Post a (literally) random coin!

[Curtisimo]

Today’s rando...

Attica Athens 
AR Tetradrachm, Athens mint, struck ca. 454 - 404 BC
Dia.: 24 mm
Wt.: 17.10 g
Obv.: Head of Athena right wearing created attic helmet with three olive leaves above visor and five pronged palmette, round earring with central boss, frontal eye
Rev.: ΑΘΕ; owl standing right with head facing, olive sprig and crescent to left
Ref.: Kroll 8, SNG Copenhagen 31
 
This type probably doesn’t need an introduction. I will confess that I bought it before the big hoard suppressed the prices on these.  I thought this one had a nice owl reverse. 

[Ancient Coin Hunter]

Random coin for today...to add some spice - guess who this is and what denomination!

 

 

[Alegandron]

RANDOM MAYHEM

Roman Republic
Anon AE Semis
211-207 BCE
Saturn S
Prow ROMA
Sear 766 Craw 56-3
Spain Punic War probly imitative

[Ryro]

Rando a gogo says:

Philip V

184 - 179 BC

Silver tetrobol, 17mm, 2.46 grams

Obverse: Macedonian shield with MA KE above and below club on central boss.

Reverse: Macedonian helmet left with monograms to either side, monogram to left of trident to right of cheek guard.

SNG Copenhagen 1283 // SNG Ashmoleon 3280.

Purchased from Kenneth W. Dorney Auction 12 Feb 2022

 

 

[Spaniard]

No.18

Had no Chinese cash coins in my collection, this one came up in a Jazz auction and went for it....

It's still my only example but imo a nice piece and ex-Alex Fishman..

China Wang Mang AE Cash.

CHINA. Xin Dynasty. Emperor Wang Mang AD 9-23. AE Cash, 23mm, 2.8g. Fifth reform, with inner rim; struck AD 14-23. Obv.:(wealth coin). Rev.: blank, as made. Reference: Hartill #9.32. Ex-Alex Fishman

[Ryro]

Rando of the day. Always interesting how some coins tone and some do not. For some reason Roman Republic coins do this like few other ancient types.

This coin was bright and shiny when I bought it. It is now black and shiny:

Q. Titius

Denarius 90 BCE, AR 18 MM 3.16 g. Head of Mutinus Titinus r., wearing winged diadem. Rev. Pegasus prancing r.; below, Q·TITI in linear frame. Babelon Titia 1. Sydenham 691. Crawford 341/1. Former LANZ coins

[Alegandron]

LARISSA


Thessaly Larissa 344-337 BCE AR Obol 0.68g 9mm 3/4 Facing Nymph Larissa Horse Grazing SNG Cop 1

[quant.geek]

A coin that you normally don't encounter...

Medieval India, Alupas: Anonymous (ca. 14th Century) AV Pagoda (MCSI-219,21; Ganesh & Girijapathy, Karnataka 8-9)

Obv: Two stylized vertical fish below stylized canopy; conch to left; ankus (goad) to right; pellets below
Rev: śri pa/ndya dhana/jaya in Devanagari

 

[filolif]

Random coin from my collection. Kushan Kanishka III Gold Dinar. 

Kanishka standing left, holding filleted standard, sacrificing over altar to left; filleted trident to left; ga in Brahmi to right of altar; gho in Brahmi between legs; hu in Brahmi to right of scepter / Ithyphallic Siva standing facing, holding a garland or diadem and trident; behind, the bull Nandi standing left; to upper left, pellet above tamgha.

[Curtisimo]

Another day... another random coin.

Roman Empire
Julian II, AD 360-363
AR Siliqua, Lugdunum mint, struck ca. AD 360-361
Wt.: 2.23 g
Dia.: 18 mm
Obv.: FL CL IVLIA NVS P P AVG, pearl-diademed, draped, and cuirassed bust right
Rev.: VICTORIA DD NN AVG, Victory advancing left, holding wreath and palm frond
Ref.: LVG. RIC VIII 212; Lyon 259; RSC 58†c, IRBCH 1424
Ex Harptree Hoard (1887)
 

This coin is my oldest provenance going back to a hoard discovered in 1887. 

