Mail Call - Big Beautiful Bronzes

These all showed up today. I went on a bidding spree this weekend. By bidding spree, I mean that I put in the lowest possible bid without any expectation of winning. Surprisingly, I won these 3 lots (4 coins), for less than $10 a piece.

This group includes coins that cover an almost 400 year spread in Roman/Byzantine history. They include my first Tetradrachm (Elagabalus), and my first Heraclius and Heraclius Constantine Follis. The two Justinian I Follis' are great too because 1 is from Antioch with a Greek mintmark and the other just has a nice look too it.

Even Mrs FF agreed that there is something nice about holding them in your hand. It feels like you are holding something that holds value.

Has anyone received any big beautiful bronzes in the mail lately?


Elagabalus
AR tetradrachm
Antioch, Syria
Obverse: AVT K M A ANTΩNEINOC CEB, laureate, draped and cuirassed bust right Reverse: ΔHMAΡX EΞ YΠATOC TO B, eagle standing front, head left, wreath in beak, tail left. Δ-Epsilon across upper fields.


Justinian I
AE Follis
Antioch
Obverse: DN IVSTINIANVS PP AVG, pearl diademed, draped, cuirassed bust right
Reverse: Large M, star to left, cross above, star to right, officina letter below
Greek mintmark ΘΥΠΟΛS


Justinian I
AE follis
527-565 AD
Constantinople
Obverse: DN IVSTINIANVS PP AVG, pearl diademed, draped, cuirassed bust right
Reverse: Large M, cross to left, cross above, cross right, officina letter below
Mintmark CON.


Heraclius and Heraclius Constantine
Follis
This is as much as I have identified so far. It was clearly over-struck on an earlier coin but I can't tell what. Looks like ANNO to the left. M in the center with a star above the M and a Δ below the M.


Handful of History

 

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This coin arrived earlier this month, not a really big bronze, though.

 

I got crazy with the cheese whizz over the weekend mice elf.... but more to come on that front.
I LOVE big bronzes baby! And those big Byz coins are saweet!
Here are some Byzantine coins O mine:

 

@Ryro I like that Anastasius!

 

It's bronze and beautiful. I will allow it

 

This is where eBay excels, in my opinion. No auction house is going bother listing coins like these. And yes, some collectors will snort contemptuously at coins in this condition. But I find them incredibly cool. They look and feel impressive. They are clearly identifiable. And just think about all the history represented by these coins. Great score, furryfrog2. Congratulations.

 

I could not agree more. eBay is not the place to go to build a world class collection but there are, mixed in with the overpriced garbage and scams, opportunities for fairly priced, study worthy coins that will never be worth as much in a cash sense as they are as education. Each must decide if the goal of collecting is to gain financially or to experience, learn and benefit in other ways. Collectors who have more cash might do both at the same time but, for the rest of us, it is great there is a way to find the coins that bring us enjoyment. Once it was local coin shops and shows. More and more today, it is eBay.

 

Great new coins, FF!! I enjoy finding good deals on coins on Ebay, getting them delivered, holding them on your hand, researching them, loving on them.

I know I posted these last week in the free for all, but I'm still waiting on a delivery of my most recent purchases. Plus, these are still fresh to my collection (2 weeks) and are big, bronze, and beautiful (oh, and from the 'bay)... Checks all the 'B' boxes, so why not.


Commodus, Ruled 177-192 AD
AE Sestertius, Struck 184 AD, Rome mint
Obverse: M COMMODVS ANTON AVG PIVS BRIT, laureate head right.
Reverse: VOTA SVSCEP DECEN P M TR P VIIII IMP VII, Commodus, veiled, togate, standing left, sacrificing over tripod from patera in right hand, S-C across fields, COS IIII P P below.
References: RIC III 441c
Size: 30mm, 20.0g
Note: Reverse shows emperor sacrificing over altar for the 'ten year' vows. The 'Vota suscepta decennalia' was celebrated every ten years, regardless of how long the current emperor had been in power.


