[Poll] #10 Ancient Aussie vs #15 gsimonel (round 2) CIT 2017

I’m excited to finally be underway with round 2 of the tournament. If you aren’t aware of the tournament or if you missed the results from round 1 then you can get caught up here.

https://www.cointalk.com/threads/an...intalk-coin-imperator-tournament-2017.293824/



Thank you to the participants as well as the voters for making this tournament a success so far and remember to keep in mind that it will all benefit a good cause

#10 @Ancient Aussie



NERO TEMPLE OF JANUS
AE As, Rome 65-66 AD
Wt.: 10.9 g
Dia.: 26 mm
RIC I 309, WCN 289, BMCRE 232
Obv.: NERO CAESAR AVG GERM IMP
Rev.: PACE PR VBIQ PARTA JANVM CLVSIT
Temple of Janus with latticed windows and garland hung across doors set left
Reverse Translation
PACE = peace
PR = Populus Romanum = People of Rome
VBIQ (short for VBIQUE) = everywhere
PARTA = doors
IANVM = nominative case - place of Janus
CLVSIT = closed
The grammatical rendering is variable, but broadly goes something like this: "Since the Pax Romana [Peace of the Roman People] is everywhere on land and sea, the doors of the temple of Janus he closed." The sense of temple instead of place is implied by the accompanying depiction of the temple itself.

Price: Approx. $245 (Purchased in 2011: Inflation adjusted to 2017 = $265)

Why It’s Cool:
The coins of Nero bearing the temple of Janus reverse motif are generally accepted to refer to the peace following cessation of Corbulo's campaigns against the Parthians and the installation of Tiridates, Parthian nominee for the throne, as King of Armenia, and was probably discontinued when the Jewish war broke out in November 66 A.D., probably causing the doors of the Temple of Janus to be opened once again.
Historical footnote:
Nero's great general Corbulo in the East, campaigns made this coin possible. And of Nero's treachery in return. He recalled Corbulo from campaign and ordered him to meet his emperor in Greece. When Corbulo stepped ashore, he was greeted by an officer who handed him a scroll. In it Nero had ordered the general to take his own life. Nero considered him a threat. Corbulo is said to have muttered "So much for loyalty". Corbulo's daughter, who survived to later carry her father's blood into the imperial palace and the imperial family... she married the emperor Domitian.

#15 @gsimonel

Marcus Aurelius
Caesar, A.D. 139-161
Augustus, A.D. 161-180Provincial Bronze (AE26)
Moesia Inferior, Nikopolis ad Istrum, before A.D. 161
Wt.: 11.0 g
Dia.: 26 mm
Obv: AVPHΛIOC OVHPOC KAICAP
Rev: NEIKOΠOΛEITΩNΠPOC IC - Serapis, standing left, holding scepter and sacrificing with patera over altar.
Unlisted in Moushmov or RPC; unpublished?

Price: Purchased as part of a lot ($600 for 1,000 coins: Average coin cost = $0.60: ca. 2007 Purchase) See below.

Why It’s Cool:
Back when I was a grad student and had little-to-no disposable income, I discovered that I could make a little money by buying uncleaned coins (UCCs), cleaning and IDing them, (the university library had complete sets of RIC and BMRC), keeping ones that interested me and then selling the others on eBay. I usually turned a small profit by doing this, so that over time I could afford increasingly larger lots. Eventually I got to the point where I was buying lots of 1,000 UCCs for $600. Usually I would pick out 5 - 8 UCCs to keep and divided everything else up into smaller lots of between 10 to 50 coins and resold them. Even including eBay and PayPal fees, I was able to sell my lots of UCCs for a little less per coins than what most eBay sellers were charging and still recoup my initial investment: my profit was the free coins. By restricting myself to just 5 or so coins per 1,000 coin lot I felt pretty confident that there were still plenty of great discoveries to be had by my customers, (although I did always get first dibs).

