More Coins From Safety Deposit Box Antoninus Pius - Commodus and and an Attribution Question

I made some more images of coins from the safety deposit box. These were coins - sestertius - purchased mostly from ebay between 1999 and 2012 or around then. They reflect the hours of work buying and selling coins because at the time I had three children and a wife that was at home - the work has also caused me issues with the muscles in both hands due to hours with the mouse. But its water under the bridge now.

1. Marcus Aurelius as Caesar - Priestly objects - an ebay purchase that replaced a pretty nice one that was an earlier ebay purchase - the portrait is spectacular.



2. Marcus Aurelius & Lucius Verus sestertius - this was purchased in a Dianacoins auction. I have often wondered by there is so little wear on the reverse and the obverse is worn at the high spots on the portrait. I love it that both emperors are recognizable.

3. Marcus Aurelius sestertius - Roma seated - unlisted with foot on helmet. This is among the last coins struck by Marcus, and the patina is far lighter than shown here and gemlike.



4. Commodus sestertius - as Caesar with trophy - this was one of my few VCOINS purchases.



5. Commodus sestertius - Italia - medallic and beautiful purchased from a Serbian friend. I really like this coin. This coin was after I saw discussion in which I saw Curtis Clay mentioning "interesting" coins. I sort of changed my focus although interesting usually means more $$. However, in this hobby condition is king and I was fortunate that this has both.



6. Lucilla sestertius - this was one of the last coins to go in the box. I THINK it was ebay. It is hard to believe that ebay was at one time a major sales forum for ancient coins - you would be shocked at how many of the coins I have posted here and in my last posts involving coins of the box cost UNDER $200.



7. Faustina sestertius - Diana Lucif - an incredibly beautiful coin with wonderful detail in the hair, but oddly enough the inscription is not complete.



8. Antoninus Pius - Alter - this was a rare VOINS purchase. At the time I was trying to have one of every catagory - I was looking for variation. For some reason the artistry on Antoninus Pius' sestertii do not seem to me to be as good as other periods/ But I like this one.



9. Faustina Jr. sestertius - Laetitia - medallic and beautiful - and heavy - and $180 in an ebay auction from Dianacoins. Another one with wear on the obverse - or is it the strike? and none on the reverse.



10. Faustina Sr. lifetime issue: I needed a Faustina I, and because her coins are not that popular I gave it a shot - this was a CNG purchase. It is a beautiful coin - a terrific example of the Roman matron.



That's it for now - sitting here in New Jersey waiting for the blizzard. I have a few more I want to post including my first coin purchased from Dianacoins - a Commodus with the reverse the emperor addressing the soldiers. But that's later.

Now the questions - this is a Greek bronze coin, no idea what it is. The others in the group have come from Assos, Chersonesos, Kolophon and Mytilene - but this coins deos not appear to come from another of those cities. Maybe Kolophon - but that would be a bow surrounded by a rectangle and that is not what this is. As to what it is - no idea. I have to post the photograph as a response since I am limited to 10 photos.

 

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This is the photograph -- Sidon????

 

They're all amazing coins.

I know, ebay was a fantastic place to get ancient coins, at good prices. Nowadays, not as much.

The sales tax thing also puts a damper on prices. Here where I am in california, it's almost 11% sales tax.

 

Beautiful coins!

 

Yeah, Ebay 25 years ago was fantastic. Sales tax, Ebay fees, etc have all made it demonstrably much worst than it used to be.

 

You are right but it was a number of other things as well - the shutting down of the Eastern European sellers by government, including with assistance from, foolishly, our government, the emphasis on Ebay away from being an auction site, the acceptance by buyers of ancient coins of ridiculous auction fees and opening prices in mostly euro auctions instead of starting at $1, which used to be the norm, and the end to policing of fakes on Ebay.

Plus the general loss of popularity of the hobby - many dealers mentioned this in one discussion I think on this site. Auction prices for high grade coins may have gone up but the market is pretty well saturated I think. I also wonder about some auctions, but I have no proof whatsoever. I just bought a coin from a supposedly reputable auction house that turned out to be tooled to death - my fault for not noticing but I cannot even get them to respond - very discouraging.

 

As for the above this is what I got off of Acsearch - the best search engine for these little bronzes - mine is 9mm and 1.02 grams - I

If you are new to the hobby google "Doug Smith and ancient coins" for the best introduction - it is all you need to know to get started, every article a gem. If you have questions feel free to ask here or generally on this site. Ancient coins is a great hobby - the coins are beautiful, and priced in every budget from billionaire to broke student, you learn an enormous amount of history and if you are perceptive you can actually add to historical knowledge - plus the coins are beautiful - after the fall of Rome they didn't strike coins as beautiful in the West for over a thousand years.
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well that got completely bolloxed - here is the coin I think - mine is 9mm and 0.89 grams - this is from a Roma 2021 auction - 5/11/21 = lot 89:

Kimmerian Bosporos, Phanagoria Æ 10mm. Circa 140-108 BC. Ivy-wreathed and bearded head of Satyr to right / Bow and arrow; ΦΑ below (only traces visible). Unpublished; cf. MacDonald 157 & HGC 7, 173. 0.68g, 10mm, 3h.
Very Fine. Unpublished and unique.
From the collection of GK.

Looks pretty close except the "OA" - how do you get greek letters?