seth77

Very nice coin but 1700 is extreme. It would have been a great 300EUR coin though.

Attributed 2 odd eggs from a lot of Thessalonica 1300s trachea. These are S.2036 Latin Empire issues from ca. the 1220s to 1230. Horrible coins why do I bother getting them properly IDed.

1, 2, 4

The Sol facing is by far my favorite from this selection.

Faustina veiled left is my favorite.

My favorite is the Decius short legend Pannoniae ant.

@airhead1983 as far as I can see, you are not missing anything going on here, I see a lot of likes from you to my posts. Truth be told, I'd like to hear more about your lizards, perhaps when you feel like posting more. @lordmarcovan yes I know, but the problem is on my end. I steer clear of orders outside the Eurozone simply because if they end up in customs I have to deal with a lot of kafka and wasted time.

The Severus Nicopolis ad Istrum is gorgeous, this is such a generous giveaway. I want in, but since I'm overseas I'd like the prize to go to @airhead1983, if she accepts my pick of Lot 2.

At a closer look though, the device held by the figure on the reverse of the denarius of Antioch does not look like scales. On the later types of 222 which have LIBERTAS AVG legend the device is given as pileus and the figure is shown conversely holding either a sceptre or cornucopiae. But an exact figure as on this early 222 denarius holding the small device and cornucopiae is later on in 249 given to Uberitas and the device is identified as a pouch or purse or marsupium. To make matters even more confused (or perhaps to show that the confusion Libertas-Ubertas is not singular, the mint workers at the Imperial mint of Antioch are known to have also confused Libertas with Liberalitas: So now I wonder who is the deity on the early Alexander Augustus P M TR P COS P P -- is that Libertas with the devices usually assigned to Uberitas, is it a syncretic Libertas or an early numismatic representation of Uberitas?

Victor sold me one of my favorite coins ever:

In this episode of 'Forged in Fire' we're gonna make a gently tooled provincial coin out of this slug. LIKE AND SHARE!

