Post your latest ancient!

[akeady]

I got a pile of 10 denarii in the post yesterday, to add to the 13 coins last week (11 RR bronzes, 1 Mamertini brone and an RR denarius).   Oh, one coin today too - but a modern one.

Here's one of yesterday's arrivals, with Spanish description.

REPÚBLICA ROMANA. Denario. 67 a.C. PLAETORIA. M. Plaetorius M.f. Cestianus. Anv.: Cabeza de Cibeles con corona mural a derecha, entre CESTIANVS y globo . Rev.: Silla curul a izquierda, en campo rama de árbol. M. PLAETORIVS. AED. CVR. EX. S.C. 3,86 grs. AR. (Limpiada, rayitas). Ex Aureo. 1 Febrero 2000, n. 1047. BMC-3574-95; Cal-1110; Craw-409/2; FFC-978; Se-3. (EBC-).

ATB,

Aidan.

[Svessien]

I’m waiting for an interesting group of coins from the last Savoca auction.

These coins were 15-25 euro each, so I’m quite happy to see it’s still possible to get a collectable ancient coin for that. 

 

 

[shanxi]

Some nice coins, the Alexandreia example with the grazing horse is beautiful, also Perinthos  and Amisos.

Enough beautiful coins to cope with the two or three (Odessos?) tooled coins.

Edited August 5, 2022 by shanxi

[CPK]

Just got this one in the mail today, from Aegean Numismatics. I have also been playing around with different ways of presentations, inspired by @LONGINUS and @HipShot Photography. Wish I had their skills! 😉 

 

 

[Svessien]

Quote

16 hours ago, shanxi said:

Some nice coins, the Alexandreia example with the grazing horse is beautiful, also Perinthos  and Amisos.

Enough beautiful coins to cope with the two or three (Odessos?) tooled coins.

 

Hi shanxi

Thanks. Could you please point out which 2-3 coins you consider to be tooled?( Didn’t occur to me that any of them were. )

[shanxi]

34 minutes ago, Svessien said:

Thanks. Could you please point out which 2-3 coins you consider to be tooled?( Didn’t occur to me that any of them were. )

Of course you will see better when you have the coins in hand.

 

The Licinus (bottom right) is probably a "barabaric imitation". This might explain the unusal eye, but IMHO the details look too sharp.

 

Above I have doubts about the laurel wreath of Septimius.

As for the Odessos coin, it should show a recling "great god" . Maybe tooled is the wrong word, maybe smoothed to an extend that it looks wrong. It looks now like a kneeling figure. Compare:

https://www.acsearch.info/search.html?id=94434

.

 

Edited August 6, 2022 by shanxi

[ambr0zie]

The last coin I bought in the most recent auction was a target I wanted for a while as I like adding new emperors (and empresses in particular)

FAUSTA. (Augusta, 324-326). Nicomedia Follis, AD 325-326. 18 mm 2.4 g

Obv : FLAV MAX FAVSTA AVG. Bust of Fausta, waved hair, mantled, right. / Rev : SALVS REI - PVBLICAE. Fausta, veiled, draped, standing front, head left, holding two children in her arms (Constantine II and Constantius II).  Mintmark MNA. RIC VII Nicomedia 130

[Prieure de Sion]

Kings of Syria Philip I Philadelphos
Posthumous issue under Roman proconsul Aulus Gabinius
Tetradrachm of the Roman Republic Period 57/55 BC
Material: Silver
Diameter: 25.5mm
Weight: 14.88g
Mint: Antiochia ad Orontem, Syria Phoenice
Reference: Prieur 1, RPC 4124, HGCS. 9/1356, RARE R1

Obverse: Diademed head of Philip I Philadelphos right.

Reverse: Zeus Nikephoros (Zeus, the bringer of victory) seated left on throne; monogram (of Gabinius) to inner left, monogram below throne; all within wreath. The Inscription reads: [B]AΣIΛEΩ[Σ] ΦΙΛΙΠΠOY EΠIΦANOVΣ [Φ]IΛAΔΕΛΦO[V] for Basilews Filippou Epifanous Filadelfou (Basileus Philippus Epiphanes Philadelphos).

