Ancient Coins Secret Saturnalia

Awesome coins so far.

My Secret Santa went above and beyond with an awesome sestertius that looks sweet and fits nicely along side my other coins of AP.




Antoninus Pius Sestertius. ANTONINVS AVG PIVS P P TR P COS III, laureate head right / OPI AVG S-C, Ops enthroned left with transverse sceptre & drawing up draper from shoulder. RIC 612, Cohen 569, BMC 1258


Along with a small collection of AP coins, I also have a mineral/fossil/meteorite collection and my SS sent me 2 other goodies; I thought coal at first .



Ocean Jasper:


Apache Tear:



Thank you so much such a cool and thoughtful gift.

 

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As I'm living in old Europe, it's now time to open. My SS (guess who it is) knows very well who he was sending to : I've been gifted with a feudal coin that will fit very well besides my series of Dombes coins, along with the others minted by neighbor counties and principalities


French Feudal, Burgundy
Hugh V, r. 1305-1315
Dijon Mint, AR Denier, 18.17mm x 0.8 grams
Obv.: +VGO BVRGVNDIE, DVX between two lines on an anille
Rev.: + DIVIONENSIS, cross within circle, with a clover in the first and third quarters, whose tail comes from the center of the cross
Ref : Roberts #57584

Thank you so much Secret Santa, I'm more than happy with my gift !

Happy Saturnalia to all my coin buddies
Q

 

Wow, you guys have been giving pretty fancy gifts!! (great effort, gang)

Sadly, I haven't heard that my humble gift has made it to my giftee, yet (that scares me a bit, for those damn sled-dogs can get sidetracked pretty easily!!)




... I hope it arrives soon (otherwise we'll be working-out some sort of Chinese New Year gift?)

 

Io, Saturnalia! And thank you to my generous Secret Saturn, who sent me not one but two excellent coins. They either know me well, or spent inadvisable amount of time scanning through my past posts to figure out what would tickle my fancy .

First is this Gallienus antoninianus, which has a really wonderful portrait, lovely colour and just the requisite amount of raggedness to the flan to keep me happy .



Second is this sharp-looking follis of Licinius I from Siscia. I have a few of these from other mints, but not one with this cute stubby Jupiter on the reverse. I love this coin!



Even as I've always thought the greater fun in our annual SS gift exchange is in figuring out a nice and appropriate gift for the giftee, I am at the same time always surprised and humbled when I receive these generous and thoughtful gifts in return. Thanks again, SS, and happy holidays everyone!

 

Here's mine. This is my first ever denarius, a denomination I had been wanting for years and just never got the courage to step outside of my collecting area. I can't believe how lustrous and nice this coin is.



Elagabalus
CE 218-222 AD, Rome Mint
AR Denarius, 20mm, 2.68gm
Obv: IMP ANTONINVS PIVS AVG, Laurette, draped, and cuirassed bust right
Rev: LIBERTAS AVG, Libertas standing facing, head left, holding pileus and sceptre, star in left field
Ref: RIC 107

 

My Secret Santa sent me a WONDERFUL Gift! He was watching my posts, paid attention, was extremely thoughtful, and NAILED it when I received it!

Yeah, I figgered out my Secret Saturnalia Santa... He TRIED to keep it secret, but I KNEW who he was when I received it!

He is a great person, a great Coin Friend, very thoughtful, collects very similarly as I do, and I really enjoy his company when he posts here. I wish we lived closer as I would enjoy meeting and spending time with him and his collection!

I really enjoy this Denarius in my collection!


Roman Republic
Moneyer: P Furius Crassipes 84 BCE
AR Denarius 19mm 3.84g
Rome mint
Obv: Turreted head of Cybele, in left field right foot upward
Rev: Curule chair
Ref: Cr 356-1a Syd 735 Furia 20

I had been looking for a Curule Chair that NIGHT BEFORE I received this coin for my Saturnalia present! (Fate-FORTUNE) There were postings before on CT, and I regretted that I did not have one. I felt that I had a hole in my collection as I KNEW how important the symbolism of POWER that the Curule Chair was in the ancient Roman Republic.

A great synopsis in Wikipedia:
"In the Roman Republic, and Empire, the curule chair (sella curulis, supposedly from currus, "chariot") was the seat upon which magistrates holding imperium were entitled to sit. This includes dictators, magistri equitum, consuls, praetors, censors, curule aediles, and the promagistrates, temporary or de facto holders of such offices...

According to Livy the curule seat, like the Roman toga, originated in Etruria,[4] and it has been used on surviving Etruscan monuments to identify magistrates... According to Cassius Dio, early in 44 BC a senate decree granted Julius Caesar the curule seat everywhere except in the theatre, ...As a form of throne, the sella might be given as an honor to foreign kings recognized formally as allies by the Roman people or senate.[8] ...

In Rome, the curule chair was traditionally made of or veneered with ivory, with curved legs forming a wide X; it had no back, and low arms. Although often of luxurious construction, this chair was meant to be uncomfortable to sit on for long periods of time, the double symbolism being that the official was expected to carry out his public function in an efficient and timely manner, and that his office, being an office of the republic, was temporary, not perennial (Alegandron emphasis). The chair could be folded, and thus was easily transportable; this accords with its original function for magisterial and promagisterial commanders in the field..."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Curule_seat

 

Happy Saturnalia!

Many thanks to my Santa. I received a fantastic bottle cap which is a type I've been wanting but just hadn't gotten around to.





Serrate AE unit
Antioch on the Orontes
143-142 BC
Antiochos VI
Radiate and diademed head of Antiochos VI right, wreathed with ivy / Elephant left, holding torch with raised trunk
8.56g 20-23mm
SC2006a; HGC 9, 1043

Thank you for a very cool gift.

