I usually like to do themed posts with music or humorous oddities on coins. The rhythm is predictable: I'll post coins that are beaters and dingers and then end with some zingers. However, today I thought I'd do... the exact same thing (OK, OK, I've got a few beauties lying around. But that aint what this post is about). This funderful idea brought to you by @Clavdivs, whom got a kick out of my reference to an overly porous reverse on my Claudius as "ancient static" in @Roman Collector's recent "Claudius second brass" thread (sounds like the name of the empirial wind section) https://www.cointalk.com/threads/claudius-second-brass.322829/#post-3179188. (The referenced coin) RC (Roman Collector), being the RS (Rock Star) that he is, was able to surmise that due to the barely recognizable semi circle in the upper right quadrant of the reverse that this was Minerva advancing right with her shield (much like a younger Ryro trying to glimpse through the static and scrambles on what were stations your parents had to pay for back in the 80s. I KNOW the older gentlemen collectors know what I'm talking about). But this wasn't the first time that I've had coins that I had logged in my "cull case" files and given up all hope of ever IDing. Another case was one that a certain CT member who's name I'm pretty sure is the same sound a unicorn makes while sneezing. AHH AHHHHH...@tif Saw in a scramble of silver static a Thracian dolphin riding cow! Check out my "rough" pics (she even had to rotate and crop my amateurish attempt it was so bad). Then, as you can see in the bottom pic, she superimposed her top shelf beauty over my cows "skeletal remains". What a Siglos sleuth! THRACE, Byzantion Circa 340-320 BCE AR; Half Siglos; 14 mm, 2.53 gm Obv: ΠY Bull standing left on dolphin left Rev: Quadripartite incuse square of mill sail pattern These are just a couple of examples of what I'd refer to as "ancient static" on coins. Do you all have some butter-face coins (or butter-butts for that matter)? Beauties on obverse or reverse but that other side is un(or near)readable? Do you have any rare coins that are beyond gone but by the grace of Zeus you have been able to ID?? Post 'em if you got 'em!
Yes! I loved the "ancient static" term ..it is great. For someone who collects at a certain "level" I have a few of these. As a new collector I do find it amazing how quickly the members here can figure these out... @Roman Collector deciphered this one super quick some time ago: LYDIA. Philadelphia (as Neocaesarea). Caligula with Agrippina I (37-41). Ae. Artemon, hermogenous. Obv: ΓAIOC KAICAP ΓЄPMANIKOC NЄOKAICAPЄωN. Laureate head right. Rev: ΑΓΡΙΠΠΙΝΑΝ ΑΡΤЄΜωΝ ЄΡΜΟΓЄΝΟVC. Agrippina (as Demeter), seated right on throne, holding sceptre and cornucopia. RPC I 3032; SNG von Aulock -; SNG Copenhagen 372; BMC 55
I have one of these, a pleasing and heavy Sestertius of Faustina Sr. Just don't turn it over! Diva Faustina Senior. Died AD 140/1. Sestertius. 33mm, 23.92g. Rome mint. Struck under Antoninus Pius, circa AD 141-146. Obv: DIVA AVGVSTA FAVSTINA; Draped bust right Rev: [PIETAS AVG / S-C]; Pietas standing left, dropping incense over lighted altar? Ref: RIC III 1146A (Pius), Sear 1366 I had hoped there would be some angle that reveals the reverse but there is just nothing. The photo makes it looks like the reverse is covered with bumps but they are pits. Deep, scary pits.
