Dig for gold, dig for fame --- first gold coin added

[ambr0zie]

As an ancient coin collector for almost 4 years and a modern coins collector for 10-12, I always had the idea of owning a gold coin. For moderns this was never an option as the gold coins that would fit my collection are too expensive for my wallet and the ones I could afford are not interesting for me. 

Of course, when swithching to ancients the same goal was there. Not a major goal, but still something I wanted. 

I knew I had some options but each of them had their disadvantages:

1. (bending the rules) - an electrum fraction. I had a few attempts but failed. The ones that were in my reach (but still expensive) were too simple in design, and on some occasions - extremely simple and worn. I did not feel that the financial effort is justified 
2. Greek gold - not an option because of price. 
3. Roman Imperial gold - same as 2.
Last option was a Byzantine gold as I am only interested in these cultures. But since I am not a Byzantine collector, the goal was an early Byzantine coin, with the design close to the Roman coinage. 

And I managed to acquire this coin:

15 mm, 1,48 g.
Byzantine Empire. Anastasius I 491-518. AV tremissis. Constantinople.
D N ANASTA-SIVS P P AVG, diademed, draped and cuirassed bust of Anastasius I right / VICTORIA AVGVSTORVM / CONOB, Victory advancing to right, her head turned to left, holding wreath in her right hand and cross set on globe in her left; in field to right, star.
DOC 10a; Sear 8.
 

Quite happy (and a little overwhelmed) with it. The details are pretty much there, even if the decay of the artistry is very visible. The coin is a little bent, but this is expected for a thin gold coin. 

The only thing that confuses me a little is if the coin is an official issue or a Germanic tribe? I am simply not skilled enough with these and the style looks pretty official to me (from an amateur point of view), but the double strike (which I consider a plus) makes me wonder. 

Looking forward to opinions and newly acquired gold coins, that would probably put mine to shame. 

Edited April 29 by ambr0zie
grammar, spelling, OCD

[Rand]

Congratulations on a nice coin from the epoch-changing period!

It is official, from Constantinople. Their artistic die quality fluctuates during the period, and yours is a good one. Below is a variety that deviates further from the 'typical' officials - the only reverse die with Victoria's wing covering Globus Cruciger (as far as I could find).

It would be good to know the provenance of your tremissis.

 

Roma Numismatics Limited. The Byzantine Collection. 18/07/2023

[CPK]

Great first gold @ambr0zie! Byzantine gold is about as affordable as you can get, and they're chock full of history and interest. I don't know enough to comment on the official vs. Germanic issue, but it's a very nice specimen either way, with great detail!

[Hrefn]

I agree this appears to be an official imperial issue.  

I will caution you that gold coins can exert a peculiar attraction.  

[JAZ Numismatics]

Awesome! First gold ancient coin = second greatest feeling in life. 😇

[Nerosmyfavorite68]

That's a great milestone and a nice example!

I'm also a budget collector, and I've been scooping up budget gold coins lately.

[Nerosmyfavorite68]

There is something really satisfying about 24k gold.

I have only two tremissises (what's the plural?); Johannes & a decrepit Justinian. 

[AussieCollector]

Congrats on the coin! I love ERE coins, mainly for what they represent in history.

Re your coin, it is either a splendid Germanic imitation or a good example of falling standards.

[Hrefn]

2 hours ago, Nerosmyfavorite68 said:

There is something really satisfying about 24k gold.

I have only two tremissises (what's the plural?); Johannes & a decrepit Justinian. 

Plural of tremissis is tremisses.  I am no linguist but the word seems to follow the same rule as analysis, analyses;  or emphasis, emphases; crisis, crises.  It is an unusual plural form in English, but in fact there are many words which form the plural in this fashion.  A quick survey suggests they are all derived from Greek, and although tremissis looks Latin to me, it too is derived from a Greek term.   

[panzerman]

Good addition/ hope you add many/ many more😇

 

This was my first ever ancient coin/ from NFA in 1985

AV Solidus ND

Treveri Mint Constans I

and the last one

[Alegandron]

AWESOME, @ambr0zie.  Gold is always good!

 

 

[Alegandron]

On 4/29/2024 at 8:35 AM, JAZ Numismatics said:

Awesome! First gold ancient coin = second greatest feeling in life. 😇

LOL, ...  WHAT could POSSIBLY be better than GOLD???  😄

[JeandAcre]

This will inevitably be a repost; why I was holding back on posting it.  But this is my first coin apart from cheap, small, and sometimes electrum fractional dinars from Apulia, Sicily and Andalusian Iberia, c.10th -11th centuries CE.  I was thinking that a first gold coin of any more heft than that would have to be of optimal historical significance (...for me).  Along with an initially successful invasion of western Yemen, Kaleb continued Aksum's lucrative trade with South Asia, and had diplomatic relations with Justinian I, at a time when Aksum was considered a major power in the broader eastern Mediterranean world.

Aksum /Axum.  Kaleb, fl. 520-530.  AV, loosely based on the tremisis.  (...Going back to the later 3rd c. CE, when the Greek legends were also much more consistent.  The degradation of the Greek here coincides with the ongoing use of Latin on Byzantine coins.  I doubt that's purely coincidental.)