These are both new arrivals, picked because I think they compliment each other nicely. One is an Imperial denarius, continuing a series of denarii started at Antioch under Elagabal as early as he entered the city triumphantly after the defeat of Macrinus in June 218. After March 222 the mint introduced the new Augustus as IMP C M AVR SEV ALEXAND AVG, with the Augustus bust: laureate, draped and cuirassed. And since it was a departure from the bare-headed busts that had been used by the die cutters who were working on the Alexander as Caesar coinage, and since the two minting operations were probably separate, the new emissions relied pretty heavily on the portraiture of Elagabal for inspiration, in essence drawing Alexander Augustus as a younger and thinner Elagabal: Severus Alexander as Augustus (222-235) AR19mm 3.02g denarius minted at Antioch, ca. April 222. IMP C M AVR SEV ALEXAND AVG; laureate and draped bust of Severus Alexander to right, seen from behind P M TR P COS P P; Libertas standing front, head to left, holding scales in her right hand and cornucopiae in her left. cf. RIC IV-2 11 (Rome) This is certainly the 1st issue as Augustus from Antioch with an interesting choice of reverse, Libertas. Alexander presents his rule as liberating after the infamous rule of Elagabal. The coinage also pairs Libertas with his attributes as had from January 222, adding the definitive attribute of the Augustus as Pater Patriae and likely his first tribunicia potestas. In very late 221, pressed by a failed attempt on Alexander's life and the popularity of the young Caesar, Elagabal tried to placate the hostility of the military by bestowing Alexander with the title of Imperator (before January 7 - the Planinica military diploma and the Mount Argaios coinage in Caeasarea Cappadocia) and sharing the consulship with him, Elagabal's forth and Alexander's first. Other 'provincial' coinages, like the 'military standards' coinage of Nicaea in Bithynia, seem to indicate that between January and March 222, Alexander might also have taken the name of Severus, possibly prior to the assassination of Elagabal. So the Antioch subsidiary of the Imperial mint starts striking probably as early as April 222 this coinage for Alexander Augustus. For this phase, other deities were employed too, paired with the same legend -- Mars, Fortuna, etc. This phase did not last very long though, as the types from later on in 222 moved to match the deity with its corresponding legend naming it, and in our case Libertas moves from the P M TR P COS P P legend to LIBERTAS AVG, perhaps no later than May-June 222. On the other hand, from the neighboring East in Edessa, Mesopotamia, here is a coinage of equal if not more interest -- an intermediary type from the changing of the regime in March 222. Here Alexander is portrayed as a young emperor with the full Imperial attire, laurel, drapery, cuirass beneath, without the die cutters resorting to inspiration from the effigies of the previous regime: Severus Alexander (221-222) and (222-235) AE25mm 8.55g brass (orichalcum) (multiple) assarion, minted at Edessa ca. 222. [AYT K] M A CE AΛƐΞΑΝΔΡΟϹ [...]; laureate draped cuirassed youthful bust seen from back ΜΗΤ ΚΟΛ ƐΔ[ƐϹϹΗΝⲰΝ]; Tyche of the City seated on basis, l., holding grains; at her feet, lighted altar; on either side, star; below, river god swimming, r. cf. RPC VI 7820 / cf. RPC VI 7763; cf. BMC 103-5 With the obverse effigy reminiscing of the portraiture of Alexander as Caesar and the reverse common to his later emissions after 222 as Augustus, this coin is a bit of a mystery, especially since the obverse legend is fragmentary. It is likely the early legend for Alexander as Augustus naming him Autokrator (emperor) and possibly Sebastos (Augustus) too, but both these attributes are missing. The name is given as in the early Imperial issue at Antioch (and on provincials too): Marcus Aurelius Severus Alexander. The bust shows a very young, almost child-like emperor, which is similar to his coinage as Caesar, although adding the symbolic laurel crown. The reverse names the issuing city as 'colonia metropolitana'. The name was probably given around the time this coin was issued as the earlier issues under Elagabal and most of the ones for Alexander Caesar have a different titulature for the city: KOΛ MAP [EΔƐϹϹΗΝⲰΝ] or KOΛ ΑΥ ΑΝΤⲰ [ƐΔƐϹϹΑ] ΜΑΡ. Probably around late March 222 the city turns to ΜΗΤ ΚΟΛ [ƐΔƐϹϹΗΝⲰΝ]. Another thing to take into consideration is the definite similitude in subject matter and craftsmanship between the 'provincial' coinages of Antioch and (amongst others) Edessa too at this time, for an interesting Marcus Aurelius Alexander Caesar of the 'provincial' 'Tyche seated series see here. There is a distinct possibility that coinages for multiple cities/towns in Syria and further East in Mesopotamia were either struck directly at Antioch or had Antioch-related minting services working for them. All this while in Antioch proper also worked at least one officina for Imperial denarii. I find this complexity extremely interesting.

This is the most exciting selection I have seen yet.

1. Faustina 2. Pius+Aurelius 3. Traianus Pater

Ah, a fellow frontiersman. These coins are some of the last uncharted numismatic fields that are just beginning to get the attention they deserve. I agree with Ross on his observation. The first hint would be the legend on the reverse, a mid-length with an abbreviated version of both names. I think that it belongs to a series of years not recorded by Sear and here is one of its colleagues - cf. LPC 80:23, Grierson 1465, DOC 5 Class XXIII, 774-777, also from ca. 1297. Ross notes in his sequence that it is 'Presumably Thessalonican'. It seems Grierson also considered these coins as somewhat connected, perhaps from a corpus o coins that R.G. has in his sequence spanning from c. 1294 to 1300.

I keep looking even after that, to the medievals. In fact, that used to be my main focus.

