Wow, you really did some impressive work on that @Roman Collector - nice job.  That others are floating around is indeed interesting.  For the record, I did not buy it, but the seller did make me an offer - 100 GBP I think.  But it was sold before I could take the bait.  😌

Just now, Roman Collector said:

What a lovely specimen, @Marsyas Mike!!! And thank you for the kind words. I don't think the specimen second from the bottom is a die-match to your coin, though. The bottom one is, though -- both obverse and reverse, I think. 

 

Thanks for the compliment - that is quite a bit better than my typical denarius.  It was a lucky find.  

Yeah, my die-match sleuthing is still in the amateur stage.  With ancients, so much depends on the strike and die-wear that I get confused.  

Nice-looking coin.  Back in the old days I used to run across the description "cabinet friction" - I think that meant there was wear or "shiny areas" on the high points from being in a collector's cabinet with narrow drawers.  As @Postvmvs says: 

2 hours ago, Postvmvs said:

b) as the highest point, the hair, has rubbed against something exposing fresh silver which is brighter than the rest of the coin

Great post as always @Roman Collector.  Unfortunately I don't have one of those eagle types, but here is the early Providentia type.  Is it possible yours is a reverse die-match to mine?  I found some other die-matches (see below):

Faustina I  Denarius 1st Phase: Faustina’s funeral (c. 141 A.D.) Rome Mint DIVA AVG FAVSTINA, veiled, draped bust r. / AETERNITAS, Providentia standing left, holding globe and scepter. RIC III Antoninus Pius 350a(b); BMCRE 291; Cohen RSC 34a. (3.47 grams / 17 x 16 mm) eBay Jan. 2023 (Can.) $23.90 BO

Die-Match Characterstics: Obv: AVG - AV run together. Rev: Globe next to E, long arm.

 Die-Match Obv. & Rev.: Jesús Vico, S.A.; Subasta 157; Lot 359; 26.11.2020

Die-Match Reverse: American Numismatic Society Identifier: 1956.127.549 "Tell Kalak", Jordan, 1956

Here are what I think are some die-matches:

Interesting thread.  My collection has lots of low-grade and/or ugly coins that usually come in unattributed lots.  Trying to figure them out is a lot of fun, I think.

Most recently is this silver coin from the (Spanish) Netherlands - I found it in a local dealer's junk silver jar (which was scheduled to go to the smelters!).  It is an "arendschelling" of Ferdinand III and it took me hours to figure this out.  Not in Numista, only two others turned up at auction - apparently these are more common for other rulers.  Anyway, I doubt it is worth much, but I had a lot of fun figuring it out.  And I'm pretty happy about rescuing it from the smelters!

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) AZ 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

Very interesting @maridvnvm  For what it's worth, I think it looks more like Albinus as well.  

A lesser-known portrait of him can be found at the Indiana University Museum of Art (they have a fantastic pair of Septimius Severus and Julia Domna as well).  Last time I was there I took photos, but Albinus came out blurry.  My post on these is here:  

The IU Art Museum wouldn't let me copy the photo from their collection of Albinus, but here's a link - he looks a lot like the OP, I think. 

https://artmuseum.indiana.edu/collections-online/browse/object.php?number=62.99

As for sports, I never made it to the semis - I never even got past tryouts.  But I recently got a semis for Hadrian like the one in the OP:

Hadrian        Orichalcum Semis (124-125 A.D.) Rome Mint (for Syria) [HAD]RIANVS [AVG]VSTVS, laureate, draped and cuirassed bust right / COS III, S-C across field, lyre RIC II Part 3 (2^nd ed.) 758 (old RIC II 688 (semis)); RPC III 3763. (3.51 grams / 17 mm) eBay Jan. 2024

Here's a "semis" for Trajan Decius - part of a currency reform that went nowhere, there is some dispute as to what the denomination was, but a lot of folks call it a semis:

Here's a Spanish one for Augustus, temple reverse:

Augustus Semis (Æ 22) (c. 12 B.C.) Ilici, Spain Q Papirius Car and Q Terentius Montanus, duoviri DIVI F AVGVSTVS, laureate head right / Q PAPIR · CAR· Q TER(E) · MON[T II VIR Q], tetrastyle temple, IVNONI in architrave, [C I] I A in columns. RPC I, 192; SNG Cop 14. (5.37 grams / 22 x 20 mm) eBay April 2021 $5.50 BIN

