The gold addiction begins!

[Restitutor]

I can think of no better way to start my thread posting here than with my newest addition, one that is sure to see all my money disappear very quickly! 😂

Justinian the Great needs no introduction as likely one of the most recognizable faces in the ancient world. The man who, in conjunction with his formidable wife, pushed back against the tide of history to try and reclaim Rome's place as the supreme power in the Western World. If only his success was longer lived... but, on to the coin!

Justinian I. 527-565. AV Solidus. (20mm, 4.45g). Constantinople mint. 4th officina. Struck 545-565. D N IVSTINI ANVS PP AVG, helmeted and cuirassed bust facing, holding globus cruciger in right hand and shield decorated with soldier on horseback motif in left / VICTORI A AVGGG, Angel standing facing, holding globus cruciger in left hand and long staff terminating in staurogram in right; star to right; Δ CONOB. SB 140. 

This one was extra fun as the auction house I acquired it from did not choose an officina, I presume because the letter is slightly "smudged" on the reverse. After a lot of staring I am pretty confident it is the delta symbol and thus officina 4 (may be easier to see in the video vs. the photo) but curious to get other opinions! 

Let's see those solidi, Justinians, or any other coins you think are relevant! 

 

[Roman Collector]

Wow! That's SWEET, @Restitutor!! But it's so lustrous, I was ...

 

[Severus Alexander]

A beauty!  I agree, delta. 🙂

And you can upload videos directly on here?  Wow, cool!  You sure did pick a great platform and set up a fantastic forum, @Restitutor!!

[Theodosius]

Love the video, it really captures the coin nicely.

[Spaniard]

@Restitutor....That's a lovely coin!

Still no gold here I'm afraid...

[Alegandron]

PERSIA, Achaemenid Empire. 
Darios I to Xerxes II. Circa 485-420 BCE 
AV Daric (14mm, 8.30 g). 
Lydo-Milesian standard. 
Sardes mint. 
Persian king or hero, wearing kidaris and kandys, quiver over shoulder, running right, holding spear in right hand, bow in left / 
Incuse punch. 
Carradice Type IIIb, Group A/B (pl. XIII, 27); 
Meadows, Administration 321; BMC Arabia pl. XXIV, 26
Ex: CNG

[AncientNumis]

On 5/25/2022 at 3:20 AM, Restitutor said:

I can think of no better way to start my thread posting here than with my newest addition, one that is sure to see all my money disappear very quickly! 😂

Justinian the Great needs no introduction as likely one of the most recognizable faces in the ancient world. The man who, in conjunction with his formidable wife, pushed back against the tide of history to try and reclaim Rome's place as the supreme power in the Western World. If only his success was longer lived... but, on to the coin!

Justinian I. 527-565. AV Solidus. (20mm, 4.45g). Constantinople mint. 4th officina. Struck 545-565. D N IVSTINI ANVS PP AVG, helmeted and cuirassed bust facing, holding globus cruciger in right hand and shield decorated with soldier on horseback motif in left / VICTORI A AVGGG, Angel standing facing, holding globus cruciger in left hand and long staff terminating in staurogram in right; star to right; Δ CONOB. SB 140. 

 

This one was extra fun as the auction house I acquired it from did not choose an officina, I presume because the letter is slightly "smudged" on the reverse. After a lot of staring I am pretty confident it is the delta symbol and thus officina 4 (may be easier to see in the video vs. the photo) but curious to get other opinions! 

Let's see those solidi, Justinians, or any other coins you think are relevant! 

 

Wow that's soooooooo lovely. I don't have any ancient gold yet, but I've got a couple of modern coins. Would they be relevant or should I keep them out of an ancient coin thread? Just wondering if I can post pictures of them here, but no worries if not!

[David Atherton]

Quite timely that the ANS just posted this video.

 

[Nerosmyfavorite68]

Except for a flurry of buys in 2009, I don't buy much gold (too expensive).

