Post your latest ancient!

[DonnaML]

@John Conduitt and @Heliodromus, thank you so much for giving me the benefit of your expertise in trying to figure out what the "P" means in the PLN mintmark on my Constantine I coin from the Chitry Hoard. "Prima" never made much sense to me absent a second mint, so I think I'll assume it's "Pecunia." No love for the "Percussa" theory, I see!

[Prieure de Sion]

Yes! DOUBLESTRIKE today ... 🥳

But now I really have a problem with the woman. Crap! What do I say at dinner tonight? I need something positive for her.

 

 

Gaius Caesar Augustus Germanicus Caligula (RIC 37)
Sestertius of the Roman Imperial Period 37/38 AD; Material: AE Bronze; Diameter: 36mm; Weight: 29.82g; Mint: Rome; Reference: RIC I (second edition) Gaius/Caligula 37; Provenance: Ex CNG Numismatcs USA; Pedigree: From the D.K. Collection; Obverse: Head of Caligula, laureate, left. The Inscription reads: C CAESAR AVG GERMANICVS PON M TR POT for Caius Caesar Augustus Germanicus, Pontifex Maximus, Tribunicia Potestate (Gaius Caesar, Augustus, conqueror of the Germans, high priest, holder of tribunician power); Reverse: Legend in four lines in oak-wreath. The Inscription reads: S P Q R P P OB CIVES SERVATOS for Senatus Populusque Romanus Patri Patriae, Ob Cives Servatos (The senate and the Roman people to the father of the nation, the saviour of the citizens).

 

 

Gaius Caesar Augustus Germanicus Caligula (RIC 46)
Sestertius of the Roman Imperial Period 39/40 AD; Material: AE Bronze; Diameter: 36mm; Weight: 28.39g; Mint: Rome; Reference: RIC I (second edition) Gaius/Caligula 46; Provenance: Ex Stephen Album Rare Coins USA; Obverse: Head of Caligula, laureate, left. The Inscription reads: C CAESAR DIVI AVG PRON AVG P M TR P III P P for Caius Caesar Divi Augusti Pronepos Augustus, Pontifex Maximus, Tribunicia Potestate Tertia, Pater Patriae (Gaius Caesar, great-grandson of the divine Augustus, Augustus, high priest, holder of tribunician power for the third time, father of the nation); Reverse: Legend in four lines in oak-wreath. The Inscription reads: S P Q R P P OB CIVES SERVATOS for Senatus Populusque Romanus Patri Patriae, Ob Cives Servatos (The senate and the Roman people to the father of the nation, the saviour of the citizens).

 

[CPK]

Couple of auction wins came in today! I haven't finished taking photos of them all yet, but I am very excited to present this one: my first Commodus!

 

And here is a short video: (sorry for the weird cropping - I'm still trying to figure out video editing!)

 

 

 

[Prieure de Sion]

For my private collection - I buy yesterday this little, but fine, Caesarea didrachm from Commodus. Not particularly rare, nothing earth-shattering. But I find the portraits of Commodus from Caesarea just cute.

 

Imperator Caesar Marcus Aurelius Commodus Antoninus Augustus
Didrachm of the Roman Imperial Period 183/185 AD; Material: Silver; Diameter: 19mm; Weight: 4.57g; Mint: Caesarea-Eusebia, Cappadocia; Reference: RPC IV.3 online 7130 (Specimens: 17, 4 in the core collections); Obverse: Laureate head of Commodus right. The Inscription reads: ΑΥΤ Μ ΑΥΡ ΚΟΜΟ ΑΝΤⲰΝΙΝΟϹ for Autokrator Marcos Aurelios Komodos Antoninos (Imperator Marcus Aurelius Commodus Antoninus); Reverse: Mount Argaeus with trees; above, star. The Inscription reads: ΥΠΑΤΟϹ Δ ΠΑΤ ΠΑΤΡΙ for Upatos Delta, Pateras Patridas (Consul Quartum [Consul for the fourth time], Pater Patriae [Father of the Country]).

 

 

 

Edited February 3, 2023 by Prieure de Sion

[shanxi]

From the last Numismad auction:

I bought it mainly because of the dolphin depicted on the ship

Bithynia, Kios, AR Hemidrachm.

Circa 345-315 BCE.

Proxenos, magistrate. 
Obv: Laureate head of Apollo right.
Rev: ΠPOΞ / ENOΣ, Prow of galley left, decorated with star  and a dolphin
Ref: SNG Ashmolean 360-1; HGC 7, 553.

AR, 14 mm, 2.51g

Edited February 3, 2023 by shanxi

[Hrefn]

My latest ancient is this histamenon nomisma of Constantine X        AD 1059-1067.   The convex side is a little soft, but the portrayal of the emperor is excellent.  Successor of Isaac Comnenos, he undid many of the reforms of this emperor.  These actions may have contributed to loss of territory in Italy and Asia Minor.   He was the first husband of Eudokia Makrembolitissa, who later married Romanus IV.

From Savoca coins Auction 153 lot 354  1/2023   

 

[Prieure de Sion]

Again, not necessarily anything spectacular, but these two provincial bronzes kind of screamed "buy me". I find both interesting because of their backs.

 

Pontus. Amasia. Caracalla, 198-217. Ae (Bronze, 14.37 g, 28 mm). AV KAI M AVPH ANTΩNINOC Radiate, draped and cuirassed bust right. Rev. AΔP CЄO ANT AMACIAC MH NЄ ΠP Π / ЄT CΘ Caracalla and Septimius Severus standing facing one other, clasping hands; star above.

The reverse side display is almost a tradition from Amasia. There are also some issues under the Antonines, such as under Marcus Aurelius (with Lucius Verus). Also under the Severans there are reverse representations with Caracalla and Geta and as here with Caracalla and Septimius Severus. The type presented here exists on the obverse with Caracalla and laurel wreath and Caracalla with radiate crown. The latter depiction is much rarer to find. The coin is dated to the year 206/207 AD. It shows the unity of the reigning emperor and his son and successor Caracalla.

