Trier, a city with a rich numismatic history!

[Helvius Pertinax]

A few years back, I had the privilege of visiting the city of Trier. I have since forgotten most of the details about this visit, but It is still very special to me, primarily because i got my first ancient coin there! 

Many of you will know this city, it was a very active mint under roman rule. Today, archeologists still discover a horrendous amount of roman coins there (for example, in 1993 they found a hoard of over 2500 aureii), which shows how important the city was during the roman period. 

I think the shop I got this coin in was close to one of the citys biggest attractions: The Porta Nigra (=Black gate), a very well preserved roman city gate from the 2nd century AD. Here it is, isn't it fabulous?

Okay, it's not that fabulous, but hey, it's my first ancient 😂 And also the only one where I know exactly where it was dug up: on a site near the Basilica of Constantine! 

As I said, I got it in a shop near the Porta Nigra. Here is the building, I think its absolutely beautiful 😄 (Didn't take pictures myself unfortunatley)

And speaking of the Porta Nigra, I cant get around showing this coin I sometimes see in change. It belongs to a series of coins that feature a new german monument every year. Funnily, the series started in the year I was born, making it really nice to collect. Every year I look through my change if the new coin is I there, lots of fun! Anyways, here's the coin!

Please post your first ancients, coins where you know where they were dug up, or anything related!

Edited June 4, 2022 by Helvius Pertinax
Posted to early (again)

[shanxi]

I can add two coins which were found in Trier.

 

Faustina II,
As
Obv.: FAVSTINA AVGVSTA, Draped bust right
Rev.: FECVNDITAS / S – C, Fecunditas standing right, holding scepter in right hand, infant in left hand
11.98g, 23x26mm
Ref.: Cohen 101, RIC 1639
This coin was found in 1987 at the Viehmarktplatz, close to the St. Antoninus Church in Trier, Germany. The find was presented to the Landesmuseum (State Museum).

 

Faustina II
Dupondius or As, AD 145-161
Obv.: FAVSTINA AVG PII AVG FIL, draped bust right
Rev.: S - C, Diana standing left with bow and arrow.
AE, 12.4g, 26mm
Ref.: RIC 1405 (a) [C]
This coin was found in 2006 close to the Fleischstraße in Trier, Germany. The find was presented to the Landesmuseum (State Museum).

 

Edited June 4, 2022 by shanxi

[Lhevae]

It's funny you created this thread because I actually went on a small trip to Trier last week. The last time I went there was in high school 11 years ago! Back then, I wasn't actively collecting coins (and especially not ancients). As someone whose main area of interest is the gallic empire, I had to go back (sort of a nerdy pilgrimage I guess). Here are a fresh few pics I took.

Cityview from the Mariensäule (can you spot the Aula Palatina?)

View from inside the cloister of the Trier Cathedral

The remnants of the roman amphitheater.

Under the amphitheater!

A big pile of large and silvered tetrarchy folles in the archaeology museum.

And (part of) the Porta Nigra.

I had to get a coin as a souvenir of course, and since I already got quite a few ancients from Trier, I thought it would be cool to go for something more unusual (also, most of the ancients I found were overpriced in my opinion).

Bishopric of Trier, Karl Kaspar von der Leyen, Petermännchen (Albus, 4 pfennig), 1675.

Obv. : MONE.NO.ARG.TREVIR.A.1675 / Saint Peter standing, holding key and book

Rev. : CARL.CASP.DG.ARCH.TREV PE AP / City arms

I also found that design on bigger "coins"!

[shanxi]

Nice pictures Lhevae !

 

Here are two examples of coins minted in Trier

 

 

RIC 7, p.173, 121 - Licinius I, Genius

Licinius I (AD 308-324) AE Follis, Treveri (Trier) Obv: IMP LICINIVS PF AVG, Bust of Licinius, laureate, cuirassed, right Rev: GENIO POP ROM, Genius, turreted, draped with himation, standing left, holding patera in right hand and cornucopiae in left hand MintMark: T/F//ATR AE, 3.97g, 20mm RIC 7, p 173, 121   Constantius I Chlorus, Genius Æ Follis, Trier mint Obv.: FL VAL CONSTANTIVS NOB C, laureate, cuirassed bust right Rev.: GENIO POPVLI ROMANI, Genius with modius, cornucopia and patera, B and star, TR in ex Æ, 9.49g, 27.2mm Ref.: RIC 329

 

 

 

[Helvius Pertinax]

1 hour ago, shanxi said:

I can add two coins which were found in Trier.