After missing out on an already sold coin (some dealers have coins on multiple sites) the folks at Dr. Busso Peus generously offered me a discount on a replacement coin.  I almost went with a Syracuse Tet but decided on Apsimar the Admiral!  After putting up with my reticence about DHL Express (I kind of like them now), the Apsimar went off via pony express (Deutche Post - takes forever, but reliable) and it's now my favorite coin!  I almost went with the Syracuse.  I didn't really love it, but I wanted to say I had a Syracuse Tet.

It ended up costing about as much as a common Heraclius does nowadays.

It's by far the shiniest of all my gold coins.  The fields are very reflective.  The flat/double strike probably caused it not to get snapped up before I could get to it.

An HJB buy in whatever year Men In Black came out is still my most expensive coin.  I could have sworn it was $1200, but that's not what the tag says.  Perhaps I misremembered over the years. Incompetent photo by me. It'll have to do until I get a better coin setup.

I was in college at the time and it was one of the last trips that my granfather and I were able to go to Chicago.

Edited May 29, 2022 by Nerosmyfavorite68

[Alegandron]

I have shot my wad in Ancients Gold... this is it. However, I have a World Gold and US Gold collection as large as my Ancients.

North Africa


Carthage - Zeugitana 
AV 1/10th Stater-Shekel 
350-320 BCE 
0.94g 7.5mm 
Palm- 
Horse Head 
SNG COP 132

[JeandAcre]

Lately, I've fallen into a handful of fractional dinars, from a nominally Fatimid ruler in Sicily, a couple of Andalusian taifas, and two imitative ones, from 10th-century Calabria and Spain (probably Christian), respectively.

But the real bling happened with this quasi-tremissis of Kaleb, the Aksumite emperor who briefely conquered part of western Yemen, c. 525, in collusion with Justin I.  For issues in his name, gold is effectively more common than silver or copper.  It's fun for still having  somewhat blundered Greek legends, but also a Ge'ez monogram of his name at the top of the obverse.  Later in the 6th century, Aksumite legends made a full transition from Greek to Ge'ez.  (Munro-Hay Type 95.)

[JeandAcre]

On 5/24/2022 at 11:22 PM, Severus Alexander said:

A beauty!  I agree, delta. 🙂

And you can upload videos directly on here?  Wow, cool!  You sure did pick a great platform and set up a fantastic forum, @Restitutor!!

@Severus Alexander, may I second your motion?  Everything about this platform is a pure relief from the other one.  I love how you can cut and paste stuff directly onto a post, and there's zero limit on graphics.  It's just brilliant.  Thanks, @Restitutor, for putting this much thought into the platform itself.

[TheTrachyEnjoyer]

23 hours ago, Nerosmyfavorite68 said:

Except for a flurry of buys in 2009, I don't buy much gold (too expensive).

After missing out on an already sold coin (some dealers have coins on multiple sites) the folks at Dr. Busso Peus generously offered me a discount on a replacement coin.  I almost went with a Syracuse Tet but decided on Apsimar the Admiral!  After putting up with my reticence about DHL Express (I kind of like them now), the Apsimar went off via pony express (Deutche Post - takes forever, but reliable) and it's now my favorite coin!  I almost went with the Syracuse.  I didn't really love it, but I wanted to say I had a Syracuse Tet.

It ended up costing about as much as a common Heraclius does nowadays.

It's by far the shiniest of all my gold coins.  The fields are very reflective.  The flat/double strike probably caused it not to get snapped up before I could get to it.

An HJB buy in whatever year Men In Black came out is still my most expensive coin.  I could have sworn it was $1200, but that's not what the tag says.  Perhaps I misremembered over the years. Incompetent photo by me. It'll have to do until I get a better coin setup.

I was in college at the time and it was one of the last trips that my granfather and I were able to go to Chicago.

Johannes gold...😲

Im jealous!! That is so cool!