[Alegandron]

RProv 
Domitia 
Lydia Philadelphia 
AE 16 
Grape Bunch 
RPC 1336

[zumbly]

Google chose coin #3 on my spreadsheet for me today.  It was one of a group of coins that made up my first ever purchase of ancients, and boy, does it show. 😊 I clearly didn't know how to pick coins for their looks, rarity, or any special numismatic or historical interest for that matter.   Basically, at the time, any ancient coin was cool to me.  But hey, looking at it now, I think it still is pretty cool!

 

HADRIAN
AE As. 9.16g, 24.7mm.
Rome mint, AD 129-130. RIC II.3 1372.
O: HADRIANVS AVGVSTVS, laureate head right.
R: COS III P P, Roma standing right, resting foot on helmet, holding spear and cornucopia; S-C in field.

[Riley]

On 6/3/2022 at 6:45 AM, kirispupis said:

Thought I'd start up this game to see if it sticks. 

1. Organize your coins in some linear manner. For those with databases, that's trivial.
2. Use a random number generator to select one coin.
3. If you don't have a photo of that coin, run it again.
4. Display it here along with some info about it and what made you buy it.

Thessaly, Krannon Æ Dichalkon (16.5mm, 3.78g, 6h) c. 350-300 BCE Horseman riding r. R/ Hydria on cart BCD Thessaly 119; SNG Copenhagen 43 Ex London Ancient Coins

 

When choosing the city coins for my "Philip II, Alexander III, and the Era of the Diadochi" collection, the rule is the city has to have something to do with the three, and it needs to come from the rough time period in question. Krannon was the site of the Battle of Krannon, fought in 322 BCE. The battle, a Macedonian victory, ended the Lamian War. Coins from Krannon are common. I chose this one since it covered the period of the battle and was in reasonable condition.

FWIW, the first two picks were a Diocletian and Aurelian. However, I haven't gotten around to photographing either, so this one was next.

Now it's your turn...

It seems to have picked this Ariobarzanes II! I bought this because I had become interested in Cappadocian coinage and wanted to complete my Ariobarzanid set.

[Spaniard]

No.162

My main collecting area, a rare'ish ruler..

Uccala (Uchchala) (1101-11 A.D.) Copper Kaserah or Punchshi 17.5mm (5.76gr) Obverse- Goddess Ardochsho/Lakshmi seated facing in half lotus position, with Nagari legend '(U) chcha' to left 'la' to right Reverse- King standing facing and sacrificing at altar holding trident.

[seth77]

On 6/3/2022 at 3:45 PM, dougsmit said:

This is a way that might get some coins posted that otherwise might never come up.  Mine is #2009 coming to me in November 1999 at a Baltimore show from Jonathan Kern who was probably my favorite dealer in those days (before he started slabbing coins and had bags of pick out opportunities).   It is just another of the antoninianus types from the Antioch mint.  It has the best style portrait from this mint and is reasonably well struck.  It is the more common variety with legend ending in PM rather than having those letters under the bust. The Spes walking is rather ordinary but the legend is quite special SPES FELICITATIS ORBIS.  Once there was a joke about beauty contestants with nothing better to say always wishing for world peace.  Philip's hope for world happiness worked for him only for a short while.  Why did I buy it?  I thought it was pretty and worth the $35 price tag.  Jonathan was usually reasonably priced for the coins from his bags partly because he did not put in a lot of (expensive) time cataloging each individual coin.  This one came from a bag of decent silver ants from which I bought six that day.  This was not the best one from that haul but the random number generator dictated that you see it anyway.  At that period, I was spending more time and money on coins compared to times before or after.  It was the period after the kid was out of college and before I retired to fixed income.  I spent hours each week writing up new pages for my website. Those were the good old days for my coin career.

