This is only the second time I have held one of these big Roman coins. Very impressive (IMO ) - but does it look good? It is about 29mm and 24.9g. Thank you!
looks ok most roman coins have been doughed outta dirt or mud/ clay enclosures and they tend to get cleaned before you received them.. i being a fan of the ancient greek, roman and other ancients can i get a side view photo.. there are some free ancient coin books to com[are with for photos you should look around google docs for it.. how much did you pay for it..
It came to me in a big lot and I didn't even know it would be there so it is a nice bonus Here is a side view-
I think someone who has more experience with these is better to answer. To me, the legend and reverse looks almost too good to be true concerning their strength. That and the blackness in the background makes it easy to hide traces of smoothing or tooling. I really want to hear their opinions, and maybe learn something. My vote right now is I am suspicious. These are expensive coins, and highly faked. Chris
Rome mint. Struck circa AD 134-138. Laureate head right / Diana standing left, holding arrow and bow. RIC II 777. A better type probably worth about $125. Its genuine. Watch out for the patch of bronze disease near the ear.
So Bill you don't see anything unusual about the boldness of the reverse? I usually see these much weaker. The depth of the reverse lettering and figure, as well as the depth of the obverse lettering surprised me. So you don't think this was tooled? Sorry for the questions about your coin OP, I am simply trying to learn. Chris
The reverse doesn't look suspiciously bold to me. If you're looking for a reverse legend, there isn't one.
Ah, I see what you mean. That's an effect you'll sometimes see, usually on large bronzes. Its probably related to how the letters were carved/punched into the dies.
