Post your latest ancient!

[Roman Collector]

My latest is this cool griffin on a brass as of Hadrian. This issue was minted for use in Syria. 

Hadrian 117-138 CE.
Roman orichalcum as, 8.88 g, 22.1 mm, 5 h.
Rome mint for use in Syria, 124-125 CE.
Obv: HADRIANVS AVGVSTVS, laureate, draped and cuirassed bust, right, seen from rear.
Rev: COS III S C, Griffin springing right.
Refs: RIC II.3, 754; RPC III, 3759; BMCRE --; Strack 624; McAlee 549; Sear --.
Notes: Some numismatists attribute this to a mint in Antioch. 

[rasiel]

A good week for me :- )
I'm on a quest to rebuild a collection I sold off (that I then regretted)

[Ryro]

Phil the Arab has some fun coins. He even celebrated Rome's 1,000 year anniversary.

I bought this fella cause I liked the little Mahout, and in hand the toning is a cool bonus as well:

Philip I. (244-249 AD). AR Antoninianus, Roma (Rome), 247-249 AD. 3.56 Gr. 22mm.

Radiate and draped bust right, seen from behind.

Rev. Elephant guided by mahout with goad and wand, walking left

[catadc]

On 2/22/2024 at 12:18 AM, Furryfrog02 said:

Thanks @catadc for trying to help me get the coin I was after. Maybe next time! And I hope to see your wins soon!

Very busy lately and no time for coins. Managed to get two x 30 nummi of Tiberius II:

- One from Constantinopole, officina Delta, being the officina I was missing for his 30 nummi from Constantinopole. I now have all (A, B, D and E). While A and B are common, D and E are rare. Another Delta sold this week-end for 30 EUR. I was the underbidder on that, and although the coin shows good details, I was afraid of the patina chips and potential bronze disease (SOL, auction XXV, lot 755).

- One from Antioch. I hoped for a second that the price will be decent, due to being misattributed, but it was not. 😞 It is the only 30 nummi with XXX reverse (Tiberius II + Phocas) where the emperor can hold something in his hands. 

[Salomons Cat]

I would like to present my 2 most recent acquisitions.
I have already mentioned the first one in the topic about the Tribute Penny. 

TIBERIUS (14-37). Aureus fourré over a denarius from the Lugdunum mint. Weight: 3.65 g. Diameter: 19 mm.
Obv: TI CAESAR DIVI AVG F AVGVSTVS.
Rev: PONTIF MAXIM. Livia (as Pax) seated right on throne, holding sceptre and olive branch.

I bought this one for 400 Euros. It's my first gold coin. It looks great in hand and I think that it's extraordinarily attractive for a plated coin.
I had been a bit worried about the corrosion that is visible at the borders, but it's absolutely not noticeable in hand. And I assume that the gold plating could have prevented corrosion of the central parts of the coin, so I hope that it's not brittle. But I will handle it carefully due to the gold plating anyway. I put it in a coin capsule as soon as I received it, so it should be safe for the next 2000 years.

My other coin is from the recent Leu auction and I have won it a few minutes ago.
After their last auction, @Prieure de Sion was not happy with Leu's description of many of their lots. I assume that they either read his e-mail or they're secretly active in this forum. Who knows. Anyway, this time, their descriptions seemed a lot better to me. It was a noticeable difference compared to their last auction. 

The prices for denarii with Gallia and the Carnyx on the obverse are very variable. There are some specimens in XF condition that sold for $4000+ in auctions. The one that I just bought hammered for $850 in 2022 (with an erroneous pedigree that dated back to 1977). This time it hammered for $1135, with a pedigree until 2015.
As usual, there was a bid in the absolute last second that pushed my bid to the maximum. I'm still very happy. I would not have liked to miss this coin. There are very few specimens with such eye appeal.

Leu writes:

Quote

L. Hostilius Saserna, 48 BC. Denarius (Silver, 19 mm, 4.07 g, 9 h), Rome. Bare head of Gallia to right, wearing long hair; to left, carnyx (Gallic trumpet). Rev. HOSTILIVS - SASERNA Diana (Artemis) of Ephesus standing facing, with long hair and laurel wreath, holding spear in her left hand and placing her right on the head of a stag leaping to left. Babelon (Hostilia) 4. Crawford 448/3. CRI 19. RBW 1570. Sydenham 953. A wonderful piece, beautifully toned and unusually well centered, and with a fine pedigree. Banker's mark on the obverse, otherwise, extremely fine.

From the collection of Dipl.-Ing. Adrian Lang, Leu 12, 15 May 2022, 1008 (but with an erroneous pedigree) and ex Numismatica Ars Classica 84, 20 May 2015, 1682.

