INTERVIEW WITH A MEMBER: Curtisimo

[Ocatarinetabellatchitchix]

Our member interviewed this week once wrote:  « Time in a library alone with a book, a coffee and a little round piece of metal for company seems like a perfectly pleasant way to spend free time ». But do not get me wrong; he is also a globetrotter, and active collector and a family man. If he had lived two thousand years ago, he would probably have worked in a mint as a skilled engraver, or perhaps a bridge builder within the Roman Empire. So let's find out a little more about...Curtisimo.

Can you tell us a bit about yourself, where you’re from, your family, hobbies, work..?

My name is Curtis and I am an engineer (that almost sounded like an AA intro…).  I am from the USA (I have lived all over the country, mostly for work). I have been married to my beautiful wife since 2018 and earlier this year we welcomed a baby boy into our family.

Other than collecting coins, my favorite hobbies are travelling, photography, drawing and woodworking. I enjoy mixing aspects of my different hobbies when I can. For instance, I like to travel to places that have a connection with ancient coins, particularly places that were part of ancient Greece and Rome. My travels also provide inspiration for coin purchases from areas outside my core collection, such as Islamic Al-Andalus, ancient Japan, or medieval Ragusa.

Taking photos of my collection has been a fun offshoot of my interest in photography. It also ensures that any equipment I buy will get more use than just the occasional vacation or outing. I no longer keep my coins on-hand in the house, so photos are my primary way of interacting with most of my collection.

As for woodworking, I sometimes decide to build things that are related to my collection. This has included bookshelves for my library, my photography set up and my ongoing project to finish a custom coin cabinet (see below).

 

 

 

I’ve been working on my wood carving skills for the project. I decided to go with an Achaemenid Persian theme, so I have been carving scenes inspired by the Palace of Persepolis. This is solid mahogany.  I am planning to practice my inlay work for the top of the cabinet. It has been a slow go because I have been more interested in trying new techniques than actually finishing.

I don’t draw or sketch as much as I used to (less time) but here are a few sketches I’ve done as well as a model I built for an architectural competition several years ago. It is a hypothetical library project in Rome near Piazza Navona.

 

 

How did you become interested in ancient coinage ?

The short answer is that I have been interested in ancient coins since I became aware that an average person could actually own them.  I have always been interested in history. When I was in elementary school, I used to take my history book home at the beginning of the year and read it cover-to-cover. My third-grade history teacher used to preface questions to the class with “does anyone other than Curtis know…” I now realize how annoying I must have been to everyone else in my class. 😊 In college, I took as many history classes as my schedule would allow and I accidentally ended up with enough credit hours for a minor in History. The ancient history courses were always my favorites.

I started collecting coins in general when I was around age 8 or 9 after my grandad gave me a 1926 Peace Dollar which I still have. In 2011 I stumbled upon ancient coins for sale online and I could not have been more pleasantly surprised by what was out there.

 

Curtis, what was the first coin you ever bought ?

I honestly don’t remember the first coin I ever bought. I vaguely remember going with my parents to a coin shop near the mall where I bought a silver eagle. I must have been 10 or 11 at the time. That may have been the first coin I ever physically bought (with my parents money of course so perhaps that doesn’t count 😉 ).

I bought my first ancient coin from Marc Breitpretcher in 2011 for around $25. At the time he was operating under the name “Ancient Imports” which I am sure caused him some customs annoyance from time to time. It was an Elagabalus Antoninianus (see below). It is not a beautiful coin, but I could not have cared less. I was just fascinated to own something that old with a message directly from an ancient person. I felt like Elagabalus was speaking to me from 1800 years in the past.

Rather strangely, the coin came in a flip that was not free of PVC. To be fair, Marc noted on a paper that came with the coin that it should not be stored long term in the flip (though I don’t remember him saying why).  I left the coin in the flip it came in thinking that I would move it when I updated my storage system.  Later on I noted a nasty green colored substance on the coin, and I had to clean it. This ugly little thing has been through a lot, but I still like it.

Can you tell us an anecdote about a coin you own ?

 

My most sentimental coin is without question this sixpence of Elizabeth I. Some people on the board are probably already familiar with this story but I’ll tell it again anyway.

