This coin thinks it's ancient

Discussion in 'Ancient Coins' started by Roman Collector, Apr 28, 2019.

  1. Roman Collector

    Roman Collector Well-Known Member

    This 13th century ruler and his coinage are about a millennium out of synch with reality. Dude's titulature even calls him "CESAR AVG":

    364.jpg
     
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  3. Sallent

    Sallent Live long and prosper

    Yeah, compared to most medieval coins of the era, this one is a true masterpiece. Definitely captured the style and the quality of coinage from 1,000 years earlier.
     
    Marsyas Mike likes this.
  4. AncientJoe

    AncientJoe Well-Known Member

    Quite a few ancient collections have included that type in them. I personally am not planning on adding it but it's a beautiful type.
     
    Roman Collector likes this.
  5. seth77

    seth77 Well-Known Member

    CESAR AVG IMP ROM + FRIDERICVS
     
  6. Marsyas Mike

    Marsyas Mike Well-Known Member

    It would be interesting to know what ancient coins they dug up to use as a model for this. I don't recognize the "type" right off the bat.
     
    ancient coin hunter likes this.
  7. ancient coin hunter

    ancient coin hunter 3rd Century Usurper

  8. Sallent

    Sallent Live long and prosper

    I'm sure by this time period, with the crusades and everything, they would have been exposed to Eastern tets, plus I'm sure a few Eastern tets made their way to Italy in antiquity only to be found later . Then loosely copy the legends of a Denarius and presto....modern ancient coin (medieval anyways)

    Philip I Tetadrachm of Antioch.jpeg (1).jpg
     
  9. Finn235

    Finn235 Well-Known Member

    I always find it fascinating when a civilization digs up a long-obsolete coin and decides to base their circulating coinage on it. No danger of me owning one of those in the near future, but I have been tempted more than a few times to collect the Zangid and Artuqid bronzes that copy Roman and even Seleucid coins.

    Another interesting example are the Kashmiri bronze "staters" which copy an obsolete (by ~300 years) Hunnic coin of Toramana II, which in turn is based on the gold staters of the Kushans.
     
  10. Severus Alexander

    Severus Alexander find me at NumisForums

    Here's an even later denarius that I got recently. Hand struck, and even says "DEN." on it. :)

    016779_l.jpg
    (It's actually more like a quinarius in size, though.)
     
  11. seth77

    seth77 Well-Known Member

    Frederic II or for that matter any Holy Roman Emperor did not base their coinage on "dug" Roman coins but on a tradition that Charlemagne started when he got himself crowned as Emperor at Rome in 800. This coinage is also a nod to Charlemagne, which was at that time a nod to the Constantinian era.
     
    dougsmit likes this.
  12. Trebellianus

    Trebellianus VOT II MVLT III

    Ha, I was eyeing this up just a couple of days ago actually. Absolutely beautiful type -- if I had the money I'd love to indulge in these kinds of pre-Renaissance echoes of the Roman aesthetic.

    The style and competence of these seems to vary somewhat (per Google) but the one in the OP is superb I think. I definitely see something of Domitian and emperors of that era in the mouth and chin:

    RIC_0601.2.jpg
    (from Wildwinds)

    The bust is more Carolingian in feeling, perhaps.

    Charlemagne_coin.JPG
    (Wikipedia)
     
  13. FitzNigel

    FitzNigel Medievalist

    I would love one of these coins at some point (and like @Sallent, the type sure seems modeled off of some drachm design. I have been looking for designs that may have been the model but have not been able to find any definative “copy”).

    My sole Frederick II - highlighting his love of birds:
    Med-14-Sic-1243-Frederick II-D-Brindisi-555.jpg
    Kingdom of Sicily
    Frederick II, r. 1197-1250 (1243)
    Brindisi Mint, BL Denari, 18.64 mm x .07 grams;
    Obv.: +F●ROM●IPR’●SeP●AVG. Bare head right.
    Rev.: +R●IERSL’●ET SICIL’. Eagle facing with head r.
    Ref.: MEC 14.555-7
     
    Parthicus, Bing, Johndakerftw and 2 others like this.
  14. Orfew

    Orfew Draco dormiens nunquam titillandus

    A lovely Frederick II. Here is mine.

    Freiderich II holy roman emperor.jpg
     
  15. Theodosius

    Theodosius Fine Style Seeker

    Old Frederick needs to feed his chickens more protein.

    That one is a little scrawny looking.

    :)
     
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