 

I'm going to randomly post a sister issue to Doug's wonderful Antioch ant:

[dougsmit]

I apologize for going off random but we have two of the three Early Antioch Philip types so I'm going to show the one that remains and, while I'm at it, select a more scarce version with the PM under the bust rather than at the end of the legend.  These come for all three types.  There are other Eastern reverses for Philip later in the reign and there is an early Antioch Otacilia but I feel bad enough breaking the rule of the thread for this VIRTVS EXERCITVS coin (with PM under the bust on the obverse):

[happy_collector]

My random coin today is a Julia Domna AE with 3 Graces reverse. I picked it up from an ROMA auction early last year. I like its green patina color, ok size (not a tiny 10mm coin in which I need to draw out my magnifier), and a comparatively clear 3 Graces reverse design. 🙂

Julia Domna Æ 25mm of Marcianopolis, Moesia Inferior. AD 193-217.

Obv: IOVΛIA ΔOMNA CEB, draped bust to right 
Rev: MAPKIANOΠOΛITΩN, the Three Graces standing facing, with arms
interlocked; the outer two each holding cantharus.

H&J, Marcianopolis 6.17.26.10; AMNG 604; Varbanov 888 corr. (obv. legend).

7.74g, 25mm, 6h.

Edited June 6, 2022 by happy_collector

[Ryro]

Beaten but beautiful, used but not abused. This coin not only represents the legacy of possibly, Rome's greatest family but the condition its in tells us plenty about a flourishing economy well before the principate:

L. SCIPIO ASIAGENUS

Serrate Denarius (106 BC). Rome. Obv: Laureate head of Jupiter left; N to lower left. Rev: L SCIP ASIAG. Jupiter driving quadriga right, preparing to hurl thunderbolt and holding reins and sceptre. Crawford 311/1b. 3.77 g. 19 mm.

 

 

[quant.geek]

A relatively recent pickup.  It was a type I wanted for a long time...

Artuqids of Mardin: Husam al-Din Yuluq Arslan (1184-1200) Æ Dirhem (Album 1829.4; Whelan Type IV; S&S Type 36.2; Zeno 293026)

Obv: Turk, cross legged, seated facing, holding severed head and raised sword; نور الدين اتا / بك to right (Nur al-Din Atabeg); ornamental in exergue
Rev: Name and titles the Abbasid caliph in three lines - الناصر لدين / الله امير المؤمنين (al-Nasir li-Din Allah, Commander of the Faithful); names and titles of Ayyubid overlord in inner margin - الملك الافضل علي و الملك الظاهر غازي بن الملك الناصر يوسف (the King al-Afdal 'Ali and the King al-Zahir Ghazi b. al-Malik al-Nasir Ayyub); name of Husam al-Din Yuluq Arslan and AH date in outer margin - حسام الدين يولق ارسلان ملك ديار بكر بن ايل غازي بن ارتق ضرب سنة ست و تسعين و خمس (Husam al-Din Yuluq Arslan, King of the Diyar Bakr, b. al-Ghazi b, Artuq, struck (in the) year 596)
Dim: 30 mm, 14.67

 

[Curtisimo]

A fun tetradrachm I bought from Ken Dorney several years ago. 
 

Phoenicia, Tyre 
Trajan (AD 98 - 117)
AR Tetradrachm, Tyre mint 
Dia.: 26 mm
Wt. 13.67 g
Obv.: Laureate head of Trajan right, club and eagle below. 
Rev.: Laureate head of Melqart right with lion skin around neck.
Ref.: Prieur 1495ff

[Spaniard]

No.148

Kamnaskires-Orodes..13-15mm/3.6gr Early to mid 2nd century AD Van’t Haaff 12.3.1-2A2 Obv: Bust with top hair tuft, upward side tufts, one crossbar on anchor, pellet within crescent at upper right Rev: Dashes with regular pattern Attributed by BobL   Have a small collection of these interesting little coins...I thought the obverse was nice.

