Coin #1 – GTCTer 2019 (Guess the Owner of This Coin)

Welcome to Round 1 of Guess the CTer 2019. For the latest updates on the game and to review the clues to the possible prizes please check out the master thread.

[Ancients] Guess the CTer (2019) Master Thread

Coin #1


Maxentius (AD 307-312)
AE follis, Ostia mint, struck ca. AD 309-312
Dia.: 25 mm
Wt.: 7.08 gm

Why I added it to my collection
This coin is well struck for the type and I enjoy reading about Roman economics, especially Diocletian's monetary reform and its aftermath. Large size folles are plentiful and usually not very expensive.

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How the Game Works
The object of the game is pretty simple: Guess which CT member the above coin belongs to out of the five participating members.

@dougsmit
@Al Kowsky
@Valentinian
@Curtisimo
@Parthicus

This is the 1st of 5 total game threads. After I post all coins and allow for three days time for each thread I will hold a drawing to select 5 winners from those who played the game. Participants can earn multiple chances to win based on the following rules.

1. Guess who the owner of the coin is and give a reason why you think that. (Ex.: I believe that this coin belongs to Curtisimo because he owns pink socks and thinks a toboggan is a hat.) This is the minimum requirement for entry into the drawing. Please include a reason with your guess!
2. Anyone who posts a photo of an ancient coin along with their guess (related or not) will receive an extra chance to win.
3. Anyone who gives a particularly well thought out or amusing reason why you guessed a certain person will receive an extra chance to win.
4. Anyone who guesses correctly will receive an extra chance to win.
5. Anyone who is a young numismatist (age 18 or younger) will receive an extra chance to win. If you are a YN please say so in your entry post.

In total there can be up to 5 chances to win for each member in each thread!

A Note to the Volunteers
If you would like to follow along with the results of the poll feel free to vote for yourself or at random.

A Note to Poll Voters
The poll option is intended just for fun. If you wish to have your guesses counted for the game or to be eligible for the prizes please comment in the below thread per the above.

 

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This is @Curtisimo all day! Though he does have a Greek streak, cool guys usually have a bit of nerd in them as well (that's a compli-sult my friend). I mean, not that "Diocletian's monetary reform and its aftermath" is nerdy or anything buuuut I believe you have to be wearing a pocket protector just to make that statement. Though, back to the other side of him, it does appear that Fides is having a bit of a nip slip. Typical cool guy stuff. I am saying its Curtisimo fo sho.
I've shown my mess of a Maxentius before but...

So, here it is:

PS, I am the age of 3+ YNs, so I will be expecting an additional 3+ points

 

@Valentinian because I think the reverse would appeal to him, and the writeup sounds exactly like him. Which, given the wiles of @Curtisimo, means this is actually probably the very worst guess...

[edit] An additional point in favour of Valentinian is the photography looks like his, with a black background substituted.

Maxentius & son:

 

I think it is @Curtisimo and the reasoning behind this guess is that he likes bacon (almost as much as I do).

 

LOL

I award you all 5 chances possible, my friend.

I know you are already aware how I try to manage the photos but since I haven's said so elsewhere I will clarify that I cropped and edited all photos to make them as uniform as possible.

...also with the tricky volunteers in this years game who knows that the photo style isn't also being gamed...

 

haha not only is your reasoning insightful it is categorically accurate (the bacon part at least ). Now please excuse me as I go make myself a BLT

 

Ian going tomorrow guess @Valentinian as this is the type he would own...an excellent historical type


Oh...guess what I just put in the oven...a quiche with...double bacon of course

 

I believe that this coin belongs to Curtisimo because ever since he visited Diocletian's palace Croatia he has shown a lot more interest in the Tetrachy period, and for good reason..