There is a Victorian era rhyme that details what a bride should wear at her wedding for good luck. It goes;

                 Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue, and a sixpence in her shoe.

Before our wedding my wife was trying to decide what she would use for the various items from the rhyme.  I picked up on the bit about the sixpence and rather selflessly offered to help out with that.  I bought this 1575 Elizabeth I sixpence and my wife wore it in her shoe on the day of our wedding. Good memories. 😊

 

What do you collect exactly? What is the size of your collection ?

I am a generalist but most of my purchases have been either Greek (Archaic, Classical and Hellenistic) or Roman (Republican and Imperial). In the past I have tended to collect whatever struck me as interesting in the moment. Over the last few years, I have noticed that most of my coin budget has been going to the following sub-collections.

 

• Roman denarii from the Second Punic War (211 BC) to the death of Severus Alexander.
• 12 Olympian Portraits
• Coins related to the Peloponnesian War (5th Cent. BC Greek)

Since I decided last year to keep most of my coins at my bank, I am planning to start spending more time collecting lower cost LRB coins that I can keep on hand (perhaps in my cabinet if I ever finish it). This should be a lot of fun since I think there are some really fascinating reverse types of the later empire, and I really haven’t paid this era the attention it deserves.

I haven’t done an exact count, but I think my collection is around 300 ancient coins and probably 600 US and World coins.

                  

What did you write about ?

I tend to write about anything that interests me. I spend at least some time researching every coin I buy and I will usually save disorganized notes on each one as I do. Occasionally, when I have the time, I pull my notes together into a semi-coherent format and post it online.

 

What part of history are you interested in ?

I have a pretty intense fascination with everything up through the 19th century. I change my mind about whether I find Greek or Roman history more interesting every time I start researching a new coin from one or the other.  Greek history is somewhat less familiar to me once you start getting into the details so I would say that I find Greek history slightly more interesting to learn about on average. Or maybe Roman… maybe Greek.

I have a real affinity for eras in history that we have some evidence for but are still less well understood.  Some examples would be the Homeric world of Dark Age Greece, archaic Rome, the early Middle Ages, Sumeria, early Judaea, etc.

In a similar way, I also really enjoy researching and theorizing about the exact meaning of ancient coin designs and who this message was meant to reach. I am of the strong opinion that almost every coin issued in the ancient Roman world (and perhaps also Greek) had a specific intended meaning and an audience, even when stock iconography was used.

 

Do you have a numismatic goal for the next year ?

I have been doing some detailed research into the iconography of the early coins of Thasos. I hope to be able to compile my research notes into an article that I can submit for publication.

 

What numismatic books do you own / consult most often ?

I love books! Over the last several years, I have probably spent almost as much energy on my library as I have on my coin collection. My current library includes very respectable sections for engineering, math and science, medical (my wife’s books mostly), history and, of course, numismatics.  My physical library has just over 1,000 books and catalogs related to numismatics.  The ones that I consult most often are, RIC for Roman Imperial coins (I have all 10 volumes in 11 books), Crawford’s Roman Republican Coinage for Roman Republican coins (2 volumes), and Hoover’s HGC for Greek coins (I have the first 7 books of the series).

I also keep a digital library saved on a local drive that I can access from my computer or iPad. I mostly follow the naming conventions used in CNG’s “bibliography” section (so useful!). I currently have almost 2,000 files but many of these are catalogs and historical essays on various topics. Much of my research on individual Greek coins is done from my digital library. It is surprising how many primary references are available online. A recent example I came across is R.H.J. Ashton’s “The Late Classical/Early Hellenistic Drachms of Knidos.” I’ve spent hours searching for and downloading as many such references as I can find.

Here is a sample of a few of my shelves that are mostly numismatic related.

 

 

My newest book is on history and architecture, not numismatics, but it has been crucial for my research into one of my newest coin purchases. It is called “Roman Circuses: Arenas for Chariot Racing.”

 

Many thanks Curtis for your participation in the project and also to allow us to know you better. As usual, fellow collectors, feel free to share your comments about this interview.

