Coin Talk

The history
Of African descent, Roman Emperor from 193 to 211 AD, Septimius Severus founded a personal dynasty and converted the government into a military monarchy. His reign marks a critical stage in the development of the absolute despotism that characterized the later Roman Empire. Historian Dion Cassius describes him as a "short, thin, very lively and taciturn man". A few interesting facts about his reign:


A marble bust of Septimius Severus (sold 266,500 USD by Christie's in 2011)

* Severus replaced the Praetorian Guard with a new 15,000-man guard from his own Danubian legions.

* To justify his usurpation, he declared himself the adoptive son of the emperor Marcus Aurelius and claimed descent from the emperor Nerva.

* According to Historia Augusta, Julia Domna came to Severus' attention on the back of a prophecy; he was told about a Syrian woman whose horoscope predicted that she would marry a king.

* He...

*Please share what you think relevant. I would also love to be enlightened on info & types I may be unaware of or anything I may have gotten wrong!*



One of my favorite collecting themes is what I call Roman “Barbarians, Captives, and Enemies” coinage (or, my “BCE Collection,” pardon the pun/s; full disclosure: I have a page for it on my just-begun blog/site, for which I may revise this post).

Within that area I include coins with a variety of battle or other military scenes, including the Fallen Horseman and other FEL TEMP REPARATIO series, and, also, those depicting captives (i.e., prisoners of war, presumably destined for slavery or execution). Within the “captives” coinage, one of the most interesting is the type depicting two captives bound to a trophy (c. 46 BC – 337 AD).

In my view, the most fascinating feature of Roman “Barbarians, Captives, and Enemies”...

My latest acquisition is a coin that completes my NGC Registry Set of Jefferson War Nickels. The coin is a 1943/2-P PCGS MS65 5FS with a very light patina and excellent strike and luster. Although this coin now completes my set which is currently ranked 3rd in the NGC registry, I am not finished. My goal is to find a rainbow toned 1943/2-P in MS66 or MS67. Once I do, the set will be finished and this current coin will fall into my duplicate set which will now grab my full attention. Here is a photo of my new piece:




I am very proud of this set and feel a great sense of accomplishment. Believe it or not, this is the first set I have ever completed. I know that technically it is only a subset of the Jefferson series, but it is extremely competitive and not easy to break the top ten in this series. Here is a photo of the completed set along with TPG tags....

Aezani (Greek Αἰζανοί) in northern Phrygia, near the headwaters of the Rhyndacus, was a political and economic center of modest importance in pagan times but became a notable bishopric during the Constantinian and Byzantine eras.


From "Asia citerior," Auctore Henrico Kiepert Berolinensi. Geographische Verlagshandlung Dietrich Reimer (Ernst Vohsen) Berlin, Wilhemlstr. 29. (1903). David Rumsey Historical Map Collection.

Ruins of the ancient city include a well-preserved Temple of Zeus, a combined theater-stadium complex, and colonnaded streets.

One of a series of pictures taken to show the exterior of the Zeus Temple in Azanoi. Photo by Dosseman, used without alterations and...

Just picked up this little rarity from Celtic Britain and thought I'd share it.
I was initially drawn to the coins reverse depiction of a metal worker and it went from there. This is my first Celtic coin and find the history really intriguing. This was an impulse purchase as it's not an area I collect in normally, primarily because Celtic coins can get expensive! But this coin REALLY called to me and the fact it's quite rare is an added bonus.
King of the Britons "Cunobelin" ("Strong Dog"). From the Catuvellauni & Trinovantes tribes.
Here it is...
Britannia, Trinovantes & Catuvellauni. Cunobelin. Circa 9-41 AD. AE Unit (2.437 g, 14mm).
Obv: Winged head left, CVNO in front, BELIN behind.
Rev: Metal worker, presumably the smith god known as Sucellus in parts of Gaul, sitting on a solid seat with a detached upright back, holding an L-shaped hammer in his right hand, left hand holding a metal bowl, there is always a distinct bun of hair behind the smith's head, TASCIO (Tascionus his...

This small currency of the County of Tripoli was used towards the end of Christian rule on the mainland coast of the Eastern Levant. It is comprised of a small module lightweight silver billon denier and a copper fraction, or pougeoise:


Bohemond V of Antioch (1233-1252) and later
AE15/16mm, 0.51g, billon denier minted at Tripoli, cca. 1235/1240-1250s and later.
+ CIVITAS TRIPOL; eight-pointed star, annulets between the rays.
+ BAMVND' COMS; cross pattee 3 pellets in the 2nd quarter
Malloy 19, Sabine Type 5, Metcalf 549.
ex-Lanz



Bohemond V of Antioch (1233-1252) and later
AE19x15mm, 0.66g, copper pougeoise, minted at Tripoli, after 1235/1240.
+ TRIPOLIS; Genoese tower or gateway, three crenelations.
+ CIVITAS; cross pommetee; pellet in circle at centre, pellets in each quarter
Malloy 21, Sabine 308-31 (Type 6).
ex-TimeLine Auctions


Malloy in CCS followed Sabine and Schlumberger and dated...

Ever since I began collecting Roman coins I have always wanted an Alexandrian hemidrachm depicting the Pharos. It is at once both a 'grail' and personal 'white whale' of mine. Last week my dream came true!

The hemidrachms struck under Domitian with their wonderful numismatic depictions of the Pharos are extremely rare. This superb example from regnal year 12 is the third known and finest specimen of the even rarer left facing portrait variant.



Domitian
Æ Hemidrachm, 12.15g
Alexandria mint, 92-93 AD
Obv: ΑΥΤ ΚΑΙϹ ΘƐΟ(Υ) ΥΙΟϹ ΔΟΜΙΤ ϹƐΒ ΓƐΡΜ; Head of Domitian, laureate, l.
Rev: LΙΒ; Pharos
RPC 2677. Emmett 273.12 (R3).
Ex CNG eAuction 484, 27 January 2021, lot 559.

The great lighthouse of Alexandria (or Pharos) was first depicted on the city's coinage during Domitian's reign. The structure was built on Pharos Island circa 300-283 BC under the Ptolemaic dynasty and was roughly 375 years old when these coins were struck. It was one of the most...

I think this is only the second Roman Republican denarius I've bought this year. At this rate, I'll end up with only about one-third as many purchases as in 2020. As I mentioned elsewhere earlier today, I'm finding it more and more difficult to find Republican types I want in decent condition at an affordable price.

To the coin -- plus, as usual, a lengthy explanatory footnote for anyone interested in that level of detail.

Roman Republic, L. Cassius Longinus, AR Denarius, 63 or 60 BCE, Rome Mint. Obv. Veiled and diademed head of Vesta left, control-letter “A” before her, kylix (two-handled cup) behind her / Rev. Togate figure standing left, dropping a voting tablet favorable to proposed legislation, inscribed “V” (Vti Rogas [= “as you propose”]) into a cista before him, LONGIN III•V downwards behind him. Crawford 413/1, RSC I Cassia 10 (ill.), Sear RCV I 364 (ill.), Sydenham 935, Harlan, RRM II Ch. 6 at pp.49-53, BMCRR 3929 (control-letter “A”); see also id. 3930-3936...

Something really cool and unexpected arrived this morning. Obviously I ordered it, so it wasn't unexpected in the literal sense, but it is a coin completely outside the normal areas of my collecting habit. I collect Greeks and Byzantines and apart from the very rare venture into Roman coinage I haven't really been interested in anything else. As some of you may recall, I usually shop retail and I am always on the lookout for affordable retail stock as collector competition has driven auction prices up. So, one fine evening this little gem showed up in the marketplace listings and it was love at first sight. It was a case of 'shut up and get my money' as I bought it even though I am supposed to be saving for a nice Greek tet I am after. I managed to hold my excitement for a few minutes and did a bit of market research to make sure the price was fair (even though the coin was mis-attributed, but more about this later). Here it is, a lovely little drachm from Parthia, a historical...