Maxentius, 307-312. Follis (Silvered bronze, 25 mm, 6.77 g, 7 h), Aquileia, late summer 307. IMP C MAXENTIVS P F AVG Laureate head of Maxentius to right. Rev. CONSERV VRBS SVAE / AQΓ Roma seated left within tetrastyle temple, holding scepter and handing globe to Maxentius standing right, holding scepter; seated captive between; Victories as acroteria, she-wolf and twins in pediment. RIC 113. Good very fine.
From the S. Pozzi Collection, privately purchased from K. Alber on 16 January 1973 and previously acquired from G. Brosi, Basel.

 

I think its from @Curtisimo which is a total guess. I had a look at a few previous coin posts from each member to try see any similarities in the picture quality or any similar description which eliminated a few in the end it was just a toss up between 3
Maybe I'm completely off and the short description and quality was to throw us off

I don't have any coins of Maxentius yet but this below is one ugly portrait

 

I’m reasonably certain this cool coin belongs to @Valentinian, because who else would admit they actually “enjoy” reading about Tetrarchy currency reforms?

I’ll grant that @Curtisimo might too, but then the accompanying blurb would have been 10 times longer, have a colour-coded family tree of Maxentius, and at least six photos he took of his visit to Ostia.

 

@zumbly precisely summarized my thoughts!!

Other factors:

The photos don't look like Doug Smith images.

While the coin is high enough quality to possibly be of interest to Al Kow, the written blurb doesn't sound like something he'd say and it lacks the requisite number and variety of emojis, although Curtis could have omitted those.

Parthicus... hmm, I doubt he'd have contributed one his "usual" types because it would be too easy so this tetrarchal follis could be his, but I doubt it.

It's a coin Curtis would have and enjoy and the images are of similar quality and style to his (background notwithstanding since all of the coins in this exercise are going to be standardized to a black background). However, as Z pointed out, unless Curtis is trying to ape Valentian's style, the succinct reason for choosing this coin is just not his style.

It's a coin we know would appeal to Valentinian, the images are consistent with his (with black background added), and the reason for adding the coin to his collection is entirely fitting with his mode of collecting. I'm going with Valentinian for this one.

 

Perhaps you should edit the text submissions and reword what was said so some don't sound like a retired college professor.

Too, good,huh?

 

The images are very nice but when clicked to enlarge they don't have the excellent sharpness of focus/resolution consistently seen on your images. Plus, your images have lower contrast. This coin is silvered though and those are a major PITA to photograph (and to make look nice!).

Maybe Curtis has already monkeyed with the words as well as the image backgrounds?

 

muhahahaha

I have monkeyed with more than just the words. I have altered all the images to the same resolution and matched as many photographic parameters (contrast, color balance, tint, hue, etc.) to make them all as similar as possible.

I have removed or altered any writing conventions (such as using & vs “and,” AD vs CE) or references that give away too much (Ex.: “I bought this to use in my class”).

I couldn’t make it TOOO easy on you guys

 

Should we worry we won't remember what coin we sent? I'm glad we can't play. It keeps us from being embarrassed we missed our own!

When this is finished, I'd enjoy seeing the images as submitted just to see your handiwork.

 

Speaking of nerdy, I have used footnotes in casual emails to friends. Just sayin'.

 

Hmm. I hope you aren't changing their words too much. Having some clues is what makes this fun, otherwise it is almost a random guessing game.

 

And on a side note: What A BEAAUUUUUTEYEFULL coin
I was gonna say, for a late Roman coin, blah blah. But skip that. For any ancient coin that thing has fine n detailed art, a great strike and excellent toning. Great coin!

 

I haven’t had to do too much to be honest. Like I said above I have only omitted things that are dead and unambiguous give aways (no fun in that) and changed conventions such as CE to AD etc.

The syntax, word choices and writing style was left as is.

I may have also added some subliminal messages about the merits of sending Curtisimo all the aureii... or did I? Just jokes guys

 

I like Valentinian as well This is my coin of Maxentius As Caesar Follis Carthage mint RIC 51a 10.80 grms 27mm