 

[CPK]

6 hours ago, Prieure de Sion said:

Kings of Syria Philip I Philadelphos
Posthumous issue under Roman proconsul Aulus Gabinius
Tetradrachm of the Roman Republic Period 57/55 BC
Material: Silver
Diameter: 25.5mm
Weight: 14.88g
Mint: Antiochia ad Orontem, Syria Phoenice
Reference: Prieur 1, RPC 4124, HGCS. 9/1356, RARE R1

Obverse: Diademed head of Philip I Philadelphos right.

Reverse: Zeus Nikephoros (Zeus, the bringer of victory) seated left on throne; monogram (of Gabinius) to inner left, monogram below throne; all within wreath. The Inscription reads: [B]AΣIΛEΩ[Σ] ΦΙΛΙΠΠOY EΠIΦANOVΣ [Φ]IΛAΔΕΛΦO[V] for Basilews Filippou Epifanous Filadelfou (Basileus Philippus Epiphanes Philadelphos).

 

Beautiful!

[DonnaML]

Here's another one of the six ancient coins that arrived from Leu Numismatik today, purchased in Leu's web auctions last month. (I have already posted the Jovian siliqua in the thread about late Roman siliquae, and, when I find the time, will start a new thread to post my four new Gallienus animal coins.)

I've bought drachms, didrachms, and tetradrachms before, but this is my first tridrachm.

Hadrian, AR Tridrachm, AD 117-138 (undated), Tarsus Mint, Province of Cilicia (SE Anatolia, now in Turkey). Obv. Laureate head of Hadrian right, [ΑΥΤ ΚΑΙ ΘΕ Τ]ΡA ΠΑΡ ΥΙ ΘΕ ΝΕΡ ΥΙ ΤΡΑI ΑΔΡΙΑΝΟϹ ϹEB / Rev. City-goddess Tyche, turreted and veiled, seated left on diphros [backless stool with four turned legs] (front leg & seat decorated as foreleg and wing of sphinx or griffin), holding palm branch in right hand and touching back corner of seat with left hand; at her feet to left, river-God Kydnos,* crowned with wreath of sedge-plant, swimming left with right arm upraised, [ΤΑ]Ρ-CΕΩΝ-ΜΗΤΡΟΠΟΛΕΩC. 23 mm., 9.39 g., 1 h. RPC [Roman Provincial Coinage] Vol. III 3262 (2015); RPC III Online at https://rpc.ashmus.ox.ac.uk/coins/3/3262; Prieur 761 [Michel and Karin Prieur, Syro-Phoenician Tetradrachms (London, 2000)]; BMC Vol. 21 Cilicia 148 at p. 187 [Hill, G.F., A Catalog of the Greek Coins in the British Museum, Greek Coins of Lycaonia, Isauria, and Cilicia (London, 1900)]; SNG France Cilicia 1401-1403 [Sylloge Nummorum Graecorum, France Vol. 2, Cilicia (Paris 1993)]. Purchased from Leu Numismatik AG, Winterthur, Switzerland, Web Auction 20, 16-18 Jul 2022, Lot 2065.

*The river-God Kydnos was the personification of the River Kydnos, which “had its headwaters in the Tarsos (Tarsus) Mountains on the Kilikian border with Syria and flowed into the Mediterranean near the city of Tarsos.” See https://www.theoi.com/Potamos/PotamosKydnos.html.

Edited August 9, 2022 by DonnaML

[Roman Collector]

Mine, too, arrived from Leu! It's an upgrade.

