Revisiting old friends

[maridvnvm]

I have been taking some time to get my collection into some form of organisation. This has involved me going through my main collecting areas and gathering all the relevant coins together, looking at how up to date my photographs are, making sure that my records are correct, putting the coins in flips, adding labels to the flips, sorting the coins into some form of logical chronological order and then placing these collection coins into albums. This is taking me quite some time and I am limiting my work to the collection of eastern denarii of Septimius Severus and my Lugdunum mint Probus collection.

I found that some of my coins have not had photos taken in 20 years including the following coins that I have not really seen in over a decade. I picked out the following two coins as they have a common theme to them in that they both depict Septimius Severus on the rear and there is sufficient detail to see that it is the bearded emperor depicted.

Neither coin is in great condition and are generally reflective of my "bottom feeder" collecting style from the time. I would accept coin with multiple flaws in relatively low grade as these aspects kept the price down.

Obv:–IMP CAE L SEP SEV PERT AVG COS II, Laureate head right
Rev:– SPQR OPTIMO PBINCIPI, Septimius Severus on horseback left, right hand raised
Minted in Emesa. A.D. 194 - 195
Reference:– Cohen 376. RIC 415 var. This errored spelling is far more common than the correct PRINCIPI.

Obv:–IMP CAE L SEP SEV PERT AVG COS II, Laureate head right
Rev:– P[IETAT] AVG, Severus, veiled, standing left, sacrificing over tripod
Minted in Emesa. A.D. 194 - 195
Reference:– Cohen 376. RIC 413 (Scarce)

Dark toning

Please share either coins that clearly show the emperor on the rear OR coins that you haven't really taken a look at for a LONG time.

Martin

[expat]

I have only been collecting ancients for about 1.5 years, so they are still fresh in my mind. But I really look forward to seeing some old forgotten coins that people may post. Nice thread.

[JayAg47]

Ever since I started collecting ancient coins, sometime in the early 2020 I have totally neglected my modern coins. So I don't have any ancient 'old friends'. I've been meaning to get a 20th century type set album to put my American coins, but those albums are really expensive or hard to come by for some reasons. 

Edited September 26, 2023 by JayAg47

[Ancient Coin Hunter]

I kept a collection starting from age 11. I stopped collecting for 30 years. I started again in 2014 and my first coin was this:

 

Gordian III, A.D. 238-244 AR Antoninianus, 24mm, 4.9 grams Rome mint, A.D. 241-243

Obverse: IMP GORDIANVS PIVS FEL AVG; Radiate, draped, and cuirassed bust right

Reverse: PM TRP III CIS II PP; Apollo seated left, holding laurel branch and leaning on lyre

Reference: RIC IV 114

Edited September 26, 2023 by Ancient Coin Hunter

[ambr0zie]

I love Septimius Severus coins with him on the reverse, where the emperor is clearly identifiable because of the beard. I have several coins showing other emperors on the reverse but they are depicted as generic figures. 

This coin might fit the theme with a minor modification as it shows Domna, identifiable after heir distinctive hairstyle.

9 hours ago, maridvnvm said:

coins that clearly show the emperor empress on the rear

18 mm, 2,68 g.
Julia Domna. Augusta 193-217. AR denarius. Struck under Caracalla – 211 AD.
IVLIA PIA FELIX AVG, bust of Julia Domna, hair elaborately waved in ridges and turned up low at the back, draped, right / MAT AVGG MAT SEN M PATR, Julia Domna, draped, seated left, holding branch in extended right hand and sceptre in left hand.
RIC IV Caracalla 381 (denarius).

------------

I collect ancient coins since October 2020, with some minor exceptions bought occasionally before, just out of curiosity. All my coins are arranged in my album in the order I bought them in, so I have a clear picture of what my strategy/tastes were. 

But this is my "oldest" friend. Not my oldest non-ancient coin, but a coin that's special for me. My grandfather gave it to me when I was 5. No idea where he got it from, he was not a collector. This is from the first set of coins from my country and it was the stepping stone for building an almost complete collection. Not rare, not in perfect condition, not expensive, but I wouldn't trade it for a MS67 version. 

