Need a little bit of help with identification

Discussion in 'Ancient Coins' started by Charles Hicks, Jan 3, 2020.

  1. Charles Hicks

    Charles Hicks New Member

    I tried looking these up on my own, but am having no success. I am reaching out to learn if anyone can identify these...
     
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  3. kevin McGonigal

    kevin McGonigal Well-Known Member

    Most are late Roman circa 240-360 AD, at least one a Roman provincial from an Eastern mint (Greek script). One is in a script I do not recognize. The first one looks like a follis of one of the emperors of the tetrarchy put together by Diocletian. One of our members with better eyesight than I have will be able to narrow this down for you in a little while.
     
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  4. Ajax

    Ajax Well-Known Member

    First one is Diocletion from Serdica.

    Diocletian AE Follis. 305-306 AD. D N DIOCLETIANO FELICISSIMO SEN AVG, laureate bust right in imperial mantle, holding olive branch and mappa / PROVIDENTIA DEORVM QVIES AVGG, Providentia standing facing right, extending right hand to Quies, facing left, holding branch and sceptre. S-F across outer fields. Mintmark dot SM dot SD dot. RIC VI Serdica 15a; Sear 12940.
     
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  5. gsimonel

    gsimonel Well-Known Member

    Second is Constantius II, ca. 340-355 A.D. Reverse depicts a soldier spearing a fallen enemy horseman. Reverse legend is FEL TEMP REPARATIO, or THE RETURN OF HAPPY TIMES ("Happy days are here again . . .", "We're making Rome great again", etc. Take your pick.)

    Personally, I'm not happy about any of those coins. The state of preservation makes it difficult to assure their legitimacy. Of the bunch, I'd say the second one is the most likely to be authentic.
     
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  6. Charles Hicks

    Charles Hicks New Member

    You guys are awesome!! Thanks!! Any insight on the others?
     
  7. ancient coin hunter

    ancient coin hunter 3rd Century Usurper

    Third with radiate crown appears to be a provincial of Caracalla or Elagabalus but I can't read the legend. Fourth appears to have Arabic script and is bronze. Fifth is another provincial from the eastern part of the roman empire featuring a bust of Tyche, or city goddess on the reverse and an emperor on the obverse. The obverse is upside down in the photo.
     
  8. gsimonel

    gsimonel Well-Known Member

    The provincials are the ones I'm most suspicious of. The obverse legend on the third one makes no sense to me. It appears to end with AVGG, suggesting a joint reign (thus, eliminating Elagabalus and suggesting Caracalla; could it be Gallienus or Volusian!?!). But I've never seen a coin with AVGG on the obverse--it's usually on the reverse legend. I think it might be fake, which makes me suspect the others, too. Yet I can't imagine why anyone would make fake coins in that condition. Seems like it would hardly be worth the effort.
     
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