Faustina II, AD 147-175.
Roman AR denarius, 3.05 g, 18.2 mm, 11 h.
Rome, late AD 162 - early 163.
Obv: FAVSTINA AVGVSTA, draped bust right, Beckmann type 7 hairstyle and wearing stephane.
Rev: LAETITIA, Laetitia standing left, holding wreath and scepter.
Refs: RIC 701; BMCRE 129-131; Cohen 148; RCV --; MIR 21-4/10b diad.; CRE 198.
Notes: Commemorates the birth of Marcus Annius Verus in late AD 162. From the collection of Dipl.-Ing. Adrian Lang.

Here's the one it replaced:

[Curtis JJ]

On 8/5/2022 at 10:06 AM, Svessien said:

 

Wow, I'm really really jealous of the barbarous Licinius captives issue! I love these barbarian imitations of barbarian captives!

For whatever reason, they always seem to imitate Licinius. I've got an example with an awful obverse, luckily the captives are still there, the important part. I need an upgrade like yours!!

[Kazuma78]

An accidental win, but a happy accident. I was dropping some bids when an auction first started, never expecting to win any of the lots at the initial bid I dropped, but instead for ease of following the lots of interest. I forgot about some of the bids and was surprised to get a random invoice for this coin. I can't say it was a bad surprise. 

M. Fannius C.f, 123 BC. Denarius (Silver, 18 mm, 3.89 g, 1 h), Rome. ROMA Head of Roma to right, wearing winged helmet, pendant earring and pearl necklace; before, X (mark of value). Rev. M•FAN•C•F Victory driving galloping quadriga to right, holding wreath in her right hand and reins in her left. Babelon (Fannia) 15. Crawford 275/1. RBW 1097. Sydenham 419. Beautifully toned, extremely fine.

Ex Chapponière & Firmenich 13, 16 May 2021, 230 and from the Dr. Harwood Collection, Baldwin & Glendining, 8 October 1975, 38 (with original ticket).

[expat]

One of three coins from a vcoins seller 3 hours from me. Paid late Thursday and they arrived (trackable post) Monday morning.

Calco. TANIT. Æ. Carthaginian occupation of Iberia. II Punic War (218-210 BC)
Obverse: Head of Tanit, rough art

Reverse: Horse standing, left, head looking right.

(VF). old collection. 5.20g 21mm (FAB. 509)

Bronze shekel

 

[Spaniard]

Here's my most recent purchase to add to my Antoninus Pius collection..

Divus Antoninus Pius. Died 161 AD. AR Denarius (3.21 gm, 18mm). Rome mint. Struck under Marcus Aurelius, 161 AD.

Obv.: DIVVS ANTONINVS, bareheaded bust right, slight drapery.
Rev.: CONSECRATIO, funeral pyre of four tiers, decorated with garlands, surmounted by facing quadriga.
RIC 438 (Aurelius); MIR 18, 27/4-12 (Aurelius); RSC 164a. VF.
 

[robinjojo]

I've reached a point with Athenian owls some time ago where I only purchase examples that have some unusual characteristic, such as an interesting countermark, or a nice imitative style owl.  Population control is the issue here.

Here's an owl that arrived today.

This is a late transitional style owl or an early mass production coin, probably issue jest before or shortly after the commencement of large scale production by the Athens Mint around 440 BC or so.  The location information, although quite general in nature, was given as being somewhere in Israel.  Of course that is similar to saying that a coin was found in the United States, but based on my experience I would say that the coin was probably a find somewhere on the West Bank.  Other owls, mostly imitative have come from that area.

This coin is something of an oddity.  While the overall style suggests late transitional, the epsilon on the reverse is  oversize compared the alpha and theta, although it is pretty evenly aligned with the other two letters. This a departure from the uniform, linearly aligned letters of the classical transitional owls. The quality of the engraving, compared to earlier classical owls is crude, a trend that will continue as minting production picks up.

The coin, while likely lightly cleaned, is in basically "as found" condition.  As such this owl has an earthy appearance, with some marks, and porosity as would be expected from a hoard coin.  Because of these factors this coin would grade, I imagine, around VF.  I like to collect coins such as this one; so many ancient coins have been excessively cleaned, in my opinion.

