rasiel

I think the most expensive coins I'd want top out at about a quarter mil so, yeah, this ;-) Rasiel

I'd prefer a siliqua but this one'll do in the meantime :- ) Rasiel

800 EUR?? You made out like a bandit 🥂 Paid $3,800 for mine. Wallet still sizzling. Rasiel

No, this is post strike wear and tear. This is 24 karat gold which is very soft and thus susceptible to physical damage. Rasiel

Solid reasons! Hope you have fun :- ) Rasiel

When you say 'face to face' does cheek to cheek count? Rasiel Leo IV solidus, 775-780 CE

Going to go out on a limb here and speculate that it's just a heavily patinated silver ant. If you'd like I can have it XRF'd for you. No charge, just shipping to and from. Rasiel

Ok, I'm biased but having been to all 50 states, all its major cities and 16 of its top 20 national parks I feel that if you've never been to the U.S., and especially if there's a chance you might only go once, New York City is its No. 1 destination. Rasiel

I'm genuinely interested to know the motives people have for attending. I get that some go to bid, some to early bird cherry pick and if you're a local, why not. But to come in from out of town just to take a peek at the trays? I'm sure that alone is a valid reason for some but all the same I'm interested in hearing what makes this tick for you. Rasiel

Note to self: I'm slackin' Rasiel

I agree. These served as "monetary anchors" to justify the hyperinflation of the ants. As the state was caught between the need to keep a semblance of economic normality and the stark reality of an exhausted treasury, they produced a limited run of these frankly anachronistic coins to basically paper over the financial crisis. The very limited production of these nominally lesser valuable sestertii was an effort to lessen the risk of a total loss of confidence in the base coinage, the "people's money" as it were. Even though they were disbursed as sestertii, or even double sestertii (it's actually almost irrelevant), it's almost certainly the case that they traded at the marketplace for the same value as vintage asses. In any case, to what extent the masses didn't see through this fiction is hard to tell but the fact that Aurelian ended up a popular emperor, and the ant went on to live for another generation, should lead us to think that whatever the measures they took it was successful enough to prevent a total collapse. It's interesting to note that there are parallels even to the present day. Like Aurelian's mints, our own government pumps out a deluge of basically worthless pennies. Except for the occasional Boomer who isn't aware or doesn't mind pissing off the cashier and the line of people behind at the grocery, these coins rarely see the purpose they were designed for and today mostly end up in jars or thrown out. It's a government expense taken to in a very literal sense distract you from the fact that our dollar is a depreciating asset. Hell, the very fact that they're not even copper is all the proof you need of this conceit. And, like back in the day of Aurelian, we mostly just go along with it without much more than the occasional grumble. Rasiel

Wow, very interesting indeed! I don't believe it's from Rome. This is a mint in Gaul, or made by die cutter formerly in the employ of Postumus. Rasiel

That is indeed something special. Out of the 15,000 or so I'm keeping track of only a couple dozen have higher reported weights. Great find 👍 Rasiel

This thread makes me realize that my Severans are pretty meh. Not terrible but need to up my game. I think they're just so easy to acquire that (for those like me who are mainly in the "one of each" camp) it's tempting to just go with the first halfway decent sample that comes up. I'm a sucker for top shelf portraits and the best tend to be either gold or sestertii --> which in this period is unfortunately reserved for those who own monocles and top hats Rasiel

That's an amazing Licinius II you have there ❤️ Only thing I can contribute in this area is my own much less interesting Licinius II (which at least happens to be from Alexandria). I can also contribute something a little more special from the second civil war. Rasiel