 

 

Troas. Alexandria. Commodus, 177-192. Ae (bronze, 6.33 g, 23 mm), circa 184-190. [IMP CAI M A]V COMMODO [AVG ANTONINVS] Laureate head of Commodus to right. Rev. CO[L] A[VG] / TRO[AD] Tetrastyle temple in perspective, containing statue of Apollo Smintheus standing right, holding patera in his right hand over lighted altar and bow in his left and with quiver over his shoulder. BMC 65; RPC IV.2 online 9699.

And here is a very rare bronze coin (1 specimens at RPC) of Commodus. The reverse shows the temple of "Apollo Smintheus". Homer refers to Apollo in the Iliad as Smintheus. The etymology of the non-Greek word is not certain. It is derived from the Cretan or Phrygian word sminthos for "mouse" or "rat" and can be translated as "mouse exterminator". To what extent Apollo Smintheus can be equated with Apollo as a plague god is unclear. Mice or rats may indicate plagues, which according to Greek mythology emanated from Apollo. But the epiklese was also chosen for the expulsion of mice that had ravaged the vineyards.

See also here: https://www.forumancientcoins.com/numiswiki/view.asp?key=apollo smintheus 

The temple of Apollo Smintheus is the only one of its kind in the Troas region due to its architectural design in the Hellenistic period. The reliefs on the temple take up themes from Homer's Iliad epic. It was probably built in the Hellenistic period around 150 B.C. The temple housed a large marble statue of the god, of which only a leg section has survived. At the feet of the statue, according to tradition, sat a mouse, which may symbolize the role of this god.

More information and pictures you can find here: https://www.antike-orte.de/apollon-smyntheion/

 

 

Edited February 4, 2023 by Prieure de Sion

[Spaniard]

Picked this one up to add to my ever increasing Caracalla collection..

His earliest Denarius as caesar..

Caracalla, as Caesar, 196-198 AD. AR Denarius (3.21 gm, 17mm). Rome mint. Struck 195-196 AD. Obv.: M AVR ANTONINVS CAES, bare-headed and draped bust right. Rev.: SEVERI AVG PII FIL, Lituus, sacrificial knife (axe), , and simpulum. RIC 4. gVF.

 

Edited February 4, 2023 by Spaniard

[akeady]

These were the last two coins I picked up at NYINC.   Some cash was burning a hole in my pocket and these looked nice, so...

Moneyer:	C. Naevius Balbus
Coin:	Silver Denarius S·C - Head of Venus, right, wearing diadem X (Control mark)/ C·NA͡E·BA͡LB (exergue) - Victory in triga, right, holding reins in both hand
Mint:	Rome (79 BC)
Wt./Size/Axis:	3.69g / 20mm / 5h
References:	RSC 6 (Naevia) Sydenham 769b Crawford 382/1b
Acquisition:	Keith Candiotti Coin Fair NYINC 2023 15-Jan-2023

Moneyer:	M. Porcius Cato
Coin:	Silver Denarius ROM͡A / M·CA͡TO - Female bust (Roma?), right, draped, hair tied with band - Victory, seated right; holding patera in right hand and palm-branch in left hand, over left shoulder
Exergue:	VICT͡RIX
Mint:	Rome (89 BC)
Wt./Size/Axis:	3.99g / 20mm / 2h
References:	RSC 5 (Porcia) Sydenham 596 Crawford 343/1b
Acquisition:	Keith Candiotti Coin Fair NYINC 2023 15-Jan-2023

Not really the latest, then - but reasonably recent and not posted here before.

ATB,
Aidan.

[filolif]

New arrival!

PHOENICIA, Tyre. ‘Ozmilk (Azemilkos). Circa 349-311/0 BC. AR Shekel (22mm, 8.63 g, 12h). Dated RY 12 (340/39 BC). Deity, holding reins and bow, riding hippocamp right; two lines of waves below, dolphin right in exergue / Owl standing right, head facing; crook and flail in background; ||– O (’ [for ‘Ozmilk] and 12 [date], in Phoenician) to right. E&E-T Group II.2.1.23, unlisted dies; HGC 10, 349; DCA 918. Iridescent tone, traces of find patina, off center, some porosity, Aramaic graffiti in field on reverse.

https://streamable.com/edez78

Edited February 5, 2023 by filolif

[DonnaML]

8 hours ago, akeady said:

Acquisition:

Keith Candiotti Coin Fair NYINC 2023 15-Jan-2023

Nice! I spent a long time at Keith's table in 2020 and 2022, and bought some coins, but didn't have time for more than a few minutes there this year. I think he only sells at shows rather than through platforms like VCoins; he doesn't have a website. 

[akeady]

16 hours ago, DonnaML said:

Nice! I spent a long time at Keith's table in 2020 and 2022, and bought some coins, but didn't have time for more than a few minutes there this year. I think he only sells at shows rather than through platforms like VCoins; he doesn't have a website. 

I hadn't noticed him before, but he had some nice coins - there was at least one other I considered.   I think he's a doctor "In Real Life", so I suppose this is a part time activity. 

ATB,

Aidan.

[DonnaML]

3 hours ago, akeady said:

 I think he's a doctor "In Real Life", so I suppose this is a part time activity. 

ATB,

Aidan.

That's what he told me.

 

[Furryfrog02]

This guy came on Friday. I have been working towards acquiring a Victory/Nike reverse of each emperor. I was happy to get this guy at an affordable price. This is only the 3rd Max "The Chin" Thrax I have in the collection, and the first actual Imperial issue, the other two being a contemporary forgery and a provincial.
Neither of those properly depicted "The Chin" like this one does.

Maximinus
Æ Sestertius
235-236 AD
Obverse: IMP MAXIMINVS PIVS AVG, laureate, draped & cuirassed bust right
Reverse: VICTORIA AVG S-C, Victory walking right bearing wreath & palm
28mm/16.46g

[Prieure de Sion]

I got a new tripple pack of adoptive emperors 🙂 

 

 

Imperator Nerva Caesar Augustus
Denarius of the Roman Imperial Period 97 AD; Material: Silver; Diameter: 18mm; Weight: 3.42g; Mint: Rome; Reference: RIC II Nerva 24; Provenance: Ex Classical Numismatics CNG USA; Obverse: Head of Nerva, laureate, right. The Inscription reads: IMP NERVA CAES AVG P M TR POT for Imperator Nerva Caesar Augustus, Pontifex Maximus, Tribunicia Potestate (Imperator Nerva, Caesar, Augustus, high priest, holder of tribunician power); Reverse: Priestly emblems: simpulum, aspergillum, guttus, and lituus. The Inscription reads: COS III PATER PATRIAE for Consul Tertius, Pater Patriae (Consul for the third time, father of the nation).