The strike is quite well centered and there appears to be a die break forming from the neck of the owl to the olive on the reverse.

Athens, tetradrachm, circa 440 BC, a late transitional found in Israel.

16.93 grams

[Curtis JJ]

48 minutes ago, robinjojo said:

Because of these factors this coin would grade, I imagine, around VF.  I like to collect coins such as this one; so many ancient coins have been excessively cleaned, in my opinion.

That owl is drop dead gorgeous! Not only an almost complete crest without losing face or chin (albeit in trade for necklace, as usual), but this is exactly the style I love most. Here's where Athena is at her most beautiful in my opinion, with the most perfect degree of smile. And with a very charming owl. I'd love to have one like that! 

Edited August 11, 2022 by Curtis JJ

[Restitutor]

As the saying goes, “good things come in threes!”, my recent Hadrian pickups:

[Curtis JJ]

How about ancient coin literature? I just got my "sendungsbenachrichtigung" email from DHL about a second group of winnings from the Hermann Lanz (1910-1998) & Hubert Lanz Library (sold in a pair of G. Hirsch auctions). This time it was mostly auction catalogs. They're in Frankfurt now, about to cross over. ("Sendungsbenachrichtigung!" I love German!)

 

A couple months ago I received about 10 vols. or so from Lanz Library Part I (G. Hirsch e-Auction 7). A couple favorites:

(maybe I'll take some more photos for a new "Literature" thread, haven't been many new ones...)

An original BMC Corinth with the bookplate of Sir George Francis Hill (1867-1948) and red ink stamp from Hermann Lanz Library (plus his inv. no. 538). Also shown: my homemade custom "Lanz BMC box". (Not shown, but also in the box: Hermann Lanz's BMC Central Greece [Locris, Phocis, Boeotia, Euboia].)

The other favorite doesn't have a photo yet, but it's the Kunstmuseum Winterthur Library copy of the 1871 large folio size (LARGE!) volume of Friedrich Imhoof-Blumer's (1839-1920) Choix de Monnaies Grecques du Cabinet de F. Imhoof - Blumer. What makes it special is that it's signed and beautifully inscribed by Imhoof-Blumer to the Winterthur Kunstmuseum on the title page. It's a bit fragile and has the typical spotting found on 19th century engraved plates.

The current "sendungsbenachrichtigung" group includes mostly catalogs:

• Hess No. 207 (1931, Slg. H. Otto, from which I have one coin);
• Hubert Lanz's custom hardcover sets (1 of 2 sets?) of the 3 Leo Benz Collection sales (1998-2000, Lanz 88, 94, 100, from which I have one coin; luckily I have copies of two catalogs, so these ones can be my "shelf' copies);
• Munzhandlung Basel No. 6 (1936), an important sale of Alexandrian coins (here's my web page on important auction sales of Alexandrian coins);

The one I'm most excited about is the Kunsfreundes (Gillet) sale. It's an important sale but not rare or valuable or anything. But there's something special about this one: “beigeschriebenen Ergebnissen und meist auch Käufern sowie Ergebnisliste.” I don’t speak German, but that sounds like a priced and “mostly” named copy. That's a big deal for provenance research and catalog collectors. I went for it because it was selling at a normal price for this catalog (actually kinda low).

 

Maybe there were other hand-named and priced copies made at the time. Previously, I’d only heard of one named copy (not the same one, and unlike mine, fully named), which sold at the second BCD Library Duplicates auction in 2015 (hammer, 700 CHF):

This particular copy, bound in full leather, in the ‘BCD style’ as some like to say, has an added attraction. The names of the buyers are bound in at the end, copied from a confidential list stolen from the offices of M&M in Basel … Forty years is a long time but nevertheless I hope the buyer of this lot will keep this sensitive information to himself.

BCD Library Duplicates Sale II, Auctiones GmbH Auction 39 (Online, 5 July 2015), Lot 214. (Emphasis mine.)

