Hi All - Sorry I cant help with more that that - I have this ancient coin and I THINK it's roman - Otherwise Im stumped. Anyone have any clue?
Found it on wildwinds (see http://www.wildwinds.com/coins/greece/egypt/alexandria/i.html): Probus Potin Tetradrachm of Alexandria. Year 4 = 278-279 AD. A K M AVP ΠPO-BOC CEB, draped bust right / L-Δ, eagle standing right with wreath in its beak. Curtis 1864. Milne 4589.
Interesting - This looks close but on the back of mine there is another detail coming out of the left of the bird, and out the right - Example on top, mine on bottom
You're right, I hadn't seen this! The detail is a palm branch, and thus it's (apparently, I don't have the physical catalogue here and am only relying on online information) Milne 4587, not Milne 4589. Here is a specimen on Vcoins for comparison: https://www.vcoins.com/en/stores/sp...ust_right__eagle_standing/678969/Default.aspx
That is a nice ancient coin! Most people asking for help have fakes or common coins in horrible shape. John
And another example: https://www.vcoins.com/en/stores/ma...ia_198_tetradrachm__eagle/794152/Default.aspx
Emmett lists five different eagle poses but only the two you show come in year four. I do not follow all the old reference numbers but this is Emmett 3981. I have Emmett (2001). I do not own Milne (1971?) and can not confirm the Wildwinds listing under the 4587 number. I warn regularly of the dangers of 'farming' catalog numbers from third party listings. Many are correct. If you care what the catalog number is, buy the book.
I neglected to add my agreement with Theodosius on it being good to see a new person here showing a genuine and decent ancient coin. There are several here that collect Alexandrian coins but I don't think any of us are at the level of trying for the 18 different Probus eagle/date combinations. The chances of one of us having a match to your coin is not high. I have only two but.... This pose is listed as common for year four and very rare for year one (A). A little wear/corrosion might make someone report an A when the coin really was a Δ. Now I'll wonder if there actually is an A. Mine is a Δ, too. My other Probus bird is a different pose and year two.
I have two "eagle standing right, head right, wreath in beak, palm branch on wing" regnal year 4 examples Both were from a large lot of late Alexandrian tets: Welcome to CoinTalk ancients, @TylerH! You have a wonderful tet. Where did you get it and do you have any more ancient coins to share with us?
Emmett rates scarcity from 1 to 5 with 1 being most common. This coin is a 1 and it would appear that Coin Talk would agree. There are few coins where we have four in 'family'. Of course there will be some common coins that are much more common than other common coins.
Thank you everyone for the help - I would have NEVER figured this out on my own! That is one of 2 ancient coins I own - Cant locate the other. I love the ancient coins but I have no idea how to wrap my head around collecting them! This one I got years ago - My first collection was pennies with my grandpa and we were trying to fill the Whitman books (Indian head through 1980s) and we would go to stamp and coin shows (he was a stamp guy). If anyone here is from Marin County you might remember they had those shows at the San Rafael civic center. I believe I purchased it here for a few dollars, probably mid 80s when I was 10 or so!
Everyone has pretty well covered this one to death. I have a collection of the majority of main variations of the Alexandria Tets of Probus. I have a Gallery on Forvm which can be used to assist in attribution of many types. The majority of coins have references to Milne, Curtis, Emmett and Dattari. Several of my coins are ex-Curtis or ex-Emmett. https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/thumbnails.php?album=1721 Here are my Year 4 eagles....
I agree with Doug that it it refreshing to have a budding ancient coin collector show a real nice example of an authentic coin. Lots of fakes and reproductions generally are in the hands of the unknowing. For a few bucks, that was a pretty good deal, even in the mid 80's.