 

Faustina II,
As
Obv.: FAVSTINA AVGVSTA, Draped bust right
Rev.: FECVNDITAS / S – C, Fecunditas standing right, holding scepter in right hand, infant in left hand
11.98g, 23x26mm
Ref.: Cohen 101, RIC 1639
This coin was found in 1987 at the Viehmarktplatz, close to the St. Antoninus Church in Trier, Germany. The find was presented to the Landesmuseum (State Museum).

 

Faustina II
Dupondius or As, AD 145-161
Obv.: FAVSTINA AVG PII AVG FIL, draped bust right
Rev.: S - C, Diana standing left with bow and arrow.
AE, 12.4g, 26mm
Ref.: RIC 1405 (a) [C]
This coin was found in 2006 close to the Fleischstraße in Trier, Germany. The find was presented to the Landesmuseum (State Museum).

 

Wow, these are way nicer than mine! Did you get them I the city (like I did) or somewhere else?

[Helvius Pertinax]

31 minutes ago, Lhevae said:

It's funny you created this thread because I actually went on a small trip to Trier last week. The last time I went there was in high school 11 years ago! Back then, I wasn't actively collecting coins (and especially not ancients). As someone whose main area of interest is the gallic empire, I had to go back (sort of a nerdy pilgrimage I guess). Here are a fresh few pics I took.

Cityview from the Mariensäule (can you spot the Aula Palatina?)

View from inside the cloister of the Trier Cathedral

The remnants of the roman amphitheater.

Under the amphitheater!

A big pile of large and silvered tetrarchy folles in the archaeology museum.

And (part of) the Porta Nigra.

I had to get a coin as a souvenir of course, and since I already got quite a few ancients from Trier, I thought it would be cool to go for something more unusual (also, most of the ancients I found were overpriced in my opinion).

Bishopric of Trier, Karl Kaspar von der Leyen, Petermännchen (Albus, 4 pfennig), 1675.

Obv. : MONE.NO.ARG.TREVIR.A.1675 / Saint Peter standing, holding key and book

Rev. : CARL.CASP.DG.ARCH.TREV PE AP / City arms

I also found that design on bigger "coins"!

Thats amazing, thanks for posting the nice holiday pics, the cathedral and hoard in particular - what a COINcidence! And a cool souvenir too. I agree, the ancients there are overpriced - but at least you know where they are coming from. I cant really remember, since my trip was around 10 years ago, but I think I visited the Cathedral too. Might have mixed it up with the Basilica though. And back then I really didn't care about the price, I don't think any history-loving 6 y/o who just discovered you can own something that old would 😂

[Dwarf]

As a good tourist in Trier you definitely have to take the "Rome Express"

for a visit of the basilica of Constantine the Great
(reconstructed after WWII, but comes close to the original - real impressive!)

then buy the usual overpriced coins

take a boat trip on the Mosel river

finally returning to your "villa rustica" for a nice meal with your friends
(Villa Borg is fully restored, with lots of activities going on in the summer.
This part of Germania must have been very wealthy!)

[Helvius Pertinax]

3 minutes ago, Dwarf said:

As a good tourist in Trier you definitely have to take the "Rome Express"

for a visit of the basilica of Constantine the Great
(reconstructed after WWII, but comes close to the original - real impressive!)

then buy the usual overpriced coins

take a boat trip on the Mosel river

finally returning to your "villa rustica" for a nice meal with your friends
(Villa Borg is fully restored, with lots of activities going on in the summer.
This part of Germania must have been very wealthy!)

Wow, thanks for showing all those pics! It's a shame I didn't take any, would sure remind me of many good memorys 😞 It's stunning how rich this city was! 18.5 kilo of gold in ONE hoard, thats just insane!!

