I got this quintuple group delivered yesterday (after the tracking went missing for a week or more), and spent the morning with them. Then after a couple work meetings and the sun started to become covered by some clouds, I decided to take advantage of that and snap a few photos of them. This first one I think is the STAR of the group. It's nice and chunky for a coin of this later period. And though it isn't terribly uncommon, it's just feels nice in hand, the details are sharp, the fields are flat, and it has a lot of silvering still intact. I wasn't certain on the best way of revealing all these features that make me love this coin in a digital fashion, so I took a few different pictures at different angles to focus on the various aspects. I also took a quick video and converted it to animated GIF to illustrate what it is like as I move it in hand. The basic "head-on" shot: The angle showing off it's original shiny-ness (I can't imagine the grandeur that would've accompanied it when it was fresh from the mint!): And the angle that reflects as much of the physical light on it's surfaces ("so smooth, like buttah"): And here are all those aspects put together in a moving image: Ok, now on to Maximian's travel partners... Though this is a cockroach, it's a very pretty cockroach. Yes, "another Gordian III Antoninainus", but it's a very early type from 238 AD. ...with an exceptionally beautiful Pax on reverse! The third coin is of a much higher silver content than my other Ant of this emperor: Postumus. And that reverse is very nice and crips as well! Double the emperor, double the fun! Non-silver example for comparison: The fourth coin I got because I did't have one of these reverse types yet: Alexandrian tetradrachm of Maximian with Nike reverse, RY 3. Contextually, it's a pretty decent example. And then that leaves up with coin number five. It's not without faults and it pretty common, but like the coin above, I didn't have an example of it: Probus with with Roma in hexastyle temple, ROMAE AETERNAE. What coins have shown up on your doorstep lately? Do you have any relevant coins? Any additional information?
Those are some great additions @Justin Lee ! I especially like the Alexandrian Tet! This guy came in the mail yesterday, he was cheap and isn't very pretty, but I like his portrait. It is definitely a step up from the only other Vespasian in our collection. It was listed as Annona on the reverse but I don't think that is correct. Instead I think it is Pax. This is what I believe is the correct identification: Vespasian Denarius 70 AD Obverse: IMP CAESAR VESPASIANVS AVG, laureate head right Reverse: COS ITER T-R POT, Pax seated left, holding branch and caduceus Compare to the other Vespasian in our collection:
Justin Lee, That's a nice haul ! I scored a follis of Maximian with virtually intact original silvering many years ago. Many superb folles from the Cyzicus Mint are in collector hands. These coins must have come from a big hoard. My coin weighs 9.24 gm.
Justin, I love it when people put effort into their photos and come up with something that is so much better than a snapshot/passport grade image. Good work!
Thanks, Doug! I appreciate the tips and methods you share and I try to remember them and implement them when I can.
I had a few new purchases lately but my favourite is my Nerva I’ve been after a nice portrait of his for a while now , Nerva. 96-98 AD. AR Denarius .Struck 97 AD. Laureate head right / LIBERTAS PVBLICA ,Libertas standing left, holding pileus and sceptre.(3.3g 18 mm) RIC II 31; BMCRE 61; RSC 117.
Very nice additions! I really like that Postumus, his coins are in my eyes fascinating. Here is one of mine: Postumus 260-269 AR Antoninianus struck 263 4,26g/20mm IMP C POSTVMVS P F AVG radiate, draped and cuirassed bust right. PAX AVG Pax standing left, holding olive branch and sceptre. Ric 78 The moving images are also of real added value. Actually, we should all do it with our coins.
Nice new acquisitions, Justin. One of life's great pleasures, a mailbox stuffed with new stuff. As for recent acquisitions, here's mine. Do Philip I antoninianii count as cockroaches? For reasons having to do with what seemed a decent cockroachy price ($14.99), I now have three of these: Philip I Antoninianus (247 A.D.) Rome (5th Issue, 6th Offina) IMP M IVL PHILIPPVS AVG radiate, draped and cuirassed bust right / ROMAE AETERNAE, Roma sitting left, holding Victory and sceptre. RIC 44b; Sear 8952; RSC 169 (3.86 grams / 21 mm)