Edited November 18, 2023 by Ocatarinetabellatchitchix

[CPK]

A great interview! Thanks @Ocatarinetabellatchitchix and @Curtisimo! 

We also have Curtis to thank for running the "Secret Saturnalia" giveaway each year. 👏

[El Cazador]

1 hour ago, Ocatarinetabellatchitchix said:

Our member interviewed this week once wrote:  « Time in a library alone with a book, a coffee and a little round piece of metal for company seems like a perfectly pleasant way to spend free time ». But do not get me wrong; he is also a globetrotter, and active collector and a family man. If he had lived two thousand years ago, he would probably have worked in a mint as a skilled engraver, or perhaps a bridge builder within the Roman Empire. So let's find out a little more about...Curtisimo.

Can you tell us a bit about yourself, where you’re from, your family, hobbies, work..?

My name is Curtis and I am an engineer (that almost sounded like an AA intro…).  I am from the USA (I have lived all over the country, mostly for work). I have been married to my beautiful wife since 2018 and earlier this year we welcomed a baby boy into our family.

Other than collecting coins, my favorite hobbies are travelling, photography, drawing and woodworking. I enjoy mixing aspects of my different hobbies when I can. For instance, I like to travel to places that have a connection with ancient coins, particularly places that were part of ancient Greece and Rome. My travels also provide inspiration for coin purchases from areas outside my core collection, such as Islamic Al-Andalus, ancient Japan, or medieval Ragusa.

Taking photos of my collection has been a fun offshoot of my interest in photography. It also ensures that any equipment I buy will get more use than just the occasional vacation or outing. I no longer keep my coins on-hand in the house, so photos are my primary way of interacting with most of my collection.

As for woodworking, I sometimes decide to build things that are related to my collection. This has included bookshelves for my library, my photography set up and my ongoing project to finish a custom coin cabinet (see below).

 

 

 

I’ve been working on my wood carving skills for the project. I decided to go with an Achaemenid Persian theme, so I have been carving scenes inspired by the Palace of Persepolis. This is solid mahogany.  I am planning to practice my inlay work for the top of the cabinet. It has been a slow go because I have been more interested in trying new techniques than actually finishing.

I don’t draw or sketch as much as I used to (less time) but here are a few sketches I’ve done as well as a model I built for an architectural competition several years ago. It is a hypothetical library project in Rome near Piazza Navona.

 

 

How did you become interested in ancient coinage ?

The short answer is that I have been interested in ancient coins since I became aware that an average person could actually own them.  I have always been interested in history. When I was in elementary school, I used to take my history book home at the beginning of the year and read it cover-to-cover. My third-grade history teacher used to preface questions to the class with “does anyone other than Curtis know…” I now realize how annoying I must have been to everyone else in my class. 😊 In college, I took as many history classes as my schedule would allow and I accidentally ended up with enough credit hours for a minor in History. The ancient history courses were always my favorites.

I started collecting coins in general when I was around age 8 or 9 after my grandad gave me a 1926 Peace Dollar which I still have. In 2011 I stumbled upon ancient coins for sale online and I could not have been more pleasantly surprised by what was out there.

 

Curtis, what was the first coin you ever bought ?

I honestly don’t remember the first coin I ever bought. I vaguely remember going with my parents to a coin shop near the mall where I bought a silver eagle. I must have been 10 or 11 at the time. That may have been the first coin I ever physically bought (with my parents money of course so perhaps that doesn’t count 😉 ).

I bought my first ancient coin from Marc Breitpretcher in 2011 for around $25. At the time he was operating under the name “Ancient Imports” which I am sure caused him some customs annoyance from time to time. It was an Elagabalus Antoninianus (see below). It is not a beautiful coin, but I could not have cared less. I was just fascinated to own something that old with a message directly from an ancient person. I felt like Elagabalus was speaking to me from 1800 years in the past.

Rather strangely, the coin came in a flip that was not free of PVC. To be fair, Marc noted on a paper that came with the coin that it should not be stored long term in the flip (though I don’t remember him saying why).  I left the coin in the flip it came in thinking that I would move it when I updated my storage system.  Later on I noted a nasty green colored substance on the coin, and I had to clean it. This ugly little thing has been through a lot, but I still like it.