Presumably the present copy was annotated live in 1974 by Hermann Lanz (or Gitta Kastner or the owner of one of the other libraries absorbed by Lanz). Once I have the document I’ll know more.

Edited August 12, 2022 by Curtis JJ

[ValiantKnight]

Charles the Fat, Carolingian Empire
AR denier
Obv: CARLVS IMP AVG, cross above, cross within dotted circle in center
Rev: BITVRICES CIVI, cross to left, KRLS (Karolus) monogram within dotted circle in center
Mint: Bourges
Date: 881-887 AD
Ref: Depeyrot 198

Edited August 13, 2022 by ValiantKnight

[shanxi]

Two new denarii of Faustina II.

I was undecided whether to buy the two coins or not, because Faustina looks in the wrong direction. But the price was OK, so I can live with it.

AR-Denar, Rome
Obv.: FAVSTINA AVG PII AVG FIL, draped bust left
Rev.: CONCORDIA, Concordia seated left holding flower, resting elbow on cornucopia, which is by her chair; under chair globe.
Ag, 17.5mm, 3.13g
Ref.: RIC III 502b, CRE 171 [R]

 

Faustina II
AR-Denarius
Obv.: FAVSTINAE AVGVSTA, Draped bust left.
Rev.: IVNO, Iuno standing left, holding patera and sceptre, peacock left
Ag, 3.29g, 18.10mm
Ref.: RIC -, CRE 191 [R3]

 

 

 

Edited August 13, 2022 by shanxi

[DonnaML]

On 8/11/2022 at 11:26 PM, Curtis JJ said:

How about ancient coin literature? I just got my "sendungsbenachrichtigung" email from DHL about a second group of winnings from the Hermann Lanz (1910-1998) & Hubert Lanz Library (sold in a pair of G. Hirsch auctions). This time it was mostly auction catalogs. They're in Frankfurt now, about to cross over. ("Sendungsbenachrichtigung!" I love German!)

 

A couple months ago I received about 10 vols. or so from Lanz Library Part I (G. Hirsch e-Auction 7). A couple favorites:

(maybe I'll take some more photos for a new "Literature" thread, haven't been many new ones...)

An original BMC Corinth with the bookplate of Sir George Francis Hill (1867-1948) and red ink stamp from Hermann Lanz Library (plus his inv. no. 538). Also shown: my homemade custom "Lanz BMC box". (Not shown, but also in the box: Hermann Lanz's BMC Central Greece [Locris, Phocis, Boeotia, Euboia].)

The other favorite doesn't have a photo yet, but it's the Kunstmuseum Winterthur Library copy of the 1871 large folio size (LARGE!) volume of Friedrich Imhoof-Blumer's (1839-1920) Choix de Monnaies Grecques du Cabinet de F. Imhoof - Blumer. What makes it special is that it's signed and beautifully inscribed by Imhoof-Blumer to the Winterthur Kunstmuseum on the title page. It's a bit fragile and has the typical spotting found on 19th century engraved plates.

The current "sendungsbenachrichtigung" group includes mostly catalogs:

• Hess No. 207 (1931, Slg. H. Otto, from which I have one coin);
• Hubert Lanz's custom hardcover sets (1 of 2 sets?) of the 3 Leo Benz Collection sales (1998-2000, Lanz 88, 94, 100, from which I have one coin; luckily I have copies of two catalogs, so these ones can be my "shelf' copies);
• Munzhandlung Basel No. 6 (1936), an important sale of Alexandrian coins (here's my web page on important auction sales of Alexandrian coins);

The one I'm most excited about is the Kunsfreundes (Gillet) sale. It's an important sale but not rare or valuable or anything. But there's something special about this one: “beigeschriebenen Ergebnissen und meist auch Käufern sowie Ergebnisliste.” I don’t speak German, but that sounds like a priced and “mostly” named copy. That's a big deal for provenance research and catalog collectors. I went for it because it was selling at a normal price for this catalog (actually kinda low).