This awful thing is from Spain, an imitation of a Roman Republic issue - the retrograde S indicates the denomination, I guess (thanks to the @Valentinian website to figure it out):

Roman Republic        Æ Semis Spanish Imitative (1st Century B.C.) Spanish Mint Diademed head of Saturn with spiky hair right, retrograde S behind / Prow right, S above, [ROMA below?] (3.02 grams / 18 x 15 mm) eBay Oct. 2019 Lot @ $1.89

Attribution Note: Michael Crawford, "Unofficial imitations and small change under the Roman Republic," AIIN 29 (1982) 139-164, plates I-VIII and pages 22-226 and plates IX-XI.  (Augustus Coins)

Kind of along the same lines, there is a Chi-Rho type issued for Justin II and Sophia.  I wrote it up a few years ago on CT but nobody replied - I'm assuming there are others out there?  The chi-rho seems to indicate an increase in the weight of the issue - which is interesting, I think, and perhaps applies to the OP issue for Justinian? 

I recently got one of these heavier Justin II chi-rho types in an eBay lot - despite the wear, it is fairly heavy - my third example of the chi-rho:

Justin II & Sophia       Æ Follis Year 8 (572-573 A.D.) Constantinople Mint DN IVS[TI]NVS PP [AVG]  Justin & Sophia facing, seated on double throne / Large M | ANNO left | ς | II right | Chi-Rho above | Δ below | CON in exergue. SB 360; MIB 43. (15.49 grams / 30 x 29 mm) eBay March 2024    Lot @ $8.67

The copper follis comes down sharply in weight and size during the reign...with an average weight of 13.5 g.  There was, however, at Constantinople from the 5th regnal year onwards, a heavier issue (by a gramme) in parallel, distinguished by a Chi-Rho above the M on the reverse, as against the usual cross. Byzantine Coins (1973), by P. D. Whitting, pp. 111-112)

Here's my old CT post with everything I know, and other examples:

1. 

   

   Marsyas MikeWell-Known Member

   A couple years ago when I first started in on Byzantine coins, I read our local library's copy of Byzantine Coins by P.D. Whitting. There I found a reference to a chi-rho variation of the very common Justin II-Sophia follis from Constantinople (Sear 360).
   Here is the quote:
   
   "The copper follis comes down sharply in weight and size during the reign...with an average weight of 13.5 g. There was, however, at Constantinople from the 5th regnal year onwards, a heavier issue (by a gramme) in parallel, distinguished by a Chi-Rho above the M on the reverse, as against the usual cross."
   (Byzantine Coins (1973), by P. D. Whitting, pp. 111-112)
   
   In my own small collection, I now have four examples of Sear 360, two with the chi-rho, two the cross. Indeed there is a weight difference, pretty much in accordance with Whitting, but Byzantine coins seem to vary so much in weights I was wondering if a "gramme" difference can really be attributed to a specific symbol within this issue?
   
   I have not had any luck finding other references to this weight change online. Examples of SB 360 abound, of course, and glancing through Coin Archives I saw some examples that conform to Whitting's information.
   
   Valentinian's recent post on Anonymous follis variations shows there is an impressive number of Coin Talk Byzantine experts out there - does anybody have any other information on this? Examples?
   
   Here are mine. Such a small sample is hardly conclusive, not helped by the fact my "chi-rho" examples are quite worn, but again, the heavier weigh for the chi-rho does hold true:
   
   The top two rows have the standard cross (year 11 and year 5): 12.15 and 13.93 grams
   
   The bottom two rows have the chi-rho (both year 6): 14.61 and 14.29 grams.
   
   

    

   Marsyas Mike, Oct 3, 2018Report

   #1+ QuoteReply

   https://www.cointalk.com/threads/byzantine-follis-of-justin-ii-with-chi-rho-above-m-special-heavy-issue.324682/#post-3204428

    

Thanks for sharing this story and coin @JeandAcre.  Although I've been following the Carbonized Library story, I hadn't heard about finding Plato's grave. 