[Etcherdude]

1 hour ago, Lhevae said:

It's funny you created this thread because I actually went on a small trip to Trier last week. The last time I went there was in high school 11 years ago! Back then, I wasn't actively collecting coins (and especially not ancients). As someone whose main area of interest is the gallic empire, I had to go back (sort of a nerdy pilgrimage I guess). Here are a fresh few pics I took.

Cityview from the Mariensäule (can you spot the Aula Palatina?)

View from inside the cloister of the Trier Cathedral

The remnants of the roman amphitheater.

Under the amphitheater!

A big pile of large and silvered tetrarchy folles in the archaeology museum.

And (part of) the Porta Nigra.

I had to get a coin as a souvenir of course, and since I already got quite a few ancients from Trier, I thought it would be cool to go for something more unusual (also, most of the ancients I found were overpriced in my opinion).

Bishopric of Trier, Karl Kaspar von der Leyen, Petermännchen (Albus, 4 pfennig), 1675.

Obv. : MONE.NO.ARG.TREVIR.A.1675 / Saint Peter standing, holding key and book

Rev. : CARL.CASP.DG.ARCH.TREV PE AP / City arms

I also found that design on bigger "coins"!

I see that huge rascal, the Aula Palatina, in the middle of your picture.

[Claudius_Gothicus]

Nice thread, @Helvius Pertinax! It's nice to meet a fellow young numismatist. I've never visited Trier, but I would certainly like to do so in the future. I do not have any coins that I know were found in the city, but I can show one that was struck there - its reverse iconography is also fitting, taking into account the city's famous gate:

Roman Empire, Constantine I (307-337), Nummus, Trier mint.

Obverse: CONSTAN-TINVS AVG, laureate head right;

Reverse: PROVIDEN-TIAE AVGG, campgate with two towers, six rows, no doors; star above, PTR(dot on crescent) in exergue;

RIC VII 475

 

I also own the same 2 Euro commemorative that you have shown:

 

As for my first ancients, those would be the first few low-grade LRBs that I bought as part of a group lot; they were all of very low quality and I've since parted with them. I do consider this coin to be the real foundation stone of my collection, though, as it was my first well-thought purchase and the one that made me begin collecting the coinage of Claudius II, of which you can guess I'm a big fan:

Roman Empire, Claudius II (268-270), Antoninianus, Siscia mint.

Obverse: IMP CLAVDIVS AVG, radiate and cuirassed bust right, seen from the front;

Reverse: P M T-R P COS P P, Apollo seated left, holding olive branch in right hand and leaning left elbow on lyre, P in exergue;

RIC V - ; RIC V Online 770; La Venera 9728; Minster 271;

Finally, in regards to your first coin, I wanted to direct you to its RIC V Online page, in case you haven't attributed it yet - that website is a great resource and I'm sure it could prove very useful for you in the future. Despite yours being a relatively common type, my collection is still lacking it, though I own two related ones: firstly, this antoninianus shares the same reverse type and officina mark as yours, but features the much rarer A3 bust, the radiate head with drapery.

Roman Empire, Claudius II (268-270), Antoninianus, Mediolanum mint.

Obverse: IMP CLAVDIVS P F AVG, radiate head right, with drapery to front and rear;

Reverse: FORTVN-AE RED, Fortuna standing left, holding rudder in right hand and cornucopia in left hand, S in exergue;

RIC V - (c.f. RIC V 151); RIC V Online 88; Mazzini 106; Toffanin 321/5;

 

The other one is this rare consular bust, which was only used at this mint by Claudius II and which is also one of my other favourite coins.

Roman Empire, Claudius II (268-270), Antoninianus, Mediolanum mint.

Obverse: IMP CLAVDIVS P F AVG, radiate bust left, wearing trabea, holding Victory on globe in right hand and scipio in left hand;

Reverse: PA-X A-VG, Pax running left, holding olive branch in right hand and transverse sceptre in left hand, T in exergue;

RIC V - (c.f. RIC V 157); RIC V Online 46; Huvelin 1980, 10; Toffanin 311/4;

[Spaniard]

What a wonderful looking location!

