This coin arrived in the mail today from the most recent Nomos auction in Switzerland. The coin came with an old collection tag from Dr. Walter Stoecklin, who was an active collector in the early to mid 20th century. It is written in pen and ink -- not a ballpoint. You may read more about the Stoecklin collection here. Here is the collection tag: It reads: Rom Kaiserzeit Annia Galeria Faustina Mater Gemahlin d. Antoninus Pius geb 105, gest. 141 AR denar Av. Buste r. DIVA FAVSTINA Rv. stehende Vesta AVGVSTA mit simpulum + Palladium Which is translated: Roman Empire Annia Galeria Faustina, mother wife of Antoninus Pius Born 105, died 141 AR denarius Obv: Bust right DIVA FAVSTINA Rev: Vesta standing AVGVSTA with simpulum and Palladium Note no references to catalog number, not even to Cohen. If you're interested, here are some: RIC 368; BMCRE 435-438; Cohen 108; RCV 4587; CRE 153. Post your coins with old collector tags!
Cool. Hard to read. Trying to make out what that says. I can read: Bronze Grun-something-or-other (Grunsch...)? Oriko-something Monogram???? Kopf n. r. (head facing right) Dreifuss m. Schlange (tripod with snake) Nicopolis.
Thanks for the deciphering RC. I either misfiled the write-up or didn't have one. I got it off ebay some years ago. I did remember finding it on wildwinds- Nicopolis/Tripod with Schlange/snake These old tags are very interesting and sure does add some great ambiance to a collection. If anyone recognizes the tag please let me know- maybe it is from a famous collection/collector? who knows? Your coin is a nice one. I did notice a lot of that type as I remember on the Forum fake reports so it is very good to have a provenance like yours. Some coins that are often faked I would not buy w/o one.
My favorite old tags are from the 'Bavarian Collection' whose low budget was assisted by making tags from old business cards and envelopes. http://www.forumancientcoins.com/dougsmith/feac16.html
Eleanor of Aquitaine (1137-1204) Anglo-Gallic Aquitaine Denier (17.93 mm 0.69 g 12h) 12h (E 11; W 9; S 8011 Obv: two cross patt‚e divided by a pellet, m above, a below, +dvcis it, Rev. +aqvitanie, cross patte Coins and historical medals from the collection formed by the late Revd. Charles Campbell Dix Noonan Webb Online Auction September 13, 2017 Lot 163
I believe the first word in the third line ends in "...land" and is the name (auf Deutsch) of the province in which the city was located, as indicated by the second word in the third line which begins with a cursive "N" and is in fact "Nikopolis". So the later transcription of that city name in all caps should be rendered as the fragmentary transcription of the reverse inscription, in Greek uncials.
Amazing to think about a three-generation collection. Are interests genetic, instilled, opportunistic or all of the above? The old handwriting on those coin envelopes is great (so are the coins).
My oldest tag as far as I can locate: Sicily, Syracuse. Hieron II, 275 – 216 BC Æ27. 15.19 grams Obverse: Diademed head left. Reverse: Horseman galloping right with lance held forward. Monogram below. Provenance: CNG Electronic Auctions 144, lot 38, $98, July 2006 Garth R. Drewry Collection Malloy Auction 17, December 1980, lot 470 Thomas Virzi Collection, 1846
Interesting thread. Just today I got what might be my best Severus Alexander denarius (RIC 70, I believe). It came with original "souvenir" packaging from the Roman Baths of Bath, England, including the tatty envelope. A while back I posted a LRB in similar packaging - I guess back in the day they used to sell genuine coins rather than "museum replicas." As far as I can tell, this one is genuine:
It's been right about 20 years since I was last in Bath and they sold genuine coins in the gift shop then. Nothing as nice as yours, just low quality LRB's.
I was in Bath in 2007, but the price to get in the baths was pretty "salty" so I never made it to the gift shop.
A Titus Caesar quinarius from the William C. Boyd Collection (1840-1906). Titus Caesar AR Quinarius, 1.60g Rome mint, 73 AD RIC V535 (R). BMC V92. RSC 374. Obv: T CAES IMP VESP P TR P CENS; Head of Titus, laureate, bearded, r. Rev: VICTORIA AVGVSTI; Victory adv. r., with wreath and palm 15mm, 1.60 gm Ex Harry N. Sneh Collection, acquired from Tom Cederlind. Ex Baldwin's Auction 42, 26 September 2005, lot 288 (part). Ex William C. Boyd Collection, acquired from W.S. Lincoln, February 1896. I wonder if my envelopes will stay with my coins?
Beautiful new addition @Roman Collector ! I also have a coin from the Stoecklin Collection. Ptolemaic Kings of Egypt Ptolemy I Soter, (305-282 BC) AR Tetradrachm, Alexandria mint, struck ca. 300-285 BC Dia.: 26 mm Wt.: 14.13 g Obv.: Diademed head of Ptolemy I right, wearing aegis around neck. Δ behind ear Rev.: ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ ΠΟΛΕΜΑΙΟΥ eagle with closed wings standing on thunderbolt. P above monogram ΠΑΡ Ref.: Noesje 41-42. SNG Copenhagen 70-71. Svoronos 255 Ex W.F. Stoecklin, Ex Karl Steiner (1940s), signed by Delta.
Lots of very nice coins. By pedigree do you mean a coin that came from a well known collection/person, or any coin who's ownership can be traced? Edit: Never mind I just reread OP and answered my own question. Yes I'm a little slow