This gave me an excuse to post a collecting milestone - I just got my first Athenian Owl this month - I'm still attributing it, but I think is is one of the Mass Issue types, with a couple of probably Phoenician countermarks obverse and reverse.  I've wanted one of these for a long time, of course, and was willing to settle for a lower-grade one.  Since they've become so common these past couple of years, I felt this was about as good as it gets for the price.  It was not a disappointment except for the area of crystallization behind Athena's head, which seems to be on the obverse surface only - this seems odd to me - I recently came across the term "hoard contact" which may explain it - most crystalized silver coins I've encountered are through-and-through, or throughout the interior.  At 16.9 grams, the weight is okay for one of these, and the edges look healthy, so I'm hoping it won't shatter.  Meanwhile, I'll try not to drop it. 

Great coin and write-up, @DonnaML.  Just this month I got one of those Homonoia issues for two cities (Hierapolis and Ephesus), though not a two-bust type.  It is pretty cruddy, but I had a lot of fun attributing it:

Otacilia Severa  Æ 24 Hierapolis, Phrygia  (Augusta, 244-249) •Μ•ΩΤ• •ϹΕΥΗΡΑ•, diademed and draped bust right / ΙΕΡΑΠΟΛΕΙΤΩΝ Κ ΕΦΕϹΙΩΝ ΝΕΩΚΟ | ΡΩΝ | ΟΜΟΝΟΙΑ | two wreaths, containing Π and Ɛ RPC VIII (unassigned ID 20749) Franke & Nollé 689–700, 707. (6.00 grams / 24 mm) eBay April 2024 $6.00 BIN  

"Beginning late in the first century AD a means of easing political and social strife between neighboring cities in Asia Minor came about through what is known as "Homonia," where concord could be achieved through issued coinage and other means....Note that both the names of Hierapolis along with  the "homonia" city were shown on  the reverse: Otacilia Severa: Hierapolis; Homonia with Ephesus" Brian Bucklan Coin Talk

Die-Match Obv. & Rev.: Leu Numismatik Web Auct. 7; Lot 741; 23.02.2019 (320 CHF) BMC 172; SNG München 251; Franke/Nollé 694.4 (this coin). Numismatik Naumann Auction 43; Lot 743; 01.05.2016 Franke & Nollé 694; BMC 172. Bucephalus Numismatic Auction 18; Lot 300; 21.04.2023 Franke & Nollé 830-6; BMC 176.

Die-Match Obv. & Rev. (RPC examples): RPC Coin: 97362 British Museum  Inventory No. 1898,1005.4 BMC 172 = Franke & Nollé 691 RPC Coin: 100290 Museum of Fine Arts Boston Inventory 63.1149 Franke & Nollé 692 Die-Match Obv. & Rev. (RPC examples): RPC Coin: 102164 Helios 5 25 June 2010, lot 932 Franke & Nollé 694 RPC Coin: 100926 Numismatik Naumann 43, 1 May 2016, lot 743 RPC Coin: 474283 Rex Numismat. E-Rex Duo 10 6 Apr. 2024, lot 244

Interesting post @Roman Collector  Not really an empress reference, but here's a denarius of Hadrian showing the Sun and the Moon.  I'm sure some other Forum members have a better one:

Hadrian  Denarius (119-122 A.D.) Rome Mint IMP [CAES]AR TRAIAN HAD[RIANVS AVG], laureate, heroic bust right, draped far shoulder / P M TR P [COS III], Aeternitas standing left, holding heads of Sol and Luna. RIC 81; RSC 1114.  (2.78 grams / 18 mm) eBay May 2019      Lot @ $6.50

Nice clean-up job.  A full-faced Phocas is a nice thing to have...mine are all worn, unfortunately.  Here's a follis from the same mint, with a worn-flat portrait:

Great coin and great sleuthing, @CPK.  I really like the coins of Commodus - I do not have the as/dupondius, but I do have a sestertius of this VOT type.  The condition is poor, so I am unsure of the attribution because I cannot make out the TRP number. 

Commodus  Æ Sestertius (c. 184-185 A.D.) Rome Mint M COMMODVS ANTON AV[G PI]VS BRIT, laureate head r. / VOTA SVS[CEP DECEN P M TR P VIIII (or X?) IMP VII], [COS II]II PP in exergue, S-[C], Commodus standing l. at tripod. RIC III 441; BMCRE 552 note; Cohen RSC 988.  See notes. (21.03 grams / 29 mm) eBay Nov. 2018 $14.00 BIN  

 RIC 441c:  TRP VIIII 184 A.D.

RIC 454Aa:  TRP X 184-185 "

 Obverse die-match has unclear reverse, so I am not sure about VAuctions RIC 441 attribution. Die-Match Obverse:   VAuctions Auction 268; Lot 166; 18.08.2011

 Here is a VOT denarius from very late in his reign.  Promises, promises!