The denarii of L. Hostilius Saserna consist of three types, all relating to Julius Caesar's conquests in Gaul: the first, Crawford 448/1, depicts a female head, probably of Clementia, on the obverse, and Victory holding a trophy of Gallic arms on the reverse, whereas the second - and probably the most famous - Crawford 448/2, shows a Gallic chieftain on the obverse ('Vercingetorix') and a chariot carrying a Gallic warrior on the reverse. Our coin belongs to the third group, Crawford 448/3, showing on the obverse the personification of Gallia with dishevelled hair, or perhaps the head of a captive Gallic woman, accompanied by a carnyx, a musical reed instrument with a horn shaped into the head of a boar. Carnyces produced a harsh sound and were used by the Gauls in battle to instill fear in their enemies. The reverse of our coin, on the other hand, shows an archaic cult statue of Diana of Ephesus with a spear and a her stag at her side. This is probably a reference to the city of Massilia (modern Marseille), which housed a magnificent temple dedicated to Diana of Ephesus, and which Caesar captured on his way to Spain to confront Pompey.

I also had some denarii of Octavian on my watch list... With only a little hope of winning any of them. The prices went exactly as high as I had feared, so I did not make a bid.

Edited February 25 by Salomons Cat

[singig]

These are two coins of Constantius II I bought recently , the Phoenix type from Alexandria I noticed after I bought it that it's an extremly rare coin , OCRE has only two examples from this mint and on Acsearch is the only one, it appears there because Themis Numismatics tried to sell it in 2019 without success.

I like the contrast between the two difrent patinas , blue-green against black-brown.

Constantius II , 348 - 350, RIC VIII Alexandria 69
D N CONSTAN-TIVS P F AVG Bust of Constantius II, pearl-diademed, draped, cuirassed, right
FEL TEMP REPARATIO , radiate phoenix standing right on globe, star in right field. MintMark: ALEA
17 mm / 2.28 g

 

Constantius II, Antioch. 347-348 AD.RIC VIII 113, DI 
DN CONSTAN-TIVS PF AVG, pearl-diademed head right / 
VOT XX MVLT XXX within wreath. Mintmark SMANΔI. 

Edited February 26 by singig

[AETHER]

Bought this under $50 with black gunk all over which was very hard to clean, no choice but to strip it clean orichalcum, which looks much better. 

Claudius AD 41-54. Æ Dupondius (28mm, 11.8g)

Rome mint, struck AD 41-42
Obv. Bare head left. TI CLAVDIVS CAESAR AVG P M TR P IMP
Rev. Ceres seated left on ornamental throne, holding two stalks of grain and long torch. CERES - AVGVSTA SC
RIC I 94

 

 

Edited February 26 by AETHER
legend

[Victrix]

Septimius Severus. AD 193-211. AR Denarius. Legionary type. Rome mint. Struck AD 193. Laureate head right / LEG XIIII G EM • M • V, TR P COS in exergue, aquila between two signa. RIC IV 14; RSC 272.

[Phil Anthos]

Wow, hard act to follow!

I didn't think I'd be posting in this section. I retired just before I joined here and coins are a luxury I must forego for the time being. But I did find this on a bargain list and I indulged. I'd like to say it fills a particular need in my collection, but it doesn't really. Or maybe it was just too beautiful to pass up, but that obviously isn't true (although it really is "much nicer in hand" as they say). 

No the fact is I just needed a fix, and this at least is Magna Graecia. So here's to keeping up with your joneses!  🥂

Arpi, Apulia

275-250 BC AE 26 (21x26mm, 6.28g) O: Horse galloping right; APΠI / NOY above and below. R: Bull butting right. SNG ANS 644; SNG Cop 608; HGC I, 535; Sear 570; HN 645 ex Marc Breitsprecher

[zanzi]

On 2/25/2024 at 10:26 AM, Ryro said:

Philip I. (244-249 AD). AR Antoninianus, Roma (Rome), 247-249 AD. 3.56 Gr. 22mm.

Radiate and draped bust right, seen from behind.

Rev. Elephant guided by mahout with goad and wand, walking left

I have not much to add, but what an awesome reverse, beautiful coin!

[seth77]

I wanted an Antioch issue for Publius Quinctillius Varus but not the regular yellow-reddish dirt or stripped specimens, and this one was offered unidentified, with a pleasant although uneven green patina:

[Ancient Coin Hunter]

A Tribute Penny....

 

Tiberius, 14-37. Denarius (Silver, 18 mm, 3.68 g, 6 h), Lugdunum, group 2, circa 15-18.

Obv. TI CAESAR DIVI AVG F AVGVSTVS Laureate head of Tiberius to right. 

Rev. PONTIF MAXIM Livia (as Pax) seated right on a chair with ornate legs set on low base, holding inverted spear in her right hand and olive branch in her left.

BMC 44. Cohen 16. Giard 146. RIC 28. Ex-Leu auction Web 29, Lot 1844 February 25th, 2024

[robinjojo]

This coin does have rough surfaces, but the reverse portrait of Isi is rather nice.

Domitian, Alexandria, AE diobol, year 3  (83/4 AD).

