Trajan Beroea, Syria Provincial

This was an eBay snipe which I didn't think I'd win for the ridiculously low bid I put in, so I consider it a steal. This is just the edited seller's pic - I'll post my own when I have it in hand.



I grade it aF, but it's pretty good as Syrian provincials go. An extra hundred dollars will get you only a slightly better one on vcoins. The portrait is decent, some of the obverse legend is still readable. I think the reverse would benefit by a light cleaning.

I believe it's this coin on Wildwinds, Lindgren 1911. I'm expecting my volumes of Lindgren in the mail any day now, so I'll be able to double-check that. In the meantime, I'll see if it's listed in SNG.

Beroea is modern-day Aleppo, in Northern Syria...



I'm not sure why I'm so drawn to the coinage of the Levant, but if it's Syrian, Judaean, Nabataean, etc., I'll take it - especially if I can get it for a song.

 

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I like these provincials as well. Nice pickup. Good thing I haven't been shopping lately or I might have bid against you.

 

Nice coin. Like the patina. I wouldnt clean it.

 

Ok, well - I'll have to see it in hand. By cleaning, I only mean a soak in distilled water and a gentle brushing. If any of the dirt comes off, fine. If not, that's fine too.

SNG 6 doesn't cover Beroea, just Palestine and Southern Arabia, so I'll have to wait for Lindgren.

 

Super eye-appeal ... yummy pick-up, JA!!

=> damn good sniping, brother!!

 

Never know whats underneath. Plus that partial dirt that might come off could activate bronze disease. Never know with these things. Thats why I didnt touch my current caligula.

 

Yeah, maybe you're right Mat. I've got much crustier coins that don't bother me at all.

 

I find Roman provincials so much more interesting than imperials. Nice pickup!

 

Ditto

 

This coin arrived today, and I'm very excited about it. I should not have paid as little as I did. Looking at the seller's inventory, which unfortunately doesn't have any coins in it at the moment, I would guess it's a pawn shop - in Las Vegas no less. I've got an eye on him - hopefully he clears out more of his "junk".

 

Guess Rick of Pawn Stars didnt call in an "expert" for this then huh?

 

Nice pickup John. I like the Levant as well. If I had more areas I could concentrate on, it would be top of my list. The pre-Roman period of this area is very fascinating.

 

I'm going to be in Vegas later this month, hope I can find this guy or someone like him.

And if anyone knows of any Vegas shops which have ancient coins, please let me know.

 

I don't know of any good ones, just the overpriced shops in Caesar's and the Venetian. Not bad coins, but at prices that would make Littleton choke.

 

Hey, I think I have this coin too. Or at least part of it. From my first purchase of ancients earlier this year, a batch of dirties from Ras.

 

hu, how did i miss that one....dig those syria provincials. i can't exactly articulate why i like them so much, but i sure do. you pic looks very nice JA.

 

Nice!

 

Thanks for the compliments guys. Comparing the coin to others on the web, I see that the letter is H as opposed to A - the A's on these coins actually have connected tops, unlike so many legends on Imperial coins. That would puts its minting in the eighth year of Trajan's rule, or 106, if I'm not mistaken.

I got volumes II and III of Lindgren last week - unfortunately, this coin is listed in volume I.

 

Lindgren 1910 and 1911 are the same coin except for diameter. So if this one is about 25mm its Lindgren 1910.