 

 

Imperator Caesar Nerva Traianus Augustus
Tridrachm of the Roman Imperial Period 111 AD; Material: Silver; Diameter: 24.5mm; Weight: 9.26g; Mint: Bostra, Arabia; Reference: RPC III 4051, Sydenham Caesarea 182; Provenance: Ex Classical Numismatics CNG USA; Obverse: Laureate head of Trajan, right, with drapery on left shoulder. The Inscription reads: ΑΥΤΟΚΡ ΚΑΙϹ ΝΕΡ ΤΡΑΙΑΝΟϹ ϹΕΒ ΓΕΡΜ ΔΑΚ for Autokrator Kaisaros Nerva Traianos Sebastos Germanicos Dakios (Imperator Caesar Nerva Traianus Augustus Germanicus Dacicus); Reverse: Arabia standing facing, head left, wearing chiton, peplos and stephane, holding branch in right hand over Arabian camel to left and bundle of cinnamon sticks (?) in left. The Inscription reads: ΔΗΜΑΡΧ ƐΞ ΥΠΑΤ Ɛ for Demarchos exousia Upatos Epsilon (Invested with the Tribunician Power, Consul for the fith time).

 

 

Imperator Caesar Traianus Hadrianus Augustus
Denarius of the Roman Imperial Period 121/123 AD; Material: Silver; Diameter: 18mm; Weight: 3.19g; Mint: Rome; Reference: RIC II, Part 3 (second edition) Hadrian 601; Provenance: Ex Classical Numismatics CNG USA; Obverse: Head of Hadrian, laureate, right. The Inscription reads: IMP CAESAR TRAIAN HADRIANVS AVG for Imperator Caesar Traianus Hadrianus Augustus; Reverse: Spes advancing left, holding flower and lifting robe. The Inscription reads: P M TR P COS III for Pontifex Maximus, Tribunicia Potestate, Consul Tertium (High priest, holder of tribunician power, consul for the third time).

 

[El Cazador]

On 1/15/2023 at 7:12 AM, Prieure de Sion said:

Nero Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus
Denarius of the Roman Imperial Period 58/59 AD; Material: Silver; Diameter: 17mm; Weight: 3.60g; Mint: Rome; Reference: RIC I (second edition) Nero 17; Obverse: Head of Nero, bare, right. The Inscription reads: NERO CAESAR AVG IMP for Nero Caesar Augustus Imperator; Reverse: Legend surrounding oak-wreath enclosing EX S C. The Inscription reads: PONTIF MAX TR P V P P for Pontifex Maximus, Tribunicia Potestas Quinta, Pater Patriae, Ex Senatus Consultum (High priest, tribunician power for the fifth time, father of the country. By decree of the senate).

 

 

I catch an Nero Denarius last night 🙂 

I was the one who got it to 650 pounds:)) Always watching…😉

Edited February 10, 2023 by El Cazador

[Prieure de Sion]

6 hours ago, El Cazador said:

I was the one who got it to 650 pounds:)) Always watching…😉

We both seem to have the same wishes more often  😄 

[Spaniard]

Just picked up this Antoninus Pius provincial...My second from Philippopolis.

Thrace, Philippopolis. Antoninus Pius. 138-161 AD. AE Assarion (4.35 gm, 20mm). Obv.: ΑΥΤ ΑΙ ΑΔΡΙA ΑΝΤΩΝΕΙΝ, laureate head right. Rev.: ΦΙΛΙΠΠΟΠΟΛEΙΤΩΝ, nude Dionysus standing, left, holding cantharus and long filleted thyrsus. Mouchmov, Philippopolis 66-70 and 75; BMC 9. RPC Online 7441. VF.

[El Cazador]

2 hours ago, Prieure de Sion said:

We both seem to have the same wishes more often  😄 

True:) what’s next on your bidding list?🤔

[Prieure de Sion]

1 hour ago, El Cazador said:

True:) what’s next on your bidding list?🤔

[Amarmur]

I got this cool Judea war prutah year 2. Not super rare but a cool coin and it's my first Judea coin

[CPK]

Nice prutah, @Amarmur.

[DonnaML]

I hadn't posted any new write-ups for a while, but all of a sudden in the last week I've gotten six new coins in the mail, and now have six new write-ups to share. (I believe I broke the jinx rule by posting the photos of a couple of them in relevant threads before they arrived, but I hadn't written them up yet. That's a self-imposed rule I never break, because I'm sure disaster would follow!)

If anyone reads all the way to the end, I do have questions about the final coin. Such as: does anyone have any idea what dealer or auction house the notation "PB 12/18/99" on the accompanying old coin envelope might refer to? I can't think of anyone. 

1. One of the Trajan types that I had wanted for a while, to go with Trajan's Column and Danuvius and the various coins commemorating the Dacian conquest, etc.

Trajan AR Denarius, AD 113, Rome Mint. Obv. Laureate bust right with light drapery on far shoulder, IMP TRAIANO AVG GER DAC P M TR P COS VI PP / Rev. Female figure personifying the Via Traiana, nude above waist, reclining right (from viewer’s perspective) on rock outcropping, head turned to right; supporting wheel set on knee with right hand, and holding branch with left hand,  S P Q R OPTIMO PRINCIPI; in exergue, VIA TRAIANA. RIC II 266, RSC II 648 (ill. p. 102), BMCRE III 487, Sear RCV II 3173 (ill. p. 105). 18 mm., 3.48 g., 6 h. Purchased from Classical Numismatic Group, LLC (CNG) E-Auction 531, Jan. 26, 2023.*

*This issue “records the construction in AD 109 of the Via Traiana, an important highway which replaced the Via Appia as the preferred route between Beneventum [in Campania]  and the port city of Brundisium on the Atlantic coast.” Sear RCV II, p. 106.

