Coin Talk

These were not entirely impulse purchases, unlike the two new Provincial coins I recently posted. In a recent thread, I mentioned that I had only two sestertii (one each for Marcus Aurelius and Philip I), and realized that I had purchased both almost a year ago. So I had my eye out for a couple more that looked good but weren't very expensive -- not necessarily so easy to find, I've discovered -- and decided on these, the first of them purchased from our own @Victor_Clark.

Neither is in what I'd call superb condition, but I still like both a lot -- especially the reverse on the first, from Faustina II (both for its "children" theme and its wonderful appearance, as well as the fact that it's unlisted in RIC), and the obverse portrait on the second, which conveys an impression to me of the enormous power and strength of Maximinus I. And his chin!

First: Faustina II, appropriate for a Friday even though I'm not putting it in @Roman Collector's...

British Virgin Islands is dependent territory of Great Btitain in Caribbean region. It has an area 151 sq.km. and population about 38000. Road-Town is the capital of BVI.
These islands were founded by Cristoforo Colombo in 1493. At 1672-80 it were occupied by England and since that time belongs to UK. BVI have the right of self-government since 1967. The Executive Branch is headed by the Governor, who is appointed by the British Foreign Secretary. Legislative power is exercised by the Assembly, which consists of 14 members. Since 1959, the currency of the British Virgin Islands has been the US dollar.
Since 1973, coins of the British Virgin Islands with the image of Queen Elizabeth II have also been issued. They are not used in circulation, but are formally legal tender.

I've been fascinated by carved Roman gemstones for a while, but had never owned one, and never really expected to. In late 2012 or early 2013, I started a discussion about them on Collectors Universe, sort of along the lines of, "These aren't coins, but I really think they're neat". That sort of thing.

In that discussion, I posted a link to the Ancient Coin Art dealer listing for this Roman bronze intaglio ring (ca. 1st to 4th century AD), which I thought was especially neat, as the carving features a capricorn engraved into the carnelian gemstone. Which just happens to be my zodiac symbol, not that I set much store by that kind of stuff.



I mentioned I probably would never buy any of these ancient intaglios, though, because while they are reasonably affordable in many cases, I prefer to use my limited funds for coins.

So I thought nothing more of it...

In a recent thread initiated by @Greg Heinrich I wrote :

Well, it's here I think


This is the seller's pic of that very coin from a previous sale (not enough time to take pics today)

Demi écu, argent - 1669

Atelier de Trévoux
AN . MA . LVD . PRIN . SVPRE . DOMBA Buste drapé de 3/4 à droite
rosette DNS trefle ADIVTOR rosette A rosette ET . RED . MEVS 1672 Ecu d'Orléans couronné
13.45 gr - 33...

Lately, there has been a ramp up in the interest in the ornamentation of the Anonymous Class A2 and A3 follis, but very little has been done with regards to the Class B follis. Among the seminal work in this regards is Orestes H. Zervos' The Substantive Varieties of Anonymous Folles of Class B as published in Nomosmatika Khronika No. 22/2003. Zervos identifies 8 types of ornamental differences in the Class B folles while purposely ignoring two sub-types that are commonly found.

Zervos' classification is based on the total variations that were found during the excavation of Corinth. As such, some of the uncommon follis is assumed to be minted in provincial mints that might include Corinth itself.

Zervos Type B-1

Obv: IC-XC to right and left of bust of Christ facing, with cross nimbus having square in each arm, wearing tunic and himation; right hand raised in blessing in sling of cloak, left hand holds book, with...

Gate to the agora (assembly place) of ancient Kibyra

I think it is only fair to offer caution that this post wanders a bit far from the coin, from provincial Phrygia to ancient Rome, from the Roman republic to the Roman empire, from dies to governance, and over ~350 years. I don't attempt to excuse this - it's just the way the story happened.

