I have this Titus denarius as RSC17. Annona AVG seated left leaning elbow on seat and raising drapery Looks about extra fine, maybe AU. Obverse wear by ear and leaves may hold it back from AU. Video below. Any thoughts/input appreciated!
Yes, RSC 17, BMCRE 319. The grading system in ancients is different than in modern, with "AU" not being a grade that has been traditionally used. This one would be EF. Grade matters little, because no two coins are alike and other factors apart from wear matter more, such as centering, style, surface, "eye appeal" and so on. That being said, that is a very nice coin indeed!
Very nice coin! Congrats! Here's mine T CAESAR VESPASIANVS Laureate head right ANNONA AVG Annona seated left, holding sack of corn ears Rome 77-78 AD 3.57g RIC II 972 (Vespasian), (C) Ex-Jencek Historical Enterprise
That is a great, appealing coin with nice toning and style. Calling it AU or EF makes very little difference. It would be a fine addition to anyone's collection.
I agree with everyone else that it's a great coin, but unless you're trying to sell it, it really doesn't matter to most collectors of ancient coins whether it's called EF or AU. I've seen a lot of ancient coins that sellers describe as "AU" that are actually remarkably ugly!
I have always been curious as to the NGC Ancients grading scale... As mentioned before it seems pretty difficult to ascribe a grade to coins that vary so much in so many aspects.