Obv.  Kaleb crowned, holding what Munro-Hay calls a 'short stick;' two wheat stalks and inner border around.  

(At top:) Ge'ez rendering of 'Kaleb,' in three letters (KLB); called a 'monogram,' but conforming to traditionally unvowelled Afro-semitic practice, apart from being conjoined.

Retrograde Greek, from 4 o'clock: BACILEVS.

Rev.  Kaleb wearing a headcloth.  More retrograde Greek, translated as 'Son of Thezana.'  (Cf. Ezana, the first Christian king of Aksum.)

Munro-Hay Type 95; Hahn, cf. esp. 354.  (Several relatively minor variations.)

 

Edited April 30 by JeandAcre

[ambr0zie]

Question for the specialists in gold coins of this period - and I see we have some - is the double strike a normal phenomenon? This was the main feature that made me wonder if this is a Germanic imitation or an official issue. It is very visible on the reverse, with 2 separate dotted borders and the legend over the exergue. 

[Rand]

Double strikes are not uncommon on official coins of Anastasius and most of the Byzantine period.

A picture of some official die duplicates (triplicates) I have that include a double strike.

[ambr0zie]

Thank you very much. For me the double strike was an attractive feature and an extra temptation. 

[John Conduitt]

My first gold. I actually decided not to collect gold, but sometimes it's all that's available.

Magnus Maximus Solidus, 383-388

Augusta/London. Gold, 21mm, 4.59g, 6h. Rosette-diademed, draped and cuirassed bust of Magnus Maximus right, seen from front; D N MAG MA-XIMVS P F AVG. Magnus Maximus and Theodosius I seated facing on double throne, jointly holding globe between them; half-length figure of Victory above facing between, vertical palm branch under throne; VICTOR-IA AVGG; AVGOB in exergue (RIC IX, 2b; Biaggi 2312 (this coin)). Ex Leo Biaggi de Blasys. NGC #6057866-002. A double die match for this coin in the British Museum.

[Alegandron]

New RULE for Mr Goldfinger, Herr @panzerman :  He can ONLY post NON-GOLD ancient coins.  😄 😄 😄 

LOL, one of my favorite scenes:

 

Here is one of mine (repeat from an earlier post)

Carthage - Zeugitana
AV 1/10th Stater-Shekel
350-320 BCE
0.94g 7.5mm
Palm-
Horse Head
SNG COP 132

[DonnaML]

2 hours ago, John Conduitt said:

My first gold. I actually decided not to collect gold, but sometimes it's all that's available.
 

I'm sure it was a painful compromise to have to admit an ancient gold coin to your collection!

[ambr0zie]

6 hours ago, John Conduitt said:

My first gold. I actually decided not to collect gold, but sometimes it's all that's available.

Magnus Maximus Solidus, 383-388

Augusta/London. Gold, 21mm, 4.59g, 6h. Rosette-diademed, draped and cuirassed bust of Magnus Maximus right, seen from front; D N MAG MA-XIMVS P F AVG. Magnus Maximus and Theodosius I seated facing on double throne, jointly holding globe between them; half-length figure of Victory above facing between, vertical palm branch under throne; VICTOR-IA AVGG; AVGOB in exergue (RIC IX, 2b; Biaggi 2312 (this coin)). Ex Leo Biaggi de Blasys. NGC #6057866-002. A double die match for this coin in the British Museum.

If you decided not to collect gold, this coin doesn't fit your collection. I can accept it as a friendly gesture, without any extra cost from your side as I am a decent person. 

[John Conduitt]

5 hours ago, DonnaML said:

I'm sure it was a painful compromise to have to admit an ancient gold coin to your collection!

For my wallet, yes 🤣 But the only silver from Augusta is in the British Museum.

[John Conduitt]

On 5/1/2024 at 4:00 AM, DonnaML said:

I'm sure it was a painful compromise to have to admit an ancient gold coin to your collection!

It's a little less painful still now that someone paid £31,000 for one that's a double-die match. I definitely wouldn't have been in the running for that.

[voulgaroktonou]

On 4/30/2024 at 5:22 PM, Alegandron said:

LOL, ...  WHAT could POSSIBLY be better than GOLD???  😄

My answer: a Corgi, or any beloved dog! (We have four). 😄

[Alegandron]

28 minutes ago, voulgaroktonou said:

My answer: a Corgi, or any beloved dog! (We have four). 😄

AWESOME ANSWER! I agree!  😄 

Perhaps that is why I have a GOLD colored Welsh Pembroke / Mini Australian Shepherd mix (yeah, she doesn't show the Aussie unless you look into her eyes. ) 

I usually had multiple dogs (up to 5 at a time), for many years.  Just one this time... X-Corgis are wonderful dogs...  I reckon mine is an "Augie", but you cannot really tell

 

 

Edited May 9 by Alegandron

[JeandAcre]

Sadly enough, I no longer live with dogs.  But in the apartment building, just over the past week, I've run into one a couple of times, with her human mom.  Wish there were any pics; she's a Border Collie puppy.  Thank you, Border Collies verge on being as smart as they make 'em.  And she likes me a Lot.  I think she can smell 'Likes Dogs.'  This second time, I asked Mom what her name was.  It was Zora.  'As in, Neale Hurston?'  Yep.  That part was fun, too.