My two coins arrived from the Harlan J. Berk 214th Buy or Bid Sale

Discussion in 'Ancient Coins' started by DonnaML, Dec 24, 2020.

  1. DonnaML

    DonnaML Well-Known Member

    Even though the two coins I bought at the current Harlan J. Berk Buy or Bid Sale have nothing to do with each other, I thought I'd post them together.

    The first was the Divus Marcus Aurelius, a type I was inspired to buy by @Shea19's fantastic example. It completely lacks that wonderful astonished look that Aurelius has on his (my Aurelius looks sound asleep, or dead!), and his reverse is in better condition.

    But I still like mine very much-- Marcus Aurelius has always been one of my favorite emperors -- and it was the best example of the eagle-on-globe type I've seen in a while. So I've added it to my very small collection of memorial coins, which also includes Vespasian, Antoninus Pius, Maximian, Faustina I, Faustina II, and Mariniana.

    Divus Marcus Aurelius, AR Denarius, 180 BCE, Rome Mint. Obv. Bare head right, DIVVS M AN-TONINVS PIVS / Rev. Eagle standing right on globe, head left, wings raised, CONSECRATIO. RIC III 273 (Commodus), RSC II 91 (MA), Sear RCV II 5974 (Commodus), BMCRE 20 (Commodus). 19 mm., 3.32 g. [Purchased from Harlan J. Berk, Ltd., 214th Buy or Bid Sale, Dec. 2020, Lot 242.]

    The HJB photo:

    Divus Marcus Aurelius - eagle reverse jpg version (Harlan J Berk).jpg
    And a link to HJB's very nice Vimeo video of the coin:

    .

    The second coin I bought was a type I've admired for some time -- "because I like it" is the usual reason I buy an ancient Greek coin. There's nothing systematic about my very small collection of them, which has now reached the grand total of 17 coins.

    Boeotia (Thebes), AR Stater 379-338 BC. Obv. Boeotian shield / Rev. Amphora, ΔΑ-IM (Daim-, magistrate) across fields. BCD Boiotia 523 [Classical Numismatic Group, The BCD Collection of the Coinage of Boiotia, Triton IX Auction, Session 1, Lot 523 (not this coin) (10 Jan. 2006, New York)]; Hepworth 18 [Hepworth, R., "The 4th Century BC Magistrate Coinage of the Boiotian Confederacy" in NK 17 (Hungarian Numismatic Society, Numismatic Gazette (Budapest)) (1998)]; BMC 8 Central Greece 126 (at p. 81) [Head, B., A Catalog of the Greek Coins in the British Museum, Central Greece (Locris, Phocis, Boeotia, and Euboea) (London, 1884)]; SNG Copenhagen 323 [Sylloge Nummorum Graecorum, Copenhagen, The Royal Collection of Coins and Medals, Danish National Museum (Copenhagen, 1942-1979)]. 18.5 mm., 12.19 g. [Purchased from Harlan J. Berk, Ltd., 214th Buy or Bid Sale, Dec. 2020, Lot 59.]

    This is the HJB photo, which was very dark for whatever reason -- so much so that it appears that the design across the amphora directly beneath the two handles is completely faded except for its two edges. I bought the coin because I liked the video (see link below), not so much because of this photo.

    Boeotia, Thebes, Stater, Shield-Amphora (DA-IM, Mag) HJB Ltd. 214th Buy-Bid Sale, Lot 59.jpg

    When I received the coin today, I realized that it's quite a bit lighter in hand than in the photo, and that the design on the amphora is still there in its entirety. So I took my own photo, which I'm sure is no great shakes, but it does look more like the actual coin:

    COMBINED Boeotia 1.jpg

    I prefer the way the coin looks in hand to its appearance in the HJB photo, even though one can see that the surface isn't nearly as smooth as the HJB photo shows. The roughness barely shows in hand -- only in the magnified photograph -- so it doesn't bother me. I think it's a beautiful coin.

    A link to HJB's Vimeo video of this coin, which I think looks more realistic than the HJB photo:

    .

    Two questions: First, how can one tell which way is up on the obverse of a Boeotian shield coin? And, second, does anyone know what ancient Greek name or names begin with "Daim-"?

    If anyone else has received coins they bought from the current Harlan J. Berk sale and would like to post them, or would like to post other Divus/Diva coins, or other coins of Boeotia, please do so.
     
    Last edited: Dec 24, 2020
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  3. Ryro

    Ryro Trying to remove supporter status

    Lovely Marcus A. But WoWiE!!! Look at that shield:jawdrop:
    I purchased this little brother to your coin from Frank Robinson. It has a very interesting OLD old cabinet toning, but with a swipe down the front of the shield:
    IMG_5862.PNG

    Ps, the top is the side facing up ;)
     
  4. DonnaML

    DonnaML Well-Known Member

    Wow. So someone began to clean it and changed their mind? Great toning on the rest of it, though. A little black mascara should fix the problem.
     
