Secret Saturnalia 2023

[Dafydd]

Io Saturnalia everyone!

My package arrived several weeks ago all the way from Australia and has been staring at me goading me to open it.

I didn't succumb to temptation and was thrilled to open it this morning. An exquisite sealed envelope which I suspect the seal was made from a Roman intaglio.

Inside were three coins covering three periods and three different cultures, none of which I own.

In no order was a Nero Tetradrachm, Egypt 65-66 AD, a  beautiful second Century Mauryan Empire , my first rectangular coin and a empire I know little about so another rabbit hole to pursue, and finally a Justinian the Great 40 Nummai so another new Roman Emperor to add to my list. Thank you @JayAg47 for your amazing and kind gifts.The Mauryan Empire coin boosts my Pan-Indian collection to two now. One of my gifts last year was an Indian coin but somewhat later.

I have taken some images with my Iphone to share and will take better images soon.

 

[Nerosmyfavorite68]

Nice haul!

[CPK]

Okay, after some feverish work I have finished taking photos of all my Saturnalia coins! 😄

This year I was the recipient of two Secret Saturnalia packages - both from outside the US as it turned out. Neither of my generous benefactors revealed their Forum identity and I feel a little dense in that I can't seem to place who they might be. 🤔 You know who you are though, and I am genuinely grateful for your extraordinary generosity!

The first package contained a very nice Christmas card and two very cool coins - a nice little Valentinian II AE3 (an emperor I didn't have yet!), and a stunning Theodosius I AE2:

VALENTINIAN II, AD 375-392
AE3 (17.64mm, 2.23g, 11h)
Struck AD 379-83. Syria, Antioch mint
Obverse: D N VALENTINIANVS P F AVG, pearl-diademed, draped, and cuirassed bust of Valentinian II right
Reverse: CONCOR-DIA AVGGG, Roma seated facing, head left, holding globe and spear; Θ|(Φ on K) across fields, ANTB in exergue
References: OCRE IX 45b, subtype 2; RCV 20301
An attractive portrait.

*************************

THEODOSIUS I, AD 379-395
AE2 (23.84mm, 5.48g, 11h)
Struck AD 283-6. Syria, Antioch mint
Obverse: D N THEODO-SIVS P F AVG, helmeted, pearl-diademed, draped, and cuirassed bust of Theodosius I right, holding shield and spear
Reverse: GLORIA RO-MANORVM, Theodosius, helmeted and in military attire, standing left on galley, head right, with right hand raised; Victory seated at helm; wreath in left field, ANTΓ in exergue
References: OCRE IX 40d, subtype 2; RCV 20484
Well-struck with a particularly artistic and detailed reverse scene.

Both lovely coins! I like the portrait of Valentinian II and the Theodosius is rendered in extraordinary detail, on both obverse and reverse. Thank you so much! 🤩

*************************

THE NEXT PACKAGE contained four coins and a nice written letter - thank you! These coins are also really neat, and in a category which I don't have much of yet: Roman provincial Syria - particularly, of the third century. All of them are thick chunky coins too.

First was this Philip I bronze, featuring an interesting temple reverse and a really vivid orange desert patina (we are talking Syria, after all!):

PHILIP I, AD 244-249
AE (27.90mm, 13.39g, 12h)
Struck AD 244-9. Syria, Cyrrhus mint
Obverse: ΑΥΤΟΚ Κ Μ ΙΟΥΛΙ ΦΙΛΙΠΠΟϹ ϹΕΒ, laureate, draped, and cuirassed bust of Philip I right, seen from behind
Reverse: ΔΙΟϹ ΚΑ-ΤΕΒ-ΑΤΟΥ, temple with six columns enclosing Zeus seated facing, holding sceptre and thunderbolt, eagle at feet, garlands or curtains above; above temple, bull (?) leaping right; ΚΥΡΗϹΤΩΝ in exergue
References: RPC VIII 7845.
Vivid orange desert patina.

