Vel Saties

@Rand: I did something quick. It seems to me that the two obverses are almost identical which would make one think of the same die, but on the reverse I seem to see some differences

Good evening. I would like to bring to your attention this article by Z. Demo (2024) on the first mintings of the silver coins of the Sirmium Group: O početku kovanja srebrnog novca „Sirmijske“ grupe: četvrtsilikve tipa Victoria (I) // The beginnings of minting the silver coinage of the “Sirmium group”: quarter-siliquae of the Victoria type (I), Numizmatičke vijesti 76 (2023), Zagreb 2024, 17-36 (cro) // 37-58 (eng). On Academia.edu: https://www.academia.edu/124038584/O_početku_kovanja_srebrnog_novca_Sirmijske_grupe_četvrtsilikve_tipa_Victoria_I_The_beginnings_of_minting_the_silver_coinage_of_the_Sirmium_group_quarter_siliquae_of_the_Victoria_type_I_Numizmatičke_vijesti_76_2023_Zagreb_2024_17_36_cro_37_58_eng_ Abstract: In 2024, it will be one hundred years since the publication of an article in which the Croatian archaeologist, numismatist, and museum curator Josip Brunšmid described and analyzed in detail a small group of previously unknown silver coins minted in the name of the Byzantine emperors Justinian and Justin II, while attributing the coinage to the Gepids and the mint in Sirmium. When not long afterwards, the minting in Sirmium was extended to include the Ostrogothic period, a historical framework between the years 504/5 and 568 was created – recently supplemented by an unrecognized Byzantine minting (567-568).1 Until the mid 80s of the last century, the number of known examples of these coins was still very small, but the numerous easily noticeable differences and stylistic features of the silver coins from Sirmium prompted reflection and the desire to give the observed differences a clearer meaning, if pos- sible united in just a few words – which is how the name “the Sirmium group” was coined and passed into usage over time. In the meantime, the development of digital technologies and their wide availability on the one hand, and the uncontrolled activity of metal detector “archae- ologists” on the other hand, have introduced large quantities of silver coins of the “Sirmium group” to the market for ancient coins, so what were until recently numismatic curiosities have suddenly become an easily accessible source of interest and investigation for many. In the mid- 1990s, the beginning of the new era of the “Sirmium group” was symbolically announced by the appearance of a specimen that was different from all previously known ones – due to the reverse legend, it was called the Victoria type and associated with 504/505, the year in which the previously Gepidic Sirmium was once again ruled by the Ostrogoths. The unique nature of that Ostrogothic variant of the Victoria type lasted until 2016, when four new, typologically related but nonetheless different variants appeared at numismatic auctions within a span of just three years. The stylistic and typological content of the three variants would suggest their creation and minting in a period at least a decade earlier than the only previously known Ostrogothoc variants, and these, as considerably earlier, are now attributed to the Sirmium Gepids and their King Thrasaric (489-504/505). The fourth version is an imitation of the already well-known and currently most numerous Ostrogothic variant of the Victoria type minted in 504/505, with which it is either almost contemporaneous or only a few years earlier.

BRINDISI. Frederick II of Swabia (1197-1250) Denarius 1249. F between three stars R/ Cross with stars in quarters. Spahr 148; MEC 570. (g. 0.81) MI EF

BRINDISI. Frederick II of Swabia (1197-1250) Denaro 1248. Letters FR abbreviated R/ Cross with stars in 2nd and 3rd quarter. MEC 567. (g. 0.81) MI EF

BRINDISI. Federico II di Svevia (1197-1250) Denaro 1239. Busto coronato frontale su croce invadente R/ Croce invadente. Spahr 121; MEC 549. (g. 0,63) MI SPL

House of Hohenstaufen (1194-1268), Frederick II (King of Sicily, 1198–1250; King of Germany, 1212-1220; Emperor, 1220-1250), Denaro, Messina or Brindisi, 1247-1248; BI (g 0,77; mm 16,1 x 17,4); + ROM IPERATOR, in field, FR; above horizontal segment, below, star, Rv. + R IERSL’ ET SICIL’, celtic cross. Spahr 143; MEC XIV, 565-566; Travaini 44. Green patina. Good Very Fine.