RPC 2490

7.40 grams

[GordianAppreciator101]

Just arrived. Tacitus Antoninianus/Aurelianianus from Rome

IMP C M CL TACITVS P F AVG - LAETITIA FVND / XXIB 

Ric V Tacitus 89

[DonnaML]

This new coin represents a very unusual type (as far as I can tell), so I spent quite a bit of time yesterday researching possible origins and parallels. I guess I must be feeling a bit better to have been able to concentrate for so long. Plus, I'm trying to convince myself that I haven't lost too many brain cells from this illness, despite an article I read the other day claiming that the average IQ of people who've had even a mild case of Covid is 3 points less than those who haven't had it at all. 6 points less if you've been hospitalized! (I am, needless to say, somewhat suspicious of the accuracy of a claim of such tiny differences.)

So here goes:

Claudius II Gothicus, Billon Tetradrachm, 269/270 AD (Year 2), Alexandria, Egypt mint. Obv. Laureate, draped, and cuirassed bust right, wreath ties type “e” (Milne) (one tie straight down and one pointing back), ΑVΤ•Κ•ΚΛΑV–ΔΙΟϹ•ϹΕΒ / Rev. Poseidon standing left, nude, hair bound with taenia, head looking downwards, right leg bent at knee with right foot resting on dolphin, holding trident in left hand and Lorbeerbäumchen (small laurel tree or branch) or palm branch [not sword or aphlaston]* in right hand, L – B (Year 2) across fields.

References:

RPC [Roman Provincial Coinage] Vol. X Online 75618 [temporary ID number] (see https://rpc.ashmus.ox.ac.uk/type/75618) (palm branch in Poseidon’s right hand);

Förschner 1151 (ill. p. 361) [Förschner, Gisela, Die Münzen der Römischen Kaiser in Alexandrien, Historisches Museum Frankfurt (1987)] (Lorbeerbäumchen in Poseidon’s right hand; see fn.);

Milne 4254 at p. 101 (same obv. legend) [Milne, J.G., Catalogue of Alexandrian Coins (Oxford 1933, reprint with supplement by Colin M. Kraay, 1971)] (sword);

BMC 16 Alexandria 2307 at p. 300 (rev. ill. Pl. II) [Poole, Reginald Stuart, A Catalog of the Greek Coins in the British Museum, Vol. 16, Alexandria (London, 1892] (sword);

Kellner Teil 17, p. 51 (ill. p. 139 Abb. 6) [Wendelin Kellner, Die Münzstätte Alexandria in Ägypten (2009)] (jagged sword or cutlass representing navy];

Sear GIC 4742 (ill. p. 461) [D. Sear, Greek Imperial Coins and their Values (Seaby 1982)] (sword);

K & G 104.32 at p. 329 [Kampmann, Ursula & Ganschow, Thomas, Die Münzen der römischen Münzstätte Alexandria  (2008)] (aphlaston);

Emmett 3893.2 [Emmett, Keith, Alexandrian Coins (Lodi, WI, 2001)] [no mention of object held in Poseidon’s right hand];

Geissen (Köln) 3045 [Geissen, A., Katalog alexandrinischer Kaisermünzen, Köln, Band IV (Claudius Gothicus - Domitius Domitianus) (Cologne, 1983) (aphlaston);

Curtis 1718 at p. 124 [James W. Curtis, The Tetradrachms of Roman Egypt (1969)] (sword);

Sear RCV III 11414 at p. 407 (“uncertain object”).

22 mm., 10.09 g., 12 h.

Purchased from CNG (Classical Numismatic Group, LLC) Electronic Auction 556, 21 Feb. 2024, Lot 418 [object held by Poseidon identified as “aphlaston?”), from the Dr. Thomas E. Beniak Collection**, ex A.H. Baldwin (London, UK), purchased 16 Oct 1989 (with coin tickets from Beniak Collection and A.H. Baldwin).

A photo I took of the reverse -- a bit blurry, but it shows the coin's actual dark brown color:

The A.H. Baldwin and Beniak Collection coin tags. (The 1989 date of Dr. Beniak's purchase from Baldwin is written on the back of that tag. Note the purchase price in GBP in 1989!)

*See Förschner, op. cit. at p. 361 fn., explaining as follows: “Die Rückeitenbeschreibung des Gegenstandes in Poseidons Rechten als Schwert (BMC 2307) oder Aphlaston (Slg. Köln 3045) is sicherlich nicht zutreffend und ‘undefinierbares Objekt’ (Datt. 5406 f.) wurde vermieden” [Translation: “The reverse description of the object in Poseidon's right hand as a sword (BMC 2307) or aphlaston (Cologne Coll. 3045) is certainly not accurate and ‘indefinable object’ (Dattari 5406 f.) was avoided.”] Thus, the aphlaston, “or aplustre, was a component of the ancient warship that was understood as an abstract form of a bird with multiple beaks facing inward from the stern.” See https://www.forumancientcoins.com/numiswiki/view.asp?key=Aphlaston, illustrating the term with the following coin:

 

The object in Poseidon’s right hand on the reverse of the Claudius II tetradrachm, by contrast, is neither curved nor resembles multiple bird beaks in any way. I suspect that the idea that he holds an aphlaston may be derived from the fact that Poseidon’s stance on the reverse is immediately evocative of -- and was clearly modeled upon, directly or indirectly -- Neptune’s stance on the reverse of a famous denarius of Sextus Pompey, minted in Sicily in 37-36 BCE (Crawford 511/3a). On that reverse, Neptune’s stance is virtually identical, but he does, in fact, appear to hold an aphlaston or aplustre in his right hand. See this example at  https://www.acsearch.info/image.html?id=3107848:

And this one at https://www.acsearch.info/image.html?id=3511934 :

 

However, just because Neptune holds an aphlaston on the Sextus Pompey coin does not mean that Poseidon holds one on the Claudius II coin: the stance may be almost identical, including the raised right knee and the head looking downwards, but there are other differences, including the fact that Neptune’s right foot rests on a prow rather than a dolphin, and that he holds a chlamys rather than a trident in his left hand.