This got me searching through my collection and I only have one coin from Trier!....

Constantine II, as Caesar. 317-337 AD. AE Follis (2.54 gm, 20mm). Treveri (Trier) mint. Struck 323-324 AD.
Obv.: CONSTANTINVS IVN NOB C, laureate head right.
Rev.: CAESARVM NOSTRORVM, VOT/X in two lines across field; all within wreath; PTR (crescent). RIC VII 441; Schulten Em. 27.

[Etcherdude]

Here are some photos from Trier taken a few years back.

The "Black Gate" is all that remains of the city's Roman wall.

Architectural styles reveal medieval additions on the left contrasting with the heavy rusticated masonry of the 2nd century Roman structure.

The Baroque era reliefs in this gallery reveal another facet of the structure's evolution, it long functioned as a church.

Trier boasts one of the oldest intact Imperial Roman basilicas, the Aula Palatina was built during the reign of Constantine.

Like the Port Nigra, during the middle ages Constantine's audience hall became a church, though it remains one to this day. 

Part of Trier's Roman bath complex

Trier's Landesmuseum is rich in mosaics and other artifacts from antiquity.

My coin from the Trier mint, roughly contemporary with the Aula Palatina.

Constantinian, AE3/4 BI Nummus

Personification of Roma on obverse, She-wolf and twins on reverse.

[shanxi]

2 hours ago, Helvius Pertinax said:

Wow, these are way nicer than mine! Did you get them I the city (like I did) or somewhere else?

I got them directly from the finder. Therefore, I also know the exact places of discovery.

Edited June 4, 2022 by shanxi

[Heliodromus]

3 hours ago, shanxi said:

RIC 7, p.173, 121 - Licinius I, Genius

Licinius I (AD 308-324)
AE Follis, Treveri (Trier)
Obv: IMP LICINIVS PF AVG, Bust of Licinius, laureate, cuirassed, right
Rev: GENIO POP ROM, Genius, turreted, draped with himation, standing left, holding patera in right hand and cornucopiae in left hand
MintMark: T/F//ATR
AE, 3.97g, 20mm
RIC 7, p 173, 121

One interesting thing about this type is that the officina A coins show genius with some generic turrreted headgear, but officina B often has a city gate instead such as this one of mine:

And better yet, sometimes a double-entrance city gate which seems like it may be the porta nigra.

Above coin not mine, sadly.

 

 

[Roman Collector]

Cool photos, everyone!!

Here are some partially silvered GENIO POPVLI coins from the Trier mint.


Galerius as Caesar, AD 293-305.
Roman silvered billon follis, 8.62 g, 27.2 mm, 6 h.
Trier, AD 302-3.
Obv: MAXIMIANVS NOBIL C, laureate and cuirassed bust, right.
Rev: GENIO POPV-LI ROMANI, Genius standing facing, head left, wearing modius, naked but for chlamys over left shoulder, holding patera and cornucopiae; S/F//IITR.
Refs: RIC vi, p. 196, 508b; Cohen 65; RCV 14348.
Notes: Some numismatists postulate that the S F in the fields of these coins from Trier is an abbreviation for SAECVLI FELICITAS.


Constantius I, Caesar, 293-305.
Roman billon follis, 9.95 g, 26.6 mm, 11 h.
Trier, AD 296-97.
Obv: CONSTANTIVS NOB CAES, laureate head right.
Rev: GENIO POPV-LI ROMANI, Genius standing left, modius on head, naked but for chlamys over left shoulder, holding patera and cornucopiae; A/Γ//TR.
Refs: RIC vi, p. 183, 218a; Cohen 61; RCV 14035.

[AncientOne]

Nice coins and photos all around! Here's my only coin from Trier.