A Gordian III from Kibyra
I've had a bit of writer's block recently, after a burst of effort to put my "Notes on Ancient Coins" site together. This coin has been sitting for a while waiting for a write-up - my latest coin of Asia Minor, a rare Roman Provincial both number of known specimens (11 in RPC, 5 in ACSearch) and condition...

Gordian III, Æ 22mm of Kibyra (a.k.a. Cibyra or Cibyra Magna), Phrygia, AD 238-244, 6.11g, 22mm
Obv:...

I don't make a lot of impulse purchases. It's no exaggeration at all for me to say that I often look at 500-1,000 ancient coins before I see one that interests me, and that when I do see one, I often let it sit in my watch list for weeks or even months before I make a decision to buy. Once in a while, though, I do see coins that for whatever reason -- usually just because I like the way they look -- I feel I simply have to have, and buy either immediately or after only a day or two. That happened recently with not one but two coins, both of them Roman Provincials. There's nothing special about either of them, and I certainly wasn't looking for either type. The appearance of both appealed to me a lot, for reasons I can't specifically explain, so I bought them. And thought I'd post them together.

The first is a Hadrian didrachm from Caesarea in Cappadocia, purchased from a dealer in Spain; the coin arrived less than 48 hours after I ordered it. I assure you that I'm not a violent...

Mostly Julio-Claudian Sestertii. I believe this is going to be my final sub-collection of these coins. I have always favored this denomination from this time period - their large size and heft is impressive and the generous flans permit very detailed depictions and elegant inscriptional lettering. I also greatly admire the coloration and appearance of patinated orichalcum (the alloyed brass used to cast the planchets). I say “mostly Julio-Claudian Sestertii” because I couldn’t resist including one Dupondius.

The condition of the coins is what I describe as “exhibiting typical wear and blemishes due to long time circulation and use”. - that is the way I like them.


RIC Vol. I, CAIUS (CALIGULA), SESTERTIUS, Rome, No. 51, 40-41AD,(35mm, 26.2gm)

Obverse depiction: Personification of Pietas, seated left.
Obverse Inscription: C CAESAR DIVI AVG PRON AVG PM TRP IIII PP In exergue: PIETAS

Reverse...

Dear Friends of ancient mythology!

Today I want to tell something about Griffins, which obviously seem to be related closely to Sphinxes. The myths about the fabolous peoples of the Arimasps and the Hyperboreans belong to their ambit.

1st Coin:
Thrace, Abdera, 352-323 (VIII Period)
AR - Triobol, 1.5g, 12.98mm, 0°
Obv.: Griffin, jumping up l., peaked feathered wing directed diagonal upward, beak
slightly opened, his feet on club, laying with grip l.
above eight-pointed star
beneath MHNO
Rev.: square of lines, within head of Apollo(?), with short hair, laureate, r., field
barely deepened
around the square ABΔ / HPI / TE / ΩN
Ref.: AMNG II, 206 (3 ex., Copenhagen, London, Ratto)
rare, VF

Note:
(1) The club was added to the coin depiction as a symbol of the sovereignty of the Heraklids after Abdera came under the rule of Philipp II from Makedonia 352 BC. Abdera, a Ionian foundation, probably of Teos, was a provincial city of the province of...

Last week, Spink held the much-delayed auction of The Tony Abramson Collection of Dark Age Coins. Dr Abramson is a well-known expert on early Saxon coins, published by Spink, including his well-illustrated Sceatta List. He was selling his collection because his “rate of acquisition dropped” and he’d reached a plateau. He said he’d become detached from his coins on account of them being in the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge – a problem I wouldn’t mind having!

He was going to leave them at the museum, but museums are less interested in physical coins now images can be studied online, and their budgets don’t stretch far in any case. Instead, he thought selling them might generate interest in a neglected period. That it did.

Secondary Series Type 70 Saltire Cross Sceat, 710-760

Silver, 0.79g. Obverse: Linear saltire with pellet ends, in beaded standard, tufa above, chevrons at other sides. Reverse: Beaded standard containing...