*************************

Next up we have another temple/shrine reverse type, this time from the reign of Trebonianus Gallus (another emperor I'd yet to acquire). Of particular interest, noted by my Secret Saturn, is the finely detailed Corinthian-styled columns and structure:

TREBONIANUS GALLUS, AD 251-253
AE Octassarion (29.45mm, 15.83g, 11h)
Struck AD 251-3. Syria, Antioch mint
Obverse: ΑΥΤΟΚ Κ Γ ΟΥΙΒ ΤΡΕΒ ΓΑΛΛΟϹ ϹΕΒ, laureate, draped, and cuirassed bust of Trebonianus Gallus right, seen from rear
Reverse: ΑΝΤΙΟΧΕΩΝ ΜΗΤΡΟ ΚΟΛΩΝ, portable shrine with four columns enclosing statue of Tyche seated facing, with river god Orontes facing, at her feet; above, ram running right; carry-bars at the base of the shrine; Δ Ε above the temple, S C in exergue
References: RPC IX 1851

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Last of the ancients is this coin, another Philip I bronze, this time from Antioch. I like this reverse type, and actually came close to buying one awhile back.

PHILIP I, AD 244-249
AE (29.04mm, 16.59g, 6h)
Struck AD 244-9. Syria, Antioch mint
Obverse: ΑΥΤΟΚ Κ Μ ΙΟΥΛΙ ΦΙΛΙΠΠΟϹ ϹΕΒ, radiate and cuirassed bust of Philip I left, seen from front; drapery on shoulder
Reverse: ΑΝΤΙΟΧΕΩΝ ΜΗΤΡΟ ΚΟΛΩΝ Δ|Ε, S|C, veiled, turreted, and draped bust of Tyche right; above, ram leaping right, head left; below, star
References: RPC VIII 7496

*************************

And last of all, which might be my favorite, is this awesome challenge coin, exclusive from the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower, the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier aboard which my Secret Saturn is currently serving (currently in the Mediterranean):

Thank you so much, not only for the coin but also for your service. I wish you a safe deployment and hope you will be home soon!

What a great "Saturnalia" this has been! Thank you to both of my Secret Saturns - and also @Curtisimo for putting this together. And I wish all of my fellow Numis Forum members a Merry Christmas/Happy Hanukkah, and a prosperous New Year!

 

 

Edited December 18, 2023 by CPK

[Nerosmyfavorite68]

That's a very wonderful presentation.  I rather like the decargyrus nummus of Theodosius.

[Furryfrog02]

@CPK That Theodosius I is really cool! Such great engraving and well-centered.

The "Ike" challenge coin is really cool too - as are the ancients 😛

[JayAg47]

2 hours ago, Dafydd said:

I didn't succumb to temptation and was thrilled to open it this morning. An exquisite sealed envelope which I suspect the seal was made from a Roman intaglio.

 

Glad you enjoy the coins! Regards to the seal, it’s actually my own seal I made by carving into a chunk of lead. The design is a twin fish with a sceptre in the middle inspired from the insignia of the Pandyan empire. 

Edited December 18, 2023 by JayAg47

[The_Collector]

I finally got to open the package I stored away so it would stop tempting me haha and I was pleasantly surprised to open my gift and see a beautifully preserved coin of Licinius. I am always astounded when I hold a piece of history that has lasted so long in such good condition! Like you can see all the details in Jupiter's face and even his tiny Jupiter pecs!  Thank you to my Secret Saturn and lo Saturnalia to everyone and happy other holidays!

[Qcumbor]

Wow !

Secret Santa has been very generous so far this year !

Q

Edited December 18, 2023 by Qcumbor

[Ryro]

[kirispupis]

Just a quick note to my Secret Saturnalia that I've received the (three!) coins and I like them. 

It may be a few days before I'll have the time to process the photos and post them here, but I just wanted to thank whoever it is and say they arrived safely.

[lordmarcovan]

My mailbox is still empty and my recipient is still silent... I'm feeling so itchy!  LOL

[Nerosmyfavorite68]

That's a terrible feeling.  I'm hoping they'll come forward.  That's annoying, but I don't think there's anything nefarious going on.

Could be that it's an overseas Secret Saturn (or Canadian).

 

[lordmarcovan]

6 minutes ago, Nerosmyfavorite68 said:

That's a terrible feeling.  I'm hoping they'll come forward.  That's annoying, but I don't think there's anything nefarious going on.

Could be that it's an overseas Secret Saturn (or Canadian).