Commodus  Denarius (191-192 A.D.) Rome Mint L AEL AVREL COMM AVG P FEL, laureate head right / VOTA SOLV PRO SAL PR, Commodus standing left, sacrificing out of a patera over tripod altar, prostrate bull left RIC 262; RSC 984; Sear 5725.  (2.60 grams / 17 mm) A-Z Aug. 14, 2017 $18.00

On 4/26/2024 at 11:05 AM, DonnaML said:

Thanks for the post. I wasn't familiar with box thalers before. What did people keep inside them? Snuff?

How about opium?  Wikipedia has an article about US Trade Dollars being modified for this purpose (or just for photos, like a locket).  I've heard of Mexican 8 reales also being hollowed-out and hinged and called "opium dollars."  Really, this is just another Box Thaler, I'd say:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trade-dollar_locket

1 hour ago, ChrisB said:

Pretty cool. A while back I convinced myself that I had to have a box Thaler. The one below was the result of the search. Apparently, this type did NOT start its life as a coin but was a contemporary creation made for people to keep stuff in. It's the right diameter but the obverse and reverse don't technically match.

 

Whoa, that is really interesting.  Thanks for sharing that.  

I recently bought my first "box thaler" coin - not a thaler, however, but rather a decime of Louis XVIII.  Apparently this was issued in Strasbourg during a siege.  Interestingly, there are L versions and N (for Napoleon) versions, issued apparently almost at the same time (as the town was taken over by competing authorities, I imagine).  However, even with the Internet, I could find almost nothing about this event.  

Here's the coin (easy to photograph - you can do the obverse and reverse in one shot!):

France  1815 BB Decime Louis XVIII (1814/1815-1824)  Strasbourg Mint (Siege Coin) Mintage 1,266,920 Beaded and crowned L between three fleur-de-lis in oak wreath / UN | DÉCIME. | 1815. | BB | within oak wreath KM 701; Le Franc 132A; Gadoury 196c. (6.46 grams / 31 mm) eBay April 2024$15.00 BIN 

Note:  This should weigh 20 grams, but it is halved and hollowed out with clasp added for  "box thaler" type container. "After the French disaster of Leipzig, the Allies invaded the Haut-Rhin and invested Strasbourg commanded by General Bourrier.  It was after three months of blockade and the announcement of the fall of the Emperor that the white flag with fleur-de-lis was hoisted on the spire of the cathedral." Alde

 Here's another photo, showing it closed, with close-up of clasp.  At first I thought this was a broken hinge, but I don't think it was ever hinged, just a clasp.  It snaps together with a satisfying little click.  There's a very tiny hole on the reverse as well. 

Here are a couple of things I found online about this issue, none particularly detailed:

https://en.numista.com/forum/topic48900.html

This is an auction by Alde for another "box thaler" type, this one with the N - I gleaned some information (in French) from this:

https://www.acsearch.info/search.html?id=2703646

Wikipedia has a very short article on the Battle of La Suffel, which seems to be connected to the siege of Strasbourg, but it doesn't actually say that!  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_La_Suffel

Any information on the circumstances this coin was issued (N or L versions) would be appreciated.  I'm sure there are tons of French resources out there (I do not speak French, unfortunately).  And please share your siege coins, etc.  

Some great looking coins in this thread.  Perhaps the nicest bearded Severus Alexander I have is this denarius, which came packaged in a UK Bath souvenir cardboard holder with envelope (c. 1940s-1960s?).  I have several so packaged - all genuine ancients, some rather nice, some not. 

Here's another favorite of mine, a Provincial with Marsyas on the reverse: 

Nice serpent, @zanzi.  I have one for Elagabalus that Jochen1 on CT and @seth77 helped me out with a while back here:  

Here it is with attribution and die-matches:

Elagabalus   Æ 26 (c. 218-222 A.D.) Nicopolis ad Istrum, Moesia Inf. Novius Rufus, consular legate. [ΑΥΤ Κ Μ ΑΥΡ] ΑΝΤ[ΩΝΕΙΝΟC], radiate, draped and cuirassed bust right / [ΥΠ ΝΟΒΙΟΥ ΡΟΥΦΟΥ] ΝΙΚΟΠΟΛΙΤΩΝ | ΠΡΟϹΙ | [Ϲ]Τ - Ρ | Ο | Ν, coiled nimbate serpent right. (12.22 grams / 26 x 24 mm) eBay May 2020 Lot @ $8.85 RPC VI 1280 (temporary); Mouchmov 1408; AMNG I 1996; Hristova/Hoeft/Jekov Nicopolis  8.26.22.5