Constantine I, AD 306-337. SARMATIA DEVICTA

Obv: CONSTANTINVS AVG, laureate head right
Rev: SARMATIA DEVICTA, Victory advancing right, holding trophy on right arm, branch in left hand, spurning captive seated on ground right, head turned back,
PTR(cresent) in ex.
Trier 323-4 AD

 

[Alegandron]

MAXIMINUS II


RI Maximinus II Daia 305-308 CE Folles AE 26mm Trier mint GENIO POPV-LI Genius-Serapis stndg RIC VI Treveri 667b

[DonnaML]

Great coins, everyone! Here are some coins I own that were minted in Trier:

Postumus, silvered billon Antoninianus, Trier [Mairat] or Cologne Mint, 265-268 AD. [Mairat pp. 61, 64: 266-267 AD.] Obv. Radiate & draped bust right, IMP C POSTVMVS P F AVG / Rev. Serapis, crowned and draped, standing left, raising right hand and holding transverse sceptre in left hand; in background, prow of galley right, SERAPI COMITI AVG. RIC V-1 329, RSC IV 358, Sear RCV III 10992 (ill. p. 364), Mairat 362 (pp. 532-533) & Pls 143-144 [Jerome Mairat, The Coinage of the Gallic Empire (Trinity, Oxford, 2014), available at https://ora.ox.ac.uk/objects/uuid:5...afe_filename=Volume_1.pdf&type_of_work=Thesis ]. 21 mm., 3.80 g.

Diocletian, billon abdication Follis, 305-307 AD, Trier Mint. Obv. Laureate bust right in imperial mantle (trabea), holding olive branch and mappa, D N DIOCLETIANO BAEATISSIMO SEN AVG / Rev. Providentia standing right, holding [scroll or short scepter?] and drapery with left hand and extending right hand to Quies standing left, holding branch downward with right hand and leaning on scepter with left hand, S - F across fields, PROVIDENTIA DEORVM QVIES AVGG; PTR in exergue. 27x28 mm., 9.6 gm. RIC VI Trier 673a (p. 208), Sear RCV IV 12927. [Die match to example sold by Numismatik Naumann in 2015; see https://www.acsearch.info/image.html?id=2337893.]

Constantius II Caesar (son of Constantine I), silvered billon centenionalis, Trier Mint (2nd Officina) 326 AD. Obv. laureate, draped and cuirassed bust left, FL IVL CONSTANTIVS NOB C / Rev. Campgate with six rows, two turrets, no door, and star between turrets; PROVIDEN-TIAE CAESS. In exergue: STR followed by pellet in crescent. RIC VII Trier 480S (p. 209), Sear RCV V 17618. 19 mm., 3.09 g.

Constantine I, Billon reduced Centenionalis, Trier Mint 330-331 AD. Obv. VRBS ROMA, helmeted bust of Roma left/ Rev. She-wolf stg. left suckling twins (Romulus & Remus), 2 stars above; TRP• [Trier, First officina] in exergue. RIC VII 529, Sear RCV IV 16487. 17 mm., 2.4 g. (Found by metal detecting in Wiltshire, England, 2014).

 

Gratian, AR Siliqua, 368-375 AD, Trier Mint. Obv. Pearl-diademed, draped, and cuirassed bust right, D N GRATIA-NVS P F AVG / Rev. Helmeted Roma seated left on throne, holding Victory on globe in right hand, and scepter in left hand, VRBS ROMA; in exergue, TRPS• (Trier Mint; PS = pvsvlatvm, struck from refined silver). RIC IX 27f(1) at p. 19, RSC V 86a, Sear RCV V 19964. 17 mm., 2.0 g.
 

Magnus Maximus [Emperor in West AD 383-388 by usurpation from Gratian], AR reduced Siliqua*, AD 383-388, Trier Mint. Obv. Pearl-diademed, draped, and cuirassed bust right, DN MAG MAX-IMVS PF AVG [AV ligatured] / Rev. Helmeted Roma seated facing on throne, head left, holding globe in right hand and reversed spear in left hand, VIRTVS RO-MANORVM; in exergue, TR PS [TR = Trier Mint; PS = Pvsvlatvm (struck from refined, purified silver; see Sear RCV V, Introduction p. 7)]. 1.90 g., 16.32 x 16.08 mm., 12 h. RIC IX 84(b)(1) (p. 29), RSC V 20b (ill. p. 176), Sear RCV V 20644 (p. 422); Ghey 56f (this coin) [Ghey, E., “Vale of Pewsey, Wiltshire,” unpublished catalogue held by British Museum]. Purchased 17 May 2022 from Noonans (f/k/a Dix Noonan Webb) Auction, “The Vale of Pewsey Hoard of Late Roman Silver Coins,” Lot 82; ex Vale of Pewsey Hoard, discovered in Wiltshire 12-13 Sep. 2020, Portable Antiquities Scheme Hoard ID BM-7D34D9 (see https://finds.org.uk/database/hoards/record/id/3305). [Footnotes omitted.]