 

Oh, I’m really not sweating it over the incoming one.  It’ll arrive.  Or it won’t.  I’m just hoping that my outgoing one made it safely to the opposite side of the globe.  I shipped it with stamps so have no tracking info.

[Nerosmyfavorite68]

You also signed up in the last round.  I deduce that your Secret Saturn is also overseas.

Unless it's to an efficient place like Dubai, it'll probably take a while, 1.5 to 4 weeks.

Well, time to plan tomorrow's coin buy and prepare for making Beef Burgundy.  I've actually been in the mood for a Decius Antoninianus.  I haven't bought one since 2009.

 

 

[GregH]

3 hours ago, lordmarcovan said:

My mailbox is still empty and my recipient is still silent... I'm feeling so itchy!  LOL

I suspect we are in the same boat 😉

Hopefully soon!

[Furryfrog02]

I know my gift arrived. Have yet to see it posted. I am assuming life gets in the way. Especially this time of year. That being said....I'm off to get my mother-in-law from the airport.

[hotwheelsearl]

For mail call today, I was surprised to see a large envelope postmarked 22NOV, which just arrived. Almost a month in transit for Priority Mail, but it DID have to go all the way to the Gulf of Aden...

 

Internet is pretty awful here, so not sure when I'll be able to post pictures. 

However, my very generous benefactor, krispupsis, sent me a gorgeous heavy siliqua of Constantius II!

He evidently felt bad for my poor, thin, bent, and cracked siliqua that I had posted some time ago (kudos for researching my post history!)

As opposed to normal siliquae which were around the 18mm mark, this one is a whopping 21mm, huge and hefty. This example exhibits a lovely gunmetal-gray color with some slight iridescent edge toning. A beautiful coin, and greatly appreciated!

 

 

[Curtisimo]

17 hours ago, Furryfrog02 said:

I know my gift arrived. Have yet to see it posted. I am assuming life gets in the way. Especially this time of year. That being said....I'm off to get my mother-in-law from the airport.

I wouldn’t worry about that yet. Many members decide to open their Saturnalia gift on Christmas. I typically wait till Christmas for the gift exchanges I participate in, otherwise I would get no coins for Christmas! (My wife says it’s too intimidate to buy ancient coins)

For those who haven’t received anything from their Saturn yet, don’t get too worried yet. I sent a package to Europe on Nov. 29 and it still has only made it as far as NY.

Anyone who doesn’t receive a package by the end of Saturnalia, send me a message and we will get you squared away.

[kirispupis]

3 hours ago, hotwheelsearl said:

For mail call today, I was surprised to see a large envelope postmarked 22NOV, which just arrived. Almost a month in transit for Priority Mail, but it DID have to go all the way to the Gulf of Aden...

Glad you like it! It was a bit of fun watching the tracking. Seems like it was first sent to some international sorting center in Chicago, then forwarded to Cakmakli, Turkey, and from there to your ship. I was worried whether it would get there in time. I'd meant to send it a week earlier but then I got Covid (don't worry, I was better when I sent it and any germs must have died in the long transit).

It also took me three separate attempts of going to the post office to send it because most of the tellers were completely unfamiliar with military mail. They kept insisting the zip didn't exist so I looked up the web site for your ship and found the full nine digit zip and that was finally accepted.

[lordmarcovan]

On 12/19/2023 at 2:11 PM, lordmarcovan said:

My mailbox is still empty and my recipient is still silent... I'm feeling so itchy!  LOL

No longer!  My incoming package has arrived... from Australia- the same destination I sent my outgoing one to!  The suspense over my outgoing shipment remains, however, as of this post.

21 hours ago, lordmarcovan said:

I’m just hoping that my outgoing one made it safely to the opposite side of the globe.  I shipped it with stamps so have no tracking info.

21 hours ago, GregH said:

I suspect we are in the same boat 😉

Hopefully soon!

@GregH- We were in the same boat more than I realized!  I see you openly admitted to being my (not-so) Secret Saturn, so I'll go ahead and spill the beans.  I am yours as well!  (I didn't realize it would work that way.) I shipped your coins anonymously and did not sign the letter with my username, thinking it was supposed to be Secret Saturnalia, after all. 

But now that I know we're really in the same boat and we are in fact each other's Saturn, you'll realize why I've been cyberstalking you and watching your every post.  And I will continue to, until I hear my outgoing envelope has reached you.