[Ancient Coin Hunter]

A lot of Justinian's success can be attributed to a few men in his service. In the military it was the generals Belisarius and Narses the eunuch. In architecture, it was the master builder Isadore of Miletus, who said if Justinian could provide the gold he would build something rivaling heaven. (Hagia Sophia).

Whether Justinian really appreciated these folks is doubtful. Supposedly Belisarius died a pauper begging for alms in the streets of Constantinople, at least this is the story told by Robert Graves in Count Belisarius. What is a bit strange is that Hollywood has never made a film illustrating this most interesting period of Roman history.

[Egry]

@Restitutorah o know the addiction quite well, I just happens to catch the bug myself. 

[Edessa]

Don't forget the Celts!

Celtic. Trinovantes & Catuvellauni. Cunobelin, circa AD 8-41. AV Stater (16mm, 5.33g, 10h). Classic (Trinovantian X) type. Camulodunum (Colchester) mint. Obv: CA-VN; across field, grain ear with central stalk. Rev: CNV[O]; Horse leaping right; branch above. Ref: Allen, Cunobelin 126 (dies C/e); Van Arsdell 2027-1; ABC 2798; SCBC 288. Good Very Fine. Rose toning, cleaning scratches on obverse. Found Lowick Parish, East Northhamptonshire, 2010 (PAS WMID-731F04). Ex CNG eAuction 460 (29 Jan 2020), Lot 1012

[Al Kowsky]

7 hours ago, Edessa said:

Don't forget the Celts!

Celtic. Trinovantes & Catuvellauni. Cunobelin, circa AD 8-41. AV Stater (16mm, 5.33g, 10h). Classic (Trinovantian X) type. Camulodunum (Colchester) mint. Obv: CA-VN; across field, grain ear with central stalk. Rev: CNV[O]; Horse leaping right; branch above. Ref: Allen, Cunobelin 126 (dies C/e); Van Arsdell 2027-1; ABC 2798; SCBC 288. Good Very Fine. Rose toning, cleaning scratches on obverse. Found Lowick Parish, East Northhamptonshire, 2010 (PAS WMID-731F04). Ex CNG eAuction 460 (29 Jan 2020), Lot 1012

Lovely coin, the obverse is unusually well struck ☺️!

[Al Kowsky]

On 5/24/2022 at 10:20 PM, Restitutor said:

I can think of no better way to start my thread posting here than with my newest addition, one that is sure to see all my money disappear very quickly! 😂

Justinian the Great needs no introduction as likely one of the most recognizable faces in the ancient world. The man who, in conjunction with his formidable wife, pushed back against the tide of history to try and reclaim Rome's place as the supreme power in the Western World. If only his success was longer lived... but, on to the coin!

Justinian I. 527-565. AV Solidus. (20mm, 4.45g). Constantinople mint. 4th officina. Struck 545-565. D N IVSTINI ANVS PP AVG, helmeted and cuirassed bust facing, holding globus cruciger in right hand and shield decorated with soldier on horseback motif in left / VICTORI A AVGGG, Angel standing facing, holding globus cruciger in left hand and long staff terminating in staurogram in right; star to right; Δ CONOB. SB 140. 

 

IMG_4175.mov 42.45 MB · 5 downloads

This one was extra fun as the auction house I acquired it from did not choose an officina, I presume because the letter is slightly "smudged" on the reverse. After a lot of staring I am pretty confident it is the delta symbol and thus officina 4 (may be easier to see in the video vs. the photo) but curious to get other opinions! 

Let's see those solidi, Justinians, or any other coins you think are relevant! 

 

Restitutor, Lovely coin ☺️! You're right the officina mark isn't clear, but it appears to me to be the letter theta, or number 9.

Pictured below is a Justinian solidus in my collection.

