Marsyas Mike

Sometimes even the experts make mistakes when it comes to Vespasian/Titus. Here is an ANACS slab I picked up on eBay a while back - a Vespasian As, so says the slab: They not only missed the T for Titus, they also missed the radiate crown, making this a dupondius, not an as - the T is half-gone, but the letter between IMP and CAES.. has to be a T, so it's Titus: Here is my attempt at attribution: Titus Æ Dupondius (c. 79 or 80-81 A.D.) Rome Mint IMP T CAES VESP AVG P M TR P CO[S VIII], radiate head right / [CERES AVGVST] S C, Ceres standing left, holding corn-ears and torch RIC 67 or 189 (see notes). (Slabbed ? grams / 26 mm) eBay Feb. 2022 $30.00 BIN FS Attribution Note: ANACS slab No. 7206889 erroneously described as Vespasian as. Obverse legend obscure at end, the two possibilities for this type are: RIC 67: COS VII (79 A.D.) RIC 189: COS VIII

Although I already had one of these, on impulse, I picked up another one of these Hieron II bronzes on the cheap and it is one of my favorite coins. Condition isn't great, but the portrait of Poseidon is magnificent....the trident is nice too:

Nice find, @David Atherton. Finding unrecognized rarities is a lot of fun. Along the same lines, I recently got a somewhat scarce Flavian mis-described on eBay as this: "Vespasian sestertius S C, Mars advancing with spear & trophy, Rome 72-73AD" Here it is, with my attribution (and David Atherton notes!) - not Vespasian, but Titus ("T"), and from the mysterious mint in the Balkans to boot: Titus Æ Sestertius (80-81 A.D.) Unknown Balkan Mint IMP T CAES DIVI VESP F AVG P M TR P P P COS VIII, laureate head right / S-C, Mars wearing cloak, advancing right, holding spear and trophy RIC II Part 1 (2nd ed.) Titus 499; (old RIC II 182); RPC II 502; BMCRE 310; Cahn 2. (23.79 grams / 36 x 34 mm) eBay Nov. 2024 (UK) Die-Match Obverse: Romae Aeternae Numismatics VCoins listing (dead link) same coin sold on eBay: romae_aeternae_numismatics (11883) Titus AE Sestertius "Mars Walking, Holding Trophy & Spear" RIC 499 eBay Item No.:185778432767 Ended: Oct 22, 2024 US $330.00 "An unknown Eastern mint struck a small series of bronze coins for both Titus and Domitian. The style (heavily seriffed letters, large portraits, and massive reverse figures).... all suggest a mint other than Rome. Attributing exactly where these coins were struck has historically been a moving target - Mattingly in BMCRE thought Lugdunum, H.A. Cahn believed somewhere in Bithynia. More recent scholarship has...Thrace as a possible location..." David. Atherton Numis Forums..

Informative and interesting post as always, @David Atherton. This Titus I recently bought is in poor shape, but the strong features (despite the wear) on the obverse portrait was the "money" side for me. From what I can tell, this is a fairly scarce issue. Titus Æ As (74 A.D.) Rome Mint T CAESAR IMP COS III CENS, laureate head left / VICTORIA AVG[VST, S-C], Victory standing right on prow holding wreath and palm RIC II Part 1 (2nd ed.) Vespasian 754; BMCRE 754. (7.85 grams / 27 x 25 mm) eBay Nov. 2024 $25.00 BO Note: Reverse SC not visible on this, but on BM die-match S is in field next to butt. Only other I found (Hirsh) has SC in fields. Die-Match Obv. & Rev.: British Museum Museum number 1931,1006.8 BMCRE (754, p.112) Donated by: Paul Tinchant, 1931; C&M catalogue number RE2 (163) (711) (A) (163) Here's the British Museum example that is, I think, a die-match to mine:

