robinjojo

The reference number is used by a seller posting an imitation tetradrachm. Does anyone out there have a copy of Sear's reference that includes this number? Thanks!

My wild man probably had pretty bad grooming habits!

Can't beat those wild men and wild women! The garlanded, virtually naked wild man, standing in almost a nonchalant pose attracted me early on in my collecting of world crowns. I used to own several, but some were sold in fundraising efforts over the years. This coin was purchased back in 1980, on a dark and rainy day, as I recall, in Carmel, at the shop of Hal Blackburn. Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel, Frederick Ulrich "wild man" thaler, 1617. KM-52.1; Dav-6303. 28.81 grams The other wild man thaler that I photographed is this one, purchased years later, late eighties or early nineties, from a group of crowns at my local coin shop in San Jose, the same group that included my 1590 Segovia 8 reales. This coin has a more complex design on the obverse, full of symbolism relating to mortality; indeed Julius died the following year. Brunswick-Wolfenbuttle, Goslar, Julius, "Brillentaler", 1589. Davenport 9067 29 grams

An excellent posts and thread! Quite often this sort of provenance is not well known or "high profile" among collectors, quite unlike the stolen art by Goering and the art works that, over the many decades, have been restored to the families of Holocaust victims. I was fortunate to acquire a few 10 marks tokens of the Lodz Ghetto, 1943. Here are three of them: My only ancient with a connection to Shlomo Moussaieff is this very light weight and encrusted owl, purchased through MA Shops, Dr. Busso Peus NACHF, a few years ago. Moussaieff was well known for the antiquities that he collected and sold, primarily of Israeli origin. Coins were also collected by him. I imagine that this coin came from a hoard in Israel, but that is really just a guess on my part. It could have come as well from the surrounding region. Attica, Athens, archaic tetradrachm, 485-480 BC. Ex Shlomo Moussaieff, Seltman Group E. 13.04 grams The Athenian mint at this time produced tetradrachms not only of varying quality in terms of die work, flan quality and strike quality, the mint also produced coins of varying weights, much more so than the later classical owls. At this time production of coins was of paramount importance, especially in light of the impending war with Persia. The silver received by the mint had to to converted into coinage, with the result that weight range spanned coins that are over weight (I have one weighing 17.42 grams and another at 17.52 grams), to very underweight examples, such as the one above, with the majority somewhere in between, mostly above 17 grams.

Here's one more bronze medal from the Paris Commune, this one commemorating the federating of the National Guard in 1871. 28mm; 10.60 grams.

I agree that the first coin is very likely the host or seed coin. The three others show soft cracks around the edges. Indeed they are partially filled in because of the inability of a casting mold to completely replicate the edge cracks created when metal splits under the stress of a hammer blow. Thanks for spotting these fakes! It sure is disconcerting that these coins slipped by some major firms.

Here's a fairly recent purchase, part of my ongoing bottom feeder efforts. I guess much of my DNA is descended from a cat fish somewhere along the way. This coin, not sold at auction, due very likely to the corrosion, especially on the reverse, still has a nice portrait of Septimius Severus. At £38.10 I figured, "why not?". Here's the original lot description. This coin was lot 985 in Roma E-Sale 114. Septimius Severus Æ Sestertius. Rome, AD 196. L SEPT SEV PERT AVG IMP VIII, laureate and cuirassed bust to right / [P M] TR P IIII COS II P P, Victory advancing to left, holding wreath and palm; S-C across fields. RIC IV 725; C. 420; BMCRE 591. 17.63g, 31mm, 12h. Very Fine. Ex Don Ferrante Collection, Roma Numismatics Ltd., E-Sale 99, 7 July 2022, lot 995.

The Commune also issued crude bronze medals, actually token size. France, Paris, Commune bronze token, Committee of Public Safety, Dictatorship of Five, 1871. 28mm, 9.25 grams

The only German coin that have was issued well after the Franco-Prussian War. This was from the time when Germany was establishing colonial possessions in competition with principally the UK and France, but also Belgium. Like Italy, Germany was a "Johnny come lately" in the colonial sphere, Germany established colonies in German East Africa (Cameroon, Namibia, and Tanzania.),the Kiautschou Bay lease in China, following the murder of two German missionaries in 1897, and German New Guinea (Papua New Guinea). German New Guinea, 1894 A (Berlin), 5 marks, "Bird of Paradise'" KM 7 27.8 grams

That's very interesting and one aspect of the war that I was not aware of. So families split apart as a result. I visited Strasbourg briefly in 1994. It is a very historic city and one that I hope to return to for further exploration. BTW, that's a beautiful 10 francs!