PS: Does anyone else find it frequently necessary to edit and reduce the sizes of their coin images before posting a thread, to avoid the photos showing up as much too large on the page? I had to do so for every photo in this post, reducing each from above 900 as the width measurement down to 750, keeping the aspect ratio the same in each case.

Edited June 5, 2022 by DonnaML

[Ryro]

I'm late to the party, as usual. But what an amazing thread!

VICTORINUS
269-271 embossings of the main Mint Trier Antoninianus, Imp C VICTORINVS. P. F. Avg. Drap. Tank bust with STKR. Right. RV/S – ALV – s Avg. Salus N. Left standing, Fathera in the right, long sceptre in the left holding, before the altar from which a serpent winds up. C 118. AGK 20. Elmer 697 (Cologne).
 

Fausta. Augusta,

AD 324-326. Æ Follis (17mm, 3.20 g, 6h). Treveri (Trier) mint, 2nd officina. Struck AD 326. Draped bust right / Empress or Salus standing facing, head left, cradling two infants in her arms; STR(pellet-in-crescent). RIC VII 483; LRBC 37. Purchased from Elkowicz May 2022

 

 

Constantine I 
Æ Nummus. Treveri (Trier), AD 322-323. CONSTANTINVS AVG, laureate bust right, wearing trabea with eagle-tipped sceptre in right hand / BEATA TRANQVILLITAS, globe set on altar inscribed VOTIS XX inn three lines; three stars above. •PTR• in exergue. RIC 369. 2.33g, 20mm, 12h. Unearthed Dec 2021 Burgundy region of France

And a beauty @Severus Alexandergifted me when it's first started collecting😘

Constantius II 

As Caesar, AD 324-337. Æ Follis, Treveri (Trier) mint. Struck AD 326. Laureate, draped, and cuirassed bust left / Camp-gate with two turrets and no door; star above; PTR(pellet-within-crescent). RIC VII 480; LRBC 29.

 

[Alegandron]

RI Valentinian II
AD 375-392
AR Siliqua 18mm 1.8g
Trier
Victory wreath palm
RIC IX 43

[Al Kowsky]

There are many impressive coins from Trier on this thread 🤩. I'll post some favorites from my collection too 😉.

Constantine I as Caesar, AD 306-309 (struck AD 306 - early 307). Trier Mint. Billon nummus: 9.50 gm, 27 mm, 7 h. RIC VI 666a.

 

Constantine I as Caesar, AD306-309 (struck circa summer AD 307). Trier Mint. Billon nummus: 8.73 gm, 29 mm, 6 h. RIC 719b. Ex CNG Inventory 774824, July 2006.

 

Constantine I, AD 307-337 (struck AD 307-308). Trier Mint, 1st Officina. Billon Nummus: 6.65 gm, 26 mm, 6 h. Reverse: Mars. Ex Spink 169, July 15, 2004.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[JeandAcre]

Fantastic thread with fantastic coins.  ...I have to gravitate to the pictures of the city itself, mainly thanks to @Helvius Pertinax (brilliant OP), @Lhevae, and @Etcherdude.

All I can summon are these two campgate LRBs.  One could wish the motif could do a better job of evoking the Porta Nigra.

[Helvius Pertinax]

48 minutes ago, JeandAcre said:

Fantastic thread with fantastic coins.  ...I have to gravitate to the pictures of the city itself, mainly thanks to @Helvius Pertinax (brilliant OP), @Lhevae, and @Etcherdude.