I recently picked up the OP issue for mother - looking for die-matches on RPC is fun, if you like that kind of thing: Otacilia Severa Æ 24 (247-249 A.D.) Nisibis, Mesopotamia ΜΑΡ ΩΤΑΚΙΛ ϹΕΟΥΗΡΑΝ ϹΕΒ, diademed and draped bust right, crescent at shoulders / ΙΟΥ ϹΕΠ ΚΟΛΩ ΝΕϹΙΒΙ ΜΗΤ temple with arched pediment and four columns enclosing draped, veiled and turreted Tyche seated facing, ram leaping right above; below, river god swimming right RPC VIII Online Unassigned ID 2575 (Average weight: 10.46 grams; Specimens: 56); SNG Copenhagen 244; BMC 27-32; Dura Hoard 8-9, 127; Chaix 966; Mionnet V, 182; Sear SGI 4065. (14.17 grams / 27 x 26 mm) eBay Oct.l 2024 $11.85 BIN Die-Match Obv. & Rev.: Ashmolean Museum, Oxford Rueff Bequest (no other no.) Die-Match Obverse: Staatlich Museen, Berlin 18275041 Löbb British Museum Inventory No. 1919,0516.6 BMC 31 British Museum Inventory No. G2919 BMC 32 Here's a terrific site overview of coin types from Nisibis: http://augustuscoins.com/ed/Nisibis/Nisibis.html

I am bringing up this informative post (thanks, @Roman Collector) because I got an example of RIC 1400 Faustina II as/dupondius with Juno seated holding statuettes of the three graces. Faustina II Æ As/Dupondius (Late 155-Jan. 156 A.D.) Rome Mint FAVSTINA AVG PII AVG FIL, bare-headed, draped bust right / IVNO, Juno, seated left, holding the three Graces and sceptre; at feet, peacock | [S C] in exergue RIC III Antoninus Pius 1400 (as/dupondius); Cohen 128. (12.48 grams / 26 x 23 mm) eBay Nov. 2024 Mine appears to reverse die-match the Paris example cited by RC above. This one is described as holding patera (which is what it looks like at first glance), but I think RC's suggestion that this is a misattribution is correct - mine clearly shows the three graces (rendered as three vertical sticks). If it is a die-match to the Paris example, as I suspect, then the three graces are on that one as well. Here's a comparison photo: My photos are not very good - the three graces are very visible in hand. Thanks again for the informative post, @Roman Collector - these do make collecting Faustinas much more interesting and enjoyable.

Great coins in this post. This gives me an opportunity to post a new one - a scarce dupondius of Alexander's mom Julia Mamaea. Thanks to @Roman Collector for the information on this issue (see below): Julia Mamaea Æ Dupondius (228 A.D.) Rome Mint; 9th emission IVLIA MAMAEA AVGVSTA, diademed and draped bust right on crescent / FELICITAS PVBLICA, S-C, Felicitas standing front, holding caduceus and leaning on column RIC IV Severus Alexander 678. (12.75 grams / 25 x 24 mm) eBay Oct. 2024 Notes: "For the first few years of Severus Alexander's reign...the dupondii of his mother, Julia Mamaea, continued to use the same bust style as that of asses issued for her, a diademed and draped bust. However, the ninth issue of the reign, AD 228, witnessed the introduction of the crescent on the dupondii issued for Mamaea to indicate a double denomination and to distinguish them from the as..." Roman Collector, CT Oct. 2019 Die-Match Obverse: (All OCRE specimens) Münzsammlung des Seminars für Alte Geschichte der Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Identifier ID4202 American Numismatic Society Bronze Dupondius of Severus Alexander, Rome, 1893.999.13 Münzkabinett der Universität Göttingen Identifier 157258

