Post your latest ancient!

[CPK]

@Victrix Well done!

[Valentinian]

11 hours ago, Qcumbor said:

My latest ancient is an alexandrian tetradrachm for Severus alexander

I have a webpage on that issue:
http://augustuscoins.com/ed/SevAlex/
"Year 5 (AD 225/6) is particularly interesting because there are Alexandrian year 5 coins for Severus Alexander from two different years and two different mints. Read on to find out how that can be."

[Orange Julius]

5 hours ago, Victrix said:

Bought this encrusted Gallienus ant for a cleaning project. First time I attempted to clean a coin and the result is quite good 😄. 

Wow! How’d you clean it. It looks great!

[Qcumbor]

8 hours ago, Valentinian said:

I have a webpage on that issue:
http://augustuscoins.com/ed/SevAlex/
"Year 5 (AD 225/6) is particularly interesting because there are Alexandrian year 5 coins for Severus Alexander from two different years and two different mints. Read on to find out how that can be."

Thanks. I didn't know that. Very interesting

Q

[Victrix]

5 hours ago, Orange Julius said:

Wow! How’d you clean it. It looks great!

Toothpick,needle and lemon juice. Thanks 😃.

[Sulla80]

11 hours ago, Victrix said:

Bought this encrusted Gallienus ant for a cleaning project. First time I attempted to clean a coin and the result is quite good 😄. 

I would call that amazing - well done.  not "over-cleaned", "scraped", ""brushed", looks very nice from your photo!

[Homer2]

I picked up a nice Publius Satrienus Denarius today from the local guy at the Flohmarkt. Nice details on the She-wolf.

I have the Harlan, which dates this to 73BC where the other sources list it as 77BC. Also some debate on if it is Roma on the obv. or Mars, as was indicated by the dealer and in Harlan.

P. Satrienus, 77 BC. Denarius (Silver, 18 mm, 3.69 g), Rome. Helmeted head of Roma (Mars?)to right; behind, ⊥XXXVIII. Rev. ROMA / P SATRIE/NVS She-wolf advancing left, raising her right forepaw.

Crawford 388/1b. RBW 1422 var. Sydenham 781a.

 

Edited April 6 by Homer2
added image

[wuntbedruv]

This was advertised on a popular online auction site with blurry pictures obviously taken by some sort of root vegetable. The total cost with postage was about $7.50 (converting from sterling). It gave me the run-around for a while but appears to be a quite scarce variant with these mint controls, most lack them totally. I was able to find two others of this variant sold.

https://www.acsearch.info/search.html?id=1049024

https://www.acsearch.info/search.html?id=136037

Epirus, autonomous coinage struck at the colony of Ambrakia c. 238-168 BC, AE21. Obverse: bust of Apollo right with wreath. Reverse: Zeus right with lightning bolt and aegis, flanked by ethnic A M B P, mint control monogram to left. SNG Cop 31 var (monogram/mint control). 

[Sulla80]

PAMPHYLIA. Perge. Trebonianus Gallus, 251-253. Diassarion (Bronze, 21 mm, 5.79 g, 11 h). ΑΥ•Κ Γ•ΟΥЄΙ•ΤΡЄ•ΓΑΛΛΟΝ Laureate, draped and cuirassed bust of Trebonianus Gallus to right, seen from behind; below, globe. Rev. ΠЄPΓAIΩN Three-legged chest with folding doors, with three money purses upon it. RPC IX 1119. SNG von Aulock 4714.

 

[Nerosmyfavorite68]

My latest snacks arrived. The Philip looks a lot more attractive in person; less pock-marked on the face.  I purchased the Nisibis coin for the blue encrustation.  Not bad for $26.

Philip I AE28 Commagene, Zeugma. Tetrastyle temple with statue of Zeus 

 

AYTOK K M IOYΛI ΦIΛIΠΠOC CEB, laureate, draped and cuirassed bust r.,

 

Rv. Tetrastyle temple with statue of Zeus seated, holding sceptre peribolos below containing grove below, capricorn leaping right. ZεYΓM - ATεΩN.

 

SNG Cop. 32.  AD 244-249.  14.93g.

 

 

Philip II AE25 Nisibis, Mesopotamia.  Tyche in tetrastyle temple

 

Obv: Radiate and cuirassed bust left. AYTOK K M IOYΛI ΦIΛIΠΠOC CЄB.

