Hello! I haven't posted here in a while as I've had it quite busy on the private side of life. Anyways, here are some arrivals and recent purchases I've made. I also recently did a little bit of summer cleaning in the collection ending up in a consignment that was in the recent CNG 115 auction that went very well. First of, some new arrivals: Mark Antony. Summer 32 BC. AR Denarius (20mm, 3.83 g, 5h). Athens mint. Obverse: Bare head right; small P (signature) in hair below ear; ANTON • AVG IMP III COS DES III • III V R P C around. Reverse: ANTONIVS/AVG • IMP • III in two lines. Reference: Crawford 542/2. "The carefully concealed letter "P" behind the ear of Antony's portrait represents the only known example of an artist's signature on a Roman Republican coin. The letter went unnoticed by numismatists for centuries before it was recognized in the early decades of the twentieth century." Mark Antony, struck by L. Bibulus M.f., Praetor designatus ca 38-37 BC. Æ Semis (19mm, 4.92g). Uncertain mint in Syria or Cyprus(?). Obverse: M•ANT•TER•COS•DES• ITER•ET•TER•III•VIR•R•P•C - Bare head of Antony right. Reverse: L•BIBVLVS•M•F•PR•DESIG - Quinquereme right, with three oars and stern ending in boar's head left. Reference: RPC I 4092. And then some coins that are on their way to me: Mark Antony. April-May 44 BC. AR Denarius (19.5mm, 3.87 g, 8h). Rome mint; P. Sepullius Macer, moneyer. Obverse: Veiled head right, wearing beard; capis to left, lituus to right. Reverse: Desultor (horseman who leaps from one horse to another), wearing conical cap and holding whip, right on horseback, second horse behind; palm frond and wreath to left; P SEPVLLIVS above, MACER below. Reference: Crawford 480/22. Provenance: From the John L. Cowan Collection. Ex Cederlind BBS 154 (31 March 2010), lot 213, ex Gorny & Mosch auction 180 (12 October 2009), lot 322, ex Numismatica Ars Classica auction 41 (20 November 2007), lot 17. "This is the first portrait issue of Mark Antony. Struck within a month or two of the assassination of Julius Caesar, Antony is shown bearded, clearly symbolic of one in mourning. For the next two and a half years, until after the battle of Philippi, the portraits on coins of both Mark Antony and Octavian were bearded for the same reason. The reverse depicts a rider who switches from one horse to the other while the horses are in motion, an equestrian event which was part of the Parilian games, celebrated each year on 21 April. In 44 BC, the year of Julius Caesar’s assassination, the Parilia celebrated Caesar’s victory at Munda. Including a desultor on the reverse, Mark Antony probably attempted to kindle public support of the Caesarian cause." Mark Antony. 37-31 BC. Æ (24mm, 8.77 g, 3h). Minted at Balanea. Obverse: Bare head of Antony right. Reverse: BAΛANEΩTΩN AP CY - Uncertain deity driving quadriga left. ΔΙ under the forelegs of the quadriga. Reference: RPC I 4456. Anonymous. 207 BC. AR Denarius (3.98 g). Cornucopia (first) series. Rome mint. Obverse: Helmeted head of Roma right; X (mark of value) to left. Reverse: The Dioscuri, each holding spear, on horseback right; two stars above, cornucopia below horses. Reference: Crawford 58/2. Provenance: Ex Numismatica Ars Classica auction 25 (25 June 2003), lot 251. Anonymous. 206-195 BC. AR Denarius (4.28 g). Star (first) series. Rome mint. Obverse: Helmeted head of Roma right; X (mark of value) to left. Reverse: The Dioscuri, each holding spear, on horseback right; two stars above, star of eight rays below horses. Reference: Crawford 113/1. Provenance: Ex Gorny & Mosch auction 121 (10 March 2003), lot 347.
Hi, Micke! (I know Micke from a Facebook group.) I didn't even know that you were a member here. I guess you haven't posted since I joined Coin Talk in late January. Those are some wonderful coins, and the first one is truly fantastic.
Well, Tony Bennett's original name was Anthony Dominick Benedetto. His family was from Calabria. Maybe they were related!
There is lots to like in your coins. My favorite is the slightly different take on a horse and rider - I have one on an Iberian coin. The artist's signature is special.
Hi Donna! Thank you. Nice to see you're a member here. I've had quite a busy year so I haven't posted here a lot during the past 6 months.
Thank you! Yes the desultor reverse is a big reason I bought the type apart from it being a key to dating and organizing the posthumous versus lifetime coins of Caesar.