For those interested in ancient armor and archeology, this article from today's Guardian might be of interest. https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2024/jan/21/absolutely-amazing-1800-year-old-shattered-roman-arm-guard-is-reconstructed-from-100-pieces

Thank you, everyone! The 20 francs of Napoleon III is a wonderful coin, as are the satirical medals, both the engraved German helmet on the portrait of Napoleon III and the medal stamped "Sedan". The 5 francs group cons are also very nice examples. The sword/bayonet is very impressive, and I would not hesitate in the least running for the hills if confronted with such a pointy object. Thanks for posting. One of the major developments that emerged from the Franco-Prussian War was the modern unified German state, under Kaiser Wilhelm. Are there any German coins out there from this period, including the years following this conflict?

Here's one more numismatic item, one that I've posted in the past, related to the Franco-Prussian war, a silver medal issued by the French Communications Ministry of War for aerial communications. commemorating communications during the war through courier pigeons and hot air balloon. Balloons were also used for military purposes to observe enemy positions. During the long a brutal siege of Paris by the North German Confederation, when the city was cut off, these methods of communications were the only means to maintain contact with the world beyond the lines. 116.6 grams. Marked "Argent" on the edge.

First, the coin, a very rare surviving example, having the trident privy mark on the reverse of Zéphyrin Camélinat, who was the treasurer of the Commune. France, Paris, The Commune, 5 francs, 1871 A. Trident privy mark. KM823 25.00 grams Mintage: 75,000 And now, some historical context. This coin was produce during the turbulence following the defeat of France by Prussia and her German allies in the France-Prussian War. The despotic Napoleon III and the remnants of his army, defeated in the disastrous battle of Sedan (September 1, 1870 – September 2, 1870), were now prisoners. The Second French Empire quickly ended, giving way to the Third Republic on September 4, 1870. Following the defeat at Sedan, the Prussian-led North German Confederation forces advanced on Paris, laying a siege that lasted from September 19, 1870 to January 28, 1871, ending in the temporary occupation of parts of Paris by German army. German troops remained east of the city limits. The Treaty of Frankfurt, signed on 10 May 1871 officially ended the war, with France ceding Alsace-Lorraine to Germany, thus sowing at least one seed that eventually culminated in World War I. It was in the backdrop of the war that the Commune of Paris sprang forth. The Commune was comprised of the French National Guard, comprised of mostly working class background soldiers, stationed in Paris, and civilians who, in a reaction to the repressive social structure instituted under Napoleon III, sought to establish a progressive socialist system of governance. An added factor to what would become basically a civil war for Paris was the divide that existed in France at the time between more Catholic and conservative rural areas and the republican and radical urban centers of Paris, Marseille and Lyon. From Wikipedia, this is an encapsulation of the Commune's policies: "These policies included the separation of church and state, self-policing, the remission of rent, the abolition of child labor, and the right of employees to take over an enterprise deserted by its owner. All Roman Catholic churches and schools were closed. Feminist, socialist, communist, old style social democracy (which was a mix of reformism and revolutionism [sic]) and anarchist currents played important roles in the Commune." The formation of the Third Republic's parliament, in Bordeaux, in February 1871, created a predominantly conservative body, led by Adolphe Thiers. It was a confrontation between the mayor of Paris, the National Guard on one side and Thiers and Cabinet and members of the Army on the other side over cannons located in Paris that created the start of the Commune on March 17, 1871. The taking of two National Guard cannons with the help of women and children. The Cabinet's attempts to seize the cannons resulted in confrontations between the Army and the National guardsmen, including the killing of General Clément-Thomas by National Guardsmen. Outnumbered, Thiers and his government ultimately decided to withdraw from Paris to Versailles on March 18, 1871 and wait until sufficient forces arrived to retake the city. Thus began the Commune and the siege. A barricade thrown up by national guards on 18 March 1871. Under the leadership of the National Guard of the Commune, guardsmen occupied vacated government ministries. Adopting the French Republican Calendar and adopting the red flag of revolution, the Commune Council issued decrees, including, from Wikipedia: "Separation of church and state; Remission of rents owed for the entire period of the siege (during which payment had been suspended); Abolition of child labour and night work in bakeries; Granting of pensions to the unmarried companions and children of national guardsmen killed in active service;Free return by pawnshops of all workmen's tools and household items, valued up to 20 francs, pledged during the siege; Postponement of commercial debt obligations, and the abolition of interest on the debts; Right of employees to take over and run an enterprise if it were deserted by its owner; the Commune, nonetheless, recognised the previous owner's right to compensation; Prohibition of fines imposed by employers on their workmen." Following a failed attempt to take Versailles by the National Guard, a war in which prisoners and hostages were routinely executed by both sides ensued. Mass execution became the norm. By May 21, 1871 the French National Army entered Paris. What followed is known as the "Bloody Week". The massacre of hostages. Fighting at a barricade. Aftermath of the siege and street battles. Street battles followed throughout the city. When Paris was retaken, casualties totaled 877 killed, 6,454 wounded, and 183 missing for the Republic and an estimated 6,667 confirmed killed and buried for the Commune. Estimates for the Commune range between 10,000 to 15,000 to as high as 20,000 dead according to Wikipedia. The significance of the Commune continues to the present. Its impact on history in the realm of political thought can be seen from the writings of Marx and Engles, through to the Bolshevik Revolution and beyond, in all manifestations. For those interested in more information on the complexities of the Paris Commune, here's the link to Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paris_Commune