House of Hohenstaufen (1194-1268), Frederick II (King of Sicily, 1198–1250; King of Germany, 1212-1220; Emperor, 1220-1250), Denaro, Messina or Brindisi, After 1245; BI (g 0,91; mm 17,17); + F ROMANORVM, in field, IPR, Rv. + IERSL ET SICIL R, cross with four crescents. Spahr 135; MEC XIV, 560-561; Travaini, 40. a EF

A not-so-bad specimen of ae4 in the name of vandal king trasamund Unfortunately the specimen has a very small roundel (9 mm.) and does not present all the obverse legend and types as in the vast majority of cases in these coins. Furthermore the specimen is repatined Carthage. DN R(E?) [...] (ASA?) Pearl-diademed, draped, and cuirassed bust right. Rev. Victory advancing left, holding wreath. MEC 1, 19-20; BMC Vandals 32-6. Very fine.

Free ancient coins! When I was little and my grandfather showed me his coins, the best moment was when you held them in your hand: I always thought about who had touched and used them before me. The only time I bought two "slabbed" coins I immediately freed them. You can't see them like this: it's like looking at bacilli in a culture broth through a test tube If there are conservation reasons I understand the fact of taking precautions but not like this!

Yes, it is auction 91 that I mentioned in my previous post. Two tiles of Alexandrian scope, a medieval Italian merchant tile. And, above all, a second interesting bronze tessera also mentioned in the work of the Stannard and precisely a new specimen of the type 4: Mercury T / A Unfortunately I don't buy at UK auctions because of all the bureaucratic problems with importing these goods after Brexit. The coins are likely to sit in customs for more than a month and you have to pay customs duties and sometimes repay VAT.

As a corollary to this theme I would like to present a lead tessera from my collection (letter B identical to the specimen in the Rostowzew TURS tile tab VII, 21) of hexagonal shape which presents the representation of a small ship with rowers and a mast prepared for a sail and, on the other side, a victory going to the right, supporting a branch or stick. The environment of origin is Italy. In the absence of specific attestations and, instead, considering the attestations of various tiles which also present warships, warships in association with the victory, the victory on the bow of a ship and Mars head + ship I hypothesize that it could be a tile for participation in the shows of the naumachie cfr. https://coins.warwick.ac.uk/token-specimens/results?q=material_facet%3A"Lead" AND fulltext%3Aship Rostowzew TURS 1615 Rostowzew TURS 1616 Rostowzew type TURS 230