[Curtisimo]

Great post @maridvnvm. I have recently been going back and photographing the ephemera of coins in my collection. One such coin I purchased about 5 years ago. While photographing the tag I noted that it says it was previously bought from Jesus Vico about the time they were selling a batch of Dattari coins. I haven’t been able to find this coin in the Vico auctions but I hope to track down how it was purchased and reattach the Dattari provenance if possible.

As to emperor on the reverse… I think this one fits the bill.

Edited September 27, 2023 by Curtisimo

[maridvnvm]

I have just processed another one. Bought back in 2007 and been MIA in my trays for a while and one I have been very keen to track down.

Obv:– IMP CAE L SEP SEV PERT AVG COS II, Laureate head right
Rev:– VICT AVG, Victory walking left, holding wreath in both hands
Minted in Emesa, A.D. 194 - 195
References:– RIC 426 (Rated Rare), RSC 675d. BMCRE 401.

Ex Roger Bickford-Smith Collection, CNG 47, lot 1708. Ex Barry Murphy Collection

[seth77]

Looking back at buys from 10 or more years ago I realize that some types had a period (or periods) when they are common at auctions but now you don't see them much.

From 2014:

Tacitus from Lugdunum

 

Constantius II with globe from Thessalonica FH

 

Unfortunately now both lost during one of the Covid-related relocations.

[DonnaML]

13 hours ago, Curtisimo said:

Great post @maridvnvm. I have recently been going back and photographing the ephemera of coins in my collection. One such coin I purchased about 5 years ago. While photographing the tag I noted that it says it was previously bought from Jesus Vico about the time they were selling a batch of Dattari coins. I haven’t been able to find this coin in the Vico auctions but I hope to track down how it was purchased and reattach the Dattari provenance if possible.

As to emperor on the reverse… I think this one fits the bill.

The Maximinus II certainly has a somewhat similar reddish-brown patina to other ex Dattari Collection coins sold by Jesus Vico in the late 2010s, like this one I have:

Edited September 27, 2023 by DonnaML

[Curtisimo]

51 minutes ago, DonnaML said:

The Maximinus II certainly has a somewhat similar reddish-brown patina to other ex Dattari Collection coins sold by Jesus Vico in the late 2010s, like this one I have:

Nice coin! I’ve sent both Jesus Vico and Frank an email asking for their help with information about the coin. It has been a few years so maybe they won’t have much for me but I’m keeping my fingers crossed.

[DonnaML]

53 minutes ago, Curtisimo said:

Nice coin! I’ve sent both Jesus Vico and Frank an email asking for their help with information about the coin. It has been a few years so maybe they won’t have much for me but I’m keeping my fingers crossed.

One problem is that there were multiple Jesus Vico auctions selling Dattari Collection coins, and I'm not 100% sure they're all readily available online. Do you think that the "370" on your coin envelope's flap is a lot number? It seems rather high to be a sales price.

[DonnaML]

I think Hadrian is quite recognizable on the reverse of this ADVENTVS AVG denarius, depicting him shaking hands with Roma upon his return to Rome at the end of his travels:

[Al Kowsky]

1 hour ago, DonnaML said:

I think Hadrian is quite recognizable on the reverse of this ADVENTVS AVG denarius, depicting him shaking hands with Roma upon his return to Rome at the end of his travels:

My denarius has an unmistakable figure of Septimius Severus on the reverse too ☺️.

[Curtisimo]

8 hours ago, DonnaML said:

One problem is that there were multiple Jesus Vico auctions selling Dattari Collection coins, and I'm not 100% sure they're all readily available online. Do you think that the "370" on your coin envelope's flap is a lot number? It seems rather high to be a sales price.

The 370 is the lot number in FSRs sale where I bought it. I heard back from Frank and he says that he does not remember where he bought it and suggested that it was at the NY International Coin show. I still haven’t heard back from Jesus Vico.

Does anyone know how Jesus Vico came by the Dattari coins they sold? Perhaps there is a pre-Vico trail I could look into.

Failing that the only “hail Mary” option I would have is to ask the forum at large to check Dattari-Savio. I don’t currently have that reference in my library but I wish I did.

[DonnaML]

36 minutes ago, Curtisimo said:

Does anyone know how Jesus Vico came by the Dattari coins they sold? Perhaps there is a pre-Vico trail I could look into.