Nor, I believe, can the object in Poseidon’s right hand on the Claudius II tetradrachm, although straight, be reasonably interpreted as a sword. Swords do not generally have leaves on them, as this object certainly does – as can be seen even more clearly on these other examples illustrated at RPC X Online and on Acsearch:

From RPC X Online (ill. of Milne 4253 [same type as mine with diff. spacing of obv. legend]):

 

From RPC X Online (ill. of Geissen 3045):

From RPC X Online (ill. of BMC 2307):

 

From ACSearch (ill. of  CNG Auction 474, 12 Aug 2020, Lot 308):

I have little doubt that the object held by Poseidon on all these specimens, including mine, is, in fact, some sort of small tree or tree branch; whether it was intended to be laurel or a palm, I cannot be certain.

The closest parallel I have found to this type of Claudius II that was issued by any other emperor in Roman Alexandria is this rare type of Gallienus, Year 15 (Milne 4155, K&G 90.108), sold by CNG in 2019:

 

 

Except for the fact that Poseidon appears to be looking straight ahead rather than downwards, the style and elements of the reverse design appear to be the same as those on the Claudius II type. Although Milne identified the object held by Poseidon on this Gallienus type as a sword and K&G as an aphlaston, CNG identified it as a palm frond, and it appears indisputable to me that, as on the Claudius II type, the object is intended to represent some kind of small tree or branch.

It should be noted that there are other Roman Alexandrian types with reverses showing Poseidon with one knee bent, such as this Year 5 tetradrachm of Antoninus Pius (RPC IV.4 online 13467 [temp.]) depicting Poseidon resting his foot on a prow and holding a trident and small dolphin:

See also this similar Roman Imperial denarius depicting Neptune, issued by Vespasian (RIC II.1 Vespasian 1309):

 

But these types obviously shed no light on the nature of the object held by Poseidon on the Roman Alexandrian coins of Claudius II and Gallienus. Nor does Poseidon’s head face downwards on these types. That particular stance appears to be exclusive to the types of Sextus Pompey and Claudius II -- which is probably why I immediately thought of the Sextus Pompey denarius when I noticed my Claudius II tetradrachm listed in the recent CNG auction.

**See this autobiography of Dr. Beniak printed in the catalog for CNG’s E-Auction 556:

The Dr. Thomas E. Beniak Collection

I was born on July 30, 1947 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin to parents Edward Beniak and Evelyn Stodola Beniak. My childhood and adolescent years were spent in Cudahy, Wisconsin, a suburb of Milwaukee on the shores of Lake Michigan. I attended Cudahy public schools through high school, graduating in June of 1965. Following in the footsteps of my grandfather and father, I matriculated to Marquette University, graduating cum laude with an A.B. degree in psychology in May of 1969. I was fortunate to be accepted into the University of Minnesota’s doctoral training program in Clinical Psychology, beginning my studies in the Twin Cities in September, 1969.

Always a responsible student, college and particularly graduate school left little time if any for the hobbies I had enjoyed beginning in early childhood. Spare time in high school was largely consumed by interscholastic athletics. During college and graduate school, athletics were very limited and purely recreational. In retrospect, it was easy for me to identify a genetic pre-disposition to collect beginning with stamps and then the US coins that could be gleaned from circulation in the 50’s and 60’s. Thanks to the Stamp and Coin Department in Gimbels’s downtown store, occasional exotic foreign coins and perhaps even an ancient coin or two made the journey from New York to downtown Milwaukee and would catch my eye.

Acquiring my first ancient coin and the story behind it remain vivid in my memory. My maternal grandparents grew up on farms near Rice Lake, Wisconsin surrounded by lakes and the north woods. The highlight of each summer was to visit relatives there especially my two great uncles. Otto, the older of the two had enlisted in the Army in 1942 at 44 years of age to prevent his younger brother from being drafted. As fortune would have it, he ended up in a combat engineering outfit and traversed much of North Africa, Sicily, and the entire Italian peninsula. In June of 1959 while looking through Uncle Otto’s penny and dime jars, he blurted out “I think I’ve got a more interesting coin for you from Italy!” It came with an interesting story. His unit was assisting a British combat engineering unit clearing debris near Rome. In doing so, a clay pot was bulldozed spewing coins all over. British soldiers filled their pockets and later shared them with their American comrades and that’s how I got my first ancient coin, a beautiful extra fine sestertius of Phillip I with elephant and mahout reverse. Of course, it took me 13 years and a visit with Harlan Berk at the 1972 Central States Show to find out what it was.