Can you tell us an anecdote about a coin you own ?

 

My most sentimental coin is without question this sixpence of Elizabeth I. Some people on the board are probably already familiar with this story but I’ll tell it again anyway.

There is a Victorian era rhyme that details what a bride should wear at her wedding for good luck. It goes;

                 Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue, and a sixpence in her shoe.

Before our wedding my wife was trying to decide what she would use for the various items from the rhyme.  I picked up on the bit about the sixpence and rather selflessly offered to help out with that.  I bought this 1575 Elizabeth I sixpence and my wife wore it in her shoe on the day of our wedding. Good memories. 😊

 

What do you collect exactly? What is the size of your collection ?

I am a generalist but most of my purchases have been either Greek (Archaic, Classical and Hellenistic) or Roman (Republican and Imperial). In the past I have tended to collect whatever struck me as interesting in the moment. Over the last few years, I have noticed that most of my coin budget has been going to the following sub-collections.

 

• Roman denarii from the Second Punic War (211 BC) to the death of Severus Alexander.
• 12 Olympian Portraits
• Coins related to the Peloponnesian War (5th Cent. BC Greek)

Since I decided last year to keep most of my coins at my bank, I am planning to start spending more time collecting lower cost LRB coins that I can keep on hand (perhaps in my cabinet if I ever finish it). This should be a lot of fun since I think there are some really fascinating reverse types of the later empire, and I really haven’t paid this era the attention it deserves.

I haven’t done an exact count, but I think my collection is around 300 ancient coins and probably 600 US and World coins.

                  

What did you write about ?

I tend to write about anything that interests me. I spend at least some time researching every coin I buy and I will usually save disorganized notes on each one as I do. Occasionally, when I have the time, I pull my notes together into a semi-coherent format and post it online.

 

What part of history are you interested in ?

I have a pretty intense fascination with everything up through the 19th century. I change my mind about whether I find Greek or Roman history more interesting every time I start researching a new coin from one or the other.  Greek history is somewhat less familiar to me once you start getting into the details so I would say that I find Greek history slightly more interesting to learn about on average. Or maybe Roman… maybe Greek.

I have a real affinity for eras in history that we have some evidence for but are still less well understood.  Some examples would be the Homeric world of Dark Age Greece, archaic Rome, the early Middle Ages, Sumeria, early Judaea, etc.

In a similar way, I also really enjoy researching and theorizing about the exact meaning of ancient coin designs and who this message was meant to reach. I am of the strong opinion that almost every coin issued in the ancient Roman world (and perhaps also Greek) had a specific intended meaning and an audience, even when stock iconography was used.

 

Do you have a numismatic goal for the next year ?

I have been doing some detailed research into the iconography of the early coins of Thasos. I hope to be able to compile my research notes into an article that I can submit for publication.

 

What numismatic books do you own / consult most often ?

I love books! Over the last several years, I have probably spent almost as much energy on my library as I have on my coin collection. My current library includes very respectable sections for engineering, math and science, medical (my wife’s books mostly), history and, of course, numismatics.  My physical library has just over 1,000 books and catalogs related to numismatics.  The ones that I consult most often are, RIC for Roman Imperial coins (I have all 10 volumes in 11 books), Crawford’s Roman Republican Coinage for Roman Republican coins (2 volumes), and Hoover’s HGC for Greek coins (I have the first 7 books of the series).

I also keep a digital library saved on a local drive that I can access from my computer or iPad. I mostly follow the naming conventions used in CNG’s “bibliography” section (so useful!). I currently have almost 2,000 files but many of these are catalogs and historical essays on various topics. Much of my research on individual Greek coins is done from my digital library. It is surprising how many primary references are available online. A recent example I came across is R.H.J. Ashton’s “The Late Classical/Early Hellenistic Drachms of Knidos.” I’ve spent hours searching for and downloading as many such references as I can find.

Here is a sample of a few of my shelves that are mostly numismatic related.

 

 

My newest book is on history and architecture, not numismatics, but it has been crucial for my research into one of my newest coin purchases. It is called “Roman Circuses: Arenas for Chariot Racing.”