2. A coin that's in mediocre condition, but has a nice, solid feel to it in hand and a great patina. And, it turns out, is a rather scarce variety. Plus, it's now my earliest sestertius.

Hadrian AE Sestertius, Rome Mint 137- Jul 138 AD (RIC II.3: “Group 13 – Time of the Caesars”). Obv. Bare head right, HADRIANVS – AVG COS III P P / Rev. Aequitas standing left holding scales in right hand and long scepter upright in left, AEQVI – [T]AS AVG; S – C across lower fields. RIC II.3 2371 (p. 232) & Pl. 173 (Scarce with bare head); numismatics.org/ocre/id/ric.2_3(2).hdn.2371; Cohen 123; BMCRE III Hadrian 1482 var. (laureate) (see 1482 fn. at p. 465, citing Cohen 123 for bare-headed variety); Sear RCV II 3573 var. (laureate). 31 mm., 23.55 g. Purchased from Harlan J. Berk, Ltd., 222nd Buy or Bid Sale, Feb. 2023, Lot 270. Link to video of coin: https://www.hjbltd.com/#!/inventory/item-detail/ancient-coins/96793.

3. A specimen that's not only in what I think is great condition -- with the obverse legend entirely preserved -- but looks like it actually has a decent amount of silver content. And fits very well with my Roman Republican M. Volteius snake biga coin showing Ceres in charge of the pair, previously posted in @Roman Collector's thread on that subject (see https://www.numisforums.com/topic/1193-faustina-friday-–-snake-biga-edition/#comment-35371 ). Plus, if I really cared about such minuscule variations -- which I don't! -- the date placement entirely above the serpents combined with a left-facing bust appears to be very scarce, with Milne the only catalog or other source that cites an example.

Hadrian, Billon Tetradrachm, Year 21 (AD 136/137), Alexandria, Egypt Mint. Obv. Laureate bust left, slight drapery on far shoulder, ΑΥΤ ΚΑΙϹ ΤΡΑ ΑΔΡΙΑΝΟϹ ϹƐΒ / Rev. Triptolemus standing right, wearing chlamys, in biga drawn by two winged serpents crowned with pschents/skhents [the double crown of Upper and Lower Egypt], his left hand holding up front of chlamys to form a pouch filled with seeds, and his right hand raised to scatter the seeds, L KA (Year 21) above serpents to right. RPC Vol. III 6135 (2015) & RPC III Online 6135 at https://rpc.ashmus.ox.ac.uk/coins/3/6135 (date placement var.; no example with this coin’s date placement in RPC or found in acsearch); Milne 1531 (same date placement, “above to right,” as this coin); SNG France 4, Alexandrie II 2007 (ill. Pl. an 21/1) (date placement var.); Emmett 900.21; K&G 32.723; Dattari (Savio) 1485 (obv. bust var. [right], date placement var., same specimen as Staffieri 90 [Triton XXI, 9 Jan 2018], ill. p. 52); BMC 16 Alexandria 582 (ill. Pl. II) (obv. bust var. [right], date placement var.); Sear RCV II 3746 (obv. bust var. [right], date placement var.). 23 mm., 12.90 g., 11 h. Purchased from Classical Numismatic Group, LLC [CNG] Electronic Auction 531, 25 Jan 2023, Lot 710.*

*See https://www.forumancientcoins.com/numiswiki/view.asp?key=Triptolemus: “Triptolemus was a demi-god of the Eleusinian mysteries who presided over the sowing of grain-seed and the milling of wheat. His name means "He who Pounds the Husks."  In myth, Triptolemos was one of the Eleusinian princes who kindly received Demeter [Ceres] when she came mourning the loss of her daughter Persephone [Proserpina]. The young goddess was eventually returned to her from the Underworld, and Demeter in her munificence, instructed Triptolemos in the art of agriculture, and gave him a winged chariot drawn by serpents so that he might travel the world spreading her gift. Source:  http://www.theoi.com/Georgikos/EleusiniosTriptolemos.html.”

4. This one's in rather rough shape on the reverse, but I still like it a lot; I didn't have a facing Agathodaemon and Uraeus before. Plus, although I was a bit worried from the photo, upon examination there does not appear to be any active bronze disease on the reverse: the green deposits are all quite solid and not flaky, even after soaking for 24 hours in distilled water.

Hadrian, AE Drachm, Year 18 (133/134 AD), Alexandria, Egypt Mint. Obv. Laureate, draped, and cuirassed bust right, seen from behind, ΑΥΤ ΚΑΙϹ ΤΡΑΙΑΝ - ΑΔΡΙΑΝΟϹ ϹƐΒ / Rev. Serpents Agathodaemon* on left, coiled around a caduceus, and Uraeus [sacred cobra, worn by deities and pharaohs] on right, coiled around [poppies and] a sistrum, both serpents crowned with pschents/skhents [the double crown of Upper and Lower Egypt], facing each other; LI - H (date) across fields. RPC Vol. III 5908 (2015) & RPC III Online 5908 at https://rpc.ashmus.ox.ac.uk/coins/3/5908; Milne 1424 (p. 34); Emmett 908.18; K&G 32.574; Dattari (Savio) 1991; BMC 16 Alexandria 844 (p. 92); Sear RCV II 3771 (date placement var.). 33 mm., 24.02 g., 12 h. Purchased from Classical Numismatic Group, LLC [CNG] Electronic Auction 531, 25 Jan 2023, Lot 701. 

* The serpent Agathodaemon or Agathos Daimon -- translated variously as good spirit, noble spirit, or good genius -- was sacred to Serapis, and was worshipped in every Egyptian town. “On the coins he is always represented erect, and usually wearing the skhent, in the midst of corn and poppies, generally with a caduceus, also rising from the ground.”  BMC 16 Alexandria, p. lxxxvi. The Numiswiki definition of Agathodaemon, at https://www.forumancientcoins.com/numiswiki/view.asp?key=Agathodaemon, states as follows: “Agathodaemon (Greek: ‘good spirit’) was a god of the vineyards and grainfields and of good luck, health and wisdom. It was customary to drink or pour out a glass of unmixed wine to honor him in every meal. He was the spouse or companion of Tyche Agathe (later Agatha). He was represented in art as a serpent or as a young man bearing a cornucopia and a bowl in one hand, and a poppy and an ear of corn [U.S.: grain] in the other. The agathodaemon was later adapted into a general daemon of good luck, particularly of the abundance of a family 's good food and drink.” 

