Large Ancient and World coins

Ummm, other than those two Philopators, the next sorta big sizes are in this kinda range ... big, not huge ...

Antoninius Pius Sestertius
140-144 A.D.
Diameter: 33.4 mm
Weight: 23.4 grams
Obverse: ANTONINVS AVG PIVS P P TR P COS III - Laureate head of Antoninius Pius
Reverse: TIBERIS - Tiber reclining on rock, hand on ship, holding reed
Reference: RIC 643 (Rare)



Marcus Aurelius AE Drachma
Alexandria Mint
161-180 A.D.
Diameter: 31.9 mm
Weight: 15.66 grams
Obverse: Laureate head of marcus Aurelius right
Reverse: Female "griffine" seated right, left paw on wheel, across field regional year (14 = AD 150/51)
Reference: Dattari 3224, Emmett 1866 (Rarity 3)

 

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Doug, awesome monster, Steve what can i say, you just bring it, although your avatar needs a shave...

 

Well, I suppose these Sestertius are my largest ancients -

Agrippa (Issued by Caligula) / Neptune 40 AD


Claudius / Libertas 41 - 50 AD



Trajan / Fortuna 103 AD


Hadrian -


Hadrian / Moneta 119 AD

 

Out of my mini collection, here is my largest ancient



Ptolemaic Kingdom – Ptolemy VI, Philometer I (Egypt, Alexandria mint)
170 - 163 B.C
AE 29.5 / 24.4 grams, Drachm
O: Diademed and horned head of Zeus-Ammon right
R: ΠΤΟΛΣΜΑΙΟΥ ΒΑΣΙΛΣΩΣ Two eagles standing left side-by-side on thunderbolt, cornucopia facing left

 

Tetradrachm of Elam

I think I am easily impressed with Ancient coins, but when I ever opened the package and this popped out, I was floored. This coin, so large and heavy with a majestic patina, golden brown with a light iridescent glimmer. I took my breath away. The Obverse portrait of the king ,with a somber gaze that pierced the soul. I really felt the power of this coin..

The coin is struck in such high relief and with such detail, one can assume the poor style on the reverse of the piece is no mere mishap, but an intentional poor rendering of someone of lesser standing.

Exotic and beautiful this one will go down as one of my favorites, a real accomplishment in my collection, having desired one of these for sometime, and seeing coins of lesser condition selling for big money, I am happy to have THE or A top condition specimen of this type.

These kings having once sat on thrones in antiquity will now sit on my night stand, equally appreciated in death as they were in life.

Kingdom of Elam
King KAMNASKIRES VI Late 1st cent BC to early 1st century AD
Billon Tetradrachm 16.10g x 29mm
obv: diademed bust of king right
rev: male bust left with garbled legend
ref: Seaby 5889

 

Nice one, especially condition wise. There ars some nice little brothers to this guy for sale right now. I just received my package of 50 nice little vf drachms.

 

Anoob, what a awesome piece, nice high relief...Wow, now i'm going to get one of these...:yes:

 

Send me a PM.

 

You NEED to get one of these...

 

Here is the classic 1797 Great Britain 2D. It was purchased from Allen Berman at a Connecticut coin show called "Coinfest"


I've got a big piece of copper from Russia to share but no photo to be found tonight.

 

Time to make everyone else's coins look prettier...

My largest coin, a Hadrian sestertius with galley reverse, 34 mm wide

 

Maximinus I 2335-238 AD
Sestertius
MAXIMINVS PIVS AVG GERM
SALVS AVGVSTI
SC
RIC 85

 

Following on from the cartwheel 2d. Not really a coin any more but a box formed by hollowing out and joining two Cartwheel 2ds together.

 

Russia - 5 Kopek - 1791
​

42.97 mm. 55.30 gms

 

Ptolemaic Kingdom, Ptolemy III Euergetes, 246-221 B.C., AE42
​

Obv:– Diademed head of Zeus Ammon right
Rev:- PTOLEMAIOY BASILEOS, eagle standing left, head left, on thunderbolt, wings closed, GreeK_Sigma between legs
Minted in Alexandria under Ptolemy III Euergetes or Ptolemy IV
Reference:- Svoronos 992

70.23g, 41.93mm, 0 degrees.

Not huge but still a big lump of bronze.

 

Lysimachos, Kingdom of Thrace, AR tetradrachm, Posthumous Issue, circa 2nd Century B.C.
Obv:– Diademed head of the deified Alexander right, with horn of Ammon.

Rev:– Athena enthroned l., holding Nike on extended r. hand and spear, and resting l. elbow on shield propped against throne; LUSIMACOU in l. field; KP monogram in inner field; BY on throne, BASILEWS in r. field; ornamented trident in exergue
Minted in Byzantium, circa 2nd Century B.C. (Posthumous Issue)
Weight 16.97g. Size 37.11 mm

 

Pergamene Kingdom, Philetairos, AR tetradrachm, 282-263 B.C.
​

Obv:– Laureate head of Philetaurus right
Rev:– FILETAIPOY, Athena seated left, left elbow resting on shield set on ground behind, holding wreath in right hand above legend; grape bunch in outer left field; strung bow in right field
Minted in Mysia, Pergamon, 241 - 197 B.C.
Reference:– Westermark Group IV B, SNG Cop 336, SNG von Aulock 1358.

Weight 16.74g. 31.69mm

 

Guys, what happened to the golden rule of collecting, "Always Hold a coin by the edge?"

 

These are ancients and ancient collectors play by their own rules. I suspect having coins that have to be handled by the edges is the next thing to slabbing coins and most of us don't do that. Certainly there are ancients that need to be treated carefully (mint state gold comes to mind) but most of the coins collectors of my level have actually benefit from handling. Most US gems can go from one grade to another just looking at them incorrectly and a scratch makes a nice coin into a body bag victim. Ancients have faults. A few don't but most of them are either very common (boring) or in a price bracket few of us can approach. Less than 1% of my coins are EF and even them can take the reasonable handling I have given them. My attitude is that a coin should be able to to be passed around an elementary school class or it really isn't a coin.

I once knew a dealer who showed me a tetradrachm of Uranius Antoninus he was carrying in his pocket with his change. His theory was that the rough surfaces would benefit from a little natural wear and a decently surfaced VF would be worth more than a rough EF. Crazy? I thought so at the time but am less certain now.

 

Thanks. But, I have a question, do fingerprints show up on "handled" ancients?