 

Many thanks Curtis for your participation in the project and also to allow us to know you better. As usual, fellow collectors, feel free to share your comments about this interview.

Fantastic woodworking results, really neat!

[DonnaML]

Thanks so much to both of you. What a wonderful interview, with a man of many amazing talents. @Curtisimo, you are the sort of person who would have been called a polymath 200 years ago! I am perhaps most envious of your library. Wow! 

My congratulations to you and your wife on your baby boy.  

 

 

[seth77]

Wow, those bookshelves look so neat.

[Al Kowsky]

Congrats to Ocat. & Curtis, for another sensational interview 🤩! Curtis is a highly educated numismatist & has been very active with the hobby, & he is a great organizer too. Curtis put together the GUESS the Cointalker program that was so popular on the CoinTalk website ☺️. One thing I really enjoy about Ocats' interviews are the hidden talents that are revealed about the subjects being interviewed. Who knew that Curtis was such a talented artist & gifted wood carver 😲? I love those Achaemenid carved panels 😍. We are fortunate to have a member like Curtis on this website.

[Ancient Coin Hunter]

Very interesting interview and I am certainly glad to learn more about Curtis, a man obviously of amazing talents. Congratulations on also on the new addition to the family.

[Prieure de Sion]

Fantastic and interesting interview - just like all the others before. Great.

[Furryfrog02]

@Curtisimo, I knew you were a man of many talents but I didn't know about the woodworking...Those are just stunning. 🤤 I have been thinking of building my own coin cabinet after seeing some posts but I am not at all talented enough. Thanks for all you do here on the forum. You are a valued member!

Great choice for an interview yet again, @Ocatarinetabellatchitchix. Thanks!

[David Atherton]

Another great interview!

And I was tickled to see we both share a book!

 

[Qcumbor]

Another excellent interview with a very valuable member @Ocatarinetabellatchitchix

@Curtisimo I thought I knew you well my friend, but this reading had me discovering how talented you are in fields I did'nt even think of : I knew about carving but not about sketches or modeling. That's fantastic, I love your drawings !

Thanks for sharing all this

Q

[Ryro]

WoWiE! I mean I knew you were a smarty, but talk about a multi talented Renaissance man!

I can't wait to see your cabinet (man, now I've really got to up my cabinets game). And please share more of your wood working as you are trying new things. 

I also really enjoyed your sketches and adorable wedding story. 

Funny that you're going back to LRBs, as I'm lucky enough to have a former @Curtisimo the Great LRB:

(it's one of those fun numismatic mysteries, what exactly is being portrayed on the reverse??)

[Ricardo123]

Congrat for many skills and good threads here & cointalk. Look forward to see complete coin cabinet. 

[kirispupis]

Amazing woodworking and drawings! I can always appreciate skills beyond what I know I could ever achieve.

I've been eyeing the Thebes book in my local bookstore for some time. Is it a good read? I considered visiting Thebes while in Greece, but I had little time and had read that not much remains.

 

[Limes]

Lovely to read this interview. You're a man of many talents. I always enjoy reading your write ups. 

And it seems like we got a book party going on! Great stuff if you're having trouble sleeping 🤣

[panzerman]

Great interview Ocat! Curtis/ you are a man of many talents☺️I am impressed with you woodworking skills/ the Assyrian/ Chaldean artwork is beautifull.

John

[DonnaML]

Speaking of your books, @Curtisimo, I have to ask: what's the hidden connection between ancient coins and Kenneth Grahame? I noticed The Wind in the Willows on one of your shelves, as well as all those wonderful old books of myths. I happen to have a small collection of vintage/antique children's books myself -- some of them from my own childhood (which makes them antique by definition) or my father's -- along with some old books of different countries' myths and fairy tales. But I keep it separate from my numismatic library. I do wish that I were as organized in general as you seem to be!

[Curtisimo]

Thank you all for the kind words! Especially those of you who offered encouragement on my cabinet project. The winter is usually the best time to get out in the shop so perhaps I’ll have some time to work on it over the holidays. 🙂 

23 hours ago, DonnaML said:

I am perhaps most envious of your library. Wow!