 

Maybe there were other hand-named and priced copies made at the time. Previously, I’d only heard of one named copy (not the same one, and unlike mine, fully named), which sold at the second BCD Library Duplicates auction in 2015 (hammer, 700 CHF):

This particular copy, bound in full leather, in the ‘BCD style’ as some like to say, has an added attraction. The names of the buyers are bound in at the end, copied from a confidential list stolen from the offices of M&M in Basel … Forty years is a long time but nevertheless I hope the buyer of this lot will keep this sensitive information to himself.

BCD Library Duplicates Sale II, Auctiones GmbH Auction 39 (Online, 5 July 2015), Lot 214. (Emphasis mine.)

Presumably the present copy was annotated live in 1974 by Hermann Lanz (or Gitta Kastner or the owner of one of the other libraries absorbed by Lanz). Once I have the document I’ll know more.

These are all wonderful, @Curtis JJ. And thanks for the link to your blog, especially for all the information about catalogs of Roman Alexandrian coins. Coincidentally, my copy of BMC 16 Alexandria is the only volume of the BMC Greek series that I own in hard copy. I know that they're all available online, but I couldn't resist buying this one when I saw it for sale, given how much I like Roman Alexandrian coins. I probably have almost as many books about them as I do about Roman Republican or Roman Imperial coins. (I also have a copy of the BMC supplement for Alexandria published in 1991, as well as copies of Emmett, Milne, K & G, and the two Alexandrian volumes of SNG France, a hard copy of the Triton XXI catalog [the Staffieri Collection sale], and, although it hasn't arrived yet, a "heavily annotated" copy of Curtis's 1969 book on the Tetradrachms of Roman Egypt; see https://www.vcoins.com/en/stores/charles_davis/44/product/curtis_the_tetradrachms_of_roman_egypt/498090/Default.aspx . I will have to look for any clues as to who did the annotations!)

[Curtis JJ]

11 hours ago, DonnaML said:

And thanks for the link to your blog, especially for all the information about catalogs of Roman Alexandrian coins.

So glad you visited the Alexandrian catalogs page! I wasn't sure how to begin posting all my online catalog notes, but I hoped the Alexandrian sales might be useful for others. Next, I may move on to whichever firms in my notes are most complete.

Sounds like you have a great library of Alexandrian! One reason I like Alexandrian coins is the many high quality references and collections.

I saw the Curtis 1969 too -- and wondered who did the annotations, etc.! Great example of how well-used, "working books" can be better than new copies. Hopefully anyone who makes that many notes would've also written their name somewhere!

I think I've perused the 1991 BMC Alex Supplement on Archive as an "hourly loan." (Hopefully the numismatic stuff won't go away if Archive loses this big lawsuit against them for "loaning" copyrighted books!)

• Christiansen, Erik. 1991. Coins of Alexandria and the Nomes: A Supplement to the British Museum Catalogue. Occasional Paper 77. London: British Museum. [Hourly-loanable on Archive.org w/ free account.]

[Prieure de Sion]

Ancient Roman Republic, Anonymous Moneyer c.211-208 B.C. AR Victoriatus Apulia Mint NGC MS, Cr-102/1; Syd-115, Laureate head of Jupiter right; Reverse: Victory at left erecting trophy of arms at right, Q between.

 

Last Newcomer...

[Kazuma78]

Another new addition for the RR collection. 

P. Aelius Paetus (ca. 138 BC). AR denarius (18mm, 3.70 gm, 9h). Rome. Head of Roma right, wearing winged helmet surmounted by griffin crest; X (mark of value) behind / P•PAETVS, Dioscuri on horseback right, each with couched spear, and wearing pileus with star above; ROMA in exergue. Crawford 233/1. Sydenham 455. Aelia 3. Areas of beautiful peach toning.

Hess-Divo, Auction 317 (27 October 2010), lot 509; F. Sternberg, Auction XXXII (1996), lot 154