Thank you so much @robinjojo - that's the first solid evidence I've seen that the Germans melted down Dutch silver. My guess is a lot of people hoarded their silver rather than hand it over to the Germans, thus Dutch silver is still quite common. Again, just guessing, much of the 1940 dated 2-1/2 gulden issue may have still been at the mint or in the banks, not fully distributed, so they were hit harder by the German confiscation than the other dates. That's a nice Lion Daaler - I really like these, and the overdate makes it even more interesting. Here's an early Dutch coin I picked out of my local dealer's junk can going to the smelter(!). He was selling the business and cleaning out the place (which makes me very, very sad - I'd been buying from him for close to 40 years). The coin is in dreadful condition, and I had a hard time attributing it, but it is apparently rather scarce: Netherlands, Kampen ND AR Arendschelling HRE Ferdinand III (1637-1657) MO A[RG IMP]ERI [CI]VITA CA[MPEN], crowned coat-of-arms / FERD • III • D [G] ELEC [R]O [I]MP • [SEM AVGV], imperial double eagle; crown above. CNM 2.30.67 (see notes). (3.93 grams / 29 x 28 mm) A-Z April 27, 2024 (melt value) Note: I found only two of these at auction: "scarce, most Eagle shillings were coined in the name of Rudolph II or Matthias I" Kavel 6625 | Heritage Auctions Europe (May 2019) Both auctions: CNM 2.30.67

I've really enjoyed the coins in this thread - my great-grandparents immigrated from Amsterdam in 1882, so I feel a little Dutchie in the bone, as it were. My post here isn't very exciting compared to the wonderful coins in earlier posts - this is a common Wilhelmina I 2-1/2 guilders. What is somewhat interesting is the date, 1940, which is the year of the German invasion. Although the mintage for these is high (like most of the series - not counting "deep hairline" varieties), this one catalogues a bit higher than the other dates: https://www.ngccoin.com/price-guide/world/netherlands-2-1-2-gulden-km-165-1929-1940-cuid-1084056-duid-1435411 My guess (and I mean guess) is that these were not circulated very widely before the German invasion, and perhaps some where melted down by the Germans? Any information about this date would be greatly appreciated (I imagine Dutch sources have some information, but I don't read Dutch - sorry g-grandparents Herman and Wilhelmina!). Here is one of mine - a recent purchase off eBay, incorrectly described as a "gulden" so I got it cheap (around melt):

Wow. A spectacular sestertius for sure, @CPK. Not so spectacular, but showing Pax setting fire to a pile of arms, are two recent additions to my collections - an as and a sestertius of Antoninus Pius. Some of these have rather detailed piles of arms, but many, like mine, are mere lumps (or mostly off flan): Sestertius: As:

Well, it is a testament to all those past Faustina Fridays you've posted @Roman Collector that I don't really have any questions - you keep answering them. And for that I thank you. Your posts have certainly improved my attributions. So thank you, again, RC. And please keep up the good work. To demonstrate my RC-enhanced attributions (which I hope I didn't botch here 😌 ), here is one of my purchases from earlier this year, with the stuff I write for the flip insert (these go to four inserts sometimes!) - note the RC notations: Faustina II Æ Sestertius (c. 170-174 A.D.) See notes Rome Mint FAVSTINA AVGVSTA, bare-headed, draped bust, right (Beckmann Type 10 hairstyle). / MATRI MAGNAE | SC in exergue | Cybele seated right holding drum on left knee; lions seated at left and right of throne (27.58 grams / 31 x 28 mm) eBay Jan. 2024 $37.02 RIC III Marcus Aurelius 1663; BMCRE 932-935; Cohen 169. RIC/OCRE: 161-176 A.D. CNG: circa AD 170-175/6. RC (NF): (c. 170-174 A.D.) Provenance: Originally sold: Heidelberger Münzhandlung Herbert Grün e.K. Auction 81; Lot 2402; 10.05.2021 Est. € 75 Catalog is online; see page 63. Die-Match Obverse: British Museum Museum number: R.14316 C&M catalogue number: RE4 (534) (933) (534) BMCRE 933, p.534 (OCRE example) Notes: "Dating the coin is difficult. Beckmann’s die-linkage study of the aurei of Faustina II demonstrate this reverse type to be the first to use the Type 10 hairstyle, which was introduced sometime after the death of Lucius Verus in 169 CE. It may have been (for) the birth of Faustina's last child, a daughter, Vibia Aurelia Sabina, born 170 or 171 CE. This reverse type appears to have been issued before the introduction of the MATER CASTRORVM issues in the latter half of 174 CE." RC NF