You are too kind. I must say that some of you who have shown your libraries on here have really been tempting me to expand into more antiquarian books and engravings. My library is very light on both of those categories at the moment.

The engravings you have shown from your collection in the past are truly fascinating.

2 hours ago, DonnaML said:

I have to ask: what's the hidden connection between ancient coins and Kenneth Grahame? I noticed The Wind in the Willows on one of your shelves, as well as all those wonderful old books of myths. I happen to have a small collection of vintage/antique children's books myself -- some of them from my own childhood (which makes them antique by definition) or my father's -- along with some old books of different countries' myths and fairy tales. But I keep it separate from my numismatic library.

Ah yes. That one is more of a sentimental cataloging choice than a logical one. Last Christmas, while my wife was pregnant, I bought her the folio edition ofThe Wind in the Willows because she mentioned she really liked that book and wanted to read it to our son. Ironically, she bought me the folio edition of The Minoans that you see just next to it. I ended up shelving them together at the same time so that is where they live.

I should also mention that I have several other shelves of numismatic books and catalogs not shown here. I’ve been moving things around a bit because I have been updating my spreadsheet listing all the numismatic books and catalogs I own while at the same time reorganizing some things.

I have always thought your library is wonderful. I really like how you have your antiquities on display there as well. It sort of has the feel of a rare book room in a museum. It’s a wonderful ambiance for coin research. 🙂 

Speaking of children’s books, I ended up going through a lot of my old children’s books recently. To my embarrassment, child-me was tough on books. One of my favorites was about a little stegosaurus who liked to build sand castles. I found it but it was absolutely wrecked. Those books I didn’t manage to destroy ended up in my wife’s small bookshelf that I made for her last year. I posted about it then but here is another photo of it without any books in it. It was a fun woodworking project.

 

[DonnaML]

7 minutes ago, Curtisimo said:

Thank you all for the kind words! Especially those of you who offered encouragement on my cabinet project. The winter is usually the best time to get out in the shop so perhaps I’ll have some time to work on it over the holidays. 🙂 

You are too kind. I must say that some of you who have shown your libraries on here have really been tempting me to expand into more antiquarian books and engravings. My library is very light on both of those categories at the moment.

The engravings you have shown from your collection in the past are truly fascinating.

Ah yes. That one is more of a sentimental cataloging choice than a logical one. Last Christmas, while my wife was pregnant, I bought her the folio edition ofThe Wind in the Willows because she mentioned she really liked that book and wanted to read it to our son. Ironically, she bought me the folio edition of The Minoans that you see just next to it. I ended up shelving them together at the same time so that is where they live.

I should also mention that I have several other shelves of numismatic books and catalogs not shown here. I’ve been moving things around a bit because I have been updating my spreadsheet listing all the numismatic books and catalogs I own while at the same time reorganizing some things.

I have always thought your library is wonderful. I really like how you have your antiquities on display there as well. It sort of has the feel of a rare book room in a museum. It’s a wonderful ambiance for coin research. 🙂 

Speaking of children’s books, I ended up going through a lot of my old children’s books recently. To my embarrassment, child-me was tough on books. One of my favorites was about a little stegosaurus who liked to build sand castles. I found it but it was absolutely wrecked. Those books I didn’t manage to destroy ended up in my wife’s small bookshelf that I made for her last year. I posted about it then but here is another photo of it without any books in it. It was a fun woodworking project.

 

A beautiful bookcase! If there were only 50 hours in the day, you could definitely have a second career as a cabinetmaker. 

[Al Kowsky]

Curtis, I'm impressed with the precision dovetailing on the drawers 😲, did you do this with a CNC milling machine 🤔?

[KenDorney]

Wow.  I am always amazed that people have artistic abilities such as yours.  I culd not draw a semi-straight line or a circle (hell, likely not even a stick figure!).  If you ever have the time, you should do commission work for cabinets.

Part of me really likes the appearance of your shelves.  Very neat and arranged by size (it seems).  But for me its not practical, I need to arrange them by subject as closely as I can.

