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Ryro

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This is what I believe to be the smallest standardized coin of the ancient world. These are tiny (5mm wide) bracteate, aka paper thin, silver coins struck to a standardized weight of only 0.03 grams. issued around the Gulf of Martaban, present-day Myanmar/Burma, by Mon city-states. Can anyone show me a lower weight coin with a standardized weight? I have a group of 10 of these coins, together they are only 0.29 grams!

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Mon city-states of the Gulf of Martaban, Myanmar/Burma
Circa 600-850 AD
Silver bracteate | 0.03 grams | 5mm wide
Obv: Flower with four round petals, a center dimple, and light stem
Rev: Repousse effect of the front
 

Next: coin that is a record holder, or otherwise interesting and notable

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"Next: another silver fraction:"

 

Wow, super lil' examples, coin-fellas 

=> here is a tiny one from my ex-collection ... 

 

IONIA, Ephesos,  AR Tetartemorion (below)

Circa 500-420 BC

Diameter: 5 x 8 mm

Weight: 0.17 grams

Obverse: Bee

Reverse: Head of eagle right within incuse square

Reference: Karwiese Series IV; SNG Kayhan 126–34

Other: 12h … toned, Exceptional for issue

Ex-stevex6

 

Next => a coin with an different animal on each side 

EDIT ... "rats, I was slow on the draw" ... please ignore my slow arse

 

Ionia Ephesos Tetartemorion.jpg

Edited by Steve
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Aren't we on "Next: coin that is a record holder, or otherwise interesting and notable"?

 

Yes ... sorry, I screwed-up

Please don't kick me out, yet

 

 

 

 

Edited by Steve
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3 minutes ago, Steve said:

Yes ... sorry, I screwed-up

Please don't kick me out, yet

 

Hope I didnt mess the game up. Don't kick me out too! 🤣

13 minutes ago, Roman Collector said:

Aren't we on "Next: coin that is a record holder, or otherwise interesting and notable"?

Ok, thanks! Edited! 

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This type is a record holder in that it holds the record for oldest denarius and is notable in that it is the first denarius and was struck during the Punic War to fight Hannibal.

390FA8FA-3BAF-4460-8D0C-16A807AA3BC3.thumb.jpeg.e3e8b231dddc44d5746ee0f0053c2ed4.jpeg

Next: A beautiful example of a common coin design

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2110500894_Phil(50).thumb.JPG.8144c4f6b02e3ba878e93e0e99ca22ec.JPG

 

Ex Leu 17. A marvelous example of a generally dreadfully produced type. 

This is one of two coins with a special tag in my trays, telling my wife to put it on the cover of the catalogue if I die suddenly. (My current avatar at the other place is the other.) It's Crawford 335/3f, struck in 96 BC by C. Poblicius Malleolus. Readers I suppose may say, well sure, it's very nice, but your favorite? Really? Anyone familiar with just how dreadful this type usually is will get it though. Normally I hate descriptions like "finest known," because how can we ever know that, but this time I think it's apt. I can't imagine a better example of the type.

For years I had admired this coin in the Leu 17 catalogue (lot 276), where it was my favorite coin in the whole wonderful Nicholas Collection. When it appeared as lot 395 in NFA XXVII (the Roberto Russo Collection, though not named as such in the catalogue,) I knew I had to have it. I gave myself a firm limit of $2500 +10% commission, which I really thought would be enough. I was in the room; this was one of the few auctions my wife attended with me. After early bidders dropped out, it came down to me and a gaggle of Spaniards a row in front of us. I was careful to hit my $2500 limit. The Spaniards spent a couple of minutes whispering together and one of them finally raised his hand at $2600. I said oh shit; young and innocent days when we still had a mortgage and I'd never spent anywhere near this much on a single coin. My wife looked at me and said, you really want this, don't you? I nodded. She sort of pushed my hand a little; I nodded. I think it was just momentum that got my hand all the way up.

The Spaniards said oh shit in Spanish and started whispering again. Finally they disgustedly said no. Phew... Little did they realize that I was done. Even a cut bid would've won it. If they had bid again and I'd lost this coin, I'd still be kicking myself from now until Tuesday. (Wait, it is Tuesday!) 

Next: Anything relating to voting.

Edited by Phil Davis
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22 minutes ago, Phil Davis said:

This is one of two coins with a special tag in my trays, telling my wife to put it on the cover of the catalogue if I die suddenly.

