You joined the dark side..... we let you go join some fancy company....give you a little leg room.....and you come back like this? JOHN are you coming out? Are you collecting acients?
Still trying to figure out exactly what I have here, but excited to research them this weekend and start learning more and more.
Whoa! Those are some beautiful ancient silver coins. Any collection would be happy to have them, I'm sure!
Alright, I tried to attribute these and put (optimistic) retail numbers on the coins. Feel free to critique or add your 2 cents. These aren’t full attributions, but the best I could do for now. 1. Seleucid Kingdom. Syria, Antioch. Roman Rule. Philip I Philadelphus/Zeus (after 65/64 BC). Under Aulus Gabinius, as Priconsul (57-55 BC). AR Tetradrachm $700. 2. Brittium, Locri (c.350-275 BC) AR Stater Obv: Pegasus pointed wing flying left, thunderbolt below. Rev: head of Athena left wearing Corinthian helmet pushed back on head, pearl necklace. Calciati Pegasi 13. HN Italy 2342. $2250. 3. Sicily, Syracuse. Agathocles (317-289 BC) AR Stater. Struck period 2, circa 305 BC. Head of Athena right wearing Corinthian helmet, ornamented with leaping griffin, pushed back on head. Small figure of Athena left. Pegasus flying left, triskeles above. Calciati, Pegasi 14. Very rare! $5500. 4. C. Vibius C.f. C. n. Pansa Caetronianus (48 BC) AR Denarius. Rome. Pansa, wreathed head of young Bacchus right. Rev: Ceres advancing right, holding torches; before, plow. $400. 5. Roman Republic: Accoleius Lariscolus (43 BC) AR Denarius. Rome. Obv: Diana Nemorensis right. Rev: Triple cult statue facing, (Diana-Hecate-Selene), supporting beam on shoulders, five cypress trees behind. $500. 6. Roman Imperial: Geta (AD 209-211) AR Denarius Issued as Caesar, rev. Geta facing left, beside trophy. $500. 7. Roman Imperial: Marcus Aurelius as Augustus (AD 161-180) AR denarius Obv: Laureate head of Marcus Aurelius. Rev: Mars standing right full military dress, reversed spear right hand, grounded shield left hand. $850.
Lovely coins. My favorite might be the Marcus Aurelius - that is a splendid portrait! Did you send them off for encapsulation? I don't have strong opinions about slabs either way. They make for a nice and orderly presentation, protect the coin, and provide a worthy provenance. On the other hand, you can't physically handle and examine the coins, measure, weigh, etc., and taking pictures is more difficult. Plus it costs money. As of right now I have only one slabbed coin, and Augustus tetradrachm.
Yeah I work for David Lawrence Rare Coins, and we primarily deal in slabbed coins, so while I agree with your preference for raw, we did get photos of them before sending them to NGC, so that’s good. I also love the Marcus. I thought it had a shot at MS.