CPK Posted May 9 · Supporter Share Posted May 9 No, it won't be mistaken for a coin from the Dioscuri Collection...but it's a significant upgrade for me. 😉 My first Galba denarius looked like it had been cleaned with a belt sander. The portrait was recognizable and you could make out the ghost of an obverse legend, but that was it, and the reverse was worn nearly completely smooth and only barely identifiable. Hey, it was inexpensive. This one has a much nicer portrait, full obverse legend, and while the reverse is rather more worn, it's still way better than my first. An interesting bonus is that this type - with the left-facing portrait - is extremely rare, rated R3 in RIC Volume I. (Thank you once again @Ocatarinetabellatchitchix for looking that up for me!) I was able to find only 7 or 8 other specimens across all online archives that I know of - ACSearch, FORVM, dealers, museum collections, etc. Just for fun I figured out that the series was struck with at least 3 different obverse dies, and that my coin's obverse die was also used to strike SALVS GEN HVMANI and CONCORDIA PROVINCIARVM reverse types. Anyway, thanks for looking! GALBA, AD 68-69 AR Denarius (18.92mm, 3.37g, 6h) Struck Oct.-Nov., AD 68. Rome mint Obverse: IMP SER GALBA CAESAR AVG, laureate head of Galba left Reverse: VIR-TVS, Virtus standing facing, holding parazonium in right hand and vertical spear in left References: RIC I 219 (R3), RCV - Lightly toned. An extremely rare type, known from only a handful of specimens. 27 1 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AETHER Posted May 9 · Member Share Posted May 9 It looks fantastic! And type left portrait. 2 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JeandAcre Posted May 9 · Member Share Posted May 9 @CPK, I've got to vicariously revel in your sheer joy at this. The obverse, with the unmistakable profile and the, YOW, 'GALBA CAESAR' legend --leaping in your face like the family dog, if you were the first one to get home-- defies the upper spectrum of the Cool-O-Meter. You defintely were Owed this! Congratulations. 8 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Atherton Posted May 9 · Member Share Posted May 9 4 hours ago, CPK said: No, it won't be mistaken for a coin from the Dioscuri Collection...but it's a significant upgrade for me. 😉 My first Galba denarius looked like it had been cleaned with a belt sander. The portrait was recognizable and you could make out the ghost of an obverse legend, but that was it, and the reverse was worn nearly completely smooth and only barely identifiable. Hey, it was inexpensive. This one has a much nicer portrait, full obverse legend, and while the reverse is rather more worn, it's still way better than my first. An interesting bonus is that this type - with the left-facing portrait - is extremely rare, rated R3 in RIC Volume I. (Thank you once again @Ocatarinetabellatchitchix for looking that up for me!) I was able to find only 7 or 8 other specimens across all online archives that I know of - ACSearch, FORVM, dealers, museum collections, etc. Just for fun I figured out that the series was struck with at least 3 different obverse dies, and that my coin's obverse die was also used to strike SALVS GEN HVMANI and CONCORDIA PROVINCIARVM reverse types. Anyway, thanks for looking! GALBA, AD 68-69 AR Denarius (18.92mm, 3.37g, 6h) Struck Oct.-Nov., AD 68. Rome mint Obverse: IMP SER GALBA CAESAR AVG, laureate head of Galba left Reverse: VIR-TVS, Virtus standing facing, holding parazonium in right hand and vertical spear in left References: RIC I 219 (R3), RCV - Lightly toned. An extremely rare type, known from only a handful of specimens. Nice surfaces are often underappreciated, but when you find such a coin it makes all the difference, regardless of wear. You did very well. Congrats! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Limes Posted May 9 · Supporter Share Posted May 9 Thats a fantastic coin @CPK! Left facing, the typical Galba portrait and his name is fully legible. Well done! Here is my first Galba denarius. I still really like this coin with it's action packed reverse and great Galba portrait (even though its also not a coin worthy of the Dioscuri collection 😁) 12 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Original Skin Coins Posted May 9 · Member Share Posted May 9 Oh hey - I recognize that coin! I originally found that in a Leu bulk lot - their lot photo only showed the reverse, so it was a pleasant surprise when it arrived. Glad it found its permanent home in your collection. 