Two Roman Egyptian Tetradrachms.

Hi guys,
I saw these two coin at a local coin shop and asked the owner to reserve them for me. The dealer sells decent Roman coins and normally I would not question his coins, but these two are an exception. The dealer has them labeled as Philip I (the Arab) Tetradrachms from Egypt. I always thought that by the 240's Egyptian tets were made of Potin and did not look like they were made of decent silver.
By contrast these two coins look like they have a very high silver content for the time.
Are these two coins genuine?
Thanks!



And

 

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No idea, I hope they are OK because they look great.

 

I've seen some Philip I and Trajan D. Egypt tets have good silver, but I don't see it too often. Heck I have seen some Gallienus look to have good silver. I think there is one on ebay now.

But your new coins are fine. They are very nice.

 

They both look good to me. Just checking wildwinds and there are Philip I Tets that have the same appearance.

 

Thanks Pish, Mat, and Bing. That was my only concern as the style seems right.

 

They look fine to me (although they'd look better out of the stapled 2x2 )

Nice coins!

edited to add that the ID may be wrong... I'm trying to read the legends around the plastic glare)

 

The first one is Valerian I or Gallienus-- the portion of the obverse legend that is different for the two is obscured by glare but I think it is Valerian. The portrait looks right (although portraits become rather inaccurate for later Alexandrians) and the Valerian legend is a bit shorter.

 

Second is also Valerian I. The year is off flan but the reverse is "eagle standing left, head right, wings open, wreath in beak" making it Emmett 3707, issued in regnal years 2 and 3. Maybe that's a Γ partly off flan. Looks more like Γ rather than B, so probably year 3.

 

Very nice, but I have to say they look nothing like siliquae!

 

I thought it looked like the Galli. I had seen on ebay:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Tetradrachm...813853?hash=item21110a61dd:g:3oYAAOSwzJ5XWViw

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Egypt-Alexa...727211?hash=item2361dcf9eb:g:SfEAAOSwnLdWqgIg


They're still nice coins, MM.

 

Thanks @TIF.
If both are of Valerian then they really do have a higher silver content for the time period!
@zumbly
I agree; I will have to rectify that situation soon.

 

The first coin's legend, assuming it is Valerian, should be

AKΠΛIOVAΛEPIANOCEVEVC

The reverse is Elpis standing left, holding flower and raising hem; L - Γ

Emmett 3709

The year 3 legend for Gallienus:

AKΠΛIOVΓAΛΛIHNOCEVEVC

Gallienus also had an Elpis reverse in year 3.

...

We must be in Seinfeld's Bizarro World. You are buying two Roman Egyptian tetradrachms and a couple of nights ago I bid on a Valentinian II siliqua (didn't win)

 

As for the silvery appearance, it's hard to say. The silver content was low by then but if the coins lay in certain conditions all those years, depletion gilding could have occurred. Or, the method of cleaning could change the look.

 

Wow! I would say that we have hit peak bizarre, but Okidoki hasn't sold off his Hadrians and started buying AE-4's, yet!

 

I don't plan on making a habit of it but I was cruising an auction and though it was a very lovely example. Seems like I should have one siliqua . Maybe some other time. I usually stop browsing Imperials soon after Elagabalus so it was a fluke that I noticed the Val II.

 

What was the mint mark? Ones from Aquileia tend to go for higher prices compared to ones from Trier or Mediolanum.

 

Yep, it was a very well-struck and attractively toned Victory reverse from Aquileia (assuming I've correctly read the mint mark). I noticed that the Aquileias tend to bring more and seem to be less common. I don't think the hammer was unreasonable but I wasn't that committed.

 

Is it just me, or do both coins have the same obverse die? (just with more wear on the second coin)...

 

I think they might! Both were probably struck in regnal year 3 so that doesn't seem far-fetched.

It certainly adds to the coolness factor! MagMax-- I hope you do get the pair

 

Finally managed to get back onto CT. Interesting coins. The bird lover in me likes the second one better!