 Die-Match Obv. & Rev.: RPC Coin no. 7 of RPC VI 1280 from CNG Electronic Auct. 158; Lot 132; 14.02.2007

RPC Coin no. 8 of RPC VI 1280 from Wildwinds / aeqvitas.com

 Notes: "There is some evidence that the snake... in four elaborate coils (with) a radiate head with nimbus is Glykon, the Snake God. This god was invented in the mid-2nd century AD by the Greek  prophet Alexander of Abounoteichos. This we know from the author Lucian of Samosate (c.120-c.190 AD)." (Coin Talk, jochen1 (edited)

The die-matches are prettier than my cruddy example:

Very interesting (and attractive) countermark @robinjojo  These Middle Eastern countermarks on Byzantine hosts are fascinating.  I posted a couple that came my way on CT: 

Byzantine Wars with Islam in Syria & Palestine - A Heraclius Countermark

In my quest for cheap ancient countermarks, I recently landed a pitted follis of Maurice Tiberius with what looked like a countermark - the seller correctly identified the host coin, but missed the countermark. In hand, I was (I think) able to attribute it, a monogram of Heraclius' name in a circle. It was apparently issued by Heraclius during his Syrian wars with the Muslim Arabs, and was used in Palestine.

The most helpful information was from a "sold" listing on FORVM - I quote from this listing:

"Heraclian countermarks on Byzantine copper coins in seventh-century Syria" by Wolfgang Schulze, Ingrid Schulze and Wolfgang Leimenstoll discusses finds near Caesarea Maritima, where this example was found, and concludes, "During the military conflict between the Byzantine Empire and the Muslim Arabs in Syria in the years 633-36 Byzantine coins were countermarked by the Byzantine military with a Heraclius monogram. Countermarking most probably was exercised predominantly in Palestine I and was carried out to revalue the few circulating copper coins in order to remedy the general supply gap and disastrous shortage of cash."

This is the FORVM coin in the listing - the countermark is beautiful:



https://www.forumancientcoins.com/c...fld=https://www.forumancientcoins.com/Coins2/

The FORVM example has a much clearer countermark than my example. The host coin on mine, despite some pitting problems, is remarkably intact in terms of identifying characteristics - the oddly under-sized reverse compared to the full-size obverse is interesting. The countermark, unfortunately, is not very clearly struck - my "enhanced" version show why I am attributing the way I am. Any corrections (or disagreements) welcome, as always. I was staring pretty hard to attribute this and I might be seeing things.

Are there any others of these out there? This Palestine countermark seems to be scarcer than the Sicilian issues of Heraclius, but I think these were all issued in abundance.

My example:





Byzantine Empire Æ Follis
Heraclius (c. 633-636 A.D.)
Countermark on Maurice Tiberius (585-586 A.D.)
Constantinople/Palestine Mint
Host coin: [M]AVRIC TIB[ER PP AVG], helmeted & cuirassed bust facing / Large M, ANNO left, cross above, II / II right, Є below; CON in exergue.
SB 494, MIB 65d-67d.
(11.31 grams / 27 mm)
Countermark: HRC cruciform monogram in 9 mm circle.
Schulze HCM type 1b

https://www.cointalk.com/threads/byzantine-wars-with-islam-in-syria-palestine-a-heraclius-countermark.329326/

Byzantine Follis with Eagle Countermark: Last Stand at Caesarea Maritima against Islam?

Feast or famine; with ancient countermarks, I find that either there is no information on them whatsoever, or a feast, with an abundance of information. This unappetizing Byzantine follis I recently found on eBay turned out to be a feast, with several theories on why it got countermarked and where.