[TheTrachyEnjoyer]

@CurtisimoI did not expect to see you carving wonderful depictions of Assyrian art. Your talent in multiple fields is impressive 

[JeandAcre]

Yipes.  On the forum's home page, lower down on the menu, there were a couple of subforums that I'd inadvertently left checked, thinking I was seeing all of the current posts.  ...I think that's what happened; no idea how long it went on.  Anyway, having just fixed the problem, it was terrific to find this interview as one of the surprises! 

...A little overwhelming, in the best possible sense.  I'll cheerfully see @DonnaML's 'polymath' and raise it by a syllable: 'phenomenal.'  @Curtisimo, the almost kaleidescopic diversity of your talents, each of them as formidable as the last, is truly amazing. 

Thanks again, @Ocatarinetabellatchitchix; to @Al Kowsky's point, in particular, you really have interviewing down to an art.  Ever consider taking over for Terry Gross? 

(Psst, @Curtisimo, have you posted any of your Andalusian material?)

 

 

[Curtisimo]

On 11/18/2023 at 8:30 AM, David Atherton said:

Another great interview!

And I was tickled to see we both share a book!

 

On 11/18/2023 at 2:38 PM, Limes said:

Lovely to read this interview. You're a man of many talents. I always enjoy reading your write ups. 

And it seems like we got a book party going on! Great stuff if you're having trouble sleeping 🤣

Now we just have to convene a book club meeting and discuss. 🙂 The book is easily available but is usually pretty expensive. I was happy to find mine for a good price on eBay where I used the option to make an offer (which was accepted).

I’ll admit I haven’t read the book cover to cover yet but I am really impressed with it. It’s a very scholarly work and it really helped me better understand my new Septimius Severus coin that I wrote an article about here.

Roman Empire
Septimius Severus
AR denarius, Rome mint, struck AD 206
(2.9 gm, 19.5 mm)
Obv.:  SEVERVS PIVS AVG, laureate head right
Rev.:  LAETITIA TEMPORVM, the spina of the Circus Maximus decorated as a ship facing left, with the turning posts at its prow and stern, a sail mounted on the central obelisk, and the spina's other monuments visible in between; above the ship, four quadrigas racing left; below, seven animals: an ostrich at left and a bear at right; between them a lion and a lioness chasing a wild ass and a panther attacking a bison
Ref.:  RIC 274; BMC 343.
Ex Paul Tinchant Collection (1893-1981)(auctioned under the pseudonym “Robert J. Graham”), Jacques Schulman Auction 243, lot 1972 (June 8-10, 1966); Ex Roma Aeterna Collection, Gut-Lynt Auction 13 Part II, lot 1638 (October 1, 2023)

[Curtisimo]

Thank you for the kind words @El Cazador, @seth77 and @Prieure de Sion.

Thank you also for the congratulations to my wife and I on the newest addition to our family @Ancient Coin Hunter and @DonnaML. Having a child is even better than I thought it would be. 🙂 

On 11/17/2023 at 9:58 PM, CPK said:

We also have Curtis to thank for running the "Secret Saturnalia" giveaway each year. 👏

Thanks you for the nice call out Connor. I am happy to coordinate the yearly tradition which is always a highlight of the forum for me.

On 11/18/2023 at 5:12 AM, Al Kowsky said:

Congrats to Ocat. & Curtis, for another sensational interview 🤩! Curtis is a highly educated numismatist & has been very active with the hobby, & he is a great organizer too. Curtis put together the GUESS the Cointalker program that was so popular on the CoinTalk website ☺️. One thing I really enjoy about Ocats' interviews are the hidden talents that are revealed about the subjects being interviewed. Who knew that Curtis was such a talented artist & gifted wood carver 😲? I love those Achaemenid carved panels 😍. We are fortunate to have a member like Curtis on this website.

Thank you Al. 🙂 

I have been thinking that NF needs a new game. In fact, I am considering resurrecting the coin tournament. I recently asked @Restitutorfor some minor modifications to the way poll voting works to make this possible. Either way, in the next few months I’ll host some form of giveaway game. 🙂 

 

Edited November 21, 2023 by Curtisimo