Connections and next steps

[Sulla80]

The world can be surprisingly small and well connected, my notes on this coin and the many hands it passed through reinforced the thought:

Roman Egypt, Alexandria, Valerian I, AD 253-260, BI Tetradrachm (23.8mm, 10.44g, 12h), dated RY 3 (AD 255/256)

Obv: Laureate and cuirassed bust right

Rev: Eirene standing facing, head left, holding olive branch and scepter; L Γ (date) to left

Ref: Köln 2859; Dattari (Savio) 5150; K&G 88.17; Emmett 3708.3

 

Five "collectors" owned this coin in the 30 months before me (See: Who's Bidding)

and although I didn't recognize it when I purchased this coin recently, I was surprised to find that I had commented on this exact coin 3.5 years ago on CT:

With digital resources for searching types and dies (and even doing image searches to match exact coins) it can be surprisingly easy to recover lost provenance.  Richard Schaefer die notebooks a fruitful resource for RR denarii with this coin an example (See: A Fun Provenance Find😞

Faustus Cornelius Sulla, Rome, 56 BC, AR Denarius

Obv: FEELIX, diademed bust of young Hercules right, wearing lion skin headdress

Rev: FAVSTVS, Diana driving galloping biga right, holding reins and lituus; crescent above her head; one star above, two stars below horses

Ref: Crawford 426/2

Note: die F on R. Schaefer die project notebook (this coin pictured from Wayne Phillips Feb 1995)

Post any suggestions, online or paper resources that you've found useful, coins with restored provenance, or anything else you find interesting or entertaining.

Edited March 6, 2023 by Sulla80

[Sulla80]

The latest entry on sullacoins has a Valentine's Day theme and features this coin: see Fish in Love with Goats

https://www.sullacoins.com/post/fish-in-love-with-goats

post your coins with goats, coins from Aigeai, or anything else that you find interesting or entertaining.

Edited February 18, 2023 by Sulla80

[Sulla80]

An Experiment started: https://www.sullacoins.com/projects-8

inspired by the Time Period Game

[expat]

46 minutes ago, Sulla80 said:

An Experiment started: https://www.sullacoins.com/projects-8

inspired by the Time Period Game

a nice group of coins and historical references, a great start to a new venture

[JAZ Numismatics]

We should find a way to collaborate. Many of your ideas jibe with my plans to expand JAZ Numismatics into show venues. For one thing, I'd like to offer workshops on ancient coins, starting with all the small local shows (and clubs) in Pennsylvania. Nobody is offering those kinds of educational programs around here, and I mean NOBODY. Even the biggest international show in the area, Baltimore, rarely offers seminars on ancient coins. How would you feel about presenting your material in a multi-media lecture format?

I also need someone to write informative tracts about the coins I'm selling (for a salary). Many collectors at shows ignore ancient coins because they know nothing about them. It would be great if I could hand people short, printed blurbs about certain general topics, say, Sicilian coinage, RR denarii, the debasement of antoniniani, LRB's, etc. One of the frustrations I've experienced at shows is that some newbie wants to talk at length, which is great, but while I'm doing that, another newbie is looking at the coins, mystified by the disparate little blobs of metal, and walks away. It would be great if I could have a rack of free pamphlets about ancient coin topics. Would you be willing to have some of your material printed up and used for that?

I would also be willing to go in with you on offering grants to YN's for research.

[Sulla80]

11 minutes ago, JAZ Numismatics said:

We should find a way to collaborate. Many of your ideas jibe with my plans to expand JAZ Numismatics into show venues. For one thing, I'd like to offer workshops on ancient coins, starting with all the small local shows (and clubs) in Pennsylvania. Nobody is offering those kinds of educational programs around here, and I mean NOBODY. Even the biggest international show in the area, Baltimore, rarely offers seminars on ancient coins. How would you feel about presenting your material in a multi-media lecture format?

I also need someone to write informative tracts about the coins I'm selling (for a salary). Many collectors at shows ignore ancient coins because they know nothing about them. It would be great if I could hand people short, printed blurbs about certain general topics, say, Sicilian coinage, RR denarii, the debasement of antoniniani, LRB's, etc. One of the frustrations I've experienced at shows is that some newbie wants to talk at length, which is great, but while I'm doing that, another newbie is looking at the coins, mystified by the disparate little blobs of metal, and walks away. It would be great if I could have a rack of free pamphlets about ancient coin topics. Would you be willing to have some of your material printed up and used for that?

I would also be willing to go in with you on offering grants to YN's for research.

Hi @JAZ Numismatics, sounds interesting - will reach out to you by email.

[kirispupis]

Here's my Aigai.

Aeolis, Aigai
4th-3rd centuries BCE
Æ 8mm, 0.78g, 11h
Laureate head of Apollo r.
R/ Head of goat r.
SNG Copenhagen 2; SNG von Aulock 1593
Ex London Ancient Coins

 

I'm currently in the process of updating my web site with a lot of new coins. It will result in pretty much a redesign for the entire site. Right now I'm writing stories for each of the coins, and this is what I have for Aigai (Aeolis). Obviously mine are intended for a very different audience - those not as interested in numismatics but just curious to know some of the history.

There’s an interesting story related to the presence of a goat on the coins of Aigai. In the Alexander Romance, which is one of the least accurate ancient sources, Alexander the Great writes his mother Olympias a letter stating that he tied torches to a herd of goats, then let them loose at night in order to scare Darius’ troops away. After the success and victory, he founded the city called Aigai. 

There is little doubt that this story is false. First, the act is completely unbecoming of Alexander, who was known for facing his enemies head on. Second, there’s ample evidence that Aigai already existed as a city by then. Third, a very similar story already existed for Aegeira in the Peloponnese, as was told by Pausanias. 

So, the story isn’t true. However, what is true is that Aigai strongly benefited from the Macedonian presence. Perhaps the city invented the story or perhaps someone else did and the city chose to make use of it. The word Aiga means ‘goat’ in Greek, so that’s more likely the reason for the goat on their coins. 

[Sulla80]

10 hours ago, kirispupis said:

I'm currently in the process of updating my web site with a lot of new coins. It will result in pretty much a redesign for the entire site. Right now I'm writing stories for each of the coins, and this is what I have for Aigai (Aeolis). Obviously mine are intended for a very different audience - those not as interested in numismatics but just curious to know some of the history.

Great website, @kirispupis, I will look forward to seeing it progress.