Post your best ugliest ancients

Believe or not, this not-so-pretty coin is actually a sestertius of Vitellius - Pax Augusti type. Paid 50 DM for it at a flea market, about 30 bucks.

 

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Believe or not, this not-so-pretty coin is actually a sestertius of Vitellius - Pax Augusti type. (paid 50 DM for it at a flea market, about 30 bucks)

 

This was in a lot of LRB´s, a couple of centuries out. I think the seller just wanted rid of it. Strangely even though it is 25mm across, it only weighs 4.26 grams. a corrosive content in the ground I assume.

 

This one would probably be more attractive if it weren't a bit misshapen or chipped.

Rhegion AR Hemilitron (0.31g), c. 440 BCE, from the Elvira Clain-Stefanelli Collection:

Clain-Stefanelli, E. 1987. "On Some Fractional Silver Coinages of Sicily and Magna Graecia during the Fifth Century B.C." Revue Belge de Numismatique et de Sigillographie CXXXIII (vol. 133): pp. 39-64, Pl. VIII-XIII.
PDF Available Online​

It was advertised for sale a Litra (like No. 1 in the Fig. above) but it's actually the smaller and much rarer Hemilitron (0.31g). There have been a few examples in auction catalogs (although none with these control symbols on the reverse), but when Elvira Clain-Stefanelli published this one, the only previously documented example was the Prinz Waldeck (Munzhandlung Basel 4, 391) specimen published by Herzfelder in 1957, which was later donated to ANS by E.T. Newell (SNG ANS 654).

 

If its any consolation...I would have bought it too .

 

Here are a few other bronzes bought over the years where I think I could have been more discriminating.

Agrippina sestertius -Carpentum on reverse

Vitellius as - rev Concordia



Vespasian sestertius - rev Wreath


Clodius Albinus Sestertius - rev Felicitas



Divus Vespasian Sestertius, struck under Titus - Elephant Quadriga

 

This is one of my favorite coins - it's so ugly that it has a certain charm to it..
The bust of Licinius with the fish eye and fish mouth.. the weird mustache and beard, the crown hanging off the back of his head... it just such a silly portrait!
It is so unusual - I think I handle and look at this coin more than most of the coins in my collection.

Anyway - I hope you enjoy its ridiculous magnificence..

 

I don't understand : what is this supposed to be?

 

I assume that's a Gallienus from Pisidia. They can be truly dazzling in their bizarre ugliness.

Another example of same or very similar type (NOT MINE):
https://www.acsearch.info/search.html?id=11301163

Described by Agora as (edited):
Pisidia, Antiochia. Gallienus. A.D. 253-268. AE
Obv: IMP C P AEI LIC CVLIENO, radiate, draped and cuirassed bust of Gallienus right
Rev: ANTIC OHCIL, Female standing left, wearing turreted crown, holding olive branch and cornucopia; Γ in left field, SE in exergue.
Ref: Krzyźanowska IX/25; SNG France 1328-9 (same obv. die).​

Check out this one too!
https://www.acsearch.info/search.html?id=11230930

Or: https://www.acsearch.info/search.html?id=8196793
Or: https://www.acsearch.info/search.html?id=7799410

WOW! I gotta get one of those!

 

Well, I'm not home, so I can't post my ugliest. But I can post the ugliest that I have a picture of on my phone. It's so bad, I have no idea what it is?

 

Pontos, Amaseia. Antoninus Pius. A.D. 138-161. Struck A.D. 156. AY KAI AΔPI ANTΩNINOC, laureate head right / AMAC·MHTPOΠOΛEωC, ЄTPNh, square altar, tree to left. RPC IV online 5298 var (same).

 

TRAJAN
AE Quadran
OBVERSE: IMP CAES TRAIAN AVG GERM, diademed bust of Hercules right with lion-skin on neck
REVERSE: Boar walking right, SC in ex.
Struck at Rome, 98-117 AD
2g, 14mm
RIC 702

 

Thank you so much. I'm very new to ancients and thought that I could identify the coin because of the "square" on the reverse. But, I just never could locate it. Again, thank you, thank you! I can't wait to find out all I can about it now, lol!

 

Ok, fair warning. I have a coin in a slab, graded by one of the major grading firms. I know, it's a shock to all of you. Me, known for my "well traveled" coins (I know, I was being generous to myself). They really stepped up their game identifying this coin. They really narrowed it down as to the attribution, I think? In fact, I think they went as far as they could go identifying it. I know, enough build up here it is!
Obverse:

Reverse:

Like I said, I think they went as far as they could go, lol. Hey, it was thrown in for free, so I took it.

 

https://www.acsearch.info/search.html?id=9842879

 

Definitely NOT "time of Augustus Caesar"! That's a Flavian era (Vespasian, Titus or Domitian) AE As, c. 69-81 CE. Can't tell what the reverse is, but some comparisons:

• Vespasian, 69-79 CE: examples of Vespasian AE As "laureate head left" ;
• Titus, 69-81 CE: examples of Titus AE As "laureate head left" ;
• Domitian, 69-81 CE: Domitian AE As "laureate head left".

I would guess Vespasian (but really I'd believe any of the three)? Someone who collects Flavians seriously could probably positively ID the portrait.

For future reference: Beware that International Numismatic Bureau isn't an actual grading/certification company. (Also: Notice there's no grade.) I forget his name & location, but it's literally just a guy with a printer.

I don't know why, but he literally gets the identifications incorrect more often than they are correct. It's weird, he's done tens of thousands of these so I would think he'd have gotten a bit more skillful at IDs!

For ancients, "major grading firms" refers to:

• ICG (they were first, c. 2001/2, started by partnering with Heritage);
• NGC (far and away the best, tried to start in the 1990s w/ CNG/V. England, but stopped by a letter-writing campaign! started slabbing early 2010s);
• ANACS (originally part of the ANA, but became a separate firm long ago, they also did certificates long before slabbing);
• CCG (Classical Coin Grading, a new firm in Europe -- San Marino -- that seems to have made a serious investment and has competent professionals, from what I've heard)

Not everyone thinks encapsulation of ancients is worthwhile, but even those who do, don't take other "companies" seriously. (I feel like there may be one more European or Asian startup that I'm forgetting.)

 

Thank you very much. See, shows how much I know! But, I always like learning, and I am learning. Again, thanks so much. At least I've got a new direction to look. Like I've said, I'm new to ancients, very new!

 

Here is mine.....

AV Hemi Stater ND (struck 200-150BC)
Vani Mint
Stylized Apollo Head/ stylized Athena
Basternae (Eastern Celtic Tribe)
Kolchis/ Black Sea Region
(today would be Crimea/ were Ukrainians sent the Russian fleet into hiding)

 

Wow that's a weird one! Great coin!