Ancients => What's your sign, baby?? => I'm a Venus, stud!!

Well, I managed to score a group-lot (four sweet coins) ...

=> but I'm gonna post 'em one-atta-time!!

here is #1 (oh, I will fill-in the missing data when the coins arrive, in The New Year!!)

Antoninus Pius Æ Drachm Roman Egypt (Alexandria)
138-161 AD
Year 8
Diameter:
Weight:
Obverse:
Reverse: Bust of Aphrodite (Venus) left above bull (Taurus) butting left; star above … Popular astrological type depicting Venus in Taurus
Reference:
Other: brown patina, numerous old scratches
Ex James Theselius Collection





Note => I will try to take my shaky home-photos, once these 4-beauts arrive

 

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That is actually a great looking coin for one of these. There were a couple of them in the Wetterstrom collection (CNG 1990) but I like yours better because of the smoother surfaces. Condition oriented collectors do not collect these. That coin is too nice to be sold as part of a lot. Ask others here to show their Zodiac drachms.

Like you, I have coins enroute that will not make it here this year. Unlike you, I won't jinx them by posting until they are in hand. None have bulls but one does have a snake.

 

Wow! Nice coin lil bro. Love that reverse.

 

Thanks Bing ...

Doug => aaarrrggghhh, don't jinx my coins, dude!! (that's cold!!)





... just jokes (I have faith)

Cheers, brothers

 

=> curious? ... do you happen to have a link to these other coins? (thanks, either way)

 

Ever since I read about them a year ago I've been looking out for these Alexandrian zodiac drachms. This is the first time I'm actually seeing one, and it looks excellent. This lot you just scored is a real winner!

 

Thanks, Z => yah, I stumbled into this lot ... I actually was bidding-heavy on two different coins, but was outbid on both => leaving a wee bit extra in the pot to bid on these 4-winners!! (funny the way things work out sometimes, eh?)

... thanks for the coin-compliments, comrades (I always love to hear opinions, good or bad)

 

Antoninus Pius seems to have some of the most fascinating Drachm reverses. First the Labours of Hercules ones and now astrological ones. Maybe I haven't done enough research and all emperors have these but this is the first time seeing it for me!

 

Very exotic and exciting, Steve! This is a type I haven't seen either - one more for the want list.

 

Yay Alexandria! In case you haven't noticed it's my favorite mint.

Now that I said that Stevex, the proper thing to do is to ship it to me immediately.

Express please!

 

vlaha => I am also a big fan of coins that were minted in the Alexandria (they have a look all their own ... very cool)

 

To the best of my knowledge the CNG catalogs from the last millennium are not online so you need the paper catalogs. The zodiacs were in sale XIII while more usual coins were in XII (both in 1990). The firm was then called Classical Numismatic Auctions but it is the same series. Early catalogs are thinner and a bit less professionally done than the current ones. Many of Kerry's coins were somewhat average condition since he was gathering them for study of what existed rather than to impress the condition crowd.

As a combination of saving catalogs they sent me back when I was a more active customer and ones given me at the local club by old guys cleaning out their attics, I put together a set from 1 to 65 (Triton VII) minus #2 which escaped me. The later books were put online in what I consider to be one of the greatest moves by any coin dealer for the good of the hobby. I have not bought these recent books themselves because the online versions are so much easier to search. Frank Robinson sold a large part set a couple sales ago that half overlapped what I have and you see individual books offered with some regularity. I still enjoy looking through those old sale catalogs. I would recommend picking them up when available reasonably but postage to the Far North would probably be killer.

 

Doug, thanks for the reply ... I will be on the lookout for these old CNG catalogues (I do recall one of our CT members posting the electronic version of the old CNG catalouges, but I can't recall which member and/or how to find those electronic catalogues ..... sadly, my memory doesn't seem to hold details like that anymore)

... it was probably Ardy, for he works at CNG, but again I can't quite recall? ... I'm sure Bing will say it's because of the copious glasses of vino that have passed these lips o' mine?!! (*whatev*) ...

Anyway => I'm glad that you appreciate this drachm ... yah, it is probably my favourite of the four? However, I do also like the example showing "Sarapis & the Eagle" ...... actually, they are all pretty cool, eh?

Thanks again for the coin-lead, I appreciate the help (it is always a fantastic feeling getting tips from Mr Miyagi)

 

http://www.cngcoins.com/Coins_sold.aspx?NO_RESULT=1
Go to the above and put in auction number 60 or higher being sure that 'printed auctions' is checked. Of course the better way to use this wonderful facility is to enter a search term like 'bull' and see the 6775 bull coins. Again be sure to search in printed auctions if that is what you want but there are separate lists for their other formats with many coins worth seeing. I have been less than perfectly successful in searching on multiple terms but it is a great resource.

You will find more than one Venus in Taurus drachm including one from a Triton sale that is nicer than yours by a mile or two.

 

awesome, thanks Doug

 

Wow ... there sure are a whole lotta cool Antoninus Pius AE Drachms fom Alexandria!! (apparently I have another side-swipe direction to follow!!)
here are a few Zodiac winners I thought were kinda cool:


Moon in Cancer





Saturn in Aquarius






Helios in Leo

 

They definitely make Imperial types look conservative and stale.

 

This particular type vividly depicts a verse from an old classic :

"Are you one of those dudes who do horoscopes? Hey, I'm a Cancer with a bad moon rising."

Okay, so it's not that classic. It's a lyric from "Born in East L.A.", a mid 80s novelty hit by Cheech & Chong, parodying Springsteen's "Born in the U.S.A."

Seriously though, does anyone know how many varieties of these Alexandrian Zodiac drachms there are? And why these specific combinations were chosen?

 

indeed, what a fantastic reverse.

 

According to an article in about.com :
"If your Venus is in Taurus, you have a distinct solidity about your presence, and you're very huggable."

Bet that tells you all you need to know about your coin, Steve.