Graduate studies allowed little time for hobbies. My academic interests and professional goals drifted away from traditional clinical psychology toward a relatively new subspecialty, clinical neuropsychology. Concerns over personality disorders and psychopathology were set aside and neurological disorders/patients became my focus along with how to evaluate the cognitive effects and deficits of same. Upon completion of my doctorate, I accepted a staff position at the University of Minnesota Medical Center and remained there for 10 years, working primarily with epilepsy patients, especially surgical candidates. In April of 1987, I continued this work in private practice. I also developed an active forensic neuropsychology practice which grew considerably after retiring from the university in 2015. Complete retirement essentially came on the heels of the COVID epidemic.

Despite working many long hours at my profession, I always found time to return to and indulge in my earlier passions including a love of history, classics (fostered by my father), and of course numismatics which now focused entirely on ancient coins.

Family life was also very important to me. In August of this year, my wife, Judith and I celebrated our 51st wedding anniversary. Originally trained as a nurse, Judith retired in 2017 after a long and very productive career at the University of Minnesota Academic Health Center. Her work there ranged from staff RN on the organ transplant service to the founding director of the Health Careers Center. Judith helped lead this innovative center recruiting and coaching pre-health students in their exploration of health careers for 15 years. We have two children, Alexander and Larissa. Alexander is involved in security technologies and Larissa is a medical social worker.

My return to active coin collecting, especially ancients, dates to 1972 at which time Greek silver and Roman denarii and sesterces were the focus. As of November 1984 and owning only one billon tetradrachm, I initiated the pursuit of all things Roman Egypt, this quest lasting to the present. My efforts have provided me with enormous enjoyment, satisfaction, and a wealth of knowledge. Along the way, I have also made countless friends from the ranks of both dealers and fellow collectors. Ongoing involvement in the Twin Cities Ancient Coin Club since 1974 has also contributed significantly. All have played an important role in building my collection and most importantly enjoying it. Thanks to you all. 

Edited February 29 by DonnaML

[CPK]

Nice coin and writeup @DonnaML, thanks for posting! Good to hear you're on the mend. Doesn't seem to me you've lost any brain cells. 😉 

[Valentinian]

1 hour ago, DonnaML said:

claiming that the average IQ of people who've had even a mild case of Covid is 3 points less than those who haven't had it at all. 6 points less if you've been hospitalized! (I am, needless to say, somewhat suspicious of the accuracy of a claim of such tiny differences.)

Even if the decline is as stated, it might not be that covid causes the decrease. If could be, for example, that vaccinated people are less likely to catch it at all and much less likely to be hospitalized. If lower IQs caused people to be less likely to be vaccinated, it would show up as people who have had covid, on average, have lower IQs. If that were the case, the causal direction of the correlation between covid and IQ would be from IQ to covid in contrast to being from covid to IQ.
   On the other hand, I know a person with "long covid" who is convinced her abilities have gone down terrifically from the disease. That, if tested, would show up as decreased IQ. Maybe covid of the regular variety does some of that at a less noticeable level. 

[Ryro]

2 hours ago, DonnaML said:

This new coin represents a very unusual type (as far as I can tell), so I spent quite a bit of time yesterday researching possible origins and parallels. I guess I must be feeling a bit better to have been able to concentrate for so long. Plus, I'm trying to convince myself that I haven't lost too many brain cells from this illness, despite an article I read the other day claiming that the average IQ of people who've had even a mild case of Covid is 3 points less than those who haven't had it at all. 6 points less if you've been hospitalized! (I am, needless to say, somewhat suspicious of the accuracy of a claim of such tiny differences.)

So here goes:

Claudius II Gothicus, Billon Tetradrachm, 269/270 AD (Year 2), Alexandria, Egypt mint. Obv. Laureate, draped, and cuirassed bust right, wreath ties type “e” (Milne) (one tie straight down and one pointing back), ΑVΤ•Κ•ΚΛΑV–ΔΙΟϹ•ϹΕΒ / Rev. Poseidon standing left, nude, hair bound with taenia, head looking downwards, right leg bent at knee with right foot resting on dolphin, holding trident in left hand and Lorbeerbäumchen (small laurel tree or branch) or palm branch [not sword or aphlaston]* in right hand, L – B (Year 2) across fields.

References:

RPC [Roman Provincial Coinage] Vol. X Online 75618 [temporary ID number] (see https://rpc.ashmus.ox.ac.uk/type/75618) (palm branch in Poseidon’s right hand);

Förschner 1151 (ill. p. 361) [Förschner, Gisela, Die Münzen der Römischen Kaiser in Alexandrien, Historisches Museum Frankfurt (1987)] (Lorbeerbäumchen in Poseidon’s right hand; see fn.);

Milne 4254 at p. 101 (same obv. legend) [Milne, J.G., Catalogue of Alexandrian Coins (Oxford 1933, reprint with supplement by Colin M. Kraay, 1971)] (sword);