Failing that the only “hail Mary” option I would have is to ask the forum at large to check Dattari-Savio. I don’t currently have that reference in my library but I wish I did.

See this Coin Talk post of mine from May 24, 2020, addressing this very question:

https://www.cointalk.com/threads/galerius-with-dattari-provenance-and-galeria-valeria.360488/#post-4525992

As noted in this post, Dattari-Savio covers only coins from Alexandria, which yours is not. So it wouldn't help you  

Edited September 28, 2023 by DonnaML

[Curtisimo]

36 minutes ago, DonnaML said:

See this Coin Talk post of mine from May 24, 2020, addressing this very question:

https://www.cointalk.com/threads/galerius-with-dattari-provenance-and-galeria-valeria.360488/#post-4525992

As noted in this post, Dattari-Savio covers only coins from Alexandria, which yours is not. So it wouldn't help you  

Just wow… I had figured there was a piece I was missing in all of this and that the Dattari coin would have been properly catalogued at some point in the past. It appears that is not the case and that my coin (which I’m 99.9% sure is Dattari) will forever be decoupled from its provenance. Very sad and disappointing…

[DonnaML]

56 minutes ago, Curtisimo said:

Just wow… I had figured there was a piece I was missing in all of this and that the Dattari coin would have been properly catalogued at some point in the past. It appears that is not the case and that my coin (which I’m 99.9% sure is Dattari) will forever be decoupled from its provenance. Very sad and disappointing…

Have you looked in all the available Jesus Vico catalogs?

[Curtisimo]

9 minutes ago, DonnaML said:

Have you looked in all the available Jesus Vico catalogs?

Yes. I’ve checked all the catalogs available online from before I bought it. Special emphasis on Auctions 147-150 and Online Auction 3. I might take another closer look at the group lots to make sure I didn’t miss it but I doubt it was sold in a group lot. It is a better example than coins of the same type that were sold in those auctions.  I suspect Frank was correct and he bought it at a coin show.

I much appreciate the link to your research on the available background for these. That was helpful.

[LONGINUS]

 

Great post @maridvnvm

I’ve got a Laodicea denarius of Septimius Severus. It’s one of my favorites because it was one of the first denarii I purchased when I decided to rebuild my collection after regrettably selling off most of my previous one.

 

I refer to the image on the reverse as the “Goddess on skis.“ 

 

I always have a lot of fun making labels for the archival flips I purchased to replace the variety of old pvc flips.

 

Your post inspires me to get to work on my Antioch, Nabataean, and Seleucid collections.

 

 

Edited September 28, 2023 by LONGINUS

[seth77]

Also this small 16mm but heavy 3.77g denarius of Emesa COS II, one of the most common of the series. It was around 6EUR/8USD in 2013/4 from G&N on ebay, one of my favorite auction houses back in the day before Savoca became my favorite. Did you see many Emesa deniers of Septimius lately?

[maridvnvm]

I have spent a few weeks working through my old friens. My primary focus has been the Eastern denarii of Septimius Severus and my Probus coins from Lugdunum.

All coins have now had up to date images taken, have been inserted into flips with labels made. These have then been placed in "order" in albums. The order varies based on my collection.

Here is an example of my flips being printed in batches.

Here is am example of one of the pages once processed both fromnt and back. This one being one of two pages of coins of Probus from Lugdunum from Emission 6.

It has taken me a few weeks but I finally have the feeling that my core collection is now somewhat in order with 3 albums just for these two sub-collections.

I now need to rifle through my remaining trays etc to find any missing stragglers but also to keep on top of adding new coins to their rightful place in their album.

My next task is to progress my website to illustrate them properly online..

[dougsmit]

Since you mentioned the PBINCIPI misspelling being more common, we

On 9/26/2023 at 7:29 AM, maridvnvm said:

I have been taking some time to get my collection into some form of organisation. This has involved me going through my main collecting areas and gathering all the relevant coins together, looking at how up to date my photographs are, making sure that my records are correct, putting the coins in flips, adding labels to the flips, sorting the coins into some form of logical chronological order and then placing these collection coins into albums. This is taking me quite some time and I am limiting my work to the collection of eastern denarii of Septimius Severus and my Lugdunum mint Probus collection.