Commodus, Ruled 177-192 AD
AE Sestertius, Struck 186 AD, Rome mint
Obverse: M COMMODVS ANT P FELIX AVG BRIT, laureate head right.
Reverse: LIBERTAS AVG P M TR P XI IMP VII COS V P P, Libertas, draped, standing left, holding pileus in extended right hand and rod in left hand, S-C across fields.
References: RIC III 471
Size: 29mm, 20.7g
Rare.


Septimius Severus, Ruled 193-211 AD
AE Sestertius, Struck 196 AD, Rome mint
Obverse: L SEPT SEV PERT AVG IMP VIII, laureate head right.
Reverse: P M TR P V COS II P P, Pax, draped, seated left, holding branch in extended right hand and sceptre in left hand; S-C across fields.
References: RIC IV 727a
Size: 29mm, 22.1g
cf: Bertolami Fine Arts, E-Auction 43 (7/9/17), Lot # 633 (Reverse die match)


Hadrian, Ruled 117-138 AD
AE Sestertius, Struck 119-122 AD, Rome
Obverse: IMP CAESAR TRAIANVS HADRIANVS AVG, bust, laureate, draped on left shoulder, right.
Reverse: PONT MAX TR POT COS III, Roma, helmeted, in military dress, seated left on cuirass, resting left foot on helmet, holding Victory in extended right hand and vertical spear in left; round shield behind, SC below.
References: RIC II 562b
Size: 34.5mm, 25.2g
cf: CNG, E-Auction 302 (5/8/13), Lot # 368
Notes: Obverse die match with ANS example 1906.236.315

 

I remember coin shops. No more. I miss them.
I live about 30 miles north of NYC, and there are no places that I know of that sell ancients. Even when I lived in Queens and worked in Manhattan I could not find any shops selling ancients.

 

Here's a few newish pieces.

Big Anastasius





Hadrian not practicing social distancing in Alexandria





Big Caracalla piece

 

Here are 2 recent acquisitions - sestertii of Hadrian with Dacia reverse and Marcus Aurelius with Salus.

 

Your

 

lol you alright @Cheech9712?

 

your gifted cuz your

 

Wanted to sa

LS.O.B.

 

At 33.5 mm, this is the biggest bronze I have. Some might not think it beautiful -- its surfaces are pretty rough -- but it's a LIFETIME issue and that's special.

Faustina I, AD 138-140.
Roman orichalcum sestertius, 23.19 g, 33.5 mm, 12 h.
Rome, AD 139-140.
Obv: FAVSTINA AVG ANTONINI AVG PII P P, bust of Faustina I, draped, right.
Rev: VENERI AVGVSTAE S C, Venus, standing right, drawing drapery from right shoulder with right hand and holding apple in left hand.
Refs: RIC 1081; BMCRE 1120-22; Cohen 282; Strack 1224; RCV 4677; Hill UCR 146.

 

I remember seeing ancients at the coin department in Gimbels department store. They were overpriced but they were there. In the day when a major source for dealers was the holdings of the late grandpa, local coin stores could have anything. Today we see more fresh out of the ground (and overcleaned) material. Grandpa's coins sell if he was a major collector but the holdings of guys like me are harder to find (especially now that shows are dying, too).

 

Here are two more large bronzes, sestertii of Marcus Aurelius. I've owned both for many years, acquired before online shopping, at at time when one went to coin shows to buy additions, sell and swap stories.

These example show Marcus Aurelius as a young man and at the end of his life.

The first coin, weighing 27.9 grams, shows Marcus Aurelius as a young man. The reverse appears to have the legend IVVENTAS, but it has what I believe is a standing figure of Marcus Aurelius, and this does not match IVVENTAS reverses that I have seen online. Can anyone help in identification, including references?

This coin was cleaned a long time ago and given a "shoe polish" patina, but it is still a nice example.

The second example is a CONSECRATIO sesterius, issued upon his death in 180 CE. This coin weighs 22.5 grams.

 

Those are both gorgeous. I have enjoyed the coin shows that I have been to. The ancient dealers have been mostly very friendly to my son and I and have been generous with their knowledge even when it was clear we were nowhere near their customer base.
I wonder what coin shows will be like from here on out. One of FFIVN and my favorite things to do was to go through the various "junk boxes" and picking out treasures. I wonder if that will be a thing once the shows start coming back. I think that they might not be