Impressive find and coin-sleuthing @wuntbedruv. A while back I found a drachm of Antoninus Pius in an unattributed eBay lot. It too is rare, but wow, is it in terrible, terrible shape. I posted it on CT a while back - I'm not a 100% on the attribution, but maybe...and you thought riding sidesaddle on a horse was difficult - Isis could do it on a dog! ...The reverse is bronze hamburger, but I was determined to figure it out. So I pulled up everything issued Alexandria for Antoninus Pius and got 114 pages (!) on RPC Online. My coin doesn't have enough visible to narrow the search, so I started scrolling. On page 107 (!!) I found Isis riding a dog and I think I got a match. Page 107, I said. Of course it was page 107. Or am I fooling myself? Below are three versions of the reverse, one enhanced (dog in red, Isis in blue, cornucopiae in green), the third from RPC, showing what a nice one looks like: Antoninus Pius Æ Drachm Year LKA=21 (157-158 A.D.) Alexandria Mint [ΑVΤ Κ]ΑΙ Τ ΑΙΛ Α[ΔΡ ΑΝΤƱΝΙΝΟϹ ϹƐΒ (ƐVϹ)], laureate draped bust right / Isis Sothis, holding cornucopia and sceptre, riding right on dog running right, [LKA below]. RPC IV.4, 15227 (temporary) (15.45 grams / 32 x 29 mm) Attribution Note: Reverse is very worn and pitted, but dog's tail, along with face and cornucopiae of Isis are visible, barely. Unsure attribution. Köln 1804 var. (obv. bust type); Dattari (Savio) 8580; K&G 35.752 var. (same); RPC IV.4 Online 15227; Emmett 1593.21.

I'm not much help either with these. But here are three of mine - all Antiochos II, or so I think. The portraits do seem to have some variation, though the OP does look further "off" than the others I've seen (the top two of these have countermarked reverses - anchor/over/anchor for some reason):

Nice coin, @mc9. This type is indeed difficult to find for Salonina. For reasons having to do with dumb luck on eBay more than anything else, I have two of these, both pretty crudely struck: It has been a while since I tried to attribute these, but here is what I came up with a few years back - it seems Cologne mint was the one turning up the most for me, but I know these Valerian-Gallienus era coins are constantly having mints reassigned, updated, etc.: Salonina Antoninianus (256-258 A.D.) Cologne Mint SALONINA AVG, diademed, draped bust right on crescent / VENVS VICTRIX Venus standing right, seen from rear, naked to waist leaning on column, holding palm & apple See reverse for attribution. (2.59 grams / 21 mm) eBay Mar. 2018 Salonina Antoninianus (256-258 A.D.) Cologne Mint SALONINA AVG, diademed, draped bust right on crescent / VENVS VICTRIX Venus standing right, seen from rear, naked to waist leaning on column, holding palm & apple See reverse for attribution. (2.79 grams / 23 x 21 mm) eBay Aug. 2018 Attribution: RIC V (joint reign) 8 (incomplete description); Göbl MIR 36, 904c; Cunetio hoard 735; Stevenage hoard 519; Elmer 98; Biglis, Dinas Powys hoard (1978/9): IARCW 440/2.

I used to collect countermarked modern coins and these Arabic countermarks on silver coins are, from what I read, suspect. This includes stuff listed in the Standard Catalog of World Coins, etc. There is a lot of debate on these, but "spurious" comes up a lot. But who knows? I sure don't. They are fun to look at. I like the OP, though I've never seen anything like it (and 20 years ago, I was researching this sort of countermark, not that a lot of information is out there). There are a ton of "Arabic" countermarks on eBay that are clearly modern concoctions, so I'd be wary buying something like this. Here are a couple I found on eBay with a basic "countermark" search - they look too good to be true to me: Here's one I sold off a few years back - Djibouti countermarks, KM 3.2 per my 1996 catalogue. This whole issue (usually found on Indian rupees) is questioned by a some people. My interests were shifting to ancients so I let it go. It was nice to look at though: