robinjojo

Here's an owl that arrived today, in a NGC slab (probably set for liberation).  This is an eBay purchase.

This is fairly typical intermediate owl, from the mid-4th to early 3rd century BC.  However, what makes it somewhat unusual is a good portion of the crest on the obverse visible and quite complete, which doesn't occur too often with this "dumpy" type.  Also, the Pi is in the style of V (Bingen Pi V).  The centering is a bit off on the obverse, but, as is the case with ancient coins, something is lost and something is gained in terms of detail.  These coins, after all, are not productions of the US Mint.  The reverse is actually quite good in terms of centering.

Please forgive the lousy photo.  Slabbed coins are a bear for me.

Athens, tetradrachm, Pi Style V, 350-297 BC.

Kroll Pi-Style p. 245, fig. 9

8 hours ago, JAZ Numismatics said:

These coins are scarce enough that I expected another forum member to have maybe one, but not two! How did you come by the pair?

I did manage to hunt down the disposition of the Bahrain Hoard, and it consisted of 215 tetradrachms of Gerrha, 77 of Hagar. (Published in Coin Hoards, RNS, London, 1975.) No coins from from Mleiha, so that's a small bit of evidence that the billon issues did not circulate widely. I also discovered that Polybius wrote about the Gerrhaeans, of which we have the following fragments...

13.9.1 Chattenia in the Persian Gulf is the third district belonging to the Gerraeans. It is a poor district in other respects, but villages and towers have been established in it for the convenience of the Gerraeans who cultivate it...

4. The Gerraeans begged the king not to abolish the gifts the gods had bestowed on them, perpetual peace and freedom. The king, when the letter had been interpreted to him, said that he granted their request...

5. When their freedom had been established, the Gerraeans passed a decree honoring Antiochus with a gift of five hundred talents of silver, a thousand talents of frankincense, and two hundred talents of so-called "stacte" [oil of myrrh or cinnamon]. He then sailed to the island of Tylus [modern Bahrain], and left for Seleucia. The spices were from the Persian Gulf.

The Seleucid king in question here is Antiochus III, who threatened to conquer the region in 205/4 BC, but once he had extorted his booty, he withdrew. It's likely that part of the payment consisted of the good silver imitation tetradrachms. Huth and Potts (ANJ 14) explained the surprising findspots of some of the tetradrachms along the route taken by the Seleucid army upon its return.

A seller in the UAE had a small group of them.  I purchased a couple at a modest discount.  They don't show up too often, although of the imitations from this region, this type is the more commonly encountered, based on my experience.

Here's one more coin that I photographed today which fits nicely into this thread.  It is a somewhat unusual one, from that prolonged exercise of plunder and pillage known as the 30 Years War.  This coin represents France's efforts during this conflict to incorporate Catalonia into the Kingdom of France.

Catalonia, with Barcelona at its center has historically been a region of Spain that has had its revolts from the central government in the past, and the conflict carries on to this day.  This coin, featuring a portrait of Louis XIII of France as Count of Barcelona, was produced in Barcelona during a phase of the Thirty Years War known as the Reapers' War.  It was basically a revolt by the Catalans against Philip IV of Spain, aided by the French under Louis XIII.  This is a provisional coin, produced from 1641 to 1643, with 1642 being the most available. 

I won't go into the detail of this war, whose outcome was the reassertion of Spanish authority.  Here's a link to a detail account:

 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reapers'_War

Spain Catalonia, Barcelona, insurrection, 5 reales,1642 (Reapers' War, 1641-1650).

KM# 58; CC 6312

11.72 grams

Obverse: Portrait of Louis XIII facing right. LVD XIII D G REX FRAN ET CO BARCIN,
V R.

Reverse:  Coat of arms and cross, surrounded by six dots and two circles.  BARCINO CIVITAS 1642.

Here's a very recent arrival from the current HJB buy-bid sale.  I used the certificate that HJB sent earlier this year, so the coin's price became $200.  Quite a reasonable price in my estimation.

The coin is a hammered 4 reales of Ferdinand V and Isabella I of Spain.  Between the 4 reales and the 8 reales issued by these rulers, the 8 reales are by far the rarest.  Four reales are more readily available, but the prices for these coins have risen markedly over the past few years.  I suppose there's a demand for coins issued around the time of Columbus' voyages.  

What attracted me to this coin is the unusual treatment of the obverse legend.  Basically there seems to have been a space issue, just not enough room to accommodate both names, with Isabella (Elisabeth) being truncated.  I have seen different treatments of this legend, including some abbreviations of Elizabeth's name, but this example is super truncated, with her name, partially weak due flat spots on the flan's edges, as (EL)ISA.  I have seen other 4 reales with her name ending ELISABET or ELISABET DI G, but no others with this treatment of her name.  

The assaye sqarer D (Melchor Damian) appears on the reverse, to the right of the yoke.

I need to do more research on this coin to link it to a Calico reference number.  It's possible that this variety is not so rare.  One problem researching these and other hammer struck cobs is that the peripheries can be unreadable due to flan irregularities, off-center strikes, or surface condition issues, or all of the above!  This coin, taking into account the peripheral flat spots, is really quite legible on both sides - good centering as well.

Spain, Ferdinand V and Isabella I, 4 reales, Seville, assayer D, ND (1474-1504).

13.66 grams 

Thank you for the information on the countermarks of Heraclius and others. I really don't collect countermarks on anything like a systematic way.  I tend to be attracted to cm's with some historical relevance, or ones with intriguing designs or characters.  In other words, very sporadic. 

Yes, the Forum example is an outstanding, bold countermark.  

Since Theodore was viceroy of the East under Heraclius, the countermark was applied, I assume the countermark was made while the coin circulated in Theodore's neck of the woods.  I think I'll try to see if the seller has a photo of the countermark that he refers to in the coin's description.  

Scotland, James VI, Sword Ryal of 30 shillings, 1571.

Davenport 8467

30.4 grams

Although 258 years apart, here's a symphony composed by Mendelssohn during his visit to England, including Scotland in 1829.  

Nice posting and a very nice example of a BI tetradrachm from Mleiha!

I was fortunate to be able to acquire two coins of this unusual very localized imitative type. 

Eastern Arabia, Oman Peninsula, Mleiha, Abi'el, BI tetsdrachms, 1st century BC - 1st century AD.

14.98 g (l) 15.01 g (r)

Okay, here's my take on the counterstamp.  I wish that I had access to the Lampinen reference, which would be the definitive interpretation.  The match is based on the seals of Theodore in that book.

I assume that his name is in Latin, as it is for the emperors.  That would be Theodorus.  

Here's a rough schematic of the monogram countermark as I see it:

The T is the central character, with an E to the lower left, merged into the T.  The lower loop of the E combined with the vertical bar of the T makes a d.  As far as I can make out the characters at the top, they seem to be r u   s.  So the monogram become TEdrus for Theodorus.  Does that make sense?  

Here the countermark with this orientation:

I'm still trying to decipher the monogram. 

It's been a while since I posted a Byzantine thread, mostly due to 1) inertia, and 2) waiting for something of note to come my way.  Well, such a coin has arrived, and inertia is temporarily suspended, so here it is.

The notable feature on what otherwise is a rather common coin, a follis of Maurice Tiberius, RY 8, is the countermark. To quote the information on the label, "The countermark has been identified as the monogram of Theodore, brother (or perhaps half-brother) of Heraclius (c. 634-636 AD) by comparison with his identical monograms on seals."

Heraclius, countermark on M Tiberius follis, Constantinople, RY 8, officina B.

DOC I 27b (coin); Lampinen pp 399-404 (CM).

11.57 grams

Here's an enlargement of the countermark:

This countermark raises the question of its purpose.  Theodore, according to Wikipedia, was appointed to the position of curopalates, in charge of palace administration.  He was also involved in military campaigns with his brother Heraclius.  Was this countermark used during the campaigns to validate folles of prior emperors?  It appears that for a period he was virtual viceroy in the East.  Was his countermark used there while he occupied the position?  

For a more detailed account of Theodore, here's a link to Wikipedia:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theodore_(brother_of_Heraclius)

9 minutes ago, Bonshaw said:

Beautiful, have you ever used it with cream?

Thanks!  That's a cool bronze medal!

No, it has been residing on display in a china cabinet along with other nick knacks and mineral specimens.

Yes, we should be careful not to go "off the rails" here, so easily accomplished in these fraught times. 

There are plenty of other online venues for the exchange of political views. 

Quite a few years ago there was another runup on the spot price of gold and silver.  I was working for the county at the time, and sometimes I would take the bus from my workplace during lunch and visit my local coin shop.  On one visit I noticed a box of scrap silver destined for the smelter.  I found this object among the flatware, trays, candle holders and other objects, both sterling and plated.  I immediately recognized the elegant form as Georgian silver, a creamer, rather worn but still very attractive.  It was produced by a silversmith, Hester Bateman, around 1787.  She was one of only a handful of female silversmiths in London, and while her pieces generally do not command the premium prices of other contemporary silversmiths, I am still happy to have rescued this charming creamer from oblivion, probably to emerge in the form of a silver round!

I do have one coin with a swastika on it.  It is a chopmark probably administered by an Indian, Chinese or other Asian merchant, I imagine,  in the 17th-18th century.  The coin itself is an 8 reales of Potosi, dated (16)29, assayer T.  The chopmark can be seen on the cross side, in the upper left quadrant.

This is the only exception I'd make.  The swastika is an ancient symbol that has unfortunately been appropriated by Nazis and fascists in the past century. I would never buy a coin or any other object that includes symbols from Nazi Germany, nor any coin from that country from 1933-1945.

I do have some coins from the Holocaust, but that is for remembrance, which I hope future owners will continue.

Excellent coins posted!

Among the very few denarii that I have, this is arguably the best in overall quality:

Trajan, AR denarius, 107-8 AD.  DΛNVVIVS reverse.

RIC II 100

3.57 grams

I think this provenance also reflects the fact that humans, with all the flaws and virtues, collect coins, as well as art and other objects.  The OP's provenance is a perfect example of a collector whose nefarious deeds accompany the coins from his or her collection.  I can't imagine what my provenance will be with the coins residing in the boxes.  I hope there isn't one, as I truly prefer anonymity.  

5 hours ago, ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ ΑΛΦΩΝΣΟΥ said:

A friend of mine from Syria told me that when they fled Syria in a hurry in the 90s they tossed his grandfather's coin collection in the trash!? There were over 100 coins of all kinds 😲

Yes, that is sad but an almost predictable outcome in the chaos of war.  Much is lost in lives, cultural objects and treasure.

Thanks!  I guess that "beth" Aramaic character is also a guess, but the form seems consistent with examples I have seen through Google.  I am by no means an expert or even very knowledgeable in the areas of Aramaic or any other ancient language. 

I am pretty certain that this coin circulated in what is now Syria.  Hoards of these owls came out of this country and other parts of the region, including Iraq.  Oddly, though, the anchor counterstamp is not apparently included in the table of countermarks from the 1989 Syrian hoard.  Perhaps this coin came out of Syria in 2022, when a fairly good sized group of mostly imitative owls appeared on the market in Israel, auction venues and retail sellers.  Not too many are appearing now, but that of course can change, sometimes dramatically when a huge hoard quickly makes an appearance. 

For glare and "white out" areas I'd avoid using a flash. indirect light is best, as pointed out by Severus Alexander.  Also, I tend to have better results using a white background.  Taking a photo of a gold coin on a black background is problematic for me in regards to hue.

Here are three of my efforts.

This photo was made with a white background; the black was added latter in Photoshop.  However, the hue still makes this coin "brassy" and not more yellow, as it actually is.

Much better!  This photo even picks up some of the orange toning.  Since I tend to depend on natural light, the results can vary depending on the amount of sunlight coming through the skylight.  I don't remember if the day was sunny when I took this photo, back in 2020, but it probably was.

Again, the coin could be a bit yellower.  I think part of the issue is that I take the photos looking down on them.  This can create lighting variations as the shadow of the camera cuts across the coin.  I should set up a more professional arrangement, with the coin mounted in a way that avoids this problem.  As I recall I did try to change the hue of this coin through Photoshop, with good but not totally accurate results.  Again, the black background was added after the photo shoot.

5 hours ago, Nerosmyfavorite68 said:

It's very interesting.  Could the anchor be a combination of two countermarks, like the ones on my recent owl, which together make something different than the originals; in this case an anchor?  GinoLR pointed out that mine had two countermarks, one on top of the other, although the bottom one looked like a scorpion to me.

 

It's a very interesting numismatic mystery.

 

Thanks!

I might post this coin on Coin Talk to see what Gino might have to say about the cm.

Cool coin!

I don't have much in terms of ancient furniture, unless I include what I have in the house, but here is one example with interesting objects, six prize urns.

Valerian I Æ 30mm of Anazarbus, Cilicia. Dated CY 272 = AD 253/4. AVT K Π ΛIK OVAΛЄPIANOC CЄ, laureate, draped and cuirassed bust to right / ANAZAPBOV MHTPOΠ, six prize urns, the middle one in upper row containing palm branch; Γ-Γ across upper fields, ET BOC (date) across central field, A M K T in exergue. RPC X Online Unassigned ID 60270 (this coin cited); Ziegler 834; BMC 43; SNG Levante 1520; SNG BnF -. 17.85g, 30mm, 1h.

Very Fine.

This coin published at Roman Provincial Coinage Online (rpc.ashmus.ox.ac.uk);
Ex Roma Numismatics Ltd., E-Sale 93, 6 January 2022, lot 832;
Ex Roma Numismatics Ltd., E-Sale 76, 5 November 2020, lot 825.

Here's a coin that I think warrants its own thread, due to a very distinctive countermark, along with two other countermarks as well.

This imitative owl is a very recent arrival from VCoins.  Since I am awash in owls of various stripes, I would have passed on this coin were it not for its well centered and bold obverse countermarks.

Egypt, imitating Athens, pharaonic owl, circa late 5th-mid 4th century BC,

16.69 grams

I think the central cm is an anchor.  It really is quite distinctive in form.  It might have been struck over another cm.  To the upper right of it is what appears to be an Aramaic beth, slightly rotated.

An anchor of a very similar style appears on some of the well known coinage of Thrace, Apollonia Pontika, mid 4th century BC .

Photo courtesy of CNG

The Seleucid kings also had a longtime tradition of using the anchor countermark on coin whose origins were outside the empire, as a means of sanctioning their circulation.

Pamphylia, Side, AR tetradrachm, circa 205-100 BC.   Seleucid anchor countermark on obverse.

16.20 grams

The OP coin has another cm, to the upper right of the central cm.  I believe this smaller yet quite bold cm is an Aramaic "beth",  rotated about 90 degrees due to space limitations

.  

Finally, there is a much smaller and rather blurry cm on the reverse, to the right.  This could be an Aramaic "sadhe" when rotated 180 degrees, but this is just a guess on my part.

While the cm style on the OP coin more closely resembles the anchor used by Apollonia Pontika, I think it far more likely that the anchor cm was applied by someone, in an official or unofficial capacity, in the Seleucid Empire, following the death of Alexander III.  The presence of one clear Aramaic character on the obverse, prominently next to the anchor, supports this guess.  I know of no pharaonic owls found in what was Thrace, but doesn't mean that there were none; these coins, Athenian and imitative, had a wide area of circulation in that broad ancient region of the Levant and further east.  But Thrace?  I don't think so.  Additionally, I imagine that any countermark characters used in Thrace would be Greek, not Aramaic.   

So, there it is.  Any thoughts?

Thanks!

It looks like another deluge of standardized owls, 238 this time, with one additional intermediate Pi Style (worn obverse die it seems).  The spigot is wide open.

Lots of Tigranes II tetradrachms as well.  If you're looking for a type coin, this might be a good opportunity to acquire a previously pricey coin.

8 hours ago, Severus said:

Concerning the tetradrachm from the first post: It is not RY2 of Diocletian but RY12 (295/6), which is the last year tetradrachms were minted in Alexandria. The I is not really visible, but must be there. Legend on obverse reads ΔΙΟΚΛΗΤΙΑΝΟϹ ϹΕΒ, a legend not used in the early years of Diocletian. Even though style of portraits in this time vary considerably, the bust used and its overall "broad" (sorry, no native speaker here; I can not find any better word to describe) appearance are indications for a late issue. Parallels to the style of the portraits of folles can hardly been denied. 

https://rpc.ashmus.ox.ac.uk/type/76381

 

Thank you so much for the clarification!  I uploaded a better image of the coin, and traces of the "I" can be seen now.

I was wondering why the reverse eagle design was not matching up with all the RY 2 tetradrachms of Diocletian.

Thanks!

Here's another Diocletian Alexandrian tetradrachm with a different portrait style, one that I have seen very frequently.  The obverse legend is much clearer.

Diocletian, potin tetradrachm, 284-305 AD, RY 1, Alexandria.  Tyche reverse.

5.38 grams