Having gone through a couple of bouts with the garden variety of skin cancer, basal cell, the issue of dealing with such a thing does take a toll both physically and psychologically, and I certainly hope that Severus Alexander has a full recovery and cancer-free future.

This a fairly common denarius of Septimius Severus, purchase from my local coin shop a week or so ago. It commemorates the peace of 199 AD between Rome and the Parthian Empire, according to Van Meter. Septimius Severus, denarius Rome, 202-210 AD. Cohen 744; Van Meter 167 3.40 grams Obverse SEVERVS PIVS AVG - Laureate head right. VICT PART MAX - Victory advancing left, holding wreath and palm.

Nice pick up, Donna. I find the group quite captivating!

Beethoven's Emperor Concerto for piano and orchestra, number 5, is one of the great works of the Romantic period, but my favorite, going back to when I was growing up in Detroit, has been the third piano concerto, a transformative work in its own way. What coin compliments this work? That's hard to say, but here's a possible candidate, one more or less from the period of this composition. This coin embodies the spirit of the growing movement whose underpinning was the Enlightenment movement of the 18th century, which fueled revolutionary events from the Americas to Europe, bringing about the artistic transformation of music and art from classical to romantic. Cisalphine Republic, scudo. 1800, year 8. Davenport 199 23.12 grams

Thanks! I'll continue the research, such as it is with me. There's overlap between Aramaic and Paleo Hebrew for many characters, not to mention all the script/period styles - really gets rather bewildering.

Thanks! What do you think of the owl that posted today? It is a head-scratcher, but there seems to be a common pattern between the two coins.

I guess that I have a case of the squiggles. This is an eastern, possibly pharaonic owl, which arrived today, with the "droopy" style eye. Some experts assign the dies as originating from Athens, which is possible, but apparently these coins were struck in Egypt, possibly at Memphis. I purchased this owl from a seller on MA Shops because of what seems to be engraving added to the obverse die. Athens eastern imitation owl, late 4th-3rd centuries BC. 17.17 grams Here's the OP owl: Now, if we compare the obverse section of this owl with the detail shot of the OP owl, here's what we have: The OP owl: Here's the obverse section of the owl in this post: The lower sections are in basically the same locations on the portraits of both coins. There seems to be a lower "squiggly" line in both cases, similar in style, with what seems to be characters above. Mere coincidence? Possibly - they could be die breaks - but the fact that these features seem to occur in the same areas, near the chin and neck, might indicate a more deliberate intention by the die engravers. What could this be? The investigation continues...

No heavy metal music here. Instead very lyrical music by the Taiwanese ensemble Cicada. I just love the instrumentation and melodic lines of their music. And a cicada, of course... Athens, AE 14, 130-90 BC. HGC 4, 1734; Kroll 1993, no. 100 4.19 grams

Here's an arrival from Roma, from E-Sale 114, a remainder lot. The reverse is really cool. Valerian I, Æ 30mm, Anazarbus, Cilicia. CY 272 (25/-4 AD). RPC X Online Unassigned ID 60270 (this coin cited). 17.85 grams Obverse: AVT K Π ΛIK OVAΛЄPIANOC CЄ, laureate, draped and cuirassed bust to right. Reverse: 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.

"I'm a wanderin' kind of coin...." Five tags no less. Licinius I, BI Pseudo-Argenteus, Treveri, 318-319 AD. RIC VII 210. 2.62 grams

Here's another pair of imitative owls that appear to be die matches. I believe these coins might be satrap owl of Sabakes, though that is a point of debate to say the least! They do not have his name in Aramaic on the reverse; instead there's the standard AOE, but the style is somewhat indicative of such an origin. The CMs are very interesting, and I am still trying to decipher them. Unlike the two OP coins, these owls have the later frontal eye instead of the classical profile eye. Van Alfen mentions that both types were produced as imitations in the east during the 4th early to roughly mid century BC Two eastern owls, circa 4th century BC. 16.86 grams (l); 17.09 grams (r).