Sallent's Top 20 of 2017 (With plenty of drama and suspense, and some clickbait)

Gallienus before his coins went downhill in terms of quality control:



Gallienus in the era of "what quality control?"





You have to admit, though, he ROCKED the neck-beard!!

 

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Gallienus has a great variety of interesting types, especially in the zoo series



Gallienus, Antoninianus Rome mint
IMP GALLIENVS AVG, radiate head right
APOLLINI CONS AVG, Griffin left. II at exergue
3.18 gr
Ref : Cohen # 77, RCV # 10180v, Göbl # 718z

Q

 

It would be hard to find a better Gallienus portrait than on that tet, I understand why it's a top 10 for you!

Here's my favourite Gallienus portrait (ant. from Cologne mint, Mars in a temple, issued 258-9):

 

Not only the quality contol went downhill, the silver contence of the Antoninianus
dropped from approx. 30% in 253 to a meagre 5% in 268 AD

 

I'll pile on with a couple of 'Provincials':

CILICIA, Seleucia ad Calycadnum. Gallienus. 253-268 AD. AE34. 16 grams
Obv: AV T K POU LIK GALLIHNOC, radiate draped cuirassed bust right
Rev: CELE UKEWNWN PROS KALU KADNW (below, above and around),
Confronted busts of Apollo, laureate, facing right, laurel
branch before, and Artemis-Tyche, facing left, cornucopiae
behind.




TROAS, Alexandria Troas. Gallienus. AD 253-268. � Laureate, draped, and cuirassed bust right. Horse grazing right. 21mm, 4.71grams

 

GALLIENUS:


RI Gallienus 253-268 CE Ant Milan mint Laetitia


Gallienus Silvered Æ Ant CE 263-264 AVG rad cuiras R Hercules R lion skin club star RIC 673


RI Gallienus 253-268 CE Ant Abundantia

And his WIFE SALONINA


RI Salonina wife of Gallienus 254-268 CE AE Ant 3.61g 20mm Rome mint 267-268 CE crescent Deer Walking delta RIC V 16

 

Nice coins so far Sallent. The JC has been my favorite.

 

#8 Walk like an Egyptian



Ptolemy IV of the new Greek dynasty of pharaohs made some pretty sweet hockey pucks, and this baby at 40.45mm and 44.2 grams is my largest and heaviest ancient coin. Who doesn't love an oversized chunk of bronze? I certainly do, a lot, which is why this baby makes my #8 on the list.


Ptolemy IV Philopator AE40 Pentobol (40.45mm, 44.2g)
222-204 BC
Diademed head of Zeus Ammon right
Eagle with folded wings standing left on thunderbolt, head right; filleted cornucopiaon shoulder; Λ between legs
Svoronos 1166; SNG Copenhagen 221

And here is some music to go along with the coin and the theme of this post.

 

I have to give a Like to any post with a Bangles video it, but that chunky ol’ Ptolemy is excellent as well. Nice score.

 

Mine came in 2015. They are different dies but similar in many ways.

 

Very nice pentobol @Sallent I agree these Ptolemaic hockey pucks are hard to resist. The largest I have in my collection is a Ptolemy III Drachm, though I would love to add an oktobol at some point.

Ptolemy III AE Drachm, 67.521g, 43.3mm, Alexandria mint
Obv: horned head of Zeus Ammon right, wearing taenia.
Rev: PTOLEMAIOU BASILEWS, eagle standing left on thunderbolt, wings closed, filleted cornucopia left, SE monogram between eagle's legs.
Svoronos 992

 

Nice job @Sallent on that Ptolemy. They are just FUN to have and hold!

I have a few... Here is a small one and a big one:


Egypt Ptolemy II 285-274 BC AE Obol 20mm 6.7g Alex III Eagle Tbolt SV 601


Egypt Ptolemy IV 221-205 BC AE Tet 40mm 7.2mm thick 69.5g Zeus Ammon Eagle

 

My Ptolemaics:


Ptolemy V Epiphanes, 205 BC-180 BC
AE hemidrachm, 18.84 g; 28.4 mm
Alexandria, ca. 197-183/2 BC
Obv: Corn-wreathed head of Isis, right
Rev: ΠΤΟΛΕΜΑΙΟΥ ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ, eagle standing on winged thunderbolt, left
Refs: Svoronos 1235; Sear Greek 7880; BMCG 6.94,72; SNG VIII (Hart) 1175; Forrer 80.


Cleopatra VII, Queen of Egypt, 51-30 BCE
AE 40 drachmai; 21.0 mm; 7.32 gm
Alexandria mint, 51-30 BCE
Obv: Diademed head of Cleopatra, hair in bun at back of head, facing right
Rev: [ΚΛΕΟΠΑΤΡΑΣ ΒΑΣΙΛΙΣΣΗΣ], eagle standing left on thunderbolt, double cornucopiae in field to left, M (for 40) to right
Refs: Sear Greek 7956; Svoronos 1872; BMC 6; Vagi 212; Forrer 110.

 

Not exactly a hockeypuck, but the 2 eagles are nice imho.

 

#7 Everyone's favorite bureaucrat



No, I didn't mean Hermes Conrad from Futurama, though he is definitely one awesome bureaucrat...but rather Probus. When Probus became emperor he adopted the policy of never keeping his soldiers idle, so his whole reign was spent supervising the details of one civic project after another...proving himself quite the master of civic bureaucracy.


Probus (276-282). Egypt, Alexandria. BI Tetradrachm (21mm, 8.68, 12h), year 3 (277/8). Laureate and cuirassed bust r. R/ Eirene standing l., holding sceptre and branch. Dattari 5529; Emmett 3986.

 

You seldom see such a beautiful portrait and a beautiful reverse on those, good capture

Q

 

Nice Probus tet! I don't have any Alexandrian coins of this emperor, but here's one that has it all: a radiate crown, a helmet, a cuirass, a shield, a left-facing bust, a scepter, a snake ...


Probus AD 276-282
Roman billon Antoninianus; 3.25 g, 21.7 mm
Ticinium mint, AD 280-82
Obv: VIRTVS PROBI AVG, Radiate, helmeted, cuirassed bust, left, holding spear and shield
Rev: SALVS AVG, Salus standing right, feeding serpent held in arms. V in left field; * in right field, TXXI in exergue
Refs: RIC-500; Cohen 584.

 

From a lot , $2 each :

 

Probus Tet? Great looking coin @Sallent ! Well struck, great coloring, GOOD EYE again!

I only have these Probi:


RI Probus 276-282 CE Ant 21mm Riding Horse


RI Probus 276-282 CE Ant 21mm Riding Horse

 

Here's mine


Probus, Tetradrachm minted in Alexandria AD 277
A K M AVPTTPBOC CEB, Laureate and cuirassed bust of Probus right
Eagle right, head left, holding wreath in beak. LB in field (regnal year 2)
6,69 gr
Ref : Sear #4773v, Emmett #3983/2

Q