BMC 16 Alexandria 2307 at p. 300 (rev. ill. Pl. II) [Poole, Reginald Stuart, A Catalog of the Greek Coins in the British Museum, Vol. 16, Alexandria (London, 1892] (sword);

Kellner Teil 17, p. 51 (ill. p. 139 Abb. 6) [Wendelin Kellner, Die Münzstätte Alexandria in Ägypten (2009)] (jagged sword or cutlass representing navy];

Sear GIC 4742 (ill. p. 461) [D. Sear, Greek Imperial Coins and their Values (Seaby 1982)] (sword);

K & G 104.32 at p. 329 [Kampmann, Ursula & Ganschow, Thomas, Die Münzen der römischen Münzstätte Alexandria  (2008)] (aphlaston);

Emmett 3893.2 [Emmett, Keith, Alexandrian Coins (Lodi, WI, 2001)] [no mention of object held in Poseidon’s right hand];

Geissen (Köln) 3045 [Geissen, A., Katalog alexandrinischer Kaisermünzen, Köln, Band IV (Claudius Gothicus - Domitius Domitianus) (Cologne, 1983) (aphlaston);

Curtis 1718 at p. 124 [James W. Curtis, The Tetradrachms of Roman Egypt (1969)] (sword);

Sear RCV III 11414 at p. 407 (“uncertain object”).

22 mm., 10.09 g., 12 h.

Purchased from CNG (Classical Numismatic Group, LLC) Electronic Auction 556, 21 Feb. 2024, Lot 418 [object held by Poseidon identified as “aphlaston?”), from the Dr. Thomas E. Beniak Collection**, ex A.H. Baldwin (London, UK), purchased 16 Oct 1989 (with coin tickets from Beniak Collection and A.H. Baldwin).

A photo I took of the reverse -- a bit blurry, but it shows the coin's actual dark brown color:

The A.H. Baldwin and Beniak Collection coin tags. (The 1989 date of Dr. Beniak's purchase from Baldwin is written on the back of that tag. Note the purchase price in GBP in 1989!)

*See Förschner, op. cit. at p. 361 fn., explaining as follows: “Die Rückeitenbeschreibung des Gegenstandes in Poseidons Rechten als Schwert (BMC 2307) oder Aphlaston (Slg. Köln 3045) is sicherlich nicht zutreffend und ‘undefinierbares Objekt’ (Datt. 5406 f.) wurde vermieden” [Translation: “The reverse description of the object in Poseidon's right hand as a sword (BMC 2307) or aphlaston (Cologne Coll. 3045) is certainly not accurate and ‘indefinable object’ (Dattari 5406 f.) was avoided.”] Thus, the aphlaston, “or aplustre, was a component of the ancient warship that was understood as an abstract form of a bird with multiple beaks facing inward from the stern.” See https://www.forumancientcoins.com/numiswiki/view.asp?key=Aphlaston, illustrating the term with the following coin:

 

The object in Poseidon’s right hand on the reverse of the Claudius II tetradrachm, by contrast, is neither curved nor resembles multiple bird beaks in any way. I suspect that the idea that he holds an aphlaston may be derived from the fact that Poseidon’s stance on the reverse is immediately evocative of -- and was clearly modeled upon, directly or indirectly -- Neptune’s stance on the reverse of a famous denarius of Sextus Pompey, minted in Sicily in 37-36 BCE (Crawford 511/3a). On that reverse, Neptune’s stance is virtually identical, but he does, in fact, appear to hold an aphlaston or aplustre in his right hand. See this example at  https://www.acsearch.info/image.html?id=3107848:

And this one at https://www.acsearch.info/image.html?id=3511934 :

 

However, just because Neptune holds an aphlaston on the Sextus Pompey coin does not mean that Poseidon holds one on the Claudius II coin: the stance may be almost identical, including the raised right knee and the head looking downwards, but there are other differences, including the fact that Neptune’s right foot rests on a prow rather than a dolphin, and that he holds a chlamys rather than a trident in his left hand.

Nor, I believe, can the object in Poseidon’s right hand on the Claudius II tetradrachm, although straight, be reasonably interpreted as a sword. Swords do not generally have leaves on them, as this object certainly does – as can be seen even more clearly on these other examples illustrated at RPC X Online and on Acsearch:

From RPC X Online (ill. of Milne 4253 [same type as mine with diff. spacing of obv. legend]):

 

From RPC X Online (ill. of Geissen 3045):

From RPC X Online (ill. of BMC 2307):

 

From ACSearch (ill. of  CNG Auction 474, 12 Aug 2020, Lot 308):

I have little doubt that the object held by Poseidon on all these specimens, including mine, is, in fact, some sort of small tree or tree branch; whether it was intended to be laurel or a palm, I cannot be certain.

The closest parallel I have found to this type of Claudius II that was issued by any other emperor in Roman Alexandria is this rare type of Gallienus, Year 15 (Milne 4155, K&G 90.108), sold by CNG in 2019:

 

 

Except for the fact that Poseidon appears to be looking straight ahead rather than downwards, the style and elements of the reverse design appear to be the same as those on the Claudius II type. Although Milne identified the object held by Poseidon on this Gallienus type as a sword and K&G as an aphlaston, CNG identified it as a palm frond, and it appears indisputable to me that, as on the Claudius II type, the object is intended to represent some kind of small tree or branch.

