Interesting Mixed Lot

Discussion in 'Ancient Coins' started by Macromius, Mar 26, 2020.

  1. Macromius

    Macromius Well-Known Member

    I bought this lot of 13 coins for about $6.00 per coin. I can identify only about half of them. I'm aware of the bronze disease on some and it doesn't scare me. I'm used to dealing with that. I welcome any comments. Cheers....

    s-l1600 (5).jpg
    s-l1600.jpg
     
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  3. svessien

    svessien Senior Member

    Caracalla from Macrianopolis in the middle? To the right a jewish prutah. AE from Syracuse down right, I think. Interesting lot, as you say.
     
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  4. Roman Collector

    Roman Collector Well-Known Member

  5. Marsyas Mike

    Marsyas Mike Well-Known Member

    Great looking lot there - I really, really like buying ancients this way. Not only are they inexpensive, but they are so much fun to figure out.

    I would be interested to see what you come up with in your attributions.

    Here's a lot I got last month from an eBay seller in Belgium - they came out to about $1.50 each. Nothing lovely, but the attributions kept me busy for days:

    _Lot - Roman AE from Belgium Feb 2020 (0).jpg
     
  6. dougsmit

    dougsmit Member

    Macromius: I'm not sure I see $78 in any one coin there but the bunch @ $6 each is a deal. Top row #4, second row #2 and #4 should pay for the lot easily but I hope you are keeping them.
     
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  7. dougsmit

    dougsmit Member

    M Mike: All but one are easy ID's which you should do yourself rather than ask help here until you give up anyway. Row 2 coin 3 may be harder. You will be graded on row 3 coin 4. We have had a lot here lately on these.
     
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  8. Macromius

    Macromius Well-Known Member

    @dougsmit
    I'm a frugal buyer who waits and waits for good deals. You can bet I'm keeping them Doug!
     
  9. Marsyas Mike

    Marsyas Mike Well-Known Member

    The green one on the bottom row left is, I think, a Celtic imitation of a "lion" issue of Lysimachos. There is a very interesting article by Reid Goldsborough on these:

    http://rg.ancients.info/lion/lysimachos.html

    I was researching these a while ago because I have a countermarked version. This coin also came from a big, unattributed lot, by the way:

    CM - Lysimachos river god reclining Nov 2019 (0).jpg

    Lysimachos (Thrace) Imitation
    Countermarked for Odessos
    (c. 297-250 B.C.)

    Helmeted head of Athena (youth?) right / Blundered legend, lion leaping right, spearhead below.
    Countermark: River god (Odessos/Theos Megas) reclining left, Δ below, 9 x 7 mm oval, obv.
    (4.04 grams / 18 mm)
    eBay Nov. 2019 Lot @ $2.20

    Attribution:


    Online sources were confusing:

    Cf. Müller 61-2 for prototype.
    cf.SNG.Cop.1149ff.
    SNG Copenhagen 1153; Winterthur 1329
     
  10. Marsyas Mike

    Marsyas Mike Well-Known Member

    Thank you Doug. I always appreciate a challenge.... I'd already attributed all of these (you are right about the one in row 3 - the condition was beyond my ability to take a wild guess). I only ask for help when I'm baffled...which is why I ask for help a lot!

    As for row 3, coin 4, below is the attribution I came up with. My LRB attribution skills are very "newbie" but I felt fairly confident at the time (last month). Now I am worried!:nailbiting:

    I was wondering what was going on with the obverse strike - a double-strike or just random post-production damage? - I'm not sure. It's an ugly one.

    Maximinus II from Lot Feb 2020 (0).jpg

    Maximinus II Daia Æ Follis
    (311 A.D.)
    Siscia Mint

    IMP MAXIMINVS PF AVG, laureate head right / IOVI CONSERVATORI, Jupiter standing facing, holding thunderbolt, leaning on sceptre, eagle with wreath left, B right. SIS in ex.
    RIC VI Siscia 222b, B.
    (6.51 grams / 24 mm)

    How'd I do? Corrections (and efforts to further my education) always appreciated!
     
  11. Parthicus

    Parthicus Well-Known Member

    @Macromius : The Judaea coin (middle row, 2nd from right) is from the Roman procurator Antonius Felix (52-59 AD). I think this type is always dated Year 14 of Claudius (54 AD), though the date is off the flan of your piece. Interestingly, the coin names Claudius's son Brittanicus (you can see the letters BRI above the palm tree), whose portrait coins are quite rare.
     
  12. Macromius

    Macromius Well-Known Member

    @Parthicus : Much Thanks for info, especially Brittanicus reference.
     
  13. Claudius 11

    Claudius 11 Active Member

    How do you deal with bronze disease. Quite a nice selection.
     
  14. Deacon Ray

    Deacon Ray Artist & Historian Supporter

    Middle row vertically and second from the right is a very fine Hendin 1348. @Parthicus mentions it also.

     
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  15. Macromius

    Macromius Well-Known Member

    @Claudius 11 : I never soak in distilled water though there's nothing wrong with that. First I often scrub or pick off what I can. I soak in sodium sesquicarbonate in what I call half strength and full strength dilutions. Different times for different patinas. Some patinas are thicker and way more resilient than others. Sometimes I strip coins to the bare metal but I always try not to do that unless forced to. I want to save as much of the patina as I can. Wash. Bake in oven on piece of foil at 350 degrees to dry. ( I actually burnt a Ptolemy Tetrabol once at higher temps. Forgot it was cooking and blackened the coin!) Verdicare is extremely useful at this point.

    For really difficult problems:
    I Renwax problem coins very thinly, though folks here seem very down on that. Heavy porosity can be a huge hindrance. I admit that I stooped to using lacquer once, though I don't recommend that. That coin has never broken out with BD since then, but God only knows what is going on inside the coin. It was one of those swiss-cheese Republican AE coins with a hundred little holes, each one a BD incubator.

    You have to practice your BD treatment skills to become confident in your own abilities.
     
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  16. hotwheelsearl

    hotwheelsearl Well-Known Member

    Geez, where do you guys find such good deals? My best deal yet has been LRBs for $5 each :(
     
  17. hotwheelsearl

    hotwheelsearl Well-Known Member

    This comment is oddly hilarious.
     
  18. Macromius

    Macromius Well-Known Member

    Here's a flash photo of the coin I was referring to. Blow it up. The milky colored spots are lacquer in the holes. It looks much better in the hand. 5 years plus and no new BD but many consider a lacquered coin to be ruined. A good soak in lacquer thinner would remove it, but the 20 dollar question is this: Is the corrosion still growing inside the coin? Will it break in two like a cookie some day? Hope not.

    IMGP8622.jpg
     
    Last edited: Mar 26, 2020
  19. Claudius 11

    Claudius 11 Active Member

    Macromius many thanks for the info
     
  20. dougsmit

    dougsmit Member

    The Maximinus looks like it was damaged by being caught in farm machinery or gears. I suppose there are a thousand possibilities but that is the one I can favor. I'd say I give my guess up to 5% chance of being right but that might be overly sure of myself. Post production damage seems most likely.
     
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