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CPK Posted May 9 · Supporter Author Share Posted May 9 Thanks everyone! 9 hours ago, Limes said: Thats a fantastic coin @CPK! Left facing, the typical Galba portrait and his name is fully legible. Well done! Here is my first Galba denarius. I still really like this coin with it's action packed reverse and great Galba portrait (even though its also not a coin worthy of the Dioscuri collection 😁) Thanks! That's a great coin with an unusual reverse design. One interesting thing I learned while researching my coin is how the different obverse legends are used to date the coins. I believe both Sear and RIC would place your coin, with its complete legend ending in "P M" among the very last of Galba's issues. 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nerosmyfavorite68 Posted May 10 · Member Share Posted May 10 I don't know how I missed this one - perhaps that's when the server went down. It's certainly an example worthy of excitement! I have a couple or three Galbas, but they're all low-grade sestertii. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GERMANICVS Posted May 10 · Member Share Posted May 10 That is quite a nice denarius of Galba with an expressive portrait of the emperor. Galba's portraits seem to vary widely, whether they from the Rome mint, or from a Spanish mint. I find the variations in his portraits greater than for other Emperors of that era. Left facing is another nice bonus. Congratulations! 3 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anaximander Posted May 10 · Member Share Posted May 10 Here's my first Galba -I have one other, but it lacks that "expressive portrait," to borrow @GERMANICVS term. This has a lot of wear, if not a belt sander finish, coming early in my Roman collecting efforts. I've heard said (probably by Mike Markowitz) that the portrait is everything for Roman coins. Yes, an overstatement and oversimplification, but it has a ring of truth. 7 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Finn235 Posted May 10 · Member Share Posted May 10 Superb example! Mine is a right-facing portrait, but same reverse - possibly even a die match - I can't quite tell. Pulled this one out of a Naumann lot of "better" type coins a number of years ago. 8 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benefactor DonnaML Posted May 11 · Benefactor Benefactor Share Posted May 11 (edited) Congratulations, @CPK. Here's my only Galba denarius. I really like the portrait. Galba AR Denarius, Aug-Oct 68 AD Rome Mint. Obv. Bare head right, IMP SER GALBA AVG / Rev. S P Q R/ O • B/ C S [OB CS = OB CIVES SERVATOS (For Saving the Citizens)] in three lines within oak wreath. RIC I 167, RSC II 287, Sear RCV I 2109 (ill.). 18.33 mm., 3.29 g. Purchased from Marc R. Breitsprecher, April 7, 2020. Edited May 11 by DonnaML 7 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lordmarcovan Posted May 11 · Member Share Posted May 11 (edited) Very wholesome looking example, @CPK! Nice portrait, decent centering, and Galba's name is well placed on the flan. I recently added Galba to my Twelve Caesars set, with this middling example from Ritter. Edited May 11 by lordmarcovan 6 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GERMANICVS Posted May 11 · Member Share Posted May 11 These are the Galba denarii in my collection. I am posting these just to compare the wide range of bust styles found in Galba's denarii. See how much they vary. @CPK 's new denarius and also that posted by @Limes are specially distinct, in my opinion. 6 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CPK Posted May 11 · Supporter Author Share Posted May 11 Thank you everyone! It really is interesting seeing the wide variety of Galba portraits - makes me wonder what the man really looked like. 