D.Ray, You've got a great representative collection & beautifully displayed ! The black background works well with your coins since none of them are very dark . I like to shoot coins on a black background too unless they are very dark, then I'll switch to a red or off-white backgrounds. I hope you continue adding examples of the later emperors & their wives .
@Mat , @PeteB , @kevin McGonigal , @happy_collector , @Al Kowsky , @ancient coin hunter Thanks, folks for your comments !
Great post @Deacon Ray . I have started using a black background recently as well. I’ll pile on with some of my Antioch coins running from the Hellenistic age to the Crusades. Seleukid Kingdom Diodotos Tryphon AE17, Antioch mint, struck ca. 142-139 BC Dia.: 17 mm Wt.: 4.8 g Obv.: Diademed head of Tryphon right Rev.: BAΣΙΛEΩΣ TPYФΩNOΣ AYTOKPATOPOΣ to right and left of a Macedonian helmet left, adorned with ibex horn. Star in lower left field Ref.: BMC Vol. IV 11-12; Babelon 1052; Hoover HGC 1061; Houghton SC 2034.2e Ex Ryro Collection, Ex David@PCC Syria, Seleucis and Pieria, Antioch Trebonianus Gallus AR tetradrachm, struck ca. 251-253, 1st officina Obv.: Laureate draped and cuirassed bust right Rev.: Eagle standing facing, head and tail right, with wings spread, holding wreath in beak; A between legs. SC in exergue Ref.: McAlee 1173a; Prieur 657 Ex Tenbobbit Collection; Purchased privately from the collection of an English gentleman in 2005; Ex AMCC 2, Lot 434 (Nov. 9, 2019) Roman Empire Severus Alexander AR Denarius, Antioch mint, struck ca. AD 222-235 Dia.: 18 mm Wt.: 3.35 g Obv.: IMP C AVR ALEXAND AVG; Laureate, draped and cuirassed bust right Rev.: PROVID DEORVM; Providentia standing left, holding wand over globe and sceptre Ref.: RIC 294 Ex arnoldoe Collection, Ex Otto Helbing Nachfolger 86, Lot 1585 (Nov. 25, 1942) Roman Empire Julian II (AD 360-363) AE1, Antioch mint, struck ca. AD 361-363 Dia.: 28 mm Wt.: 8.7 g Obv.: D N FL CL IVLI-ANVS P F AVG: Diademed, cuirassed bust right. Rev.: SECVRITAS REI PVB; Bull, head facing, standing right. Two starts above Ref.: RIC VIII 216, pg 532 Ex Frank S. Robinson Collection, Purchased from David Micheals (Palladium) in the 1990s, ex FSR Auction 107 lot 389 (Jan. 2019), ex FSR Jan. 2010 sale. Crusader Antioch Bohemond III (Minority 1149-1163, Majority 1163-1201) AR Denier, Antioch mint, struck ca. 1163-1188 Wt.: 1.06 g Dia.: 17 mm Obv.: +BOAHVHDVS; Helmeted head left marked with cross pattee, coif mail composed of crescents, five pointed star right, crescent left. Rev.: +ANTIOCNIA; cross pattee, with crescent pointing downward in second angle. Ref.: Malloy 65/Class A to B cf. Metcalf Ex AMCC 2, Lot 289 (Nov. 9, 2019)
Wow, the coin pics are so sharp, & with the black background they just jump off the page...great result! Love that mug!
Cool coins! Deacon, I like your poster displays, attractive and educational. I tend to use white backgrounds for my coins, mainly because it's easiest and I'm lazy. My first Volusian is Antioch. A very thing but almost perfectly circular Elagabalus - all with no centration dimple! An attractive young Caracalla.
Thank you, @PlanoSteve ! As for the Athens Owl mug, It’s going to have to serve as my ancient owl until I bite the bullet and purchase a real Attica Tetradrachm !
That's a beautiful collection Ray, and I love the black background. If I had to choose only one city from which I could collect coins, it would be Antioch. It was a prominent metropolis in many disparate empires throughout history, and a consistent meeting place of Eastern and Western cultures. The coinage of Antioch is always extremely varied and always historically interesting.
Very nice coins, but be careful, there were several cities called Antioch. There was Antioch on the Orontes (the most famous one, capital of the Seleucid Kingdom, later of Roman Syria), and also Antioch of Pisidia (or of Phrygia). Your Volusian and your Caracalla are from this Antioch of Pisidia, while your Elagabalus is from Antioch on the Orontes.
Thank you, @GinoLR ! A quick fix might be to change the title to read: “Coins of the Ancient Cities of Antioch” and remove Seleucis & Pieria.