Hopefully we won't be seeing it on the cover of a catalogue anytime soon!

 

1931045126_RR-LCassiusLonginusVoting3482.thumb.jpg.338efd8763cd013f3d96fca7c3fb6359.jpg

ROMAN REPUBLIC. L. Cassius Longinus.
AR Denarius. 3.94g, 19.5mm.
Rome mint, 63 BC. Crawford 413/1; Sydenham 935.
O: Veiled and draped bust of Vesta left, C before, kylix behind.
R: Togate voter standing left, dropping tablet inscribed V (for VTI ROGAS, "As you ask") into cista, LONGIN.III.V downwards to right.


Next: colourful toning

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28 minutes ago, Phil Davis said:

2110500894_Phil(50).thumb.JPG.8144c4f6b02e3ba878e93e0e99ca22ec.JPG

 

Ex Leu 17. A marvelous example of a generally dreadfully produced type. 

This is one of two coins with a special tag in my trays, telling my wife to put it on the cover of the catalogue if I die suddenly. (My current avatar at the other place is the other.) It's Crawford 335/3f, struck in 96 BC by C. Poblicius Malleolus. Readers I suppose may say, well sure, it's very nice, but your favorite? Really? Anyone familiar with just how dreadful this type usually is will get it though. Normally I hate descriptions like "finest known," because how can we ever know that, but this time I think it's apt. I can't imagine a better example of the type.

For years I had admired this coin in the Leu 17 catalogue (lot 276), where it was my favorite coin in the whole wonderful Nicholas Collection. When it appeared as lot 395 in NFA XXVII (the Roberto Russo Collection, though not named as such in the catalogue,) I knew I had to have it. I gave myself a firm limit of $2500 +10% commission, which I really thought would be enough. I was in the room; this was one of the few auctions my wife attended with me. After early bidders dropped out, it came down to me and a gaggle of Spaniards a row in front of us. I was careful to hit my $2500 limit. The Spaniards spent a couple of minutes whispering together and one of them finally raised his hand at $2600. I said oh shit; young and innocent days when we still had a mortgage and I'd never spent anywhere near this much on a single coin. My wife looked at me and said, you really want this, don't you? I nodded. She sort of pushed my hand a little; I nodded. I think it was just momentum that got my hand all the way up.

The Spaniards said oh shit in Spanish and started whispering again. Finally they disgustedly said no. Phew... Little did they realize that I was done. Even a cut bid would've won it. If they had bid again and I'd lost this coin, I'd still be kicking myself from now until Tuesday. (Wait, it is Tuesday!) 

Next: Anything relating to voting.

Yummy Denarius transition coin, Phil!

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Here's some colorful toning! Red, white, and blue!

[IMG]
Faustina I, AD 138-140.
Roman AR denarius, 3.13 g, 18.3 mm, 5 h.
Rome, AD 138-139.
Obv: FAVSTINA AVG ANTONINI AVG P P, bare-headed and draped bust, right.
Rev: CONCORDIA AVG, Concordia standing left, holding patera and double cornucopiae, and resting l. arm on column.
Refs: RIC 329; BMCRE 42; Cohen 153; Strack 395; RCV --; CRE 92.

 

Next: Concordia.

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image.thumb.jpeg.c3bee80be514cbf3c0652f0aee51f0cc.jpeg

image.thumb.jpeg.7776ddd956be54864c0ba3ca8e289dd2.jpeg

Here's my first post showing off one of my coins now that I understand how to use a macro lens! 

Severina; Rome, Antoninianus, 3.84g. RIC-3, Göbl-132s3 (66 spec.), Paris-175. Obv: SEVERINA AVG Bust draped r. on crescent, wearing stephane. Rx: CONCO - RDIA AVGG Aurelian and Severina clasping hands, ΓXXIR in exergue (officina 3). From the Philip Ashton Collection, acquired from Alex Malloy, March 2001.

Up next: Hadrian!

 

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Maybe the saddest Ephesos. I'm still not 100% sure of the ID but I'm confident it is Ephesos with that bee.

image.png.880c170305b11fb9b305c400d0814dec.png

Greek city of Ephesos, Ionia
Circa 400-300 BC
AE13 | 1.83 grams | 13mm wide
Obv: Turreted female head left (?)
Rev:  Bee center, E-Φ
Ref: BMC 68

Next: another 'unsure' attribution, but an attribution nonetheless

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2 hours ago, TuckHard said:

I'm still not 100% sure of the ID

 

You may be right in thinking Ephesos, but the hairstyle on the back of the obverse head, as well as the neckline, seem very close to the Zeus of Melitaia, Thessaly issues with bee reverses. Also, that little "hook", left reverse, resembles the end of the paperclip-like wings on the Melitaia coins.