Last year I did a Top 10 cheapest under 10EUR coins, this year I'm following through with an equally arcane although a lot more focused top, from an area that is very seldom touched on our forum: the late Byzantine trachea and more specifically the trachea of the Palaiologoi (1259-1453). These coins are not classically beautiful and the shape and condition most are available in might make them seem dull and unremarkable to the traditional collector used to big chunky tetradrachms and/or shiny denarii and wide sestertii of the early Imperial age. Despite that, these coins are some of the most interesting I have ever had the chance to experience in terms of research and knowledge gained for effort. In addition to the Sear number, I have added to each entry some notes and a possible dating, inspired by R. Glanfield of GlebeCoins, S. Bendall/P.J. Donald and DOC notes. There are hundreds of issues spanning the second half of the 13th century to ca. post-mid 14th century for this denomination because new types were probably minted yearly and sometimes for special years there were 2 types or even more struck at two main mints (Constantinople and Thessalonica), but also at times other 'provincial mints' in both Asia and Thracia. The mint is not marked in any overt fashion, but once you get past the confusion these strange coins might elicit, the separation of styles becomes, if not readily evident, at least inferrable. For both dating and notes on the possibility of alternative mints, up to the likelihood of some mints being given, even if just as knowledgeable speculation, Mr. Glanfield's work at GlebeCoins is unparalleled. The coins: S.2295 AE26x22mm 2.15g - attributed to Thessalonica for Michael VIII as Emperor of Nicaea (1259-61), possibly one of the earliest (if not the earliest) coinage struck for Michael at Thessalonica around 1259 as terminus post quem. The type shows St. Demetrius seated facing on throne with no back, holding sword across his knees on obv and Michael standing facing on the left, labarum in right hand, akakia in left, being crowned by Archangel Michael standing facing on the right on rev. The legend is reconstructable as [Г/OA/]ΔΗ - ΜH/TpI/o/C on obv and O - M / X [...] on reverse: S.2360 AE17x15mm 0.85g - minted at Thessalonica, possibly for Andronicus II in the later part of his reign, ca. 1315. It's part of the 'star type' series, struck likely starting mid 1310s. If later than 1315, it could theoretically show Michael IX instead of Andronicus II. The obv should have showed the bust of St. Demetrius nimbate facing holding small cross on his chest(?) and emperor holding cruciform scepter, standing facing, being blessed by the Virgin Mary; star above, retrograde B between and is anepigraphic except for the large reverse B: S.2372 AE20mm 1.12g - minted at Thessalonica for Andronicus II ca. 1303. The obv shows a bust of St. Demetrius nimbate holding sword and shield(?) and the reverse shows the emperor standing facing, holding lys in each hand. Only the reverse has a short partial legend [AN]ΔΡ [...]: S.2374 AE22x19 1.48g - struck at Thessalonica for Andronicus II ca. 1294, possibly the last issue under Andronicus alone, before the crowning of Michael IX. Flattened and partly reverse-scyphate. The obv shows St. Demetrius half length holding shield in left hand and sword in right hand, resting on saint's right shoulder; star on shield. The rev has the winged emperor holding cross sceptre and akakia, overlooking city walls and monumental gate. The obv has a variant legend for [...] - Δ/ΜΗ/ΤPΙ/O/C, the reverse is anepigraphic: S.2384 AE19x18mm 1.21g - minted at Thessalonica for Andronicus II ca. 1310-15, part of the 'star type' issues. It has a winged patriarchal cross on obv and the emperor holding akakia and labarum; star in left field on rev. The type looks completely anepigraphic, which might date it closer to ca. 1315: S.2387 AE19mm 0.85g - minted at Thessalonica for Andronicus II around 1315. Patriarchal cross with stars at base(?) on obv and emperor standing facing, holding cross in circle on staff in each hand on rev. Type seems completely anepigraphic: S.2425 AE22 1.72g - minted at Constantinopolis for Michael VIII and Andronicus II ca. 1272-1280. It has a very interesting obv design - a labarum over crescent and the busts of Michael and Andronikos facing, holding a long patriarchal cross bewtween them, Michael wearing loros and Andronikos a chlamys on rev. The rev legend is reconstructable as [M ΔECΠOTIS] - O ΠAΛEO [...]. The type is rather rare and it might be related to a military campaign in the 1270s: S.2457 AE22x16 1.81g - minted at Thessalonica in a period of uncertainty, possibly ca. 1320-1, under Andronicus III for Michael IX and himself, probably at the early stages of the rebellion of A III against his grandfather A II, and before A III moved to rule as an usurper in Thracia. It shows a device of six-pointed star or a flower with six petals on obverse and Andronikos (left) holding akakia and cross-headed sceptre being crowned by Michael (right) holding cross-headed sceptre on reverse. Completely anepigraphic and thus anonymous, fit for the uncertainty of the period R. Glanfield discusses this issue at some lengths here and here: S.2458 AE22x19mm 0.84g - another Thessalonica anoymous two emperors type, dated accordin to R. Glanfield's sequencing earlier, under Andronicus II and Michael IX ca. 1305. The obverse desing is again very interesting and rather abstract: a large circle crossed by bar or large Φ, no other legend, while the reverse shows the half-length facing busts of the two emperors, supporting between them a long cross inside circle. S.2490 AE21mm 1.61g - possibly ca. 1322 at Thessalonica for Andronicus III, after a brief rapprochement between the two Andronici and A III's return to Thessalonica. The coinage is clearly Thessalonica rather than a provincial mint and continues the 'star type' issues that began around 1315-16 under Michael IX and Andronicus III. The obverse appears to show a nimbate bust, possibly St. Demetrius and the reverse shows the emperor standing facing, holding cross sceptre, flanked by stars and B's. Both obverse and reverse are completely anepigraphic: Ok, so this was the Palaiologan Trachy 2023 by Sear number. Historically the period is marked by conflict with the Latins of Greece and afterwards with the overlord of the Greek Frankokratia Charles d'Anjou post-1278 (Michael VIII and the first part of Andronicus II reigns), then with the Turks of Anatolia (Andronicus II and Michael IX) and eventually the uncertainty and civil strife caused by Andronicus III (1321-1328).