[Prieure de Sion]

The "Koson Gold Stater", Scythian, Olbia (?), sometime in the middle of the first century BC
Obv. Roman Consul, togate, walking left between two lictors; below, KOΣΩN.
Rev. Eagle standing left on sceptre, holding wreath.
RPC I, 1701; BMC Thrace p. 208, 2.
Diameter: 20mm, Weight: 8,38g

Perhaps a reference to Brutus (monogram), but perhaps also a forgery from the "modern era". There are many mysteries and much that remains unexplained. But let's be optimistic - they are of course the gold coins of Brutus to finance the campaign.

Edited July 14, 2022 by Prieure de Sion

[Al Kowsky]

2 hours ago, Prieure de Sion said:

The "Koson Gold Stater", Scythian, Olbia (?), sometime in the middle of the first century BC
Obv. Roman Consul, togate, walking left between two lictors; below, KOΣΩN.
Rev. Eagle standing left on sceptre, holding wreath.
RPC I, 1701; BMC Thrace p. 208, 2.
Diameter: 20mm, Weight: 8,38g

Perhaps a reference to Brutus (monogram), but perhaps also a forgery from the "modern era". There are many mysteries and much that remains unexplained. But let's be optimistic - they are of course the gold coins of Brutus to finance the campaign.

P. de Sion, Having sold a number of Koson staters & being very familiar with this issue, by photo your coin looks genuine to me ☺️. If you have lingering doubts about the coin you can always get it authenticated 😉.

[Prieure de Sion]

20 minutes ago, Al Kowsky said:

P. de Sion, Having sold a number of Koson staters & being very familiar with this issue, by photo your coin looks genuine to me ☺️. If you have lingering doubts about the coin you can always get it authenticated 😉.

I am not afraid that they are not real gold coins 😉

It's just the question - who minted them? Was it really under Brutus who is responsible for the issue? Was it a Thracian prince or king? And there is also the theory that they are not ancient coinage at all, but a fantasy coinage from the 16th century. All of this has not been fully clarified to this day.

[Al Kowsky]

1 hour ago, Prieure de Sion said:

I am not afraid that they are not real gold coins 😉

It's just the question - who minted them? Was it really under Brutus who is responsible for the issue? Was it a Thracian prince or king? And there is also the theory that they are not ancient coinage at all, but a fantasy coinage from the 16th century. All of this has not been fully clarified to this day.

Maybe this link will provide some clarity for you.

https://www.forumancientcoins.com/numiswiki/view.asp?key=koson

[Egry]

17 hours ago, Prieure de Sion said:

The "Koson Gold Stater", Scythian, Olbia (?), sometime in the middle of the first century BC
Obv. Roman Consul, togate, walking left between two lictors; below, KOΣΩN.
Rev. Eagle standing left on sceptre, holding wreath.
RPC I, 1701; BMC Thrace p. 208, 2.
Diameter: 20mm, Weight: 8,38g

Perhaps a reference to Brutus (monogram), but perhaps also a forgery from the "modern era". There are many mysteries and much that remains unexplained. But let's be optimistic - they are of course the gold coins of Brutus to finance the campaign.

Great coin!

I just happened to pick one up myself lately.

 

[Restitutor]

On 7/14/2022 at 6:26 AM, Al Kowsky said:

Restitutor, Lovely coin ☺️! You're right the officina mark isn't clear, but it appears to me to be the letter theta, or number 9.

Pictured below is a Justinian solidus in my collection.

Interesting! I hadn’t considered theta before but definitely see the resemblance now that it’s called out.

I’ve recently re-photographed all my coins, here’s a better image of the one in my original post:

 

Curious if this photo changes any answers/thoughts based off the first ones. 

[Al Kowsky]

3 minutes ago, Restitutor said:

Interesting! I hadn’t considered theta before. I’ve recently re-photographed all my coins, here’s a better image of the one in my original post:

 

Curious if this photo changes any answers/thoughts based off the first ones. 

Excellent photos, far superior to the originals 🤩! I still think the officina mark is theta. What makes this letter so difficult to discern is the engraver cut into the ground line that the angel is standing on 🧐.