Sure, everyone likes it smooth ... ... like the middle bronze versions of these coins ... Faustina Senior, AD 138-140. Roman orichalcum as or dupondius, 12.02 g, 28 mm, 5h. Rome, AD 139-140. Obv: FAVSTINA AVG ANTONINI AVG PII, bare-headed and draped bust, 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 1097; BMCRE 1132; Cohen 283; Strack 1224; RCV 4685; Hill UCR 155. Faustina I, AD 138-140. Roman Æ as, 10.10 g, 27.1 mm, 11 h. Rome, AD 139-140. Obv: FAVSTINA AVG AN-TONINI AVG PII P P, bare-headed and draped bust, right. Rev: IVNONI REGINAE S C, Juno standing left, holding patera and scepter; at her feet, peacock standing left, head right. Refs: RIC 1091; BMCRE 1129-1130; Cohen --; RCV --; Strack 1218; ERIC II 280. ... but sometimes you gotta go to the rough side of town ... ... to get what you need. 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. Faustina I, AD 138-140. Roman orichalcum sestertius, 22.64 g, 32.6 mm, 5 h. Rome, AD 139-140. Obv: FAVSTINA AVG ANTONINI AVG PII P P, bust of Faustina I, draped, right. Rev: IVNONI REGINAE S C, Juno standing left, holding patera in right hand and vertical sceptre in left hand. Refs: RIC 1077a; BMCRE 1116; Cohen 216; Strack 1218; RCV 4675; Hill UCR 143. Post the coins you like despite their rough surfaces!
Sorry for the re-posting of this same coin, but it really fits the above request. I would like to be able to say it is "better in hand", but... the camera don't lie. Still, it is one of my top favorite coins in my collection.
I guess both my Faustina Senior coins are on the rough side... Faustina Senior. Sestertius. Faustina Senior. AE As.
I only posted it the other day, but I like it and it fits the bill, so here's my common RIC 475 Carausius
I can think of a few coins of mine, off the top of my head, that have much rougher surfaces than I usually prefer, but whose virtues outweigh that drawback for me. Antoninus Pius: Anonymous (115-114 BCE): Postumus
Constantius I, as Caesar, Æ Nummus. Treveri, AD 298-299. FL VAL CONSTANTIVS NOB C, laureate bust left / GENIO POPVLI ROMANI, Genius, towered and nude to waist, standing facing, head turned left, holding cornucopiae with his left hand, patera in his right hand; B- gamma across fields, TR in exergue. RIC 196 but not with B gamma. Delmatius, AE follis. Siscia. AD 335-337. FL DELMATIVS NOB C, laureate, draped, cuirassed bust right / GLOR-IA EXERC-ITVS, two soldiers holding spears and shields with one standard between them with O on banner. Mintmark: ASIS star. RIC VII Siscia 266; Sear 16895. From my first lot of ancient coins. Not common and despite the bad shape, I like them. The Delmatius coin is better in hand - my photographic skills are what they are.
RUFFIES Makedon Philip II 359-336 BC AE 17 Apollo - Horse Rider RIGHT-LEFT facing RI Caracalla 198-217 AR Quinarius CE 213 1.3g 13.6mm Laureate - Victory Wreath Palm RIC IV 101 RSC 450 RARE
London ADVENTVS issues for Constantine are pricey, so I'm happy to have this example (with a particularly rare legend to boot), acquired from the inestimable @Victor_Clark: Issued when Constantine visited Britain to recruit for his showdown with Maxentius.
You mean like most of mine? Here are some new provincial pickups. Ionia, Smyrna. Tranquillina AE22 Diassarion. Herakles Obv: ΦOYΡI TΡANKYIΛΛEINA C, draped bust right, wearing stephane. Rev: CMYΡNAIΩN Γ NEΩKOΡΩN, Herakles, naked, standing left, holding kantharos, lion-skin and club. 241-244 AD. Cilicia, Colybrassus. Trebonianus Gallus AE22. Obv: AYTKRA KAI Γ ΛOY TΡE ΓAΛΛON CB, laureate, draped and cuirassed bust right. Rev: KOΛYBΡACCEΩN, Athena, helmeted, walking left, looking right, holding patera and transverse spear. Phrygia, Hierapolis. Alliance with Ephesus. AE23. Obv: ΛΑΙΡΒΗΝΟϹ, Radiate and draped bust of Apollo Lairbenos, r. Rev: ΙƐΡΑΠΟΛƐΙΤΩΝ Κ ƐΦƐϹΙΩΝ ΝƐΩΚΟΡΩΝ ΟΜΟΝΟΙΑ, Two hands clasped. Caria, Aphrodisias. Senate / Prize crown AE26 Obv: IEΡA CYNKΛHTOC. Diademed and draped bust of the Senate right. Rev: AΦΡOΔEICIEΩN, Prize crown inscribed ΓOΡΔIANHA, with palm branch on table with lions' feet, ATTAΛHA in three lines between two purses below. ca. 238 - 249.
