Having shown the 'special' coins from the show, I'll go on to the ones I might not have bought but they just looked nice and I am compulsive at a show. The Vespasian denarius is neither rare nor specially interesting but, for the grade, is decent looking. I like toned coins. Coins of this grade are not expensive and feed my addiction. The reverse is said to be the emperor seated but I can't help pointing out that the pose and legend looks a lot like Tiberius ' Tribute Penny' so we can call this a Poor Man's version (probably 1/5 to 1/10 the price). Considering you will see a fistfull of the Tiberius coins for every one of these, it goes to illustrate how scarcity has nothing to do with prices. The other is a silver didrachm of Caesarea showing Lucius Verus and Mt. Argaeus. We had a thread not long ago showing this reverse as used by other emperors and I did not have the Verus. Again, the tone had something to do with the selection. Compared to the later coins, the mountain seems somewhat stylized. The dealer had two of these almost exactly the same grade and could not explain why this one was cheaper. He was one that bases prices on what he paid rather than what he thinks he might get. Some of these show the mountain topped with a statue rather than a star. I can not explain why.
Nice pickups, always nice to see the coins in person at a show. Takes the guessing game out of online pictures. I'm always interested in seeing more and different types of coins from Caesarea. Think I saw about four or five different types that I want to add to my collection.
I really like the "Flavian Tribute Penny". If I'm not mistaken (David will correct me if I am) this coin was struck in late 73 AD and then for only about 3-4 months. I wonder how rare this coin actually is.
I had a conversation with a man at the show that asked me if I found what I was looking for. The fact is that I never seem to find what I am looking or but I always find something that I would have been looking for if I had known it existed. US collectors go to a show looking for a 1938S nickel in AU or better and compare the three that they find at the show at different dealers. I bought nothing that I had in mind because to some degree anyway because I don't realistically expect to find something specific. If impulse buying is defined as non-premeditated purchasing, I am guilty at every show I attend. At this show, I asked the dealer with the Otho if he still had it and ended up buying it but the rest were impulses. I did not see a single coin that tempted me in my prime areas of interest (Eastern Septimius, technical oddities). I turned down a Pescennius Niger with a reverse I really would like because it was not up to my standards (scary, what?). Two of my purchases were coins that I did not know existed. It is the only way I know to shop at a show.
If it's any consolation, I bought my first 2 Greek coins ever and picked up 3 Roman coins at the same show. Apparently, at some point when I saw money in my wallet and saw a coin I just had to buy, I started an ancient collection. I had no intention of even looking at anything older than say 1600 the entire weekend. Oops.
Mentioned above, I had no idea these coins existed. First was a coin that the seller could not identify so I bought it as a challenge. It struck me as Spanish and turned up in a simple search of acsearch using the terms shell and dolphin. AE16 Saguntum late 2nd century BC, Shell / dolphin over Iberian legend. I do not read Iberian but the letters looked like they should be Spanish. The dolphin is sylish. Condition could be better but it was a cheap junk box coin and educational. I did not have a Gallienus from Tyre but I have seen a number of really special types offered. What I found was a 'someone standing there' in poor condition but it, too, was cheap enough that I wanted to see if I could learn anything. At least it came identified. The reverse figure was listed as Diomedes holding the stolen Palladium https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diomedes#The_Palladium but the appeal of the coin was at least partly the murex shell (supplier of Tyrian Purple) in the reverse field. Considering the low grade, the portrait looked to be of good style. What I got out of this was a nicely made, hefty AE28 that makes me want more from the series (preferably in better shape and with the premium reverses). Yes, I guess I did steal my own thread and perverted it by adding two bronzes to a thread called 'silver'.
Welcome to Ancients. That seems to be the nature of the beast. I just bought 6 coins this weekend that I never had any intention of buying. Now my wallet has moths.
Don't feel lonely! A quarter of my collection are impulse purchases. Sometimes, if it's an inexpensive item, I don't remember making the purchase at all.
I really like the portrait on your LV didrachm. Mine has the mountain surmounted by a statue. Is it Helios as the sun rather than the star-sun on your coin? The deer and tree on the flanking rocks at the base of the mountain are what I like best about mine. I have no idea what the blue deposits are, but they're darker than they appear in the picture, even as the rest of the coin is lighter than the picture shows. I should really try to re-shoot this one. My Gallienus from Tyre is a large one as well, and has Thoth-Hermes on the reverse. Tyre had many interesting large provincial bronzes. One that I'd really like to have is this one showing Cadmus "presenting the alphabet to the Hellenes."
Yes, that is a good one but also makes the point that most of the ones I have seen have been somewhere between basal and bad shape. Did you notice that it was estimated at $150 and brought $1500? I guess you are not the only one after that one. Imagine what mint state one might fetch. Check this one ($200 brought $3500): https://cngcoins.com/Coin.aspx?CoinID=289827
And that was after someone took a bite off the edge of it! If all coins could obediently adhere to the rule that says rarity is worth less than condition, I'd sure own many more interesting coins .
Thats why coin shows are the greatest. You get to see what you never knew about. While the internet is great, you can't search for something you didn't know about.
The Flavian 'Tribute Penny' was struck for both Vespasian and Titus Caesar in 73 and 74 AD. Vespasian had 5 legend variants of the type, some more rare than others. This is probably my rarest example. Vespasian AR Denarius, 3.20g Rome mint, 74 AD RIC 683 (R), BMC 135, RSC 363 Obv: IMP CAESAR VESP AVG; Head of Vespasian, laureate, r. Rev: PON MAXTR P COS V; Vespasian std. r. on curule chair, with sceptre and branch Acquired from G&N, January 2012. And this one is my most common. Vespasian AR Denarius, 3.50g Rome mint, 73 AD RIC 546 (C3), BMC 98, RSC 387 Obv: IMP CAES VESP AVG CENS; Head of Vespasian, laureate, r. Rev: PONTIF MAXIM; Vespasian, togate, seated r., feet on stool, holding vertical sceptre in r. hand and branch in l. Acquired from Pars Coins, March 2004. Doug's is a nice example of the latter coin. I suppose only a specialist will care about the different legend variants.
Ummm Mentor, so you've posted "4" new additions in this thread? => they're all winners The shell & dolphin is my favourite (big surprise, eh?)
Great coins David. Here is mine that I know you have seen before, but it is one of the rare variants. Vespasian. AD 69-79. AR Denarius Rome mint. Struck AD 74. (18.47 mm, 3.39 g, 6h). Obv: IMP CAESAR VESP AUG Laureate head right Rev: PONTIF MAXIM Vespasian seated right, holding scepter and branch. RIC II 685; BMCRE pg. 27 ; RSC 386. SRCV 1 (2000) 2305. Ex: J. Eric Engstrom Collection Ex: CNG E-auction 373, Lot 366 April 20, 2016
I like the shell and dolphin also. I see similar coins when looking for cast coins and ones like your coin fool me at a glance. Your coin looks like this one - https://www.acsearch.info/search.html?similar=1002619 SPAIN, Arse. Saguntino (Valencia). 100-30 BC. Æ Quadrans (2.86 gm) Shell / Dolphin. Bur.1627. aVF, dark green patina. Rare.