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  5. robinjojo

    robinjojo Well-Known Member

    A nice stater and denarius.

    I sold my Boeotia stater many years ago and never replaced it.
     
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  6. lordmarcovan

    lordmarcovan Eclectic & Eccentric Moderator

    Oh, is this a thing? Interesting.
     
  7. cmezner

    cmezner do ut des Supporter

    Silver staters of this type are known with the names of the following magistrates: ΑΓΛΑ, ΑΜΦΙ, ΑΝΔΡ, ΑΝΤΙ, ΑΠΟΛ, ΑΡΚΑ, FΑΣΤ, ΑΣΩΠ, ΒΟΙΩ, ΔΑΙΜ, ΔΑΜΟΚΛ, ΔΑΜΩ, ΔΙΟΓ, ΔΙΟΚ, ΔΙΩ, ΕΠΑΜΙ, ΕΠΠΑ, FΕΡΓ, ΕΥFΑΡΑ, ΕΥΓΙ, Ε↓Ε, ΕΧΕ, ΘΕΟΓ, ΘΕΟΠ, ΗΙΚΕ, ΗΙΣΜΕ, ΚΑΒΙ, ΚΑΛΙ, ΚΑΛΛΙ, ΚΛΕΕΣ, ΚΛΕΣ, ΚΛΙΩΝ, ΚΡΑΤ, ΛΥΚΙ, ΞΕΝΟ, ΟΛΥΜ, ΟΝΑΣ, ΠΕΛΙ, ΠΘΟ or ΠΟΘ, ΠΟΛΥ, ΠΤΟΙ, ΤΙΜΙ, ΤΙΜΟ, ΦΙΔΟ or ΦΙΛΟ, ΨΑRΟ, ΧΑΡ. However, haven't found their complete names.
    This magistrates are listed at http://snible.org/coins/hn/boeotia.html
     
    Last edited: Dec 25, 2020
  8. cmezner

    cmezner do ut des Supporter

  9. zumbly

    zumbly Ha'ina 'ia mai ana ka puana

    Congrats on the two very nice coins. A stater of Thebes was on the first want list of ancient coins that I ever put together, and I still don't have one of them! A well-centered obverse on a flan not too irregularly shaped is probably the most important criteria for me and yours would easily check that box for me. I don't think I've actually seen one of these in hand, so that video of yours is giving me a much better idea of what to expect. Anyway, great pickup!
     
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  10. DonnaML

    DonnaML Well-Known Member

    Not that I know of. I wasn't being serious. Perhaps eyeliner?
     
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  11. DonnaML

    DonnaML Well-Known Member

    Thanks. By the way, it wasn't only Thebes; I just put that as an identifier people might be able to place. More broadly and accurately, I should have referred to the Boeotian Confederation, or League.
     
  12. DonnaML

    DonnaML Well-Known Member

    Thanks. Perhaps someone knows of a Greek personal name that begins with Daim, that DAIM- might be short for.
     
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  13. zumbly

    zumbly Ha'ina 'ia mai ana ka puana

    How I understand it is that the coins usually catalogued under the Boiotian League are those with the BO-IΩ (or variant) legend on the reverse. While historically the shield/amphora staters with the magistrate names were struck while Thebes controlled Boiotia through the League, perhaps the city name has been kept there to have them them distinct from BO-IΩ issues (that were also struck at Thebes?).
     
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  14. DonnaML

    DonnaML Well-Known Member

    Thanks for the information. But I added Thebes to the description of my coin, along with 90% of the rest of it. The HJB description was very bare-bones.
     
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  15. zumbly

    zumbly Ha'ina 'ia mai ana ka puana

    Tarentum had a magistrate with the name ΔAIMAXOC (Daimachos).
     
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  16. Cucumbor

    Cucumbor Well-Known Member

    Two beautiful coins, but I love the shield

    Q
     
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  17. Al Kowsky

    Al Kowsky Well-Known Member

    The Boeotian stater is a great pickup :D! The coin is unusually well centered for the type :happy:.
     
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  18. pprp

    pprp Well-Known Member

    I don't believe it's some common name I can only think of Daimon and I don't think that's an option...

    Since the shield is symmetric I don't think there's a way to tell which is the upper part.

    Here's mine from a close by magistrate

    4004878.jpg
     
  19. Alegandron

    Alegandron "ΤΩΙ ΚΡΑΤΙΣΤΩΙ..." ΜΕΓΑΣ ΑΛΕΞΑΝΔΡΟΣ, June 323 BCE

    Nice coins, and very nice Boeotia, @DonnaML . I am very much enjoying your collection growth. Fun, and thank you !
     
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  20. lordmarcovan

    lordmarcovan Eclectic & Eccentric Moderator

    Hey, you could’ve made me swallow it. I’ve heard weirder coin doctoring techniques. ;)
     
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  21. Roman Collector

    Roman Collector Well-Known Member

    Those are beautiful coins, @DonnaML, as one would expect from HJ Berk.
     
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