It should be noted that there is a wide variety of coin types showing the Agathodaemon, under Hadrian and other emperors (and empresses) from Nero to Gallienus. For example,  the serpent Agathodaemon frequently appears on tetradrachms, diobols, and drachms, and is shown both with and without the caduceus and corn stalks -- and, sometimes, when they are present, with the corn stalks to the left and the caduceus to the right. The Agathodaemon is also sometimes shown with the head of Serapis, and sometimes, as here, appears with the Uraeus snake facing it.

The article entitled “The Agathos Daimon in Greco-Egyptian religion,” by João Pedro Feliciano, at https://www.academia.edu/27115429/The_Agathos_Daimon_in_Greco-Egyptian_religion  is quite informative, and it's worth quoting it extensively even though its primary focus is on the Agathodaemon as represented on stelae and statues, rather than on coins:

“The Agathos Daimon, or ‘Good Spirit,’ was a multifaceted deity of ancient Mediterranean religion, usually depicted as a serpent, having its origins in the notion of the household god. The Good Spirit was honoured in both Greek and Roman religions, depicted as a serpent on Roman shrines and lararia, and honoured as a harbinger of luck among the Greeks. However, his most developed form flourished in Ptolemaic and Roman Egypt, where the Agathos Daimon became an exalted deity, far beyond the status of a household god, becoming associated with Shai and Kematef, the Egyptian creator gods, who were similarly depicted as serpents in the extant iconography, as well as taking on solar attributes and becoming conflated with Pre and Helios as a result of late Egyptian theological innovations. . . . .

[T]he Agathos Daimon (Greek: agathos daimôn; also agathodaimôn), the ‘good spirit,’ [was] a typically serpentine deity who originated as a genius loci1 in traditional Greek religion, and was also invoked during banquets. A variant of this deity was Zeus Meilichios (invoked in Orphic Hymn 73, to Zeus as the Daimon), an old serpentine aspect of Zeus associated with fortune. Roman religion had a cognate genius figure as well, evidenced by the traditional snakes found on Roman domestic shrines and lararia. The origins of the guardian serpent archetype may be traced to the fact that snakes could protect a house from vermin, such as rodents, and consequently became associated with guardian spirits early on; this notion of the beneficent ‘house snake’  is found in several different cultures.. . . .”

5. This one's in even rougher shape, but I had no example of an Apis bull with sun disk before, so I bought it anyway:

Hadrian, AE Diobol, Year 18 (133/134 AD), Alexandria, Egypt Mint. Obv. Laureate, draped, and cuirassed bust right, seen from front, ΑΥΤ ΚΑΙϹ ΤΡΑΙΑΝ - ΑΔΡΙΑΝΟϹ ϹƐΒ / Rev. Apis bull standing right before altar, with sun disk between its horns and crescent on its side; [L in exergue and] IH above bull (Year 18).  RPC [Roman Provincial Coinage] Vol. III 5928 (2015) &  RPC III Online 5928 at https://rpc.ashmus.ox.ac.uk/coins/3/5928 ; Emmett 1114.18; BMC 16 Alexandria 812 p. 95 (date placement var.) (ill. Pl. XXV & RPC Online 5928, example 1); Milne 1436 (date placement var.); Dattari (Savio) 1922. 24 mm., 7.90 g., 11 h. Purchased from Classical Numismatic Group, LLC [CNG] Electronic Auction 531, 25 Jan 2023, Lot 702.

6. Last but I don't think least, a Provincial type of Septimius Severus that I know I'd never seen before, and found quite intriguing. Wholly apart from the fact that it's quite scarce: only six examples in acsearch. Plus, any thoughts are welcome on the identity of the 1999 seller, and on possible interpretations of the reverse design, a question raised by jochen1 in a thread I found on Forvm Ancient Coins from back in 2006.

Septimius Severus, AE Tetrassarion, AD 201-203, Moesia Inferior, Nicopolis ad Istrum, struck for Septimius Severus by Aurelius Gallus, legatus Augusti pro praetore. Obv. Laureate head right, AV • K • L • CEΠ – CEVHPOC • Π[ligate with E?] / Rev. River-god Istros, laureate, nude to hips, reclining right (from viewer’s perspective), head turned to right, holding with right hand a tree with four foliate twigs and resting left elbow on urn from which water flows, VΠA AVP ΓAΛΛOV NEIKOΠ; in exergue, ΠPOC IC. AMNG I/I 1310 [Pick, Behrendt, Die antiken Münzen von Dacien und Moesien, Die antiken Münzen Nord-Griechenlands Vol. I/I (Berlin, 1898) at p. 366 (ill. Pl. XVII nr. 34), available at https://archive.org/details/p1dieantikenmn01akaduoft/page/366/mode/2up?view=theater].* HH&J 8.14.32.14 [Hristova, H., H.-J. Hoeft, & G. Jekov, The Coins of Moesia Inferior 1st - 3rd c. AD: Nicopolis ad Istrum (Blagoevgrad, 2015)]; Varbanov (Eng.) Vol. I, 2642 [Ivan Varbanov, Greek Imperial Coins And Their Values, Volume I: Dacia, Moesia Superior & Moesia Inferior (English Edition) (Bourgas, Bulgaria, 2005)](var. legends). Possible die match to examples sold by Künker in April 2017 (see https://www.acsearch.info/search.html?id=3782272 ) and posted by Jochen1 at Forvm Ancient coins in March 2006 (see https://www.forumancientcoins.com/board/index.php?topic=26898.msg175825#msg175825).** 27 mm., 17.54 g., 1 h.  Purchased from Classical Numismatic Group, LLC (CNG) E-Auction 531, Jan. 25, 2023, Lot 478; from the Dr. Michael Slavin Collection of River-God Coins, previous purchase “PB 12/18/99” according to accompanying coin envelope.