 

https://www.acsearch.info/search.html?term=ae+left+bee+zeus+-right+melitaia&category=1-2&lot=&thesaurus=1&images=1&en=1&de=1&fr=1&it=1&es=1&ot=1&currency=usd&order=0

 

Edited by Kamnaskires
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29 minutes ago, Kamnaskires said:

 

You may be right in thinking Ephesos, but the hairstyle on the back of the obverse head, as well as the neckline, seem very close to the Zeus of Melitaia, Thessaly issues with bee reverses. Also, that little "hook", left reverse, resembles the end of the paperclip-like wings on the Melitaia coins.

 

https://www.acsearch.info/search.html?term=ae+left+bee+zeus+-right+melitaia&category=1-2&lot=&thesaurus=1&images=1&en=1&de=1&fr=1&it=1&es=1&ot=1&currency=usd&order=0

 

Oh that looks perfectly spot on! This example especially seems to be a match, thank you very much! I guess that would revert it back to @Valentinian's Ephesos request, or at least that is open in addition to the "unsure" attribution (more like incorrect!).

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Augustus_06.jpg.7d0cfcf277068f7a58432c75587924d5.jpg

Octavian
Ionia, Ephesus
Cistophorus (ca. 28 BC).
Obv.: IMP CAESAR DIVI F COS VI LIBERTATIS P R VINDEX, Laureate head right.
Rev.: PAX, Pax standing left, holding caduceus; to right, serpent rising left from altar; all within wreath.
Ag, 11.51g, 26mm
Ref.: RIC² 476, RPC I 2203, CRI 433.

Next:  Cistophor

 

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My only Cistophorus:

[IMG]
Antony and Octavia.
AR cistophorus, 25.6 mm, 11.71 gm.
Ephesus, 39 BCE.
Obv: M ANTONINVS IMP COS DESIG ITER ET TERT, Jugate heads of Marcus Antonius and Octavia to right; he wears ivy wreath.
Rev: III VIR RPC, Cista mystica surmounted by figure of Bacchus, standing to left, holding cantharus and leaning on thyrsus; on either side, coiled serpent.
Refs: SNG Cop. 408; SNG von Aulock 6555; Franke KZR 472; RSC 3; Sydenham 1198; RPC 2202; Sear 1513; BMCRR East 135-137.

Next: Bacchus or Dionysus.

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375711062_normal_togehter(1).jpg.c2a028eb8282ea6a84dff25011b43b06.jpg

Orodes III, 2nd Century A.D., AE Drachm 3.5 grams
Obv: Bearded bust facing left, wearing a diademed tiara ornamented with anchor. Pellet and crescent above an anchor to the right.
Rev: Radiate and draped bust of Artemis right. Greek legend around bust retrograde
van't Haaff 16.1.1-3A

Attributed by BobL

Next.....Retrograde legend

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5 hours ago, Valentinian said:

Hadrian:

image.jpeg.c076f8cbfa09236fb1be6452482a74bd.jpeg

From Ephesos, a cistophorus. 28 mm. 10.46 grams.
DIANA EPHESIA, cult statue, arms supported. Stags either side. 
 

Next:  A coin from Ephesos

That may be the angriest portrait of Hadrian I've ever seen 🙈 I wonder if someone told him his Tivoli villa was running behind schedule... 😂

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Syracuse retrograde:

image.thumb.jpeg.b7e9ffb2898fdbc47427d1068f676332.jpeg

Just gimme a sec to pick the next topic...

Oh, and since we missed Ephesos!  (Great score btw @TuckHard, much better than Ephesos!)

image.thumb.jpeg.6bebdc770b17ecc2722367c685368e7c.jpeg

(387-295 BC. Aissides, magistrate, 2.02 g, 14 mm. Ε-Φ, bee. [ΑΙΣΣΙΔΗΣ] stag kneeling left, head right, astragalos above

Oh, and superb photo with your new macro lens, @Restitutor!! 😍

Next: headless in some way

Edited by Severus Alexander
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