Expanding into Ancients

I have been a coin collector since the age of 8 or 9 years old, almost exclusively U.S. coinage. Now 45+ years later have decided to expand into ancients. Ancients have always been a fascination for me, but I was always a thought them to be a bit "scary". Here is a piece I picked up from an on-line source. Diocletian.

 

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Great piece! I just started a thread today about perhaps going to ancients. The things you mentioned (being a bit scary" are what have kind of kept me away so far. Your piece is inspiring though

 

Sorry I missed your post. I actually picked another piece that is cool as well. Working on photos. The piece above I got for $30. Not sure if that was a great price, but the coin kind of grabbed me. I have admired ancients from afar, so I decided the only way to go was to jump into the pool, so to speak.

 

Did you take the pictures yourself or are they seller pictures? I use GIMP 2 to crop my CRH finds which is great since they have an elliptical crop feature. Some of the ancients I have and have seen are not "round" so I'm not sure how to get decent shots.

 

Welcome to ancients, @Lawtoad! You too, @furryfrog02

Hey, that's funny-- two new ancients collectors and both are amphibians

 

Welcome to the dark side, @Lawtoad ! You'll enjoy it here. The ancients folks are a friendly bunch.

I like your coin. It's what we call a "post-reform radiate" because Diocletian is wearing a radiate (spiky) crown and it was minted after Diocletian's reform of the coinage system in the Roman empire.

I have one that is nearly identical. Same issue, from the same mint, but made at a different officina (workshop) at the mint. Our coins are from the Heraclea mint. Heraclea was the Roman name for the ancient Greek city of Perinthos, now Marmara Ereglisi in the European part of Turkey, west of Istanbul and along the northern coast of the Sea of Marmara. The Roman mint was established by Diocletian shortly before his reform and was in use until the times of Theodosius II.

The H between the figures of the emperor and Jupiter on the reverse is the mintmark for Heraclea on this issue. The Δ is the officina mark and indicates the fourth officina at the mint (delta being the fourth letter of the Greek alphabet). Mine was produced in the third officina at the mint and hence bears the HΓ marking between the figures.


Diocletian, AD 284-304.
Roman Æ post-reform radiate, 1.74 g, 19.5 mm, 5h.
Heraclea, AD 296-298.
Obv: IMP C C VAL DIOCLETIANVS P F AVG, radiate, draped and cuirassed bust right, seen from front.
Rev: CONCORDIA MILI-TVM, Diocletian standing right in military dress, receiving Victory on globe from Jupiter leaning on scepter; ΗΓ in lower center.
Refs: RIC 13 or 21; Cohen 34; RCV 12833.

 

Great first ancient. Welcome!

 

The photo above is from the seller. I am playing with the macro function in my digital camera. I hope to be able to get decent photos myself.

 

Welcome to the dark side @Lawtoad . For what it's worth I think you did well on that coin for that price. It's got an interesting place in the economy of the Roman recovery under Diocletian. In case you don't have the attribution it is;

Roman Empire
Diocletian (AD 284 - 305)
AE Antoninianus (post-reform radiate), Heraclea mint, struck ca. AD 295 - 296
Obv.: IMP C C VAL DIOCLETIANVS P F AVG
Rev.: CONCORDIA MILITVM
Ref.: RIC VI 13

Here is a diagram I put together for a write up showing how the different denominations in use might have fit together.



Diocletian is one of my favorite emperors and I've been amassing a respectable amount of his coins lately Here's my Diocletian sole rule Antoninianus and a few others that I've had time to photograph and write up.


Roman Empire
Diocletian (AD 284-305)
AE Antoninianus, Rome mint, struck ca. AD 285-286
Dia.: 24.73 mm
Wt.: 3.55 g
Obv.: IMP DIOCLETIANVS AVG Radiate bust of Diocletian right
Rev.: IOVI CONSER-VAT AVG Jove standing right holding thunderbolt and scepter. XXIZ below
Ref.: RIC V:II 161
Write up:
Diocletian: Two Interesting Coins and a Legacy of Reform