 

Rev: Tyche seated facing; above, ram leaping right, head left; all within tetrastyle temple.  Below, River-god swimming right.  IOY CЄΠ KOΛΩ NЄCIBI MHT.  Find encrustation remains and can be carefully cleaned off or left as is.

 

SNG Copenhagen 240.  247-249 AD.

 

[Nerosmyfavorite68]

I wonder what the blue is?  A bunch of them had it, a factor which made me found the offerings more interesting. Other people evidently disagreed, as they've been sitting around for quite a while.

[zanzi]

42 minutes ago, Nerosmyfavorite68 said:

I wonder what the blue is?  A bunch of them had it, a factor which made me found the offerings more interesting. Other people evidently disagreed, as they've been sitting around for quite a while.

Azurite, I think.

[catadc]

 

@ela126 When I decided not to bid on that coin, it was because the year was not visible. Here's mine and more info: 

 

[ela126]

31 minutes ago, catadc said:

 

@ela126 When I decided not to bid on that coin, it was because the year was not visible. Here's mine and more info: 

 

very nice examples you have there, thank you for sharing. 

A little regretable my new piece doesn't contain the date, i bid on it as somewhat of a snack and was a bit surprised to see it closed where it did, so i can be happy with it. Do you agree with my assumption it might be a year 5 (or i guess if its a G it's year 6)?

[catadc]

14 hours ago, ela126 said:

very nice examples you have there, thank you for sharing. 

A little regretable my new piece doesn't contain the date, i bid on it as somewhat of a snack and was a bit surprised to see it closed where it did, so i can be happy with it. Do you agree with my assumption it might be a year 5 (or i guess if its a G it's year 6)?

The 30 nummi of Phocas are known with years 4 (II II), 6 (G) and 7 (GI) from Constantinople, 5 (V) and 6 (VI) from Nicomedia, and 6 (G) and 8 (GII) from Cyzicus. As you can see, there are some gaps, so theoretically can be something else than year 6. For CONB I've seen only year 6 (G). 

[DonnaML]

I don't usually buy additional denarii of the Severan royal women these days, but I liked the portrait on this one, and hadn't previously run across an example of Felicitas holding a caduceus:

Julia Mamaea (mother of Severus Alexander), AR Denarius, AD 228, Rome Mint. Obv. Draped bust right wearing diadem (or stephane), IVLIA MA-MAEA AVG/ Rev. Felicitas standing front, head to left, legs crossed, resting left elbow on column and holding long caduceus* transversely in right hand, FELICI-TAS PVBLICA. RIC IV-2 335, RSC III Julia Mamaea 17 (ill. p. 148), Sear RCV II 8209 (ill. p. 678), BMCRE VI (Severus Alexander) 483. 20 mm., 2.64 g. Purchased 8 Mar 2024 from Gert Boersma Ancient Coins, Hasselt, Netherlands.

 

*See John Melville Jones, A Dictionary of Ancient Roman Coins (London, Seaby, 1999) at p. 166 (entry for “Felicitas”), explaining that Felicitas signified “joy” in the sense of the proseperity and success of the Roman state. The formulation “Felicitas Publica” emphasizes that aspect. See also id p. 43 (entry for “Caduceus”), noting that the caduceus “often … appears as an attribute of . . . personifications suggesting peace, stability, and concert,” including Felicitas.

Here is my only other Julia Mamaea  coin.  Not bad by any standard, but I thought the new one was sufficiently interesting to buy it.

Julia Mamaea (mother of Severus Alexander), AR Denarius, AD 231, Rome Mint. Obv. Draped bust right wearing diadem (or stephane), IVLIA MA-MAEA AVG/ Rev. Venus stdg. front, head left, holding helmet & scepter, shield leans against her at left. VENVS V-ICTRIX. RIC IV-2 358, RSC III Julia Mamaea 76 (ill.), Sear RCV II 8216 (ill. p. 679), BMCRE VI (Severus Alexander) 713. 20.5 mm., 2.88 g. Purchased 13 April 2018 from Sphinx Numismatics, Markham ON Canada.

[CPK]

Going with @DonnaML's theme of appealing portrait coins, here is one of my latest purchases - a scarce denarius of Geta as Augustus, complete with a very fine mature portrait. He really looks like a younger version of his dad on this coin!