It should be noted that there are other Roman Alexandrian types with reverses showing Poseidon with one knee bent, such as this Year 5 tetradrachm of Antoninus Pius (RPC IV.4 online 13467 [temp.]) depicting Poseidon resting his foot on a prow and holding a trident and small dolphin:

See also this similar Roman Imperial denarius depicting Neptune, issued by Vespasian (RIC II.1 Vespasian 1309):

 

But these types obviously shed no light on the nature of the object held by Poseidon on the Roman Alexandrian coins of Claudius II and Gallienus. Nor does Poseidon’s head face downwards on these types. That particular stance appears to be exclusive to the types of Sextus Pompey and Claudius II -- which is probably why I immediately thought of the Sextus Pompey denarius when I noticed my Claudius II tetradrachm listed in the recent CNG auction.

**See this autobiography of Dr. Beniak printed in the catalog for CNG’s E-Auction 556:

The Dr. Thomas E. Beniak Collection

I was born on July 30, 1947 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin to parents Edward Beniak and Evelyn Stodola Beniak. My childhood and adolescent years were spent in Cudahy, Wisconsin, a suburb of Milwaukee on the shores of Lake Michigan. I attended Cudahy public schools through high school, graduating in June of 1965. Following in the footsteps of my grandfather and father, I matriculated to Marquette University, graduating cum laude with an A.B. degree in psychology in May of 1969. I was fortunate to be accepted into the University of Minnesota’s doctoral training program in Clinical Psychology, beginning my studies in the Twin Cities in September, 1969.

Always a responsible student, college and particularly graduate school left little time if any for the hobbies I had enjoyed beginning in early childhood. Spare time in high school was largely consumed by interscholastic athletics. During college and graduate school, athletics were very limited and purely recreational. In retrospect, it was easy for me to identify a genetic pre-disposition to collect beginning with stamps and then the US coins that could be gleaned from circulation in the 50’s and 60’s. Thanks to the Stamp and Coin Department in Gimbels’s downtown store, occasional exotic foreign coins and perhaps even an ancient coin or two made the journey from New York to downtown Milwaukee and would catch my eye.

Acquiring my first ancient coin and the story behind it remain vivid in my memory. My maternal grandparents grew up on farms near Rice Lake, Wisconsin surrounded by lakes and the north woods. The highlight of each summer was to visit relatives there especially my two great uncles. Otto, the older of the two had enlisted in the Army in 1942 at 44 years of age to prevent his younger brother from being drafted. As fortune would have it, he ended up in a combat engineering outfit and traversed much of North Africa, Sicily, and the entire Italian peninsula. In June of 1959 while looking through Uncle Otto’s penny and dime jars, he blurted out “I think I’ve got a more interesting coin for you from Italy!” It came with an interesting story. His unit was assisting a British combat engineering unit clearing debris near Rome. In doing so, a clay pot was bulldozed spewing coins all over. British soldiers filled their pockets and later shared them with their American comrades and that’s how I got my first ancient coin, a beautiful extra fine sestertius of Phillip I with elephant and mahout reverse. Of course, it took me 13 years and a visit with Harlan Berk at the 1972 Central States Show to find out what it was.

Graduate studies allowed little time for hobbies. My academic interests and professional goals drifted away from traditional clinical psychology toward a relatively new subspecialty, clinical neuropsychology. Concerns over personality disorders and psychopathology were set aside and neurological disorders/patients became my focus along with how to evaluate the cognitive effects and deficits of same. Upon completion of my doctorate, I accepted a staff position at the University of Minnesota Medical Center and remained there for 10 years, working primarily with epilepsy patients, especially surgical candidates. In April of 1987, I continued this work in private practice. I also developed an active forensic neuropsychology practice which grew considerably after retiring from the university in 2015. Complete retirement essentially came on the heels of the COVID epidemic.

Despite working many long hours at my profession, I always found time to return to and indulge in my earlier passions including a love of history, classics (fostered by my father), and of course numismatics which now focused entirely on ancient coins.

Family life was also very important to me. In August of this year, my wife, Judith and I celebrated our 51st wedding anniversary. Originally trained as a nurse, Judith retired in 2017 after a long and very productive career at the University of Minnesota Academic Health Center. Her work there ranged from staff RN on the organ transplant service to the founding director of the Health Careers Center. Judith helped lead this innovative center recruiting and coaching pre-health students in their exploration of health careers for 15 years. We have two children, Alexander and Larissa. Alexander is involved in security technologies and Larissa is a medical social worker.

My return to active coin collecting, especially ancients, dates to 1972 at which time Greek silver and Roman denarii and sesterces were the focus. As of November 1984 and owning only one billon tetradrachm, I initiated the pursuit of all things Roman Egypt, this quest lasting to the present. My efforts have provided me with enormous enjoyment, satisfaction, and a wealth of knowledge. Along the way, I have also made countless friends from the ranks of both dealers and fellow collectors. Ongoing involvement in the Twin Cities Ancient Coin Club since 1974 has also contributed significantly. All have played an important role in building my collection and most importantly enjoying it. Thanks to you all. 

