Coin Talk

Since antiquity, men and boys have been portrayed as riding dolphins. I highly doubt this actually happened in real life, but there's certainly plenty of representations of such. I suppose a dolphin would probably let you ride if, but perhaps not straddled like a horse.



Eros is the most common figure shown riding a dolphin, and representations exist in mosaic, bronze, marble, vase painting, and fesco paintings (though no paintings are extant far as I can tell).

Representations are found in pretty much every Mediterranean culture, including Greek, Roman, Etruscan, and Minoan (though Minoans didn't seem to ride the dolphins).

The fascination with dolphins may arise from the fact that dolphins are very helpful to fishermen, with reports of them leading fishers to where the large schools are. In addition, dolphins will often protect stranded humans and keep sharks away until the human can be rescued.
Sometimes, though, they are a bit mean and...

MICHAEL VIII PALAEOLOGOS (1261-1282). Stamenon/Trachy. Thessalonica.
Obv: MP - ΘV / Half-length facing bust of the Theotokos (Virgin Mary) orans.
Rev: ΔΠT ΠT - *OAΓ ΓANMC / Half-length busts of Michael and St. Demetrios, who holds a spear, holding patriarchal cross between them; above, star in center of firmament.
Sear 2310. Weight: 2.59 g. Diameter: 27 mm.



This Stamenon, although already pretty rare, really stuck out to me due to the near complete reverse legend surviving on the coin (much more complete than the examples in DOC, LBC and the Billon Trachea of Michael VIII)! The first part of the reverse legend, ΔΠT ΠT, appears to be the result of an overstrike. The would leave ΔΠT on the legend, most likely the fragmentary remains of some form of XMIΔECΔΠTI. This would Translate to Michael and some form of Family name or titles.

The rest of the reverse...

Michael VIII Paleologus and Andronicus II:
1272-1282 AD, AE Trachy, Thessalonica mint.
OAΓIT ΘE-OΔOΡ / St. Theodore, half-length facing figure, in military dress, holding spear and round shield decorated with eight-rayed star

AΔΡ X..M // Michael and Andronikos, half-length figures, each wearing loros and holding labarum and sword between them; half-length bust of the Archangel Michael above. DOC 212-215; SB 2323.
This trachy is one of my favorites, possessing a fun and charming style. It was minted at some point during the 10 year interlude of Andronikos II's elevation to co-emperor with Michael VIII until the eventual death of Michael VIII. The reverse is highly interesting in design, showing Michael VIII and Andronikos II each holding the Labarum over their respective shoulders and together holding up a sword, over all of which the half bust of Archangel Michael...

How many of you have read Moby Dick; or, The Whale by Herman Melville?

I first read it while enjoying a lazy summer between semesters. At the time my coin collection was Lincoln Wheat Cents and Jefferson Nickels from circulation. So, not surprisingly, these passages were unremarkable and went relatively unnoticed. 35+ years later, I am now slowly re-reading Moby Dick and these same passages stood out like, well, like a White Whale!

from Chapter 36...

One year ago @Jochen1 posted a wonderful thread of the same examining the mythological figure of Ganymede—the lover of Zeus and cupbearer to the gods—and his depictions on coinage. I too have been gathering a collection of coins, medals, tesserae, and jetons featuring Ganymede, which cover a span of over 1700 years.



Here is my complete collection, presented chronologically, with relevant contextual and art-historical information. Some I have posted before, but many are recent acquisitions that I have never posted on cointalk.



TROAS. Ilium. Commodus , 177-192. Diassarion (?) (Bronze, 27 mm, 9.35 g, 7 h). ΑY ΚΑΙ Μ ΑYΡΗ ΚΟΜΟΔΟϹ Laureate, draped and cuirassed bust of Commodus to right, seen from behind. Rev. ΙΛΙΕΩΝ Ganymede advancing left, holding pedum in his left hand and being carried away by Zeus,...

Long before the computer age collectors used to shop for coins at coin & hobby shops, shows that usually included stamp dealers, & through periodicals like the Coin World newspaper. Digital or E-auctions didn't exist back then & neither did slabbing companies like PCGS & NGC. Throughout the 1970s I was a serious collector of ancient & world coins, & medals & antiques. In the late 1970s the precious metals began to skyrocket in price, & having grown weary of doing factory labor (I was a machinist for Gleason Works in Rochester, NY) I decided to get in on the action of precious metals . Combining this with my love of coins & antiques provided me with the excuse of quitting my job in 1980 & getting my feet wet. I rented a two room store from my parents on East Main St., Rochester, NY & the adventure began. I had an agreement with my father & a large precious metal smelter in Buffalo, NY to dispose of any gold & silver that came into the store. My father agreed to be the courier...

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...