Roman Empire
Diocletian (AD 284-305)
AE Follis (silvered), Ticinum mint, struck ca. AD 269-267
Dia.: 31 mm
Wt.: 8.63 g
Obv.: IMP DIOCLETIANVS P F AVG Laureate head of Diocletian right
Rev.: GENIO POPV-LI ROMANI Genius standing right holding patera and cornucopia. DT. Below. Star in left field
Ref.: RIC VI 33
Write up:
Diocletian: Two Interesting Coins and a Legacy of Reform


Roman Empire
Diocletian, AD 284-305
AE Follis, Lugdunum Mint, 1st officina, struck ca. AD 295
Dia.: 28 mm
Wt.: 8.5 g
Obv.: IMP C DIOCLETIANVS P F AVG; Laureate bust right
Rev.: GENIO POP-VLI ROMANI: Genius standing left holding patera and cornucopia /LA in exergue
Ref.: RIC VI 2a, Lugdunum Group I, Class II
Ex Jamesicus Collection
Write up:
https://www.cointalk.com/threads/di...rliest-post-reform-coins-from-lugdunum.311422

 

Thank you for the info @Roman Collector. I am a history buff, and that has always tailored very well into coin collecting. The specifics of ancients is extremely appealing to me.

 

This post deserved its own thread.

 

@Curtisimo, Thank you for the info. Ancients really have a vast variety that I look forward exploring.

 

Welcome to ancient coins. Your new Diocletian looks real nice. I feel kind of bad not having a Diocletian yet, but here is my favorite coin of the same time period.


GALERIUS as Caesar, AD 293-305.
AR Argenteus, 21mm, 2.7g, 12h; Rome, c. 294.
Obv: MAXIMIANVS CAES; Laureate head right.
Rev: VIRTVS MILITVM; The tetrarchs sacrificing over tripod before city enclosure with six turrets.
Reference: RIC VI Rome 29b, p. 353, r2.

 

Outstanding! Two in one day?

Don't be scared! Move slowly and go after what calls out to you!

My only Diocletian:

Dioclectian, AD 284-305
AE, Follis, 9.8g, 28mm; 1h; Aquelia mint
Obv.: IMP DIOCLETIANVS PF AVG; laureate head right
Rev.: SACR MONET AVGG CAESS NOSTR; crescent in left field; VI in right field; Moneata holding scales and cornucopiae
In Ex.: AQP

That coin was a very early purchase for me. Paid high retail for it from a coin dealer who traveled twice a year to U.S. military bases in England...I was attracted to it by its large size and it was something I had never seen before.

 

Looks like you're off to a good start, just got my first ancient a couple months ago. It's fun finally taking that dive...

 

Welcome to the Ancients Forum @Lawtoad ! Nice start.

I have a Diocletian to toss in:


RI Diocletian Ӕ Quinarius 1.46g 16mm Rome AD 284-305 IOVI CONSERVAT AVGG, Jupiter stndng thunderbolt sceptre RARE RIC 193

 

Welcome to the Ancients Forum @Lawtoad and @furryfrog02 ! Have no fear, you're completely safe if you purchase exclusively from reputable dealers. I'll be glad to send both of you, via email, a list of my favorites. Maybe some other members could send you their favorites also.

 

Nice coin @Lawtoad ! And Welcome to the forum! Here's a billon tetradrachm of Alexandria, Egypt struck under Diocletian. As some people know, Roman coins were not used in Egypt, only the local issue. However, after the reforms introducing the follis there was a policy change where folles were struck in Alexandria, replacing the venerable tetradrachm which had been issued since the time of Ptolemy I.





I also find this period in history interesting as Diocletian issued his famous Edict on Maximum Wages and Prices designed to stop inflation by threatening merchants and others with capital punishment if they exceeded the suggested prices. Here is a fragment of the original edict:

 

It is a bit scary. I've been into it for a year now and I'm still scared. Just stick with it and it will get better.

 

I’m about 12 months into buying ancients. At first I was wary, but the good folks at CoinTalk turned me on to some great dealers. Buy with confidence from reputable dealers that the members here are eager to list.

It’s a very rewarding hobby if you like any history, art, culture, metallurgy, etc. You can be very general or specific with your approach. I still haven’t found a specialization and just enjoy the hunt for variety now.

As a newbie my only advice is to acquire slowly. There’s no rush even though you probably have that internal feeling of “acquisition mode”.

Budget you have to decide for yourself. There are fun things at every level. Just buy from trusted dealers and avoid eBay until you have some experience.