A drachm of Caesarea goes temporarily AWOL

[wuntbedruv]

At the end of September, just before I went on holiday to Italy, I won an eBay auction for a drachm of Caesarea. The coin was being advertised by a European dealer in one of the Baltic states. I arranged for the coin to be delivered to my parents' house in the UK, as I figured it would likely arrive while I was away. The coin was posted, I went on holiday for a week. Returning from holiday, it still hadn't showed up. No matter, thought I. Must be postage delays from the EU. The seller concurred. No tracking updates, but we agreed to leave it a bit longer. Another week went by, still nothing. Then a third week. Nada. Not the seller's fault at all, his shipping widely regarded as usually reliable and fast by numerous happy customers.

On the 16th of October, I checked the tracking prior to getting in touch with the seller to discuss ways forward. It had updated that day. Hooray, I thought. It's finally landed. But then I checked where it had been scanned...

 

This was a problem, as I live in Britain.

The package, somehow, had gone from the Baltic to Mexico despite being clearly addressed to GB. Both the seller and I were extremely surprised at this turn of events. We think it probably got wrongly sorted or was inadvertently left in a bag that got reused.

Anyway, to cut a long story short - Mexican customs must have been very confused because they terminated its import very quickly and sent it on its merry way after a few days languishing in the sorting office. Two and a half agonising weeks later, it finally dropped across the doorstep. Total days spent in transit: 54!!

However, it really was worth the wait. A lovely drachm of Julia Domna with a rare reverse type. I would have been heartbroken if this had gone missing into the ether, never to be found again.

So there you have it. From the Baltic to Britain via Mexico in 50 days! What a journey for this coin. I'm just glad it's finally with me. 

[Phil Davis]

Nice coin! I don't think I've ever seen that type before. 

I don't remember if this was recounted on NumisForums or elsewhere, but it's hard to top the tale of woe of a collector in Moscow Idaho, whose order was misdirected to... Yep. I think that had a happy ending too, after some months of angst.

[ominus1]

...sometimes the post will give a free tour to famous folk on coins...this one made it to St. Louis from Germnay in 3 days then St. Louis sent it on a excursion to most of the mid northern states for about 30 days batting it back and forth like a ping pong ball by professionals 😄  

[Sulla80]

59 minutes ago, wuntbedruv said:

A lovely drachm of Julia Domna with a rare reverse type. I would have been heartbroken if this had gone missing into the ether, never to be found again.

every now and then I lament the loss of this coin in the email during COVID - a Troxell Plate coin that I was thrilled to win and then waited....still waiting...

[Nerosmyfavorite68]

I am very glad the story has a happy ending and is now in your collection.  I know the feeling.  My one-and-only U.S. coin order disappeared using registered mail, the so-called safest way of shipping.

[Ancient Coin Hunter]

I have had coins stuck in the ISC New York for an interminable amount of time before finally showing up. Also, Jamesicus(RIP) on the old forum gave me a Diocletian London follis in a beautifully calligraphic address legend on the envelope. The problem was just that. I received the empty envelope with a tear in it. No coin.

Edited November 16, 2024 by Ancient Coin Hunter

[Kali]

At least you finally got it.

I have a rare Drachm of Domna too.

O: IOYΛIA ΔOMNA AVΓ, bust right.
R: MHTPO KAICA NEΩ, Mt. Argaeus, star at summit. Crescent to upper right. ET IH Dated RY 18 of Septimius (AD 210/211).
2.95g
19mm
Ganschow 512a var (KAICAΡI); Ganschow 512b var (AYΓOY and KAICA).

Unpublished legends combination.

In the year this coin was issued, Severus fell ill in Britain during the campaign against the Caledonians; his days were numbered. Caracalla continued the campaign, but his thoughts were on the future.

Thanks to Curtis Clay for the following info:

Ganshow knew just two specimens of your drachm with crescent in r. field, the more similar being his 512a = Henseler 856, apparently from the same obv. die as yours, but with two added letters in the rev. legend: KAICAPI for KAICAP and NEΩK for NEΩ.

Also very similar to yours: Ganschow 511b = Henseler 855, again apparently same obv. die, rev. like yours but without crescent r. or l.

https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/btv1b8502922m.r=CappadoceDomnaDrachme565 Domna Drachme 565?rk=21459;2

[wuntbedruv]

Some new, proper images of this coin.

 

I wonder if a little sodium thiosulphate bath would assist the obverse, but the surface is pitted and I'm unsure whether this would be beneficial...

 

[DonnaML]

On 11/15/2024 at 7:36 PM, wuntbedruv said:

At the end of September, just before I went on holiday to Italy, I won an eBay auction for a drachm of Caesarea. The coin was being advertised by a European dealer in one of the Baltic states. I arranged for the coin to be delivered to my parents' house in the UK, as I figured it would likely arrive while I was away. The coin was posted, I went on holiday for a week. Returning from holiday, it still hadn't showed up. No matter, thought I. Must be postage delays from the EU. The seller concurred. No tracking updates, but we agreed to leave it a bit longer. Another week went by, still nothing. Then a third week. Nada. Not the seller's fault at all, his shipping widely regarded as usually reliable and fast by numerous happy customers.

On the 16th of October, I checked the tracking prior to getting in touch with the seller to discuss ways forward. It had updated that day. Hooray, I thought. It's finally landed. But then I checked where it had been scanned...

 

This was a problem, as I live in Britain.

The package, somehow, had gone from the Baltic to Mexico despite being clearly addressed to GB. Both the seller and I were extremely surprised at this turn of events. We think it probably got wrongly sorted or was inadvertently left in a bag that got reused.

Anyway, to cut a long story short - Mexican customs must have been very confused because they terminated its import very quickly and sent it on its merry way after a few days languishing in the sorting office. Two and a half agonising weeks later, it finally dropped across the doorstep. Total days spent in transit: 54!!

However, it really was worth the wait. A lovely drachm of Julia Domna with a rare reverse type. I would have been heartbroken if this had gone missing into the ether, never to be found again.

So there you have it. From the Baltic to Britain via Mexico in 50 days! What a journey for this coin. I'm just glad it's finally with me. 

That's as circuitous a route as what happened when I bought a coin in a Künker Auction in April 2022, which took six weeks to travel from Germany to New York City -- by way of China! See https://www.numisforums.com/topic/6979-dang-snake-bit-again-by-the-usps/#findComment-91730 .

 

[robinjojo]

10 hours ago, wuntbedruv said:

Some new, proper images of this coin.

 

I wonder if a little sodium thiosulphate bath would assist the obverse, but the surface is pitted and I'm unsure whether this would be beneficial...

 

Nice coin, with a super cool reverse!

I do not recommend a sodium thiosulphate bath for this coin.  It is best left as it is. 

The horn silver is over what is pretty clearly corroded surfaces.  Removing this horn silver would expose the raw corroded surfaces.  This coin has a really nice as-found appearance in keeping with its ancient origin.

Edited November 17, 2024 by robinjojo

[wuntbedruv]

6 hours ago, robinjojo said:

Nice coin, with a super cool reverse!

I do not recommend a sodium thiosulphate bath for this coin.  It is best left as it is. 

The horn silver is over what is pretty clearly corroded surfaces.  Removing this horn silver would expose the raw corroded surfaces.  This coin has a really nice as-found appearance in keeping with its ancient origin.

I agree. Thanks so much for your kind words and useful advice. I will be leaving it as is. The reverse is why I bought it! 

Edited November 17, 2024 by wuntbedruv