It's one of the less common bronzes of Amisos struck by Mithradates VI. The bust is of an Amazon wearing a wolf-skin headdress, and man, it is sweeeeet . PONTOS, Amisos AE21. 7.15g, 21.2mm. PONTOS, Amisos. Struck under Mithradates VI, circa 95-70 BC. HGC 7, 244; SNG BM Black Sea 1219. O: Head of Amazon right, wearing wolf-skin headdress; counter-punch behind. R: AMI-ΣOY, Nike advancing right, holding palm branch and wreath. Ex E.E. Clain-Stefanelli Collection
WOW!!! That's a fantastic pile of coins!!! Hmm, I'm currently chasing a bronze of Mithradates VI with the Amazon/wolf-skin headdress...and they are super cool
Great pile of coins! I like family pics during the holidays. I especially like the double goat (or Capricorn) and ship coins. I see two duck / swan coins. Is that a new collecting area? I have a few headed my way, but it seems that the mail (and DHL) are slow this time of year. One I especially want in my hands - Who knows what this is?
Good stuff and not uncleaned junk! I'm used to buying 250 coins and keeping the slugs in a mayonnaise jar. Can't throw them away but not usually worth the trouble to attribute them!
The buying is the easy part, the attribution, cataloging, and doing the photo's will keep you very busy. At least that's my observation based on past experience. Have fun; very nice pile/hoard.
Love the wolf skin headdress, I have never seen that before. I agree with the Friar that photographing and cataloging that many coins is a big project.
OK, here are some requests and one palpitating heart. Requests for photos: I'd love to see the obverse of your new head-on-a-platter (is that an ex-Dattari coin? has that look...), and the reverse of that sweet, toned Caracalla ant. Also let's see the club on that Commodus as Hercules as, just below the Julia Domna "mother of the senate" denarius (neat type!). Requests for IDs and/or photos: What the heck is this? and I'm intrigued by this hidden big bad bronze (has a bit of a ptolemaic look, but seems too high relief): If you're planning threads for any of the above, I can wait, otherwise... here please? The palpitations come from this beauty: That's Geta we can see, and I'm betting Caracalla facing him. On the obverse, either Sept. Sev. or Julia Domna. That is a SWEET coin, and I know it will get its own thread! I can't wait.
A fun little pickup from Frank Robinson's no-pics bargain list that I've always wanted - Domitian quadrans with the rhino reverse. It's not the best example out there, but I took a $15 gamble on it and am really quite pleased with how it turned out. DOMITIAN AE Quadrans. 2.51g, 17mm. Rome mint, AD 84-85. RIC 248. O: IMP DOMIT AVG GERM, around SC. R: Rhinoceros advancing right. Another one from the FSR bargain list, and one of my favorites of the ten I picked up. What I really like about it is the fact that the bull's horn is struck exactly onto the sprue, making it seem like it's charging right off the flan. SICILY, Syracuse AE22. 10.15g, 22.2mm. SICILY, Syracuse, time of Agathokles, struck circa 317-310 BC. HGC 2, 1444. O: Head of Kore left, wreathed with grain; grain ear to right. R: Bull charging left; dolphin above and below, monogram above. Spot on! It is in fact an ex Dattari... MAXIMINUS II AE Follis. 6.24g, 23mm. Antioch mint, circa AD 310-11. RIC 154c. O: IMP C GAL VAL MAXIMINVS PF AVG, laureate head right. R: SOLE IN-VICTO, Sol standing left, extending arm and holding bust of Serapis; crescent over A in left field, ANT in exergue. Ex Dattari Collection A ex x6 Collection coin, and it is sweet, indeed! It came with a bonus, a David Sear COA which had the following comments: "EF with attractive dark toning, an outstanding example of the initial issue of this denomination." Not about to argue with David Sear on this one . CARACALLA AR Antoninianus. 5.19g, 24mm. Rome mint, AD 215. RIC 245c; BMCRE 121. O: ANTONINVS PIVS AVG GERM, radiate, draped and cuirassed bust right. R: P M TR P XVIII COS IIII P P, Luna in biga of oxen galloping left, fold of drapery billowing in semicircle around head. Ex x6 Collection Yup, this one is getting its own thread, but it's waiting for a companion piece that's on its way .
They look fabulous together! I look forward to each coin getting its own spotlight in the near future.
Thanks, Z! All super coins. I was going to say "I especially like..." but realized that I especially like all of them! Even if the "leaping oxen" are a bit silly, they are compensated for by the truly awesome bull. (1st issue on the ant., eh? Hmm... I just picked a cool one up, now I want another! )