Good morning. I would like to bring to your attention these wonderful objects which are bronze tesserae dated between the 1st and 2nd century AD and coming from the areas of Ostia and Minturnae. These are exactly the tesserae that Clive Stannard talks about in his article "Shipping Tesserae from Ostia and Minturnae?" published in The Numismatic Chronicle 175 Offprint, 2015, pp. 147-154 + plates 16-19. cfr: https://www.academia.edu/20963600/Shipping_Tesserae_from_Ostia_and_Minturnae In the last period, several examples of a Roman bronze tessera have appeared on the antiques market. And precisely: 1) artemide auc 67e lot 929 (new specimen compared to Stannard's work) The Roman Empire. AE Tessera, Ostia region. 1st-2nd Century AD. D/ Two men in boat rowing right; MPV above. R/ Blank. Stannard, Shipping type 1B, 10.5. AE. 1.48 g. 15.00 mm. RR. Very rare and choice. Good VF. 2) Astarte web auction VII lot 269 (new specimen compared to Stannard's work) Roman Empire. Time of Tiberius, circa 22-37. Shipping Tessera (Bronze, 13.41 mm, 1.47 g). Ostia region. Two men in boat rowing right; MPV above. Rev. Blank. Stannard, Shipping type 1B, 10.5. Green patina with deposits. Very Fine. Rare. 3) Naville Numismatics auc 91 lot 567 Time of Tiberius Tessera circa 22-37, Æ 13.00 mm., 0.98 g. MPV, galley with two oarsmen r. Rev. Blank. Stannard, NC 2015, type 1b. Cf. CNG sale 53, 2000, 1434. Very rare. Good Very fine 4) Artemide 68e lot 705 (same die of nr 2) (new specimen compared to Stannard's work) The Roman Empire. AE Tessera, Ostia region. 1st-2nd Century AD. D/ Two men in boat rowing right; MPV above. R/ Blank. Stannard, Shipping type 1B, 10.5. AE. 1.17 g. 13.00 mm. RR. About EF. The representation is a little different from that of the Bertolami finearts e-auction 259 (may 2023) item 644 (Stannard specimen nr 6 ex London Ancient Coins Auction 38, 200) Roman Æ Tessera, c. 1st-2nd centuries AD (13mm, 1.28g). Galley left with two oarsmen; MPV above. R/ Blank. Stannard, Shipping type 1B Stannard wrote: "There is no obvious reason, however, to doubt this provenance. We therefore have provenances at both Ostia and Minturnae, two major Roman ports. This suggests that these objects were used in some way in the working of the port of Ostia, and were brought back to Minturnae by sailors who had received them there. But what were they used for? The legends are opaque". In fact, on the tesserae listed by Stannard, the letters MAD and MPV appear (in reality, in the specimen no. 1 (artemide auc 67e lot 929) I think I read MAV). "The boat on type 1 is not a realistic representation. The two rowers are emblematic, and stand for a larger crew. Many pieces seem to show five or six pairs of oars, sometimes pitched forward, at the beginning of the stroke, like 2, and sometimes piched backwards, at the end, like 4: this number, too, may be emblematic. No mast is ever shown, which suggests an in-shore or river craft. Of the boats named and depicted in the mosaic at Althiburus in Tunisia, the type 1 boat is most similar to a tesseraria, a coincidence of names without significance." "The use of bronze, rather than lead, shows that the tesserae were intended to last, and be used and re-used. With the caveat that this is mere supposition, a possible use for such pieces could have been as tallies for off-loading cargoes from sea-going ships into river boats to go up the Tibur to Rome, or for actually undertaking such trips."

I don't know if it's pareidolia but you know what I was thinking the same thing?

I want to present to you the case of this beautiful Roman tessera that was recently auctioned in the latest ARTEMIDE eLive 30 at no. 849 that I failed to win. I was absolutely fascinated by the depiction on the reverse (?): a child sitting on the right, with his arms and chin resting on his knees. The beauty of this small depiction borders on a work of art. Freer to express themselves than on official coins, the engravers (at least the quality ones) who worked on the tesserae could express themselves on completely non-canonical themes and could draw small pictures of daily life that were absolutely alive and effective. Look at the general rendering of the body, the child's strong muscular masses captured in a moment of rest and in a moment of contemplation of something that goes beyond the edge of the disc. A rendering of great expressiveness and naturalness, a sketch worthy of the highest private statuary and completely different from the rendering of the compendiary painting of Alexandrian origin in great vogue among Roman artists starting from the late Republic. the technical sheet of the tondello tells us almost nothing, especially about the meaning and purpose of this pseudo-currency. The mysterious charm of these objects lies in this. "The Roman Empire. PB Tessera, 1st century BC-1st century AD. D/ Male head right, bearded. R/ Child seated right, arms and chin resting on the knees. PB. 2.28 g. 14.00 mm. About VF."

Hello @Aleph No specific questions for now; my question was to see if there was a group to discuss this specific topic with since the documentation is very scarce as are the specific studies. Are you a scholar in this field? If you have such a large database I hope so. I hope there is someone who specializes in these objects As for the quantities, when I was an archaeologist and went around museums and spoke with the excavation managers (90s) I saw so many of them thrown away in bags or boxes because nobody was interested. Just as often in Balkan excavations they were not even considered and therefore only some samples were collected while the others were thrown away. I am talking about lead tesserae.