I found that some of my coins have not had photos taken in 20 years including the following coins that I have not really seen in over a decade. I picked out the following two coins as they have a common theme to them in that they both depict Septimius Severus on the rear and there is sufficient detail to see that it is the bearded emperor depicted.

Neither coin is in great condition and are generally reflective of my "bottom feeder" collecting style from the time. I would accept coin with multiple flaws in relatively low grade as these aspects kept the price down.

Obv:–IMP CAE L SEP SEV PERT AVG COS II, Laureate head right
Rev:– SPQR OPTIMO PBINCIPI, Septimius Severus on horseback left, right hand raised
Minted in Emesa. A.D. 194 - 195
Reference:– Cohen 376. RIC 415 var. This errored spelling is far more common than the correct PRINCIPI.

Obv:–IMP CAE L SEP SEV PERT AVG COS II, Laureate head right
Rev:– P[IETAT] AVG, Severus, veiled, standing left, sacrificing over tripod
Minted in Emesa. A.D. 194 - 195
Reference:– Cohen 376. RIC 413 (Scarce)

Dark toning

Please share either coins that clearly show the emperor on the rear OR coins that you haven't really taken a look at for a LONG time.

Martin

Since you mentioned the PBINCIPI misspelling being more common we should show the scarce one spelled correctly.  I only have one. 

Those who collect these should also pay attention to other little variations like whether SS is holding a scepter

or just giving a bare hand salute.  

 

Since I dropped out of buying actively, I have quite a few coins that I have not seen for quite a while.  One that fits here that comes to mind is the Rome mint SS on reverse RESTITVTOR VRBIS:

 

Less interesting due to the smaller size is one with a horse from Rome.  Mine is low enough grade that some might have trouble seeing his face and beard.

 

The sestertius version adds a soldier leading the horse.  Again condition makes it less than obvious.  

 

When I think of 'old friends' I think of this 'Emesa' denarius I got in the early 60's before I kept records.  Most of my coins from that period were sold off in 1974 when I took a break and made the mistake of selling coins.  I kept this one because it was one of my two COSI obverse coins and it is still unique to me anyway because of the supports under the chair on the reverse.  Does anyone have one like that?  To the best of my knowledge no one else ever cared since I have been looking at Emesa coins for 60 years and have not seen another. 

 

[maridvnvm]

I am still working through old trays, cabinets and albums of coins from my early days collecting ancients. I am trying decide on a coin by coin basis if the coin should stay in my collection or whether to part with them. I am finding that there are many that I am happy to let go but there are some that make me think twice. I just found this one that I bought over 20 years ago. It fits in a couple of collecting themes, I like Mars types and I like Lugdunum. This one might be a keeper even though it is a common enough coin.

Numerian

Obv:– IMP C NVMERIANVS AVG, Radiate, cuirassed bust right
Rev:– MARS VICTOR, Mars walking right holding trophy and spear
Minted in Lugdunum (C in right field) Emission 6, Officina 3. August 283 to start 284 A.D.
Reference:– Cohen 21, Bastien 544, RIC 388 Bust Type F

3.35 gms, 23.07 mm. 0 degrees

[maridvnvm]

Just processing another coin. It turns out I bought this one 20 years ago this week.

Florian Antoninianus

Obv:– IMP C M AN FLORIANVS AVG, Radiate, draped and cuirassed bust right
Rev:– VIRTVS AVGVSTI, Emperor advancing right, holding a shield and spear, treading down captive.
Minted in Lugdunum (IIII in exe) Emission 3 Officina 4, from September to October A.D. 276
Reference:– Cohen 107. Bastien 150. RIC 16 Bust type C

[seth77]

23 minutes ago, maridvnvm said:

Just processing another coin. It turns out I bought this one 20 years ago this week.

Florian Antoninianus

Obv:– IMP C M AN FLORIANVS AVG, Radiate, draped and cuirassed bust right
Rev:– VIRTVS AVGVSTI, Emperor advancing right, holding a shield and spear, treading down captive.
Minted in Lugdunum (IIII in exe) Emission 3 Officina 4, from September to October A.D. 276
Reference:– Cohen 107. Bastien 150. RIC 16 Bust type C

Great silvering still present.