All I can summon are these two campgate LRBs.  One could wish the motif could do a better job of evoking the Porta Nigra.

Thanks, I'm glad that there were so many interesting responses! It would have been cool if Trier modified their campgates to look a bit more like the Porta Nigra, but back then it was just one of many city gates - kind of unfortunate. I wonder what the romans would have thought if they knew that this gate would be a great attraction in 1850 years! And thanks for these pictures, lovely busts! 

[Helvius Pertinax]

4 hours ago, Alegandron said:

RI Valentinian II
AD 375-392
AR Siliqua 18mm 1.8g
Trier
Victory wreath palm
RIC IX 43

And of course Alegandron steals the show with one of his amazing coins 😂 The way the slight wear and the nice dark patina come together is fascinating!! 

[Helvius Pertinax]

10 hours ago, Claudius_Gothicus said:

Nice thread, @Helvius Pertinax! It's nice to meet a fellow young numismatist. I've never visited Trier, but I would certainly like to do so in the future. I do not have any coins that I know were found in the city, but I can show one that was struck there - its reverse iconography is also fitting, taking into account the city's famous gate:

Roman Empire, Constantine I (307-337), Nummus, Trier mint.

Obverse: CONSTAN-TINVS AVG, laureate head right;

Reverse: PROVIDEN-TIAE AVGG, campgate with two towers, six rows, no doors; star above, PTR(dot on crescent) in exergue;

RIC VII 475

 

I also own the same 2 Euro commemorative that you have shown:

 

As for my first ancients, those would be the first few low-grade LRBs that I bought as part of a group lot; they were all of very low quality and I've since parted with them. I do consider this coin to be the real foundation stone of my collection, though, as it was my first well-thought purchase and the one that made me begin collecting the coinage of Claudius II, of which you can guess I'm a big fan:

Roman Empire, Claudius II (268-270), Antoninianus, Siscia mint.

Obverse: IMP CLAVDIVS AVG, radiate and cuirassed bust right, seen from the front;

Reverse: P M T-R P COS P P, Apollo seated left, holding olive branch in right hand and leaning left elbow on lyre, P in exergue;

RIC V - ; RIC V Online 770; La Venera 9728; Minster 271;

Finally, in regards to your first coin, I wanted to direct you to its RIC V Online page, in case you haven't attributed it yet - that website is a great resource and I'm sure it could prove very useful for you in the future. Despite yours being a relatively common type, my collection is still lacking it, though I own two related ones: firstly, this antoninianus shares the same reverse type and officina mark as yours, but features the much rarer A3 bust, the radiate head with drapery.

Roman Empire, Claudius II (268-270), Antoninianus, Mediolanum mint.

Obverse: IMP CLAVDIVS P F AVG, radiate head right, with drapery to front and rear;

Reverse: FORTVN-AE RED, Fortuna standing left, holding rudder in right hand and cornucopia in left hand, S in exergue;

RIC V - (c.f. RIC V 151); RIC V Online 88; Mazzini 106; Toffanin 321/5;

 

The other one is this rare consular bust, which was only used at this mint by Claudius II and which is also one of my other favourite coins.

Roman Empire, Claudius II (268-270), Antoninianus, Mediolanum mint.

Obverse: IMP CLAVDIVS P F AVG, radiate bust left, wearing trabea, holding Victory on globe in right hand and scipio in left hand;

Reverse: PA-X A-VG, Pax running left, holding olive branch in right hand and transverse sceptre in left hand, T in exergue;

RIC V - (c.f. RIC V 157); RIC V Online 46; Huvelin 1980, 10; Toffanin 311/4;

Oh, you have to visit it, its beautiful! Nice that Trier minted so many coins of the city gate type, now that a city gate is their main attraction 😅 

I did in fact attribute the coin already, thanks for posting your related coins (that are of course of much higher quality than mine)!

That consular bust is indeed amazing, is he holding a spear? Its hard to seesince its very bright outside. 

Continuing the theme of historic visits, ill visit the Wartburg Castle tomorrow, where Luther hid and translated the Bible to german. The castle itself also has a nice history, reaching back to 1160 I think. Not sure if there are related coins though!