*Here is the Pick description of AMNG 1310, which appears to have the same legends as this coin, except for the possible additional letter “E” ligate with the final Π in this coin’s obverse legend, proposed by Dr. Slavin in his coin description on the accompanying envelope:

Can someone who reads German please let me know if there's anything interesting in the commentary? And what Pick says about the possibility of a T rather than a Π as the letter at the end of the word NEIKOΠ in the reverse legend?

**Here are the Künker and Jochen1 specimens:

 

Note that the Künker specimen, like mine, also appears to have an additional ligatured letter at the end of the obverse legend. 

The Jochen1 2006 Forvm thread is also of interest for the speculation concerning the possible symbolism of Istros’s head being turned back, and his grasping of the tree.
 

 

 

Edited February 11, 2023 by DonnaML

[happy_collector]

12 minutes ago, DonnaML said:

I hadn't posted any new write-ups for a while, but all of a sudden in the last week I've gotten six new coins in the mail, and six new write-ups to share. (I believe I broke the jinx rule by posting the photos of a couple of them in relevant threads before they arrived, but I hadn't written them up yet. That's a self-imposed rule I never break, because I'm sure disaster would follow!)

If anyone reads all the way to the end, I do have questions about the final coin. Such as: does anyone have any idea what dealer or auction house the notation "PB 12/18/99" on the accompanying old coin envelope might refer to? I can't think of anyone. 

1. One of the Trajan types that I had wanted for a while, to go with Trajan's Column and Danuvius and the various coins commemorating the Dacian conquest, etc.

Trajan AR Denarius, AD 113, Rome Mint. Obv. Laureate bust right with light drapery on far shoulder, IMP TRAIANO AVG GER DAC P M TR P COS VI PP / Rev. Female figure personifying the Via Traiana, nude above waist, reclining right (from viewer’s perspective) on rock outcropping, head turned to right; supporting wheel set on knee with right hand, and holding branch with left hand,  S P Q R OPTIMO PRINCIPI; in exergue, VIA TRAIANA. RIC II 266, RSC II 648 (ill. p. 102), BMCRE III 487, Sear RCV II 3173 (ill. p. 105). 18 mm., 3.48 g., 6 h. Purchased from Classical Numismatic Group, LLC (CNG) E-Auction 531, Jan. 26, 2023.*

*This issue “records the construction in AD 109 of the Via Traiana, an important highway which replaced the Via Appia as the preferred route between Beneventum [in Campania]  and the port city of Brundisium on the Atlantic coast.” Sear RCV II, p. 106.

2. A coin that's in mediocre condition, but has a nice, solid feel to it in hand and a great patina. And, it turns out, is a rather scarce variety. Plus, it's now my earliest sestertius.

Hadrian AE Sestertius, Rome Mint 137- Jul 138 AD (RIC II.3: “Group 13 – Time of the Caesars”). Obv. Bare head right, HADRIANVS – AVG COS III P P / Rev. Aequitas standing left holding scales in right hand and long scepter upright in left, AEQVI – [T]AS AVG; S – C across lower fields. RIC II.3 2371 (p. 232) & Pl. 173 (Scarce with bare head); numismatics.org/ocre/id/ric.2_3(2).hdn.2371; Cohen 123; BMCRE III Hadrian 1482 var. (laureate) (see 1482 fn. at p. 465, citing Cohen 123 for bare-headed variety); Sear RCV II 3573 var. (laureate). 31 mm., 23.55 g. Purchased from Harlan J. Berk, Ltd., 222nd Buy or Bid Sale, Feb. 2023, Lot 270. Link to video of coin: https://www.hjbltd.com/#!/inventory/item-detail/ancient-coins/96793.

3. A specimen that's not only in what I think is great condition -- with the obverse legend entirely preserved -- but looks like it actually has a decent amount of silver content. And fits very well with my Roman Republican M. Volteius snake biga coin showing Ceres in charge of the pair, previously posted in @Roman Collector's thread on that subject (see https://www.numisforums.com/topic/1193-faustina-friday-–-snake-biga-edition/#comment-35371 ). Plus, if I really cared about such minuscule variations -- which I don't! -- the date placement entirely above the serpents combined with a left-facing bust appears to be very scarce, with Milne the only catalog or other source that cites an example.

Hadrian, Billon Tetradrachm, Year 21 (AD 136/137), Alexandria, Egypt Mint. Obv. Laureate bust left, slight drapery on far shoulder, ΑΥΤ ΚΑΙϹ ΤΡΑ ΑΔΡΙΑΝΟϹ ϹƐΒ / Rev. Triptolemus standing right, wearing chlamys, in biga drawn by two winged serpents crowned with pschents/skhents [the double crown of Upper and Lower Egypt], his left hand holding up front of chlamys to form a pouch filled with seeds, and his right hand raised to scatter the seeds, L KA (Year 21) above serpents to right. RPC Vol. III 6135 (2015) & RPC III Online 6135 at https://rpc.ashmus.ox.ac.uk/coins/3/6135 (date placement var.; no example with this coin’s date placement in RPC or found in acearch); Milne 1531 (same date placement, “above to right,” as this coin); SNG France 4, Alexandrie II 2007 (ill. Pl. an 21/1) (date placement var.); Emmett 900.21; K&G 32.723; Dattari (Savio) 1485 (obv. bust var. [right], date placement var., same specimen as Staffieri 90 [Triton XXI, 9 Jan 2018], ill. p. 52); BMC 16 Alexandria 582 (ill. Pl. II) (obv. bust var. [right], date placement var.); Sear RCV II 3746 (obv. bust var. [right], date placement var.). 23 mm., 12.90 g., 11 h. Purchased from Classical Numismatic Group, LLC [CNG] Electronic Auction 531, 25 Jan 2023, Lot 710.*

*See https://www.forumancientcoins.com/numiswiki/view.asp?key=Triptolemus: “Triptolemus was a demi-god of the Eleusinian mysteries who presided over the sowing of grain-seed and the milling of wheat. His name means "He who Pounds the Husks."  In myth, Triptolemos was one of the Eleusinian princes who kindly received Demeter [Ceres] when she came mourning the loss of her daughter Persephone [Proserpina]. The young goddess was eventually returned to her from the Underworld, and Demeter in her munificence, instructed Triptolemos in the art of agriculture, and gave him a winged chariot drawn by serpents so that he might travel the world spreading her gift. Source:  http://www.theoi.com/Georgikos/EleusiniosTriptolemos.html.”