I pity those who have trouble seeing beyond a little static... This is one of the first coins I ever bought, and it remains one of my most prized examples of ancient static. ELAGABALUS AE25. 10.14g, 25.1mm. MACEDONIA, Thessalonica, circa AD 218-222. Varbanov 4444. O: AV K M AVR ANTWNINOC, laureate, draped and cuirassed bust right. R: QECCALONIKEWN, Nike advancing left, holding small Kabirus and palm branch. The static on this one is pretty nice and even and the devices mostly all visible through it. GORDIAN III AE34. 20.82g, 34.3mm. CILICIA, Tarsus, circa AD 238-244. SNG France 1667 var. (rev legend). O: AVT KAI M ANTΩNIOC ΓOPΔIANOC CЄB, radiate, draped and cuirassed bust right; Π – Π in exergue. R: TAPCOV MHTPOΠOΛЄΩ / A M - K Γ B, Hercules standing facing, head left, holding club and apples of the Hesperides; tree to left, from which hangs the carcass of the monstrous serpent Ladon. A seller tossed this one into my order as a freebie... he obviously wasn't a fan of ancient static. His loss! It took some digging before I could attribute it, but it turned out to be a very rare Cilician provincial of Commodus, with only 1 specimen cited in RPC. One day I'm going to sell it for $1,000,000.00. COMMODUS AE19. 4.77g, 19.3mm. CILICIA, Augusta, 183/184 AD (Year 164). Karbach, Augusta p.54, 81 (same obv die) = RPC Online Temp 6170 (Marcus Aurelius). O: Laureate head of Commodus right, AV KOMODO [...]. R: AVGOVSTN(sic) ETOY EPD, horse (?) standing right, head turned left; tree to left.
Antonius Pius is fighting off the static in this sestertius.. I do love the color and the heft of this coin... 22 grams
Barely identifiable: Nero, AD 54-68, and 1st wife, Claudia Octavia. Roman provincial AE 24.6 mm, 8.60 g. Crete, Cnossus, AD 54-62. Obv: NERO CLAV CAES AVG IMP LVPINO VOLVMINIO II, bare head of Nero right, scepter over left shoulder. Rev: NERO CLAV CAES AVG IMP ET OCTAVIA AVGVSTI, bare head of Nero, left, star above, facing draped bust of Octavia, right, crescent above. Refs: SGI 655; RPC 1005-6; Svoronos 95, 217 var; Cohen 313, 1-2. Cleopatra VII, Queen of Egypt, 51-30 BCE. AE 40 drachmai; 21.0 mm; 7.32 gm. Alexandria mint, 51-30 BCE. Obv: Diademed head of Cleopatra, hair in bun at back of head, facing right. Rev: [ΚΛΕΟΠΑΤΡΑΣ ΒΑΣΙΛΙΣΣΗΣ], eagle standing left on thunderbolt, double cornucopiae in field to left, M (for 40) to right. Refs: Sear Greek 7956; Svoronos 1872; BMC 6; Vagi 212; Forrer 110.
Oh, and going with your theme of one side of a coin being pretty and the other pretty damaged, I'll toss in this Alexandrian tet of Gallienus, with a nice portrait on the obverse and a ... umm ... less well-preserved reverse: Gallienus, AD 253-268. Roman provincial billon tetradrachm, 8.70 g, 23 mm. Egypt, Alexandria, AD 266/7. Obv: AVT K Π ΛIK ΓAΛΛIHNOC CЄB, laureate and cuirassed bust right. Rev: Homonoia standing left, raising hand and holding double cornucopia; L IΔ (= regnal year 14) before, palm frond behind. Refs: Dattari (Savio) 5246; BMCG 2186; Cologne 2937; Milne 4136; RCV 10580; Emmett 3816.14; K&G 90.93.
Dang @Clavdivs I'm super jealous! I love Caligula (one of my favorite of the good guy emperors). Leave it up to @Roman Collector to ID a reverse with little to nothing on it! And are you sure it's not spelled Antonius porous?? Speaking of RC, @Roman Collector that may be the best portrait off Gallienus I've ever seen...neck hair and all! @Ed Snible that hair do on Faustina sr is probably my favorite hairstyle of all the empress'. And I LOVE empress hairstyles. To bad about that static on the reverse. Maybe if you mess with the bunny ears it might come in more clear (now there's a 35 years old and up joke right there folks). Here's my Denarius: And @zumbly it's too bad you showed your whole hand there. I was gonna offer you one million and one dollars for that doozy. Kidding aside, that's amazing to have such a rarity of such an awesome ruler...whatever the condition!