GETA as Augustus, AD 209-211
AR Denarius (19.14mm, 3.39g, 7h)
Struck AD 211. Rome mint
Obverse: P SEPT GETA PIVS AVG BRIT, laureate and bearded bust of Geta right
Reverse: TR P II-I COS II P P, Providentia (?), standing facing, head left, holding torch in right hand and globe in left
References: RIC IV 81 (S), RCV 7252
Lightly toned. A scarce type, featuring an outstanding mature portrait of the ill-fated young Augustus.

 

[ambr0zie]

Yes, @CPK, adding a Geta as Augustus is a good milestone. Congratulations! 

What is interesting and a piece of puzzle to understand the rivalry between the two brothers - apparently Geta wanted to be seen as the true successor of Seprimius Severus as there are a lot of portraits where the ressemblance is very straight forward - 

(not my coin)

Speaking of appealing portrait, I bought this one as I really like the portrait (and the bust type) + a reverse with a proud Mars 

21 mm, 3,56 g.
Probus 276-282 AD. Æ Antoninianus. Siscia.
IMP C M AVR PROBVS P F AVG, bust of Probus, radiate, cuirassed, left, with spear and shield / VIRTVS PROBI AVG, Mars, helmeted, walking right, holding spear in right hand and trophy in left hand. Mintmark: -/P//XXI.
RIC V Probus 810.

[Salomons Cat]

Octavian, 44-27 BC. Denarius , 3.64g, uncertain mint in Italy (Rome?), autumn 31-summer 30.
Obv: Bare head of Octavian to left. 
Rev: CAESAR - DIVI•F Victory standing to left on globe, holding wreath in her right hand and palm frond in her left.
BMC 603. Cohen 64. CRI 407. RIC 254b.

I found myself admiring this specimen during the previous Leu auction, harboring a faint hope that I might be able to acquire it. But, no... it ultimately hammered for around $4400 (incl. fees). Impossible.
That's why I opted for this alternative, with a price of $700. In hand, it has a very attractive appearance with a striking high relief. The surface corrosion is much more visible on the photo than in hand.

[ambr0zie]

Beautiful coin, @Salomons Cat. The price difference is not justified in my opinion. 

[John Conduitt]

4 hours ago, Salomons Cat said:

Octavian, 44-27 BC. Denarius , 3.64g, uncertain mint in Italy (Rome?), autumn 31-summer 30.
Obv: Bare head of Octavian to left. 
Rev: CAESAR - DIVI•F Victory standing to left on globe, holding wreath in her right hand and palm frond in her left.
BMC 603. Cohen 64. CRI 407. RIC 254b.

I found myself admiring this specimen during the previous Leu auction, harboring a faint hope that I might be able to acquire it. But, no... it ultimately hammered for around $4400 (incl. fees). Impossible.
That's why I opted for this alternative, with a price of $700. In hand, it has a very attractive appearance with a striking high relief. The surface corrosion is much more visible on the photo than in hand.

Small differences cause an exponential increase in the price. That's what happens in a hobby that the rich enjoy, since you have to go very high before they care that they are overpaying. Luckily, they leave a lot of slightly less perfect examples for the rest of us.

[Victrix]

A minty Marcus Aurelius upgrade. 

Marcus Aurelius, (A.D. 161-180), silver denarius, Rome Mint, issued A.D. 172-3, (3.17 g), obv. laureate head of Marcus Aurelius to right, around M ANTONINVS AVG TR P XXVII, rev. around IMP VI COS III, German captive seated right at foot of trophy, shield behind, (cf.S.4911, RIC 278, RSC 297). Nearly extremely fine - extremely fine and scarce.

Ex Dr Hugh Preston Collection.

Previously Harlan Berk August 1997, lot 358.

[JAZ Numismatics]

A scarce sestertius of Septimius Severus, Roma seated...

[KenDorney]

Working on a collection of Roman ladies and their hairstyles, just picked up some of the easiest for far (trying to get decent EF if possible).  

[CPK]

18 minutes ago, KenDorney said:

Working on a collection of Roman ladies and their hairstyles, just picked up some of the easiest for far (trying to get decent EF if possible).  

I'd say you're off to a fantastic start! I especially like the Faustina coins. I have one coming that I'm pretty excited about.