4. This one's in rather rough shape on the reverse, but I still like it a lot; I didn't have a facing Agathodaemon and Uraeus before. Plus, although I was a bit worried from the photo, upon examination there does not appear to be any active bronze disease on the reverse: the green deposits are all quite solid and not flaky, even after soaking for 24 hours in distilled water.

Hadrian, AE Drachm, Year 18 (133/134 AD), Alexandria, Egypt Mint. Obv. Laureate, draped, and cuirassed bust right, seen from behind, ΑΥΤ ΚΑΙϹ ΤΡΑΙΑΝ - ΑΔΡΙΑΝΟϹ ϹƐΒ / Rev. Serpents Agathodaemon* on left, coiled around a caduceus, and Uraeus [sacred cobra, worn by deities and pharaohs] on right, coiled around [poppies and] a sistrum, both serpents crowned with pschents/skhents [the double crown of Upper and Lower Egypt], facing each other; LI - H (date) across fields. RPC Vol. III 5908 (2015) & RPC III Online 5908 at https://rpc.ashmus.ox.ac.uk/coins/3/5908; Milne 1424 (p. 34); Emmett 908.18; K&G 32.574; Dattari (Savio) 1991; BMC 16 Alexandria 844 (p. 92); Sear RCV II 3771 (date placement var.). 33 mm., 24.02 g., 12 h. Purchased from Classical Numismatic Group, LLC [CNG] Electronic Auction 531, 25 Jan 2023, Lot 701. 

* The serpent Agathodaemon or Agathos Daimon -- translated variously as good spirit, noble spirit, or good genius -- was sacred to Serapis, and was worshipped in every Egyptian town. “On the coins he is always represented erect, and usually wearing the skhent, in the midst of corn and poppies, generally with a caduceus, also rising from the ground.”  BMC 16 Alexandria, p. lxxxvi. The Numiswiki definition of Agathodaemon, at https://www.forumancientcoins.com/numiswiki/view.asp?key=Agathodaemon, states as follows: “Agathodaemon (Greek: ‘good spirit’) was a god of the vineyards and grainfields and of good luck, health and wisdom. It was customary to drink or pour out a glass of unmixed wine to honor him in every meal. He was the spouse or companion of Tyche Agathe (later Agatha). He was represented in art as a serpent or as a young man bearing a cornucopia and a bowl in one hand, and a poppy and an ear of corn [U.S.: grain] in the other. The agathodaemon was later adapted into a general daemon of good luck, particularly of the abundance of a family 's good food and drink.” 

It should be noted that there is a wide variety of coin types showing the Agathodaemon, under Hadrian and other emperors (and empresses) from Nero to Gallienus. For example,  the serpent Agathodaemon frequently appears on tetradrachms, diobols, and drachms, and is shown both with and without the caduceus and corn stalks -- and, sometimes, when they are present, with the corn stalks to the left and the caduceus to the right. The Agathodaemon is also sometimes shown with the head of Serapis, and sometimes, as here, appears with the Uraeus snake facing it.

The article entitled “The Agathos Daimon in Greco-Egyptian religion,” by João Pedro Feliciano, at https://www.academia.edu/27115429/The_Agathos_Daimon_in_Greco-Egyptian_religion  is quite informative, and it's worth quoting it extensively even though its primary focus is on the Agathodaemon as represented on stelae and statues, rather than on coins:

“The Agathos Daimon, or ‘Good Spirit,’ was a multifaceted deity of ancient Mediterranean religion, usually depicted as a serpent, having its origins in the notion of the household god. The Good Spirit was honoured in both Greek and Roman religions, depicted as a serpent on Roman shrines and lararia, and honoured as a harbinger of luck among the Greeks. However, his most developed form flourished in Ptolemaic and Roman Egypt, where the Agathos Daimon became an exalted deity, far beyond the status of a household god, becoming associated with Shai and Kematef, the Egyptian creator gods, who were similarly depicted as serpents in the extant iconography, as well as taking on solar attributes and becoming conflated with Pre and Helios as a result of late Egyptian theological innovations. . . . .

[T]he Agathos Daimon (Greek: agathos daimôn; also agathodaimôn), the ‘good spirit,’ [was] a typically serpentine deity who originated as a genius loci1 in traditional Greek religion, and was also invoked during banquets. A variant of this deity was Zeus Meilichios (invoked in Orphic Hymn 73, to Zeus as the Daimon), an old serpentine aspect of Zeus associated with fortune. Roman religion had a cognate genius figure as well, evidenced by the traditional snakes found on Roman domestic shrines and lararia. The origins of the guardian serpent archetype may be traced to the fact that snakes could protect a house from vermin, such as rodents, and consequently became associated with guardian spirits early on; this notion of the beneficent ‘house snake’  is found in several different cultures.. . . .”

5. This one's in even rougher shape, but I had no example of an Apis bull with sun disk before, so I bought it anyway:

Hadrian, AE Diobol, Year 18 (133/134 AD), Alexandria, Egypt Mint. Obv. Laureate, draped, and cuirassed bust right, seen from front, ΑΥΤ ΚΑΙϹ ΤΡΑΙΑΝ - ΑΔΡΙΑΝΟϹ ϹƐΒ / Rev. Apis bull standing right before altar, with sun disk between its horns and crescent on its side; [L in exergue and] IH above bull (Year 18).  RPC [Roman Provincial Coinage] Vol. III 5928 (2015) &  RPC III Online 5928 at https://rpc.ashmus.ox.ac.uk/coins/3/5928 ; Emmett 1114.18; BMC 16 Alexandria 812 p. 95 (date placement var.) (ill. Pl. XXV & RPC Online 5928, example 1); Milne 1436 (date placement var.); Dattari (Savio) 1922. 24 mm., 7.90 g., 11 h. Purchased from Classical Numismatic Group, LLC [CNG] Electronic Auction 531, 25 Jan 2023, Lot 702.