🙂 17 hours ago, Finn235 said: Superb example! Mine is a right-facing portrait, but same reverse - possibly even a die match - I can't quite tell. Pulled this one out of a Naumann lot of "better" type coins a number of years ago. It is indeed a reverse die match. Nice coin! 9 hours ago, DonnaML said: Congratulations, @CPK. Here's my only Galba denarius. I really like the portrait. Galba AR Denarius, Aug-Oct 68 AD Rome Mint. Obv. Bare head right, IMP SER GALBA AVG / Rev. S P Q R/ O • B/ C S [OB CS = OB CIVES SERVATOS (For Saving the Citizens)] in three lines within oak wreath. RIC I 167, RSC II 287, Sear RCV I 2109 (ill.). 18.33 mm., 3.29 g. Purchased from Marc R. Breitsprecher, April 7, 2020. That's a very solid, mid-reign portrait - a beautiful coin! 5 hours ago, lordmarcovan said: Very wholesome looking example, @CPK! Nice portrait, decent centering, and Galba's name is well placed on the flan. I recently added Galba to my Twelve Caesars set, with this middling example from Ritter. Nicely styled portrait and an interesting reverse type, too! 👍 40 minutes ago, GERMANICVS said: These are the Galba denarii in my collection. I am posting these just to compare the wide range of bust styles found in Galba's denarii. See how much they vary. @CPK 's new denarius and also that posted by @Limes are specially distinct, in my opinion. Wow that does illustrate the variety! The top and bottom portraits remind me more of the standard Roman style, whereas the middle portrait is quite distinctive and individual. Thanks for posting! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alegandron Posted May 15 · Supporter Share Posted May 15 Nice job @CPK. Looks great. I do not have a Galba Denarius, rather a Quinarius and a ruddy Sestertius... RI GALBA 68-69 BCE AR Quinarius Lugdunum mint laureate r Victory globe stdng left 15mm 1.5g RIC 131 scarce RI Galba AE Sestertius 69 CE SPQR - O.B - CIV.SER in Wreath 5 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrMonkeySwag96 Posted May 15 · Member Share Posted May 15 (edited) Galba. 68-69 AD. AR Denarius (19mm; 2.84 gm; 6h). Rome mint. Struck August-October 68 AD. Obv: IMP SER GALBA AVG, bare head right. Rev: SPQR/OB/CS in three lines within oak-wreath. RIC I 167; RSC 287. Lightly toned. Flan flaws and a few obverse light scratches. Edited May 15 by MrMonkeySwag96 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Victrix Posted May 17 · Member Share Posted May 17 Sweet coin! I do wonder how you came to the conclusion that CONCORDIA PROVINCIARVM issue share the same obverse dies as yours. As far as I know the salus humani were minted in Rome and the CONCORDIA PROVINCIARVM in Tarraco. I might be missing something :P. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CPK Posted May 17 · Supporter Author Share Posted May 17 2 hours ago, Victrix said: Sweet coin! I do wonder how you came to the conclusion that CONCORDIA PROVINCIARVM issue share the same obverse dies as yours. As far as I know the salus humani were minted in Rome and the CONCORDIA PROVINCIARVM in Tarraco. I might be missing something :P. This coin is an obverse die match to mine: https://www.acsearch.info/search.html?id=10054271 "Galba, 68-69. Denarius (Silver, 18 mm, 3.16 g, 6 h), Rome, 68. Laureate head of Galba to left. Rev. CONCORDIA PROVINCIARVM Concordia standing left, holding branch in her right hand and cornucopia in her left. BMC 2. Cohen 42. RIC 183. Light scratches, and a scrape on the reverse, otherwise, good very fine. From the Eliasson collection, acquired in March 1981." Most of the Concordia types were struck in Spain or Gaul, but according to RIC there were a few struck in Rome as well. 4 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Victrix Posted May 18 · Member Share Posted May 18 23 hours ago, CPK said: This coin is an obverse die match to mine: https://www.acsearch.info/search.html?id=10054271 "Galba, 68-69. Denarius (Silver, 18 mm, 3.16 g, 6 h), Rome, 68. Laureate head of Galba to left. Rev. CONCORDIA PROVINCIARVM Concordia standing left, holding branch in her right hand and cornucopia in her left. BMC 2. Cohen 42. RIC 183. Light scratches, and a scrape on the reverse, otherwise, good very fine. From the Eliasson collection, acquired in March 1981." Most of the Concordia types were struck in Spain or Gaul, but according to RIC there were a few struck in Rome as well. Interesting I didn't know that, learned something new! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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