You really are cracking me up! Antonius "Porous" has a certain look in his eye (what little you can see of it...!) - He knows he is slowly melting into the static ether.. Perhaps we can convince @Curtisimo to create the "First Annual Coin Imperceptible Tournament"? We may just be on to a winner!
This Carausius antoninianus has a great obverse - both portrait and legend are excellent for this issue: View attachment 819346 ........ unfortunately the reverse depiction and legend are obliterated: View attachment 819348
@Roman Collector and I could have good Cleopatra match in the Coin Imperceptible tournament static-off: diobol ("80 drachmae"), Alexandria
Interesting. What I see here is an artist whose art is recognition rather than creation. Some here will not appreciate what he does but I see beauty in his efforts and am amazed the British Museum did as well. The explanation is on http://www.stephensack.com/metal-mirror/ and proves that the art of linking pages is not his strong suite. In a similar vein, I offer stylized horse fourree inset and other imperfect coins from my page on Wabi-Sabi Ancient Coins: http://www.forumancientcoins.com/dougsmith/wabisabi.html
I have a bit of an advantage here as I met the guy so got his aims from the horses mouth. He seemed to be using the worn corroded versions of the coins fancifully to underscore the great distance of the remote past from ourselves both in time and outlook. I thought that worked quite well in some cases. Gave a similar sort of vibe to all those 18th century grand tour prints of ancient ruins - as sort of pleasant melancholy. On the down side, I recall I said to him as an opener - "Did you know Robert Graves collected coins?" And I am pretty sure he replied "Who is Robert Graves?" So I thought: "Yikes - kids today". But I think that a lot these days
What an interesting post. I really like this kind of material, for reasons I cannot explain - something about ruins. Were I an 18th century English aristocrat, I'd have my lawn filled up with fake broken columns and statues missing their noses, no doubt. And that Stephen Sack art exhibit is marvelous (thanks for the link EWC3). When it comes to ancient stuff, I guess I prefer my Venus de Milo missing her arms. I think most of my collection is made up of static -Here is a Domitian I posted earlier - thanks to Doug's website, I managed to at least narrow the date down because of the portrait and the only bit of inscription visible is COS DES VIII. The rest is lost to time.... Domitian Æ Sestertius (81 A.D. - 8th designated consulship) Rome Mint Laureate bust right, all legends worn away / Occluded standing figure (?), all legends worn away except DES VIII. "Domitian announced 8th Consulship on January 1, 82." (Doug Smith website) (24.23 grams / 33 mm) Here is an Antoninus Pius sestertius I am inordinately fond of. The reverse is, I am 72% certain, Apollo (you can just make out the curve of his lyre, barely). The toning is an attractive dark brown with bits of "sand patina" bringing out some of the legends, devices, and pits... Antoninus Pius Æ Sestertius (140-144 A.D.) Rome Mint ANTONINVS AVG PIVS P P TR P COS III, laureate head right / APOLLINI AVGVSTO SC, Apollo draped to feet standing left holding lyre and patera. RIC 598; Cohen 62; BMC 1229 (18.22 grams / 32 mm)
I really like the patina on both. I'm gonna guess Tiberius with the SC reverse and Domitian with the clasped hands?
Thanks for sharing the BEAUTIFUL art of that AWESOME artist! admittedly (and embarrassedly) I recognized the name Robert Graves but knew not from where... It's the fella who wrote I-Claudius! Here's a link if anyone else wants to read up on this amazing man https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Graves Made all the more amazing now that I know he had a love of coins
Those who ignored Ryro's link above made a mistake. I would suggest that a TV miniseries as good as 'I-Claudius' could be made on the life of Robert Graves.
