Ancient Coin Hunter

Neat article...my alma mater's library piece on the Tebtunis papyri's take on the Ptolemaic monetary system from the Fayyum. In this case an undergrad has made a big impact https://www.lib.berkeley.edu/about/news/ctp-student-discoveries

Good to hear about your health Donna as it certainly has been a significant period of time since you first tested positive. I did wake up a few days ago with a very stuffy head condition and a headache. I thought COVID, finally, but it seemed to go away by 10am. Still lucky I guess. Beautiful cat!

Nice find

Mesopotamia, Singara Tranquillina Augusta Centaur Sagittarius leaping to right above the head of Tyche, discharging bow

Here is a Decius and an Herennius Etruscus and for good measure, Etruscilla. And now I realize I have yet to get a Hostilianus (need to remedy this). I also have a GENIVS EXCERCITVS ILLYRICIANI type of Decius that I have not photographed yet, acknowledging the legions that brought him to power. As @ambr0zie says, Decius may have been a reluctant usurper. But trumpeting the army unit responsible for overthrowing Philip could suggest otherwise. Unless he was afraid of the power of the legions and had to placate them to survive, in his opinion. One thing is for sure, we will probably never know anything more about this snippet of history.

A Tribute Penny.... Tiberius, 14-37. Denarius (Silver, 18 mm, 3.68 g, 6 h), Lugdunum, group 2, circa 15-18. Obv. TI CAESAR DIVI AVG F AVGVSTVS Laureate head of Tiberius to right. Rev. PONTIF MAXIM Livia (as Pax) seated right on a chair with ornate legs set on low base, holding inverted spear in her right hand and olive branch in her left. BMC 44. Cohen 16. Giard 146. RIC 28. Ex-Leu auction Web 29, Lot 1844 February 25th, 2024

OK. Tiberius, 14-37. Denarius (Silver, 18 mm, 3.68 g, 6 h), Lugdunum, group 2, circa 15-18. Obv. TI CAESAR DIVI AVG F AVGVSTVS Laureate head of Tiberius to right. Rev. PONTIF MAXIM Livia (as Pax) seated right on a chair with ornate legs set on low base, holding inverted spear in her right hand and olive branch in her left. BMC 44. Cohen 16. Giard 146. RIC 28. Ex-Leu auction Web 29, Lot 1844 February 25th, 2024

I won the Tribute Penny - woo hoo!

I am bidding on one in Leu auction 29 right now. I just raised my bid. Certainly I'll be rendering unto Caesar what is Caesar's and to Leu what is Leu's (e.g., the buyer's fee). 😇

Sorry to hear Donna. I wish you a speedy recovery and SALVS PVBLICA. After four Pfizer shots and Moderna last time I have not gotten it yet. Here's to channeling Galen in hopes of his intervention!

Usually Valerian and Gallienus sestertii are not cheap. Yours is better than normal size. As far as the metallurgy goes that is a good question. I would guess more base metal and less of an effort to arrive at a shiny golden look than earlier sestertii. (Orichalcum)

I had one from Portugal that was stuck in isc for three weeks. Finally showed up.

Another one is this drachm of Alexandria, time of Hadrianus. In this example, the personification of Alexandria welcomes Hadrian to the city (he visited) by kissing his hand, She wears an elephant skin on her head.

I'll share this Nerva tet again. It is a grey color representing some (minor) silver content. The reverse Agathadaemon is from Greek Mythology but has been "Egyptianized" with the addition of the Skent crown (upper and lower Egypt) traditionally worn by pharaohs. In the tail is a cadeucus and a stem of wheat. Worshipping Agathadaemon was supposed to lead to plentiful harvest and the snake was a protector of the grain supply, as well as general good tidings and a special protector of Alexandria as well.

Tacitus...just Laetitia. Wait how did the DA in New York get on a Roman coin?

Interesting story, thanks. It is an awfully shiny owl, maybe it has been buffed with a jeweler's tool.

Very interesting and thanks for sharing the article. I likewise believe the orb would have been surmounted by victory. Certainly very imposing. Historical texts claim that Focas was the last emperor who had a colossal statue of himself erected in Constantinople - whereas in Rome he erected the column of Focas surmounted by a gold statue of himself in the forum - in both cases the last examples of statuary of classical type in Antiquity.

Looks like Marcus Aurelius to me.

This Decius features the personification Abundantia (Abundance). Decius is known for favoring the old gods, sacrificing to the emperor, and also for persecutions of Christians who refused to do so. He basically made an attempt to turn back the clock to a time of old Roman values. It didn't really work as he was killed along with his son Etruscus at the battle of Abritus in the summer of 251 by Gothic forces led by their king Cniva. It marked the first time a Roman emperor had been killed in battle.

I can't believe some of these barbarous radiates actually circulated (somewhere)! Who struck them and what value did they see in them?

Nice one @ewomack - definitely superior to my example which was $90. Bidding started at $30 as I recall. The weight appears on the low side so I am wondering if is indeed a half Follis. All the examples shown have been really nice. I also have a miliaresion of Romanus, Christopher, and Constantine VII

For some reason the price on this one kept going higher and I had to raise my bid three times in order to secure this coin in the recent FSR auction. Romanus I AE Follis 22mm 3.81 grams Obverse: Rwman bASILEUS Rwm Crowned bust facing, wearing chamlys and holding labarum and globis cruciger Reverse: RwMA-N EN QEW bASILEUS Rw-MAIwN in four lines Sear 1760, Dumbarton Oaks Collection 25 Purchased from FSR Auction 1-23-2024 Please share any Romanus coins or coins of the time including Christopher and Constantine

I read Gregory of Tours in my medieval history class in Berkeley, I do remember some of the fun commentary he offers. What really strikes me is how much the early medieval rulers at the time saw themselves in a position of fealty to the Byzantine emperor. This very real phenomenon is forgotten in modern histories of western civilization where Romulus Augustus is considered the terminal ruler after which everything went dark. But folks at the time looked to the Byzantine emperor as THE Roman emperor. I suppose the animus between the Latins and the Byzantines around the fourth crusade began this whitewashing of history. Only in the last 30 years or so ago in works like Peter Brown's Late Antiquity has the dynamism of the period been resurrected.

Here is another acquire from the FSR auction at the end of January. Tiberius II AE Follis, Nicomedia 28mm 12.7 grams Obv: DM Tib Constant PP AVG, crowned, mantled bust holding mappa and eagle tipped scepter. Rev: Large M and ANNO left, cross above, regnal year to right NIKOA Reference: SB 441, MIB 35 Please share any Tiberius II coins or other Byzantines

I would not risk it. My only travel with coins in my possession has been interstate in the U.S. an overzealous customs agent could cause a lot of problems. When I returned from Egypt to the U.S. I brought a Koran I had purchased that had been published by Al-Azhar in exquisite Arab script. I had used it not only for my nascent study of Arabic but also as a tool if I came into contact with Islamists or Salafis as a discussion item. As it turns out I had a couple of encounters with devout Muslim young men who, let us say, were not supportive of the U.S. activities in the Middle East. The fact that I was studying Islam was somewhat mollifying to these guys in both Coptos and Sinai. When I returned customs asked me as to why I had it in my possession and considered confiscating my travel notes. They asked for my phone number and said they would contact me if they had additional questions. So I would not do anything to make yourself stand out from the crowd.