Coin Talk

After a number of diversions in Anatolia, and a bit of an RR drought, this week I added another Roman Republican coin to my collection. My latest RR coin is connected to two of my primary collection themes, Sulla and the rivalry between Parthia and Rome.

The Sulla Connections (or Romans v. Romans)
Marcus Licinius Crassus escaped when his brother and father were killed as Marius returned to Rome after Sulla went off to fight Mithridates. He then played a key role in Sulla’s return and victory at the Colline Gate. [See Plutarch Crassus 6.6] At this time the seeds were also sown for his rivalry with Pompey, a younger man of less noble birth who served Sulla well as a ruthless warlord. [See...

Inspired by the very smart and inquisitive posts of @DonnaML regarding the family of Constantine the Great, I have decided to add a new thread to the theme.

Most of us who dwell on the Late Empire have noticed that the dates assigned to some coinages in RIC VII to X are too general or even added just as the generic dates of a reign -- "c. 310-313," "340-350" or "383-388."

Others seem to be wrong when compared to newer insights and research in the history of the era. For instance in 1966, the common wisdom (based on Alfoldi) was that Helena, Constantine's mother, died after 330, perhaps not as late as 335 to 337 as it had been considered by Otto Seeck for instance, but sometime between 330 and 333. As a matter of fact, Alexandria is shown to have a pause in any and all mintage between 330 (the last issue for Helena according to RIC) and 333 (the introduction of the GLORIA EXERCITVS soldiers and standards type).

The last coinage from Alexandria assigned to...

Medal, France, AR 18.09 g, 35.0 mm, 12 h.
Mathias Vivier, 1831.
Obv: NUTRIX QUOQUE MATER, wet-nurse seated left, holding breastfeeding infant.
Rev: MAISON/CENTRALE/DE/NOURRICES,/1831.

About Mathias Vivier and this medal

Mathias Nicolas Marie Vivier was a nineteenth century medallist, born in Paris, 6 April 1788. He was a pupil of Moineaux and entered the Ecole des Beaux-Arts in 1807. He was represented several times at the Paris Salon between 1819 and 1833, and he lived until about 1859.[1] Vivier was well known for his medals featuring such historic personages as Alexander Pope, John Milton, Dr. Hermann Boerhaave, Leonardo da Vinci, George Washington, and Copernicus. Several of his medals are featured in Durand’s "Galerie metallique."[2]

This medal, struck by Vivier in 1831, bears the obverse legend NUTRIX QUOQUE MATER, meaning "wet-nurse as well as mother," and the reverse legend MAISON CENTRALE DE NOURRICES, 1831, translated "Central Home...

At first, this denarius of Faustina I seems unremarkable, but its existence is fascinating and raises more questions than it answers. I'd love to hear your thoughts, and by all means, post anything you feel is relevant!


Faustina I, AD 138-140.
Unofficial imitative issue?, 3.27 g, 18.0 mm, 12 h.
Ca. AD 140-160?
Obv: DIVA FAVSTINA, bare-headed and draped bust, right.
Rev: PIETATI(?) AVG, Pietas, veiled and draped, standing left, dropping incense from right hand onto lighted altar and holding box in left hand.
Refs: Cf. BMC p. 67, † note, RSC 234b, CRE 113 and Strack 462 (Budapest), all of which read PIETAS AVG.

Is this a fourrée imitation or a solid silver, official issue?

If this is an official issue, it must read PIETAS AVG, for no coins with a PIETATI AVG reverse legend and a standing figure sacrificing over an altar appear until the reign of Pescennius Niger. Many coins depicting Pietas were issued for Faustina I after her death, and this...

Well the $.20 pieces are a very short-lived coin. It was authorized by Congress on March 3, 1875 and as soon as they appeared in public there were complaints about the similarity, design and the size in relation to a quarter of a dollar.

This coin was only minted for 4 years and only 7 different issues exist. The first year of issue was 1875 and Philadelphia produced 38,500 pieces. Carson City produced 133,290 pieces and San Francisco produced 1,155,000 pieces. The following year, 1876, 14,750 pieces were produced at Philadelphia with another 1,150 coins in proof. Carson City only produced 10,000 coins with the majority of those coins never being released to the public. Most of them were melted at the Mint and it is believed that most of the Philadelphia coins were also melted.

The following two years, 1877 and 1878 just over 1100 pieces were minted in proof only. In these two years no pieces were made for general circulation.

The demise of the $.20 piece it is believed to be...