This was a coin from one of those 1,000 coin lots. I didn't know what it was when I snatched it because it was pretty dirty. I figured it was a provincial, and it appeared to have a fair amount of detail under all that dirt. (This was back when there wasn't as much interest in provincials as there is today, probably because we didn't have as much information about them as we do now. I remember going through numerous volumes of SNGs--also in the university library--trying to ID Roman provincials.) Too bad about the flaking patina on the obverse, but where the patina remains the coin is in very nice shape. The fact that it appears to be unlisted in Moushmov or RPC makes it even more interesting to me. Finally, in my opinion Marcus Aurelius was one of Rome's greatest emperors. His writings on Stoic philosophy are still available today. Not sure I'd want him as a father, considering the result of his parenting, (and certainly not as a drinking buddy), but as a leader, I think he did a great job keeping the Empire on an even course despite all the difficulties he faced, such as the ravages of plague and the numerous barbarian invasions (or what might, from a different perspective, be called "resistance movements.")



All the comments in the first round were friendly, educational and lots of fun. I very much enjoyed it so let’s keep that going into this round also!

One small change for this round is that the polls will close after 4 days. It seems most everyone who wanted to vote in the first round was able to by about that time. If we need to make another adjustment we can do so in the semi-finals. Good luck to the players!

…and as before PLEASE post your relevant (or irrelevant) examples pile on style!

 

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So that third poll choice is supposed to be

Historical or numismatic interest (#10 Ancient Aussie)

For whatever reason it won't let me edit it. Dang copy->paste. Sorry everyone!

 

Very nice coin @gsimonel, I bet you got a few bargains in those large lots, and I can see why you are interested in provincials now as the diversity of reverses is incredible here is one of mine minted at the same place as yours 40-50 years later showing a double story building within the city gates Septimius Severus.

 

Two great coins !

Good luck to both contestants
Q

 

It's hard to beat $0.60 for value even considering that it's a lot purchase. Plus Marcus Aurelius coins rock! Between this and the round 1 Probus I would say that @gsimonel has managed some fantastic value acquisitions in his collecting career

Both coins have great eye appeal.

The history component with the temple of Janus makes AA's coin very appealing to me. It seems that the images on coins are the primary means that are used to reconstruct what it might have looked like. Cool! Here is a cool photo of the temple of Janus in Autun France in honor of AA's coin.

Surely you guys have some sweet Nero and Marcus Aurelius coins to pile on?!

 

OK boss, comin' right up! (I don't think I've posted the two Aurelius before.)

My biggest, chunkiest sest.


I don't see much Aurelius as Caesar on CT for some reason. This as, issued in 143, has Iuventas standing l. sacrificing at thymiaterion and holding patera.


And now the mature Aurelius in 174, while composing his Meditations on campaign. Dupondius, Roma standing l., holding Victory and spear.

 

All great detailed busts and beautiful coins, but that Nero triumphal arch is just fantastic.

 

Thanks, AA! Your temple is also fantastic, I love it... and the historical reference is truly wonderful. (Suggests a collecting theme: The Pax Romana. Ara Pacis, representations of Pax, what else?)

Looks like you will take this round. (No offense, gsimonel!) You'd better have something pretty darn sweet for the next one though, given who you'll be up against...

 

Thanks for the vote of confidence, that is if I get to the next round, I will give it a shake......pity it's not like a horse race and we could put some lead in their saddle bags....

 

Ancient Aussie posted one of my favorite types. Did you know these asses come with two legend varieties and building differences? Most are like the competitive coin but some asses use the legend TERRAMARIQ (on land and sea) in place of VBIQ (everywhere). This longer legend is more usual on larger sestertii.

Below is the common legend but the building faces left.

 

Nice!! => two more winners (congrats)

... ummm, but I voted for Doug

 

Me too!

 

Sounds like sour grapes? you two.

 

Sorry fellas, I was merely brown-nosing Doug (Mentor) ...

=> both of your coins "ROCK"

 

I know, just looking for a bite....

 

I just changed my vote

 

Good I could do with another one.

 

There is still a few hours to vote on this one for those of you who haven't had the chance.

Special thanks to AA and Glenn as well as everyone who voted and commented.

 

Another fun match with amazing and totally different kinds of examples.

Results:
@Ancient Aussie: 97 (WINNER)
@gsimonel: 47

Voters were impressed with the value for money of gsimonel's bronze but AA comes out on top on the strenght his coin's eye appeal and interest. Great match and thank you to all the participants and voters!

Looking forward to seeing AA's semifinal match. Happy Easter all!

 

Congrats to both for such cool and great value coins!!!