Jim

 

Some fantastic presents!


Mine is fantastic as well, a nice lookin' ANT.


Claudius II Antoninianus, 268-270 AD

O: IMP C CLAVDIVS AVG, R: IVNO REGINA, Juno with peacock at feet, B in ex. Antioch Mint. RIC V, 212, 20 mm, 4.0g

This coin looks better in hand, it was difficult to photograph. It's actually kind of shiny and lustrous.



This coin was also "thrown in" (as my SS wrote in their note), but it was a coin on my list! I have a couple of bull and horseman jitals, but wanted one that was clearly bronze or very debased billon (so...pretty much bronze). Here it is!




It's small, about 14 mm, but thick for these, so still hits 3.5 g. I'm not sure of the type, I would assume it's one of the 13th century coins. My first guess was Mahi Pala...but the legend doesn't seem quite right.

maybe @dougsmit or @THCoins could help me please?

Whatever it is, one I wanted!

oh yeah, this also...



Thanks to my SS for these awesome gifts!

 

My secret Saturnalia gave 3 coins including a shiny silver one!


An AE2 of Gratian and 2 out of my collecting area that I'll be happy to research. Thank you secret Saturnalia.

 

Square coins are always very cool! Enjoy researching, I am very curious...

 

Just opened my Secret Saturnalia gift. Very, very nice. Thank you. Of all my Sep Sev coins, I do not have one from this mint. Whoever you are, you are very generous.

SEPTIMIUS SEVERUS
AE27
OBVERSE: AV K L CEPTI CEVHROC P, laureate, draped, cuirassed bust right
REVERSE: U FL OULPIANOU MARKIANOPOLITWN, Apollo standing facing, head right, bow in left hand, right hand over head, serpent-entwined tree before, altar or statue to left
Struck at Markianopolis, Moesia, 145-211 AD
12.5g, 27mm
Varbanov 824

 

My Secret Santa pretty well knocked it out of the park for a generalist like myself! My photography is not doing these babies justice.

PART I:



IONIA, MILETOS 1/12 stater

This guy's been on my to-buy list for a long time. This all on its own would have garnered a fist-pump, but wait, there's more!


SALONINA, ROME MINT

This is my second empress (the first being Ms. Domna) and I believe two officially makes the beginnings of a collection. I love the crescent on the obverse, even if I don't know why it's there.

 

PART II:



CRISPUS

Crispus is another coin that's long been on my want list, mostly because of how he went out. The bits of bronze peeking through the patina here are doing so in an attractive fashion and are pretty excellent.

JUSTIN II
This is the coin that suffered the most from my poor coin-photography skills, so maybe it's best that this is the one that won't upload for some reason. It's also the coin of these four that I've spent the most time with. It's the half follis that has Justin II and Sophia seated next to each other, nimbate and with a cross between them. It's in rougher shape than the rest of these guys, but that's to be expected for the type, and it has plenty of fine details that emerge if you spend a little time looking for them, which has been really fun. I keep spotting an eyeball here and a letter there--it's almost like watching the theme emerge from a good novel.

You did a great job Ancientcoinguru. Thank you and happy Saturnalia!

 

This is why I don't dare join you-guys...beautiful stuff.

 

My secret santa got me a type I've been eyeing for a while now. I absolutely love it. Thank you!

Terrible photos but I've finally got a good camera on it's way

 

Wonderful posts everyone!!! Obviously, y'all have been VERY GOOD!!

Well, 'Saturnalia' seems to run from the 17th to the 23rd ....so perhaps my Secret Santa gift will arrive shortly. Whatever it is, I'm sure I'll LOVE it.

 

I believe mine has arrived but I won't open it until I get home as I'm in Spain for work right now.

 

Okay, I opened my gift yesterday, but needed time to take pictures and Catalogue. I'd have to say my SS spoiled me! First up:


Netherlands
City of Zutphen, 1691
AR 6 Stuivers, 27.75 mm x 4.4 grams
Obv.: 1 6 9 1 MO NO ARG C[IV ZV]TPHANIAE, 6 S in field, Crowned coat of arms, Lion Passant left, Cross Moline below
Rev.: CONCORDIA RES PARVAE CRESCVNT, Mounted armored knight, right, with upraised sword

Not quite Medieval, but it does have an awesome king on it, which I have yet to have on any of my coins! A very interesting issue

Next two:

Kushan Empire
Karishka I, r. 128-158
AE Tetradrachm, 24.73 mm x 16.8 grams
Obv.: Crowned, diademed king standing facing, holding spear and sacrificing at altar at left, Bactrian legend around: ϸΑΟ ΚΑ ... ΝηϸΚΙ (King Kanishka)
Rev.: Four-armed Oesho (Shiva?) standing facing, head turned to left, nimbate, holding various attributes, Bactrian legend right: ΟΚϸΟ, tamgha at left


Mauryan Empire
AR Karshapana

My giftor said that he hoped these two might spark another interest, but they fit in perfectly with a series of coins regarding the history of the Silk Road that I use for my classroom! In fact, I always wanted a Kushan coin, just never pulled the trigger, and my other Mauryan coin now has a little brother! (I'll admit I got lazy trying to fully attribute the mauryan coin - those punch marks are hard to make out! Just when I thought I had nailed it down to a series I Coin, I realized the size was too small to be series I... oh well...)

Thank you again Saturnalia! I appreciate my Filthy Lucre this year!

 

Gawd, all of these gifts are so awesome (I feel a bit sorry for my giftee)

=> ummm, it's the thought that counts ... right?

 

HaHa, send me the patch lol.
I could put it with another of my odd collections. Patches