Eutropius IX, 21 : He thus became master of the Roman empire; and when the peasants in Gaul made an insurrection, giving their faction the name of Bagaudae, and having for leaders Amandus and Aelianus, he despatched Maximian Herculius, with the authority of Caesar, to suppress them. Maximian, in a few battles of little importance, subdued the rustic multitude, and restored peace to Gaul.

285 AD
The crisis of the third century in the Roman Empire is almost over. But not entirely. In Gaul, a group of peasants called the bagaudae rebelled against the grinding taxation and garnishing of their lands, harvests and manpower by the predatory agents of the late Roman state. After the death of the emperor Carinus, forty-nine cities revolt, including Paris, Sens, Troyes, Auxerre and Meaux. A man named Amandus took the head of this small army (with the help of Aelianus). After having been given the title of Emperor, he carried desolation everywhere, ravaging the...

I was really thrilled this week to have added a long sought after 'grail' coin! It has been on my numismatic 'Bucket List' for the better part of a decade.




Vespasian
AR Didrachm, 6.20g
Caesarea, Cappadocia mint, 76-77 AD
Obv: ΑΥΤΟΚΡΑ ΚΑΙϹΑΡ ΟΥƐϹΠΑϹΙΑΝΟϹ ϹƐΒΑϹΤΟϹ; Head of Vespasian, laureate, r.
Rev: ΤΙΤΟϹ ΑΥΤΟΚΡΑΤWΡ ΚΑΙϹΑΡ ƐΤ[ΟΥϹ] Θ; Titus in military dress, standing facing, holding spear and sword
RPC 1649 (10 spec.).
Acquired from Aegean Numismatics, June 2020.

Several issues of silver coinage were struck for Cappadocia during Vespasian's reign. They were produced in two distinct styles: Roman (with a six o'clock die axis) and 'local' (with a twelve o'clock die axis). The majority of Cappadocia's silver coins were struck in 'local' style, presumably at Caesarea and were somewhat supplemented by the 'Roman' style coins from Rome. Whether 'Roman' or 'local', all Cappadocian silver were produced at nearly 48% fineness. This remarkable...

Since my two favorite hobbies are coin collecting and astronomy, I'm always trying to share my spare times equally between them. But sometimes the opportunity presents itself to join the 2 together. In war-torn Syria, a white trail streaked the night sky above the ruins of the deserted city of Ariha, devastated by violence.


The appearance on Saturday before dawn of the Milky Way, a rare phenomenon that occurs especially in summer by moonless sky, created a striking contrast between sky and earth, immortalized by an AFP photographer through long exposure photos.



Beneath this vast cloud of stars, the skeletons of buildings, the rubble, the gutted facades and roofs seem all the...

Pirates, Indians, and Hippies!

Some time ago I read a newspaper article about a new California state park, Olompali State Historical Park, located in Marin County, north of San Francisco. I was finally able to visit the park and walk around the area.

The area was a large gathering spot for Coast Miwok Indians, later in 1843 the Mexican governor issued a land grant to a Miwok Indian chief, Camillo Ynitia.

In 1846 Olompali was the site of a small battle in California's "Bear Flag Revolt" which pitted some Americans against Mexicans.

In 1853 Ynitia sold the land to a James Black who then gave it to his daughter and her husband, Dr. Burdell, a dentist. The Burdells built a dairy farm and a house, and Mrs. Burdell had a large garden constructed.


Olompali State Park - Burdell House (remains)

In 1942 the Burdells moved out and the land was sold and leased to various groups, Jesuits for a retreat, then in the late...

SILVER 5 FRANCS COIN - BELGIUM - KING LEOPOLD II - Brussels Mint
Date: A.D. 1873



Obverse: Portrait head left - LEOPOLD II ROI DES BELGES (leop wiener below bust)

Reverse: Coat of arms within wreath between denomination 5 (left) F (right) with date 1873 below - L'UNION FAIT LA FORCE

Engraver: Leopold Wiener

NOTE: In studying Leopold II for a research paper I found a disturbing trend that there was much said about Leopold and the Congo, facts and data presented that, when an attempt is made to find the source one found there was no source or the source was someone who simply presented supposition that was then presented as fact in hyperbolic articles. I am not an apologist for Leopold. All that happened in the Congo rests square on his shoulders. I just disdain bad, lazy history.

This is a silver 5 francs coin of Belgium minted in 1875 depicting Léopold Louis Philippe Marie Victor known as King Leopold II of the House of...