I voted for Justin and Justinian. The full legend naming both emperors and the clear and very Latin legend of 527 Constantinople is such an interesting example of 'Late Roman' rather than 'Byzantine' coinage.

I am so sorry to hear about your auction misfortune and the understandable frustration. I wonder if some of the less than stellar condition material wouldnt have fared better with auctions such as Savoca Blue. The minimal description they provide for their lots is sometimes very effective: it encourages potential buyers to go deep into their own research and sometimes this translates into them becoming more invested in pursuing said coin(s). It happened to me more than once and I know it happens regularly. Then there is the time of the year. I tend not to bid on much in December because the winter holidays make shipping slow down to a halt. Plus with the presents and vacations, a lot of people have less time and available funds for coins. And then there is the customs problem. I for instance dont even watch CH, UK or US auctions because the hassle of having stuff held at customs is not worth it. But this might just be me. But if I am allowed an assessment, it would be that your items suffered from a cumulation of these three factors in variable degrees.

This is a coinage by Gratian, known only from Trier for Gratian himself, Theodosius and Val II. Beyond the fact that it revives the design of the earlier 348/9 half centenionalis, I think that it is also a hint of the general nostalgia in the 370s and 380s for the Constantinian era. In fact Gratian had other coinage that alluded to the Constantinians, more specifically Constantius II: in 374 he married Constantia, the posthumous daughter of Constantius II and struck a series of coins with the unusual obverse legend GRATIANVS AVG G AVG (standing possibly for Augustus Gener Augusti = Augustus, son-in-law of the Augustus) and the reverse legend of GLORIA NOVI SAECVLI, also a reminder (or reinterpretation) of the FEL TEMP REPARATIO idea. This was an Arles-only coinage. In 375 after the death of Valentinian I the obverse legend with AVG G AVG was briefly adopted for the GLORIA ROMANORVM emperor with labarum dragging captive at Lyon (RIC IX Lyon 20). So there is wider context of Gratian emphasizing his connection to Constantius II and/or the Constantinian dynasty more generally. The PERPETVETAS siliqua has to be post-379 and since it is so rare it was likely tied to a specific event. At this time the regular siliquae of the West were the VRBS ROMA.

The first coin with him as Caesar is awesome.

Lovely belt plate

I have stopped buying from overseas in 2015. Before that, I bought from the US on a regular basis. In 2015 mail from the US started getting "lost" or sent to customs where I got charged insane amounts on taxes and customs officers were looking at me like I was Pablo Escobar. No thanks.

Valens and Constantine I

I initially read 'off-polio' in the title