[Alegandron]

Makedonwn Kingdom, 
Antigonus I Monophthalmus, 
323 - 301 B.C., 
In the Name of Alexander the Great
Silver Drachm, 3.9g, maximum diameter 16.5mm, die axis 0o
Magnesia ad Maeandrum mint, c. 319 - c. 305 BCE
Obv: head of Herakles right, clad in Nemean Lion scalp headdress tied at neck
Rev: AΛEΞAN∆POY, Zeus seated left on throne without back, nude to waist, himation around hips and legs, right leg drawn back, feet on footstool, eagle in extended right hand, long scepter vertical behind in left hand, ΣΩ monogram left, AT monogram under throne
Ref: Price 1970, Müller Alexander 793, Prokesch-Osten II 84, SNG Cop -, SNG München -, SNG Alpha Bank
Comment: gVF, nice style, dark toning
Antigonos I Monophthalmos ("the One-eyed") (382 B.C. - 301 B.C.) was a nobleman, general, and governor under Alexander the Great. Upon Alexander's death in 323 B.C., he established himself as one of the successors and declared himself King in 306 B.C. The most powerful satraps of the empire, Kassander, Seleukos, Ptolemy and Lysimachos, answered by also proclaiming themselves kings. Antigonos found himself at war with all four, largely because his territory shared borders with all of them. He died in battle at Ipsus in 301 B.C. Antigonos' kingdom was divided up, with Seleukos I Nicator gaining the most. His son, Demetrios I Poliorketes, took Makedon, which the family held, off and on, until it was conquered by Rome in 168 BCE
Ex: Forum Ancient Coins

[Roman Collector]

On 6/6/2022 at 4:58 PM, happy_collector said:

My random coin today is a Julia Domna AE with 3 Graces reverse. I picked it up from an ROMA auction early last year. I like its green patina color, ok size (not a tiny 10mm coin in which I need to draw out my magnifier), and a comparatively clear 3 Graces reverse design. 🙂

Julia Domna Æ 25mm of Marcianopolis, Moesia Inferior. AD 193-217.

Obv: IOVΛIA ΔOMNA CEB, draped bust to right 
Rev: MAPKIANOΠOΛITΩN, the Three Graces standing facing, with arms
interlocked; the outer two each holding cantharus.

H&J, Marcianopolis 6.17.26.10; AMNG 604; Varbanov 888 corr. (obv. legend).

7.74g, 25mm, 6h.

I'd recognize that obverse die anywhere! I have three different coins struck with it!

Artemis:

Julia Domna, AD 193-217.
Roman provincial Æ triassarion, 8.71 g, 22.7 mm, 1 h.
Moesia Inferior, Marcianopolis, AD 193-211.
Obv: ΙΟVΛΙΑ ΔΟ-ΜΝΑ CΕΒ, bare-headed and draped bust right.
Rev: ΜΑΡΚΙΑΝΟΠΟΛΙΤΩΝ, Artemis running right, holding bow and drawing arrow from quiver.
Refs: Varbanov 876; AMNG I --; Moushmov --; BMC --.

Three nymphs:


Julia Domna, AD 193-217.
Roman provincial Æ triassarion, 24 mm, 7.77 g.
Moesia Inferior, Marcianopolis, AD 193-211.
Obv: IOVΛIA ΔO-MNA CEB, bare-headed and draped bust right.
Rev: MAPKIANOΠOΛITΩN, three nymphs standing facing, wearing tunics over long, lightly billowing skirts and clasping hands, the two outer nymphs with heads turned inwards and each holding a jug in her free hand.
Refs: Varbanov 892 var (obv. legend); Staal 89.15 (plate 3, fig. 15, p. 157); BMC --; Moushmov --; SGI --; AMNG I (Pick) --; Lindgren --; Winsemann --
Note: Obverse and reverse die match to Staal plate coin (Gorny & Mosch Auction 108, lot 1421, April 3, 2001).

Three Graces:


Julia Domna, AD 193-217.
Roman provincial Æ triassarion, 23.3 mm 8.55 g.
Moesia Inferior, Marcianopolis, AD 193-211.
Obv: ΙΟVΛΙΑ ΔΟ-ΜΝΑ CΕΒ, bare-headed and draped bust right.
Rev: ΜΑΡΚΙΑΝΟΠΟΛΙΤΩΝ, statuary group of the Three Graces side by side, the center Grace from the reverse with arms extended around the shoulders of her companions who are both facing frontward.
Refs: SGI 2313; AMNG I 603; Moushmov 417; Hristova & Jekov 6.17.26.2; Staal p. 107, 15.1.1
Notes: Obverse and reverse die match to Hristova & Jekov 6.17.26.2.