First the coin (some may find the ugliness of this coin to be disturbing, so viewer discretion advised):



Byzantine Empire Æ Follis Heraclius (c. 610-640 A.D.) Caesarea Maritima (Egypt?) Host coin: Constantinople (?) follis star | cross | star type of Justin I (SB 62) (518-527 A.D.) or Justinian I (SB 160) (527-538 A.D.) Countermark: Stylized eagle, pellet above, in 9 mm circle. (9.64 grams / 30 x 28 mm) eBay Oct. 2023

I've only been able to find one other sale of these online, which fortunately was from FORVM, which can always be relied upon to give a lot of information. Here is FORVM:

Byzantine Empire, Maurice Tiberius, 13 August 582 - 22 November 602 A.D.; Palestina Prima Countermark

Due to new finds around Caesarea Maritima, Wolfgang Schulze re-attributed this countermark from Egypt to Palestina Prima. David Woods proposes that "Nicetas, the cousin of the future emperor Heraclius, ordered the countermarking of these coins as he advanced from Egypt into Palestine during the summer of 610 in order to signal the change of government from Phocas to the Heraclii." Another possible date is after the recovery of Syria from the Persians in 628. Schulze dates it to the Arab siege of 637 - 640 A.D., to which Caesarea succumbed. This is only the third example known of this eagle countermark applied to a coin of Maurice Tiberius. Woods identified the other examples, as "a careless accident." SH77069. Bronze follis, Hahn MIB II 65b, DOC I 22 var. (no 4th officina), SBCV 494; for countermark see Schulze INR 2009, and Woods (Heraclius, Palestina Prima), countermark: VF, coin: aF, areas of corrosion, 4th officina, Constantinople (Istanbul, Turkey) mint, weight 11.287g, maximum diameter 31.5mm, die axis 180o, coin c. 583 - 584, countermark c. 610 - 637; obverse DN mAV - RC P P AV, crowned bust facing, crown with cross and pendilia, globus cruciger in right hand, shield on left shoulder; reverse large M (40 nummi) between ANNO and II (regnal year 2), Δ (4th officina) below, CON in exergue; countermark: in exergue, eagle standing facing, head right, wings raised, in a round punch; from The Jimi Berlin Caesarea Collection (found at Caesarea, Israel); very rare countermark; SOLD

https://www.forumancientcoins.com/c...p?param=77069q00.jpg&vpar=1376&zpg=87823&fld=

Unlike FORVM's example, the host coin on my example is the more common Justin I / Justinian I follis; I suspect mine is Justin I, based on the spacing of the letters, but I am not entirely sure of this, as the middle NVS/ANVS part of the legend is missing. The mintmark on mine is also mostly missing, but I think I can make out the N for CON.

I was able to locate Schulze's article on academia.com, and find his theories observations on what, where and why for this countermark to be very compelling.

The Byzantine ‘Eagle’ Countermark –Re-attributed from Egypt to Palestine

by WOLFGANG SCHULZE

ABSTRACT During the turbulent years of the Arab conquest of Syria in the 30s of the seventh century CE, a series of Byzantine countermarks was in use. One of them, the ‘eagle’ countermark, has been attributed for a long time to Egypt and may now be re-attributed to Palestine on the basis of new evidence. This countermark may have been applied on old and worn Byzantine coins in order to revalue them during the siege of Caesarea (637–640 CE).

INTRODUCTION Byzantine coins bearing a countermark depicting an eagle with upraised wings were first published over 30 years ago (Bendall1976:230). Up to now such countermarks were known exclusively on coins of Justin I and Justinian I (Fig. 1)The round countermark shows a standing bird (‘eagle’) with wings curved upward and a pellet above. It has a diameter of approximately 8 mm and is placed exclusively on the reverses of the host coins. Evans stated that “all [countermarks]are placed at approximately the same place on the reverses of folles, obscuring the offcinae , but carefully avoiding disfiguring the M or the mintmark.” (Evans 2006:24). Looking at the coins in the catalogue below, we can be more precise. On most of the coins, the application of the countermark at the same place of the host coin is indisputable. The countermarks are usually placed on the mintmark or on the offcina, disfiguring one or the other and sometimes both. But nevertheless there are four coins with countermarks placed indiscriminately beside or on the M (Cat. Nos. 1, 10, 16, 21).In contrast to the worn host coins, the countermarks are usually fresh. Takinginto account the fact that Bendall only knew of three specimens and that we can use the evidence of 25 specimens today, his statement “the designs of the countermarks are as worn as the coins” (Bendall 1976:230) cannot be maintained. It seems that several ‘eagle’ countermark dies were in use, sometimes of fine, sometimes of rough style. This could point to a larger production than their rarity in excavations, museums or in trade may suggest (Fig. 2). https://www.academia.edu/6830710/Th...termark_Re_attributed_from_Egypt_to_Palestine

The article goes on with various other aspects and theories about this countermark and the tumultuous history of those times.

