from Timur-i-Leng — a Turkic nickname meaning ‘Timur the Lame’

Mine:

KINGS of COMMAGENE. Antiochos IV Epiphanes. AD 38-72. Æ (28mm, 14.33 gm, 1h). Obv: BAΣIΛEYΣ • MEΓΑΣ • ANTIOXOΣ, diademed and draped bust right Countermark: crossed cornucopias. Rev: ΚΟΜΜΑΓΗΝΩΝ, Scorpion within wreath. RPC I 3857

Severus Alexander. 222-235 AD. Tarsos, Cilicia. Æ38 mm, 23.51 gm.  Obv: ANT ...AYP CEV ΑΛΕΞΑΝΔΡΟC CEB; Laureate, draped and cuirassed bust, right. Π-Π on either side. Rev: ΑΛΕΞ CΕ ΑΔ.....ΠΑΤΡOΩC(center of field) TAPCEΩ(Ν) in ex. Perseus standing right, holding harpa and small statue of Apollo Lykeios. Before him, the fisherman Dictys, who saved him and raised him from boyhood, standing left, holding fish and basket on either end of a long rod. Like SNG von Aulock 6046, for Gordian III. Roughly similar to SNG France , Cilicia, 1574, and cross-referenced to Waddington "Inventaire Sommaire" 1347 (same coin). BMC__; SNG Cop__. Possibly unpublished.

Not Trajan, but Trajan Decius:

Trajan Decius. 249-251 AD. AR Antoninianus (23mm; 3.31 gm; 12h). Rome mint, 1st officina. 2nd-3rd emissions, 249-250 AD. Obv: Radiate and cuirassed bust right. Rev: Dacia standing left, holding a Draco-headed staff. RSC 16.

Tiberius; 14-37 AD. Æ As (26mm; 10.96 gm; 5h). Struck at Lugdunum under Augustus, 12-14 A.D. Obv: His laureate head., right. Rev: Altar of the cult of Roma and Augustus at Lugdunum, flanked by two columns, each of which is  surmounted by the statue of Victory. SM 1756

AELIUS, Caesar. 137 AD. Philippopolis, Thrace. (Æ 33; 21.34 gm)Obv: Λ AIΛIOC KAICAP,  cuirassed bust of Aelius, r., bare head, with paludamentum seen from rear. Rev. ΦIΛIΠΠOΠO - LEITΩN, Female figure wearing polos standing l., holding patera in r. hand and poppy and two ears of corn in l. hand; on l., river-god (Hebrus) reclining. BMC__ ; SNG Cop.__; Moushmov__; Varbanov 643, rarity 9!; RPC III, 753

Some Antiochos VI drachms:

Tiberius denarius:

On 11/14/2023 at 2:47 PM, DonnaML said:

One would think that with 43 Hadrian coins already (25 Imperial and 18 Provincial) -- by far the  most of any emperor -- I wouldn't need any more of them. But there always seem to be unusual and interesting Hadrian reverses to add, and this was one of them. Not only is the specific reverse apparently unique to Hadrian, but it features a goddess or personification -- Tellus -- whom I admit I'd never previously heard of, and had to look up. Here's my write-up, with a footnote relying largely on our own @Sulla80's blog for the various interpretations of the type:

Hadrian AR Denarius, Rome Mint 133-c. 135 AD. Obv. Laureate head right, HADRIANVS – AVG COS III PP / Rev. Tellus (Earth) standing left, tunic to her knees, holding a plough-handle with her right hand and a rake (or hoe) over her left shoulder, two ears of grain growing from ground behind her, TELLVS – STABIL [an abbreviated form of TELLVS STABILITA, loosely translated as “the Earth securely established”; see footnote]. RIC II.3 Hadrian 2052 & Pl. 38 (2019 edition) [noting that some specimens of the type have no rake or no ears of grain]; old RIC II Hadrian 276 (1926 ed.); RSC II Hadrian 1427; Sear RCV II 3543 (obv. portrait var.); BMCRE III Hadrian 741; Strack 275 [Strack, Paul L., Untersuchungen zur römischen Reichsprägung des zweiten Jahrhunderts, Teil II: Die Reichsprägung zur Zeit des Hadrian (Stuttgart, 1931)]. 17.7 mm., 2.72 g. Purchased from Odysseus Numismatique [Julien Cougnard], Montpellier, France, 4 Nov. 2023; ex Fraysse & Associés Auction Numismatique, 19 April 2023, Collection Y.K. [Yves Kolb], Hôtel Drouot, Paris (Sabine Bourgey, Expert), (part of) Lot 190 .*

Or perhaps a white background sets it off better? (Thinking of the recent thread on image backgrounds):

* Pedigree: Yves Kolb (1903-1979) and his father Dr. Pierre Kolb (1875-1949) were both prominent French collectors of ancient coins, and long-time members of the Société Française de Numismatique. Yves inherited a large part of his father’s collection after the latter’s death, and after his own death in 1979 his heirs retained his collection until the April 2023 auction referenced in text. Here is a copy of his father Pierre Kolb’s obituary from the October 1949 Bulletin of the Société, mentioning Yves Kolb as well:

Note the presence of M. Babelon (Jean, not Ernst). I wonder if Pierre Prieur was related to Michel Prieur.

Tellus Stabil: Regarding the reverse of this type, see John Melville Jones, A Dictionary of Ancient Roman Coins (Seaby, London 1990), entry for “Tellus” at p. 300: “Tellus. ‘Earth’, both in the sense of ‘ground’ and of the inhabited world. From Hadrian to Commodus some coins and medallions were issued with the legend TELLVS STABILITA [here abbreviated as TELLVS STABIL] claiming that the world was, as it were, securely established by the emperor. Tellus is represented as a female figure with the attributes of plough-handle, rake, ears of grain, cornucopiae, globe, vine-branch or basket of fruit.”

See also the detailed discussion of the Hadrian types depicting Tellus at the blog of @Sulla80 at https://www.sullacoins.com/post/hadrian-s-stable-earth . Among other things, @Sulla80 quotes this description of Tellus in the book Dictionary of Roman Religion by Lesley Adkins (1996) (available at https://archive.org/details/dictionaryofroma0000adki/mode/2up ) :

As @Sulla80 points out, citing @Valentinian's website (see augustuscoins.com/ed/unique/unique4.html#TELLVS), this particular reverse is unique to Hadrian, although both Hadrian and Commodus issued coins with a reclining Tellus on the reverse. He proceeds to summarize the varying interpretations of the type that different authorities have advanced:

“There are various interpretations and connections made for this reverse:

Does it refer to Roman desire for Italian agricultural self-sufficiency? Is it a welcoming coin as Hadrian returns to Rome? Is it a reference to the many provinces of Rome and the expanse of Rome's peaceful territory? Does it recognize Hadrian's generosity in his travels in the Roman provinces? Is there an earthquake connection? Could it be a 20th Anniversary Coin?

Does it recognize Hadrian's largess in his travels in the Provinces?

In my older copy of RIC (1926) Mattingly and Sydenham summarize as: issued between his return to Rome in 134 and his death in 138, "Tellus Stabilita sums up the results of his beneficient activities in the Empire".

Does it refer to Roman desire for Italian agricultural self-sufficiency?

A Sutherland review published in 1937 of the Mattingly Volume III of "Coins of the Roman Empire in the British Museum" published in 1936 comments:

"Hadrian's twofold Tellus Stabilita type (vol. iii, p. cxlviii) might refer to the desired role of Italy as a self-sufficient corn-growing area, within which viticulture was, nevertheless, not to be neglected (if Domitian's edict is correctly interpreted thus)"

-Sutherland, JRS Book Review, 1938

The reference to Domitian's edict on viticulture is explained by Suetonius:

"Once upon the occasion of a plentiful wine crop, attended with a scarcity of grain, thinking that the fields were neglected through too much attention to the vineyards, he made an edict forbidding anyone to plant more vines in Italy and ordering that the vineyards in the provinces be cut down, or but half of them at most be left standing; but he did not persist in carrying out the measure."

-Suetonius, The Life of Domitian, 7.2 

 Is there an earthquake connection ?

 There is certainly a possibility that the type of this coin is influenced by earthquakes in Rome and in the provinces and Hadrian's generous rebuilding programs. Trajan and Hadrian were together in a destructive earthquake in AD 115 in Antioch, during Trajan's reign (AD 112-117). The excellent and well researched blog, "Following Hadrian", mentions :

"On 13 December AD 115, Hadrian survived a violent and devastating earthquake while wintering in Antioch during Trajan’s campaign in the east. Hadrian had been in Syria since January AD 114 as imperial legate (envoy to the emperor) and, as such, had taken up residence in Antiochia ad Orontem (Antioch on the Orontes). The city served as headquarters for the Parthian wars. Trajan had returned from a campaign in Armenia when disaster struck on the morning of 13 December AD 115."

-Carole Raddato, Following Hadrian

One ancient source is Cassius Dio:

While the emperor was tarrying in Antioch a terrible earthquake occurred; many cities suffered injury, but Antioch was the most unfortunate of all. Since Trajan was passing the winter there and many soldiers and many civilians had flocked thither from all sides in connection with law-suits, embassies, business or sightseeing, there was no nation or people that went unscathed; and thus in Antioch the whole world under Roman sway suffered disaster.

-Cassius Dio Roman History, 24.1

There were also at least 3 substantial earthquakes during the reign of Hadrian that are documented in the well documented catalog of major earthquakes edited by Emmanuela Guidaboni:

(Catalog #111 ) AD 117-138 Italy - supported only by a vague reference by Cassius Dio

During his (Hadrian's) reign there were famines, pestilence, and earthquakes. The distress caused by all these calamities he relieved to the best of his ability, and also he aided many communities which had been devastated by them. There was also an overflow of the Tiber. To many communities he gave Latin citizen­ship, and to many others he remitted their tribute.

-Historia Augusta, Life of Hadrian, 21.5

(Catalog # 112) AD 120/128 Aoria, Cyzicus, Nicea, Nicomedia

Eusebius is again a source along with other inscriptions:

"There was an earthquake, Nicomedia collapsed in ruins, and many parts of the city of Nicea were destroyed. For their restoration, Hadrian gave generously from the public purse." . . . .

 Could it be a 20th Anniversary Coin?

 Foss in Roman Historical Coins, 1990 connects this coin with Hadrian's 20th anniversary of reign (AD 137, coin # 126, page 121): 

[To me, the 20^th anniversary interpretation seems the least likely of all, given that that anniversary occurred in AD 137, whereas the new edition of RIC II.3 agrees with Sear and other authorities in  attributing this issue to the 133-135 period, like all the COS III P P types.]

Is it a welcoming coin as Hadrian returns to Rome?

Mattingly (1936) makes a connection to Annona and classifies this coin as an "Adventus Augusti" type, celebrating Hadrian's return to Rome (by 5 May AD 134).

"We might think of "Tellus" as a presentation of that "re-established Earth" of which Hadrian boasts in a later issue. But, as the attributes of Tellus there are quite distinct, it seems better to regard this as a specialized type of Annona. The meaning will be much the same. The good government of Hadrian ensures that the earth gives freely of her increase. Pagan antiquity made little cleavage between spiritual and material blessings. ’The blessing of heaven on good government was expected to reveal itself in good harvests and fertile flows.'

-Mattingly, Coins of the Roman Empire in the British Museum v.3 p. cxxxv  . . . .

Perhaps many if not "all of the above", this coin could recognize Hadrian's return to Rome (in 5 May AD 134), the stability of the Roman Empire, the "Earth" that he made through his broad travels, and recognize Hadrian's impact across the wide-reaching Roman provinces.”

One other possible interpretation is that the type commemorates the 400^th anniversary in AD 132 of the dedication of the Temple of Tellus in Rome, supposedly in 268 BCE. See the entry for that temple in the Adkins Dictionary of Roman Religion, cited above:

“Tellus, Temple of  Vowed by Publius Sempronius Sophus when an earthquake occurred during a battle with the Picenes. It was dedicated in 268 B.C. The temple was situated in Rome on the Carinae (the western end of the Oppius near the church of San Pietro in Vincoli). It may have been a rebuilding of an earlier temple. The Senate met at the temple once, when it was summoned there by Mark Antony the day after Julius Caesar’s assassination.”

 Please post anything you think relevant, whether it's unusual reverses of Hadrian, or unique reverses of any emperor, or anything else.

 

I have three examples on my web site, but far from Donna's condition.

http://akropoliscoins.com/page4c.html

From the photos and weight alone, they both look authentic to my old eyes. What you circled on the obverse of the Septimius Severus coin look to me to be ancient, hard deposits. If true, definitely authentic.

Here is one from that mint that is seldom seen, though non-Pan:

CIMMERIAN BOSPOROS, Pantikapaion. Time of Pharnakes. Circa 63-47 BC. Æ Obol (27mm, 12.43 gm, 12h). Obv: Wreathed head of young Dionysos right. Rev: Eagle standing left, head right, on thunderbolt; monogram to left, star to right. MacDonald 187; SNG BM Black Sea 945 var. (ethnic in two lines). VF, dark green patina. Exceptional for issue, and quite rare.

Divus Antoninus Pius. Died 161 AD. AR Denarius (18mm; 3.03 gm; 6h). Consecration issue. Rome mint. Struck under Marcus Aurelius, 161 AD. Obv: Bare-headed bust right, slight drapery. Rev: Funeral pyre (more properly, an Ustrinum, based on recent scholarship) of four tiers  with statues and garlands, and surmounted by facing quadriga. RIC III 438 (Aurelius); RSC 164a. 

Divus Antoninus Pius. Died 161 AD. AR denarius (18mm; 2.71 gm; 6h). Rome mint, under Marcus Aurelius and Lucius Verus, 162 AD. Obv: DIVVS ANTONINVS, bare head right. Rev: DIVO PIO, Antoninus Pius seated left, holding branch and scepter. RIC 442; RSC 352.

3 hours ago, Heliodromus said:

RIC VII 88 would be P AVG, but your (2nd) coin is PF AVG which would be unlisted for the 316-317 issue. Based on style I suspect it might really be RIC VI 121a dating to 310 ... if you have it accessible you could confirm based on size - from 310 AD it would be much bigger than the 1st coin, 21mm PRD with coin itself ~23mm.

 

You are correct! Æ 24mm, 4.52 gm, 6h. THANKS!

Constantine I. 307-337 AD. Æ Follis (18mm, 3.49 gm, 12h). Londinium (London) mint. Struck 316-317 AD. Obv: CONSTANTINVS P AVG, laureate and cuirassed bust right. Rev: SOL INVIC TO COMITI, Sol standing left, extending right arm, holding globe in left; T-F in field, PLN in ex. RIC VII 88.

Two varieties:

Die break on the reverse.

4 hours ago, Tejas said:

Maybe it is the picture and the reflection of the light, but this coin looks somewhat wrong to me. I don't what to spook you, but are you satisfied that the coin is genuine?

Absolutely satisfied!!!