 

 

[happy_collector]

4 hours ago, Roman Collector said:

I'd recognize that obverse die anywhere! I have three different coins struck with it!

Artemis:

Julia Domna, AD 193-217.
Roman provincial Æ triassarion, 8.71 g, 22.7 mm, 1 h.
Moesia Inferior, Marcianopolis, AD 193-211.
Obv: ΙΟVΛΙΑ ΔΟ-ΜΝΑ CΕΒ, bare-headed and draped bust right.
Rev: ΜΑΡΚΙΑΝΟΠΟΛΙΤΩΝ, Artemis running right, holding bow and drawing arrow from quiver.
Refs: Varbanov 876; AMNG I --; Moushmov --; BMC --.

Three nymphs:


Julia Domna, AD 193-217.
Roman provincial Æ triassarion, 24 mm, 7.77 g.
Moesia Inferior, Marcianopolis, AD 193-211.
Obv: IOVΛIA ΔO-MNA CEB, bare-headed and draped bust right.
Rev: MAPKIANOΠOΛITΩN, three nymphs standing facing, wearing tunics over long, lightly billowing skirts and clasping hands, the two outer nymphs with heads turned inwards and each holding a jug in her free hand.
Refs: Varbanov 892 var (obv. legend); Staal 89.15 (plate 3, fig. 15, p. 157); BMC --; Moushmov --; SGI --; AMNG I (Pick) --; Lindgren --; Winsemann --
Note: Obverse and reverse die match to Staal plate coin (Gorny & Mosch Auction 108, lot 1421, April 3, 2001).

Three Graces:


Julia Domna, AD 193-217.
Roman provincial Æ triassarion, 23.3 mm 8.55 g.
Moesia Inferior, Marcianopolis, AD 193-211.
Obv: ΙΟVΛΙΑ ΔΟ-ΜΝΑ CΕΒ, bare-headed and draped bust right.
Rev: ΜΑΡΚΙΑΝΟΠΟΛΙΤΩΝ, statuary group of the Three Graces side by side, the center Grace from the reverse with arms extended around the shoulders of her companions who are both facing frontward.
Refs: SGI 2313; AMNG I 603; Moushmov 417; Hristova & Jekov 6.17.26.2; Staal p. 107, 15.1.1
Notes: Obverse and reverse die match to Hristova & Jekov 6.17.26.2.

 

 

That's very interesting, @Roman Collector. Wonder why this happens. Maybe low coin mintage, so there is no need for additional dies. 

[DonnaML]

Here's random number 293 from my collection. The obverse is pretty wretched, but I bought it for the reverse:

Gallienus (son of Valerian I), Billon Antoninianus, 258 AD [RIC] or 260-261 AD [Sear], Mediolanum [Milan] Mint, Legionary Issue. Obv. Radiate and cuirassed bust right, GALLIENVS AVG / Rev. Bull advancing right, bellowing with head raised and mouth open, LEG VIII AVG [Augusta] VI P [Pia] VI F [Fidelis].  RIC V-1 353j [joint reign] (p. 95), RSC IV 522, Sear RCV III 10268, Göbl MIR [Moneta Imperii Romani] Band 36, No. 1009h. 18 mm., 2.49 g.*

 

*A bull was the emblem of Leg. VIII Augusta, based in Strasbourg, France (then Argentoratum in Gaul) -- just as the animals or other figures shown on the reverses of the other coins of the Gallienus legionary series served as the emblems or badges of those legions. See Jones, John Melville, A Dictionary of Ancient Roman Coins (London, Seaby, 1999) at p. 166 [entry for Legio]); RIC V-1 at p. 34. See also the list of the legions and their emblems depicted in the legionary series, at http://www258.pair.com/denarius/cgi-bin/erfind.pl?sstring=legio+milan. Note that if this theory is correct, then several animals served as the emblem of more than one legion -- e.g., the bull for three legions [VII, VIII, and X]. 