I LOVED THIS!!! This should have been is own post!

What an excellent coin and behind the scenes/getting to know Donna and very cool story about your Uncle Otto and first ancient! 

About the coin, at first I thought it was some kind of strange Poseidon/Zeus hybrid holding a trident and thunderbolt. But agree on the likelihood of it being an aphlaston/aplustre.  

Here's my busted Magnus:

Sextus Pompeius. Denarius, Sicily circa 42-40, AR 19.6 mm, 3.19 g. MAG·PIVS·IMP·ITER Head of Cn. Pompeius Magnus r.; behind, jug and before, lituus. Rev. PRAEF Neptune standing l., r. foot on prow, holding aplustre; on either side one of the Catanaean brothers carrying his father on his shoulder. In exergue, CLAS·ET·ORæ / [MARIT·EX·S·C]. Syd. 1344. B. Pompeia 27. C 17. Cr. 511/3a. Very rare. Struck on large flan. F-VF Purchased from GN Damian Marciniak October 2021 

Edited March 1 by Ryro

[DonnaML]

2 minutes ago, Ryro said:

I LOVED THIS!!! This should have been is own post!

What an excellent coin and behind the scenes/getting to know Donna and Betty cool story about your Uncle Otto and first ancient! 

About the coin, at first I thought it was some kind of strange Poseidon/Zeus hybrid holding a trident and thunderbolt. But agree on the likelihood of it being an aphlaston/aplustre.  

Here's my busted Magnus:

Sextus Pompeius. Denarius, Sicily circa 42-40, AR 19.6 mm, 3.19 g. MAG·PIVS·IMP·ITER Head of Cn. Pompeius Magnus r.; behind, jug and before, lituus. Rev. PRAEF Neptune standing l., r. foot on prow, holding aplustre; on either side one of the Catanaean brothers carrying his father on his shoulder. In exergue, CLAS·ET·ORæ / [MARIT·EX·S·C]. Syd. 1344. B. Pompeia 27. C 17. Cr. 511/3a. Very rare. Struck on large flan. F-VF Purchased from GN Damian Marciniak October 2021 

Thanks -- but who's Betty?

[Ryro]

Just now, DonnaML said:

Thanks -- but who's Betty?

Lol. Typo. *VERY

[DonnaML]

3 minutes ago, Ryro said:

Lol. Typo. *VERY

But not my Uncle Otto. Dr. Beniak's Uncle Otto! My only uncle was my Uncle John. Who was in WW2, but found no ancient coins AFAIK.

[DonnaML]

For the sake of completeness, this is the only other Roman Imperial "prototype" for the design that I've been able to find, besides the Vespasian type posted above. Like the Vespasian, it shows Neptune with knee bent, foot resting on a prow, holding a dolphin and trident. Thus, it sheds no light on the identity of the object held by Poseidon on the Claudius II tetradrachm that I recently purchased. Not that I really have any doubt that the traditional identifications as a sword or aphlaston were incorrect!

RIC II, Part 3 (second edition) Hadrian 588-589 (sold for $24,000 in 2011):

The same design was also issued by Hadrian as a denarius and a sestertius (RIC II.3 Hadrian 789-790 & 806 et seq.).

[AETHER]

So I completed a new years resolution coin.. it's got issues, but for the price l, i pulled the trigger. The dealer said it was Pella mint, and dated lifetime it looks like, but no reference was added, can anyone tell me if this is correctly a lifetime from pella? 

 

 

[CPK]

1 hour ago, AETHER said:

So I completed a new years resolution coin.. it's got issues, but for the price l, i pulled the trigger. The dealer said it was Pella mint, and dated lifetime it looks like, but no reference was added, can anyone tell me if this is correctly a lifetime from pella? 

 

 

I'm glad you bought that one...because it keeps me from spending the money on it! I saw that as well and thought it was a shockingly good deal coming from that particular dealer. Congrats on the acquisition! It is a handsome coin despite the wear.

[Furryfrog02]

1 new Victory and one new portrait this week:

I don't normally buy denarii because they tend to be out of my budget. This one was within my budget, probably due to the issues on the obverse. I'm not too concerned though because I bought for the reverse.

Vespasian
AR Denarius
Struck 75 AD
Obverse: IMP CAESAR VESPASIANVS AVG, laureate head right
Reverse: PON MAX TR P COS VI, Victory standing left on cista mystica, holding palm and wreath; serpent to either side

 

The other was a new portrait. I am missing many women of Rome. They tend to be fewer and farther between to find in a condition that I can afford. Luckily, I was able to afford this dupondius of Antonia, daughter of Mark Antony and Augustus' sister Octavia, as well as mother of future Roman Emperor Claudius.

Antonia
Struck 50-54 AD
Æ Dupondius
Obverse: ANTONIA AVGVSTA, draped bust right
Reverse: TI CLAVDIVS CAESAR AVG P M TR P IMP S-C, Claudius, togate, standing left, holding simpulum