Your gift was shipped on November 30 from Brunswick, Georgia, USA, so keep an eye open for a regular business sized envelope with American stamps (and no customs declaration) on it.  It should be there any day now, I would think.  When I shipped it, I was optimistic that it would reach you in the 17 days that were remaining at the time, but it seems its travel time is to be a bit longer than that.  I shipped it as a regular letter rather than as a package, to save on the exorbitant US shipping cost and also so it wouldn't require a customs declaration.

Foreshadowing: I had earmarked your gift coin for Saturnalia before I even knew who I'd be assigned to.  Then, upon cyberstalking you, I noticed you have posted an even nicer example of the same type in a prominent place on the forums!  So your gift is likely going to become a duplicate for you.  I hope you like it anyway.  (If not a keeper, it should be nice swap fodder, anyway.)  Upon realizing I'd likely be sending you something you already owned, I did add four or five lesser coins to the envelope to make it more interesting.

I hope you like it all and will see it very soon!

Now, to post what I got... there will be wretched cellphone pics forthcoming.  Stand by! 🙂

Edited December 20, 2023 by lordmarcovan

[lordmarcovan]

Here is what I received from @GregH in Australia.

The letter said:

”Happy Saturnalia!

I hope you like this coin-

a better grade Valerian ant.”

And so it is!  I daresay it looks Mint State!  Wow.

 

This is only the second Valerian I have owned.  The last was in my old novice (2007-08) collection, when I had just started collecting ancients.  I got it from Incitatus Coins.  Had to sell it in 2008 when I sold the rest of the old collection during my Recession layoff.

As you can see, the new one @GregH just sent is far superior.  Here's the old one, which appears to have been the same PIETAS type.

 

I find Valerian interesting because of that story about how he became the human footstool of Shapur I when he was captured by the Sasanians.

Thank you, @GregH!

Now, fingers crossed that my shipment to you also reaches you safely, and that you will like it.

~RWS/"LM"

PS- I posted about it on CoinTalk, too:

https://www.cointalk.com/threads/my-secret-saturnalia-gift-from-numisforums.409413/

Edited December 21, 2023 by lordmarcovan

[GregH]

16 hours ago, lordmarcovan said:

Here is what I received from @GregH in Australia.

The letter said:

”Happy Saturnalia!

I hope you like this coin-

a better grade Valerian ant.”

And so it is!  I daresay it looks Mint State!  Wow.

 

This is only the second Valerian I have owned.  The last was in my old novice (2007-08) collection, when I had just started collecting ancients.  I got it from Incitatus Coins.  Had to sell it in 2008 when I sold the rest of the old collection during my Recession layoff.

As you can see, the new one @GregH just sent is far superior.  Here's the old one, which appears to have been the same PIETAS type.

 

I find Valerian interesting because of that story about how he became the human footstool of Shapur I when he was captured by the Sasanians.

Thank you, @GregH!

Now, fingers crossed that my shipment to you also reaches you safely, and that you will like it.

~RWS/"LM"

PS- I posted about it on CoinTalk, too:

https://www.cointalk.com/threads/my-secret-saturnalia-gift-from-numisforums.409413/

So glad it finally arrived! It’s hard to find a good Valerian ant, I’m so glad you liked it! 

[lordmarcovan]

1 hour ago, GregH said:

So glad it finally arrived! It’s hard to find a good Valerian ant, I’m so glad you liked it! 

Thanks again!  And keep checking your mailbox for the one I sent you!  Or I'll keep sitting up awake at night!  LOL. 

Oh, wait- I work nights, so I'm up all night anyway...

[GregH]

7 hours ago, lordmarcovan said:

Thanks again!  And keep checking your mailbox for the one I sent you!  Or I'll keep sitting up awake at night!  LOL. 

Oh, wait- I work nights, so I'm up all night anyway...

Unfortunately I’m interstate until NYE. So my next opportunity to check my mailbox will be over a week away. I’m excited though! 

[robinjojo]

An intriguing package arrived today from "SS", Colorado.  Inside were two wonderful coins!  Thank you so much!

Secret Saturnalia 2023 gift

A LRB, desert patina and a Lydia, Sardis, AE 14.

Happy holidays!

Edited December 22, 2023 by robinjojo