The general consensus is that the P and F stood for Pia Fidelis.

See Jones, John Melville, A Dictionary of Ancient Roman Coins (London, Seaby, 1999) at p. 166 [entry for Legio] (“the correct explanation seems to be that the legions were being commended for the virtues of piety and fidelity”). Note that “P F” can also stand for Pius Felix (see RIC V-1 at p. 32), but that term is usually associated with the emperor himself, and “faithfulness” seems a more appropriate appellation for the legions than “happiness.”  

There is also controversy about the meaning of the Roman numeral VI preceding both the P and the F in the reverse legend (as well as concerning the meaning, in various other examples of the legionary series, of the numerals V or VII instead of VI preceding P and F).  In RIC V-1 at p. 34, Harold Mattingly cites the work of Sir Charles Oman supporting the theory that the Roman numerals refer to the regnal years of Gallienus’s joint reign with his father in which the coins were issued -- i.e., years V-VII, or 157-159 AD -- despite the fact that “the obverse inscription is usually GALLIENVS AVG, a form of legend which does not generally appear until 260.”  According to Mattingly, Oman “conclusively points out that Gallienus would, at no date after 259, have celebrated the piety and loyalty of the Rhine legions [such as Leg. VIII Augusta itself, based at Strasbourg, then Argentoratum], which had assisted the rebel Postumus to overthrow his authority in Gaul and to slay his son” (Saloninus). Jones agrees, stating in his Dictionary at p. 166 that “the numbers indicated the years of the emperor’s reign.” 

However, the more recent authorities seem to disagree. See Sear RCV III at p. 293, stating that the legionary series of Gallienus “was issued early in his sole reign [i.e., after Valerian I’s capture by the Persians in 260] at Milan, the base of the recently established field army commanded by Aureolus. The units honoured were the Praetorian Cohort and the seventeen legions which had furnished detachments for the field army. The numerals ‘VI’ and ‘VII’ appearing in the reverse legends may refer to the victories achieved by Aureolus over the usurpers Ingenuus and Regalian.”  See also http://beastcoins.com/RomanImperial/V-I/Gallienus/Gallienus.htm  (“In 260, following the defeats of the revolts, Gallienus produced Antoniniani at Milan, honoring his different legions.  Each legion or cohort is featured through the legionary badge on the reverse, along with the victory number and P F for Pia Fidelis.  One coin type was issued for each of the three battles in which the unit participated.  Victory V was against the Alemanni, VI was against Ingenuus and VII was against Regalianus.”)  Neither Sear nor Beast Coins provides any source for the theory that the three Roman numerals can be tied to specific victories.  Nor do they address Oman’s argument that Gallienus would not have honored and praised the Rhine legions after the usurpation of Postumus in the summer of 260.   

At https://www.livius.org/articles/legion/legio-viii-augusta/ , in the article on Legion VIII Augusta, named on this coin (as well as in other articles about other legions), the author implicitly rejects both the view that the Roman numerals V, VI, and VII represent regnal years, and the view that they refer to specific victories, asserting instead that legends such as “VI Pia VI Fidelis” simply honor the legion for having been “six [or five, or seven, depending upon the coin] times faithful, six times loyal”:  

“Between 250 and 260, however, Baden-Württemberg was seized by the Alamanni. This time, the Romans were unable to strike back and they gave up the country between Danube and Rhine. However, VIII Augusta still defended the Rhine frontier. In the conflict between the emperors Gallienus (of Italy) and Postumus (of Gaul), the legion seems to have supported the former, and it received honorific titles like V, VI, VII Pia fidelis (five times, six times, and seven times faithful and loyal). Yet, it seems certain that Postumus controlled Germania Superior, so we are left with a minor problem.” In short, there is no definitive answer to the questions of precisely what the V, VI, or VII on these coins signify, and when the coins were issued.