Most of mine have rough surfaces, though I like them all Just a few, terrible ones: Æ As, Rome, 6 BC, Aulius Licinius Nerva Silianus moneyer 24 x 25 mm, 13.127 g RIC I 437; CBN 717; Ob.: CAESAR•AVGVST•PONT•MAX•TRIBVN - IC•POT• Bare head right Rev.: (A•LICIN•NE)RVA•SILIAN•III•VIR•A•A•A•F•F around large S•C Æ Dupondius, Rome, 22 - 26 AD RIC 79; Cohen 252; 29 mm, 13.251 g Ob.: DIVVS•AVGVSTVS•PATER• radiate head of Augustus left Rev.: S•C in oak wreath Denarius, Rome December 161 - December 162 AD, struck under the authority of Marcus Aurelius 16 x 17 mm, 3.156 g RIC III Marcus Aurelius 482; Cohen 155; Ob.: IMP L AVREL VERVS AVG Head of Lucius Verus, bare, right Rev.: PROV – DEOR TR P II COS II Providentia standing l., holding globe on extended right hand and cornucopiae in left
A recent addition that is on the rough side.... MARCUS ANTONIUS (Marc Antony) AR silver Triumvirate issue denarius. CAESAR IMP PONT III VIR R P C, bare head of Octavian right. Reverse - M ANT IMP AVG (MP and AV both in monogram) III VIR R P C M BARBAT Q P, bare head of Antony right. Struck at Ephesus mint, Spring - Summer 41 BC
I like to think of rough surfaces as a "super mat/sand blaster finish". Two Faustina flavors here: Worn and rough: Worn, pretty rough:
Here's my journey to the rough side. Julia Mamaea AE As, 227AD, 24mm, 5.36g, Rome Obv: IVLIA MAMAEA AVGVSTA Bust of Julia Mamaea, diademed, draped, right Rev: VESTA S C Vesta, draped, standing left, holding Pantera in right hand and transverse spear in left hand Ref: RIC 711, Sears 8251 Next has had a real rough life. Trajan AE dupondius, 113AD, 27mm, 13.3g Rome 19th issue Obv: IMP CAES NERVAE TRAIANO AVG GER DAC PM TR P COS VI PP Radiate head right Rev: SPQR OPTIMO PRINCIPI, in ex: ARABADQ Arabia standing facing, holding branch and cinnamon sticks; camel to left. Ref: RIC 613, UCR 588
One of my roughest is this neat Elagabalus, which would be worth a good amount if it the surfaces weren't so awful
Too rough for many collectors - but this is really one of my favorite sestertii.. large chunk of brass that feels great in hand... I really like the portrait, the wear is nice as well as the colouring... TRAJAN AE orichalcum sestertius. OBV: IMP CAES NERVAE TRAIANO AVG GER DAC PM TRP COS V P P, Laureate head right, slight drapery on far shoulder. REV: SPQR OPTIMO PRINCIPI, SC in ex, Victory standing left, holding palm branch and erecting trophy; shields at base. 32mm, 23.6g Struck 104-107 CE
I enjoyed this thread - one of the interesting things to me about ancients is what happens to these coins over time. So many surfaces are possible. With my collection being "budget" I have quite a few varieties of ugly. This one just came in an eBay lot. It is a bit strange - the portrait and the standing prince on the back are fairly unmolested and smooth, but the fields look like hamburger. Philip II Æ As (244-246 A.D.) Rome Mint [M I]VL [PHILIP]PVS [CAES], bare headed, draped & cuirassed bust right / [PRINCIPI I]VVE[NTVTIS], prince standing left holding globe and vertical spear. RIC 256b; Cohen 50; (10.29 grams / 25 mm)
This one probably experienced lots of use. I would imagine people buying bread with this coin back then...
