Being my birthday i recieved a few coins nothing of value money wise but the object was to see if i could improve my ID skills (if any) and in that respect i`m going to enjoy them will post one at a time really hope the photo`s are good enough for an ID. I tried to ID by looking at the reverse and mostly what i found was Greek coins with the same design but their legends are more horrizontal or vertical where as this one the legend goes round the circumference which makes me think it`s Roman and the only one i can find is Caracalla and you guy`s know more than me so what do you think.
The bottom coin is from Nikopolis, in Moesia Inferior. The top coin looks like it could also be from there, but the inscription break is different. Perhaps it is ΛI-TΩ rather than ΠO-ΛI. You might check here: http://www.wildwinds.com/moushmov/nikopolis.html
DIADUMENIAN Assarion OBVERSE: M OPPLLIOC ANTWNEINO/C Bare headed and draped bust right – seen from behind REVERSE: MARKIANO-POLEITWN Aesklepios staff, with serpent entwining Struck at Markianopolis, Moesia Inferior, 218 AD 3.07, 17mm Varbanov 1354
Did notice the break in lettering on rev: differs as does the portrait on obv: Did visit wildwinds.com for the first time, I did favour Antoninus Pius bust somehow but S. Severus seems to use serpents a lot in his rev: although not the same design. Still a lot of looking to be done pondering whether to try and clean it up a bit to see if I can bring up the lettering maybe a rub with chalk will do must be another out there somewhere
To all experts what do you think Hadrian ae14 of kos( cos ) islands of Caria serpent staff of ascelepius Sng- copenhagen. Sng- von aulok. Sng- munchen. Bmc- Karl. 14 mm 2.33 g Mine is 15 mm. 3.2 g.
Now that i have been told that this one is Provincial i have moved to this post given it a little clean to get to the letters The rev: from the top letter x the one before i think is an e so when i read the legend to me it looks like excoivdm but have no idea what it means if anything letters before the e i would be guessing the obv: maybe someone will recognised the bust other than that i`m beat
Still one to go but before that i thought i would try and build a data base of Provincial wreath reverses which might help in the ID when the obverse legend is not readable and you will see on some emperors have different designs on rev. not sure if that has anythine to do with mints might be a waste of time but i think in the long term it will help Augustus Domitian Elagabalus you will see what i mean by same emp. two mayby more designs Would be grateful if any one would like to upload a rev. that i can use in my Data base
Have tried to read the legend and come up with last three as ian but there are too many emp.s that end with ian i do see other letters but i don`t want to put words in your mouth the the rev. although worn does not equate to anything in my data base would be grateful if someone would have a try at a name. Size wise 19/20mm and 4.4g
Hi Claudius. There are so many coins on this thread it's a real mix up... About the coin with Tyche on the reverse, please give us weight and size. You can compare the legend (?) with this Caracalla : https://www.acsearch.info/search.html?id=2668275
Ocat Don't know where would this site be without people like yourself well done my coin 19/20mm. 4.5g the legend on mine a little straight compared to the circumference but it's the same emp. Again well done. When you say so many coins the thread above that is the same coin photographed at different angles to try and highlight the legend better. I think people like you should get together and produce a book ROMAN COINS FOR DUMMIES ( like me ). The thread above that is me just trying to make myself a data base on provincial wreath reverses thought others would have some maybe early days
I'd be the first to buy it. If you only knew how many times I got help on Coin Talk to identify coins...
Justin not 100% sure I think it was one on eBay but at that time I was only interested in wreath reverses I think it said Augustus-LG and we all know now that many emps. called themselves Augustus but even now I get confused I think the first Aug. with large SC had letters around the circumference although someone said in an early post ones with letters they were imperial. Have also seen an Aug. Large SC within a shield within a wreath if that makes sense. P.S. just found a site that produces PRC Volumes on line
Think I have cracked it thread #9 Antonius Pius when I look back now what a terrible set of photo's they are, in the end I identified it by his beard when twisting the coin I the light you can see more detail than I could photograph. It would be nice if someone would post a photo of A.P. with a large SC reverse so i can compare the obverse legend if they have one. Although portraits can change his beard looked like a thick L with a tight curve.
RC Many thanks i could make out the letters PAIN along with others but could not find an emp. with those letters in the legend you will see what I mean when i say L shaped beard. I did try acsearch but omitted the name antioch that's why I never saw it. Found the number 1215 in sears but don't know if there is way a picture could be found. The coin above reverse is slightly different ( only minor) maybe a larger coin but no question it's the same Emp. so you see I still have lot's to learn now a bit sad this post has ended. Once again many thanks
I actually think it's Hadrian. In the thread where you originally posted it, I posted my examples with clearer legends as to give you a hint. The PAIN you see on your obverse is part of the TPAIAN in the legend (Trajan, his adopted father), followed by his name (in Greek) AΔPIANOC. In the Antoninus example above it is not PAIN, rather it is PIAN, and the AN is the beginning of the name ANTWNEINOC (the PI is the ending of AΔPI for his adopted father). Also the face length is actually on the shorter side instead of AP's long face, and more akin to Hadrian's.
Justin Will get back to you tomorrow I think I see pian(last four letters)maybe the p is an r still think the beard looks like #16 will look again in the day light
Where to start first let me say people like me sad to say are at the wrong end of lifes spectrum and all my life i have never needed to to read or learn Greek i think i can read Greek letters but when they are all put together i have no idea of there meaning if i were to try and learn Greek now i fear it would be a bridge too far let me put a smile on doug`s face i am older than him so let`s leave it at that. So you will see people like me have to rely on images in order to ID a coin the two coins you posted to me look like two different emperors the reason i say that is both the obverse and reverse are different 1st the rev: in the thread above i have tried to show an emp. can have two different rev: maybe where they are minted i don`t know but the wreaths seem to be the same only the contents within the wreath differ where as your coins show two different wreaths. 2nd the busts look different which does happen when an emp. has been in power for a long time but still i`m looking and 3rd the legend but i will leave that to latter. To ID the coin i paid a visit to ALL-YOUR-COINS.COM there you pick you coin Roman or Greek and so on then metal then emps. when you come to emps. the page is full of faces in the form of drawings i know A. Pius had a lot of coins and why did this site pick this face i can only assume it was the most popular but that was the only coin that fitted the one in my hand and i think it was his beard just like RC posted clinched it for me remember the people who made the site know miles more than me. Back to the legend on your bottom coin i think i read PAICTPAIANA where on my coin i read starting at the top PAINN--PIAN the two that i have left out could be an A but the next one i have never seen before in the photo comming the P at the top looks like an F but beleave me it`s an P so you see the legends are different as a novice it`s like putting king george legend on a queen elizabeth coin i just don`t understand it and as a novice i think if the legends differ the emp. must differ. Lastly if i`m wrong i will accept it after all you are the experts but i will be disapointed not in getting it wrong if that is the case but in the method i used to ID it. P.S. painted it with Brasso which will rub off