Feel free to share any other Byzantine and/or Arabic countermarks, etc.

https://www.cointalk.com/threads/byzantine-follis-with-eagle-countermark-last-stand-at-caesarea-maritima-against-islam.408462/#post-24797151

Interesting post - and good eye picking up that variant @Claudius_Gothicus.  I've got what I think is one of the common ones (my attribution on Gallienus and family are usually uncertain):

Gallienus  Antoninianus (264-265 A.D.) Mediolanum Mint GALLIENVS AVG, radiate head right / BON EVEN AVG, Bonus Eventus standing facing, head left, by altar, holding patera and ears of corn, [MT in exergue]. RIC 470k (var. legend? See note) Göbl 1391a. (3.11 grams / 20 x 18 mm) eBay June 2018 Lot @ $5.43 Attribution Note:   OCRE fails to provide reverse legends; gallienus.net notes BON EVEN as a variation: "RIC 470 lists only BON EVENT or BONVS EVENTVS AVG as reverse legend"

An exceptionally interesting coin type, @Roman Collector.  The idea of these limited issues is very appealing - Hadrian's issues for his erstwhile successor Aelius comes to mind, though these Faustina I types are far scarcer.  I want one!  

Sorry to say I don't have one of these to share, but the Salus cradling the snake type came my way recently for Valerian - a somewhat scarce type for him, from what I can find.  I wonder if he was sick when this was issued?  The Persians gave him other things to worry about, unfortunately:  

Valerian I  Antoninianus (c. 255-257 /  257-259 A.D.) Mediolanum (Milan) Mint IMP VALERIANVS P F AVG, radiate, draped and cuirassed bust right / SALVS AVGG, Salus standing right, feeding serpent held in arms RIC V 252; Cohen RSC 202a; Göbl MIR 836 b (5 ex.). (2.54 grams / 21 x 19 mm) eBay April 2024  

Note: OCRE breaks this down:

RIC V 252a: draped (two examples, both cuirassed!)

RIC V 252c: draped & cuirassed All other sources just cite 252. 

Mints location and dates vary:

RIC/OCRE and most auctions:   Mediolanum, 257-259 A.D.

CGB.fr  Viminacium 255-257 A.D.

7 hours ago, Severus said:

Thank you @Marsyas Mike & @JAZ Numismatics for your input.

@Marsyas Mike: You write that the Hercules head countermark is used on provincials a lot and refering to the RPC database. However I am not able to find a single specimen there with the head to the left. Is this just me? Am I not using the search correctly? Any help or a direct link to a specimen would be very much appreciated. 

I do have some difficulty with the RPC countermark database - I've never really figured out a way to search it, so I just scroll page after page.  There might be more Hercules countermarks on another page deeper in?  

12 minutes ago, JAZ Numismatics said:

"these coins are still legal tender even though they're almost demolished." But that's just a wild guess.

I think that is a pretty good guess.  My thoughts exactly.  

Very interesting countermarks @Severus.  The PR has been connected to the rebellion of Vindex against Nero.  See the Baker Collection here: http://www.romancoins.info/countermark-Richard-Baker.html  and http://www.accla.org/actaaccla/baker2.html

A bunch of these PR countermarks showed up on CNG a couple years ago and some of these drifted down to eBay where they went cheap sometimes.  I posted on CT about these here:  https://www.cointalk.com/threads/budget-countermarks-vindex-pr-and-lysimachos-with-seleucid-anchor.341027/#post-3574205

Mine are in poor condition: 

The Hercules head countermark is a mystery to me - the countermark itself is used a lot on provincials - the RPC countermarks database shows several - see here:

https://rpc.ashmus.ox.ac.uk/countermark

But I don't know - I've never seen one with a PR countermark  What ever it is, it is pretty cool!  

Here is one that I took a gamble on - seller listed it, for obvious reasons, as a fourree, but I thought that brown and green mess looked like surface adhesions that might be removable.  Top photo is seller's photos.  Bottom photo is after some distilled water soaking and scraping.  It weighs 3.16 grams - I think it's silver and official.  You can see where the crud was removed - my scraping skills (and eyesight) are not exactly top-notch, and I suspect the bronze disease caused some pitting, especially at 12 o'clock reverse.  But it does look overall less awful.