6. Last but I don't think least, a Provincial type of Septimius Severus that I know I'd never seen before, and found quite intriguing. Wholly apart from the fact that it's quite scarce: only six examples in acsearch. Plus, any thoughts are welcome on the identity of the 1999 seller, and on possible interpretations of the reverse design, a question raised by jochen1 in a thread I found on Forvm Ancient Coins from back in 2006.

Septimius Severus, AE Tetrassarion, AD 201-203, Moesia Inferior, Nicopolis ad Istrum, struck for Septimius Severus by Aurelius Gallus, legatus Augusti pro praetore. Obv. Laureate head right, AV • K • L • CEΠ – CEVHPOC • Π[ligate with E?] / Rev. River-god Istros, laureate, nude to hips, reclining right (from viewer’s perspective), head turned to right, holding with right hand a tree with four foliate twigs and resting left elbow on urn from which water flows, VΠA AVP GALLOV NEIKOΠ[or T??]; in exergue, ΠPOC IC. AMNG I/I 1310 [Pick, Behrendt, Die antiken Münzen von Dacien und Moesien, Die antiken Münzen Nord-Griechenlands Vol. I/I  (Berlin, 1898) at p. 366 (ill. Pl. XVII nr. 34), available at https://archive.org/details/p1dieantikenmn01akaduoft/page/366/mode/2up?view=theater]*;  HH&J 8.14.32.14 [Hristova, H., H.-J. Hoeft, & G. Jekov, The Coins of Moesia Inferior 1st - 3rd c. AD: Nicopolis ad Istrum (Blagoevgrad, 2015)]; Varbanov (Eng.) Vol. I, 2642 [Ivan Varbanov, Greek Imperial Coins And Their Values, Volume I: Dacia, Moesia Superior & Moesia Inferior (English Edition) (Bourgas, Bulgaria, 2005)](var. legends). Possible die match to examples sold by Künker in April 2017 (see https://www.acsearch.info/search.html?id=3782272) and  posted by Jochen1 at Forvm Ancient coins in March 2006 (see https://www.forumancientcoins.com/board/index.php?topic=26898.msg175825#msg175825). 27 mm., 17.54 g., 1 h.  Purchased from Classical Numismatic Group, LLC (CNG) E-Auction 531, Jan. 25, 2023, Lot 478; from the Dr. Michael Slavin Collection of River-God Coins, previous purchase “PB 12/18/99” according to accompanying coin envelope.

*Here is the Pick description of AMNG 1310, which appears to have the same legends as this coin, except for the possible additional letter “E” ligate with the final Π in this coin’s obverse legend, proposed by Dr. Slavin in his coin description on the accompanying envelope:

Can someone who reads German please let me know if there's anything interesting in the commentary? And what Pick says about the possibility of a T rather than a Π as the letter at the end of the word NEIKOΠ in the reverse legend?

**Here are the Künker and Jochen1 specimens:

Note that the Künker specimen, like mine, also appears to have an additional ligatured letter at the end of the obverse legend. 

The Jochen1 2006 Forvm thread is also of interest for the speculation concerning the possible symbolism of Istros’s head being turned back, and his grasping of the tree.
 

 

Nice additions, Donna. I really like your Hadrian snake biga with date placement variant. Very special. 🙂 

[Prieure de Sion]

Fantastic coins @DonnaML - all of them! Gratulation...

 

5 hours ago, DonnaML said:

Trajan AR Denarius, AD 113, Rome Mint. Obv. Laureate bust right with light drapery on far shoulder, IMP TRAIANO AVG GER DAC P M TR P COS VI PP / Rev. Female figure personifying the Via Traiana, nude above waist, reclining right (from viewer’s perspective) on rock outcropping, head turned to right; supporting wheel set on knee with right hand, and holding branch with left hand,  S P Q R OPTIMO PRINCIPI; in exergue, VIA TRAIANA. RIC II 266, RSC II 648 (ill. p. 102), BMCRE III 487, Sear RCV II 3173 (ill. p. 105). 18 mm., 3.48 g., 6 h. Purchased from Classical Numismatic Group, LLC (CNG) E-Auction 531, Jan. 26, 2023.*

... but that's my favorite - include this one from...

5 hours ago, DonnaML said:

Septimius Severus, AE Tetrassarion, AD 201-203, Moesia Inferior, Nicopolis ad Istrum, struck for Septimius Severus by Aurelius Gallus, legatus Augusti pro praetore. Obv. Laureate head right, AV • K • L • CEΠ – CEVHPOC • Π[ligate with E?] / Rev. River-god Istros, laureate, nude to hips, reclining right (from viewer’s perspective), head turned to right, holding with right hand a tree with four foliate twigs and resting left elbow on urn from which water flows, VΠA AVP GALLOV NEIKOΠ[or T??]; in exergue, ΠPOC IC.

... Septimius Severus. 

 

5 hours ago, DonnaML said:

Can someone who reads German please let me know if there's anything interesting in the commentary? And what Pick says about the possibility of a T rather than a Π as the letter at the end of the word NEIKOΠ in the reverse legend?

AV K L CEΠ CEVHPOC Π
Autokratoros Kaisaros Lucios Septimios Sevros Pertinax
Imperator Caesar Lucius Septimius Severus Pertinax

VΠA AVP ΓAΛΛOV NEIKOΠ ΠPOC IC
Upatos Aurelios Gallou Nikopoliton (Nikopolitai) pros Istros
Consul (legatus Augusti pro praetore) Aurelius Gallus, City of Nicopolis ad Istrum

 

Possible deviations:
Obverse - (1) The beginning and end of the writing is missing; (2) -
Reverse - NEIKOΠ seems to be improved in the stamp from NEIKOT (1), so probably also on (2) where this part of the writing is missing and on (3) where only NEIKO can be read. 

Examples
(1) Paris Mionnet S. 2, 123, 389
(2) Wien Mus. Theup. 942
(3) Chaim descr. 33

The A on the reverse of the Paris example has everywhere the form Λ.

 

 

Edited February 11, 2023 by Prieure de Sion