The first is a new shot of an old coin, the second is a newp, another bargain bin coin. It's striking to note how differently coins can age in terms of patination. The second coin is less worn, but the mottled patina on the reverse is very distracting. I got the piece for the portrait - The Constantinopolis portraits sometimes have an air of serene majesty that's unequaled in emperors' busts.
The officina on the last coin is clear. I just comes before the city rather than after. BSIS is 2nd shop at Siscia.
Well, I totally misread that. After taking a few shots and zooming in, I see that it's obviously dot, BSIS, dot. Thanks again, Doug!
I need to learn more about ancients. I get so jealous though, when I read a story about some guy stumbling onto a cache of medieval or ancient coins. Nothing like that here in Florida (not above the water, anyway!)
Hey another Floridian! I get quite envious also. Ancient coin finds kind of make me wish I live in Europe
Hey back, fellow Floridian! Oh, if you're in the Tampa area (we're actually in Lutz), I'm hosting a get-together at the Gainesville Coins showroom Thursday the 26th from 6 to about 7:30. Come by and meet some other local silverbugs! We have a guy in Tampa who's a sergeant at MacDill that casts his own silver and is going to start hand-striking "coins" who I am trying to get to show up (he has to be up at 4:30am for duty, though).
Obviously the folks that collect shipwrecked coins are interested in the historical value as opposed to the eye appeal, but even on that level, most of the stuff seems overly hyped and gratuitously expensive. For example: the Atocha coins. They went down in a ship, which is interesting, but not interesting enough for me to pay huge premiums over better preserved specimens.
I can't make it unfortunately (distance + college the next day). Thanks for the invite though, it sounds like fun!
I would love a Spanish shipwreak coin btw! I agree on them being overhyped and as a result, overpriced imo.
Not only another Floridian, but a fellow Tampa-ite as well. I live in the Apollo Beach area, but Gainsville is a long drive for a one hour coin get-together. Now Lutz is do-able. Maybe next time. BTW. Ancient coins are the most interesting to collect. Just thought I'd put in my two cents worth.
Yeah, the company was started by two brothers who were going to University of Florida in Gainesville. When the graduated, they moved back to Tampa, but didn't change the name. Too late to do anything about it now! If you feel like driving up, we're on US 41 about a mile and half north of where Florida Ave and Nebraska Ave merge. We're in a business park of Key West-style buildings with metal roofs, on the left just before the railroad tracks. We have two 10 kilo silver coins on display, in case you've ever wanted to see a 22lb silver coin!
Oh, here's some photos of the Septimius Severus denarius I have, as well as a 1787 Nova Caesarea NJ penny I sold a couple years back for a client (I do historical research on the side, and used to run the eBay account of a small auction house in CT) http://imgur.com/a/O2vw0