Saturday Night Free For All

Currently, there is a very diverse group of coins lying on my desk. I just took pictures of them, and now I will write tags. In chronological order:

 

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By the time you get to Diocletian and Maximian, tetradrachms form Alexandria are usually pretty terrible in quality. Below are a few of my nicer ones... I do have a lot more that are dogs and look terrible in photographs.

Diocletian

Emmett 4083

Emmett 4032

Emmett 4082

Emmett 4046

Maximianus

Milne 4984

Emmett 4147

Emmett 4146... This one is UGLY but extra credit to anyone that can tell me why this one is extra rare. Try to find another one online. There's only one other that I could find anywhere pictured.

 

Eusebeian pancakes...


I spent Saturday afternoon photographing some older coins. When I first started photographing my coins, I did so with natural lighting. Later on, for a couple of years, I transitioned to artificial lighting, as it meant I could work on them at night when I was free. The results were always hit and miss though. Lately, I gone back to natural day light, preferably diffused through a frosted window on a cloudy day. Here's one of my favorite stevex6 coins, one I've always owed a better picture to. Quite happy with how this one turned out. The reverse is a real work of art. Steve could really pick 'em!

CARACALLA
AR Denarius. 3.17g, 18.5mm. Rome mint, AD 201-202. RIC IV 120. O: ANTONINVS PIVS AVG, laureate and draped bust right. R: ADVENT AVGG, galley sailing left; signum and aquila at stern.
Ex stevex6 Collection, CNG E-Sale 352 (3 June 2015), lot 449; ex Dr. George Spradling Collection

I've had the Constantius II siliqua below for about a year and a half now. The obverse has a really striking deep tone, and is quite abit darker than the reverse. It's from the Michael Kelly Collection, and every time I handle one of the coins I bought in that auction, I wish I had pushed my bank account and bought more at the time. Another great coin picker!


CONSTANTIUS II
AR Reduced Siliqua. 2.2g, 20.5mm. Sirmium mint, AD 355-361. RIC 68; Cohen 343. O: D N CONSTANTIVS P F AVG, pearl-diademed, draped, and cuirassed bust right. R: VOTIS XXX MVLTIS XXXX in four lines in wreath; SIRM in exergue.
Ex Michael Kelly Collection

 

Oooh, all are pretty! That top RR denarius though... I've been wanting one of those. The best part of that coin is that it hasn't been cleaned to a bright shine. I really like the toning and honest look of that one.

 

I really like this thread

I could use some energy! The little one has come down with a light fever and has been keeping us busy on and off during the night. Poor thing... At least it gave me the opportunity to work - on and off - the 'make up' of my latest addition. I had pictures taken earlier, but did not have the time to properly cut, crop, and work on them.


@zumbly, those are some very, very nice looking coins! And the reverse of the Caracalla has great detail and I like the steel-grey look.
I use natural lighting as well. I've tried taking pictures with artificial light, but I did not get it right. I not only lacking the proper equipment, but also lack the space and time to properly invest, and for now I am happy with the results of doing it the natural, environmental friendly way ;-)
I believe I have shared my 'highly professional' setup before:

 

Hope your little one is better soon. I have a 3 year old and a 11 month old... so I'm right in it with you.

Where I'm lazy is coin photography. You have great photos. While I have the tools (a nice DSLR Cannon), I'm just using my iPhone and a desk lamp for now. I just don't have the time right now. I look forward to the day that the screaming is less frequent and I can get some better coin photos!

Great coin. I've said it many times... but I'd much rather have a coin showing some age than a cleaned and shinny silver version. Here's some coins with wear, tone and dirt that I like:

They aren't my nicest condition coins, but have a realism that the clean and shiny ones don't.

 

I’m jealous! An Alexandria is the only Travel series denarius missing from my set, and that’s a fantastic example. Hope the young one feels better soon.

 

Nuthin' fancy -- just some additions to my Faustina subcollection.

Faustina II, AD 147-175.
Roman Æ as, 12.05 g, 25.3 mm, 12 h.
Rome, AD 156-158.
Obv: FAVSTINA AVGVSTA, bare-headed and draped bust, right.
Rev: AVGVSTI PII FIL S C, Venus Victrix standing facing, head left, holding Victory on extended right hand and resting left hand on shield, set on helmet.
Refs: RIC 1389a; BMCRE 2202; Cohen 17; Strack 1333; Sear 4721.


Faustina II, AD 147-175.
Roman AR denarius, 3.18 g, 17.1 mm, 7 h.
Rome, AD 165-170.
Obv: FAVSTINA AVGVSTA, bare-headed and draped bust, right.
Rev: IVNO, Juno, veiled and draped, seated left, holding patera in extended right hand and vertical scepter in left hand; at her feet, peacock.
Refs: RIC 689; BMCRE 112-15; RSC 126; RCV --; MIR 16; CRE 184.

 

It's Saturday night! What are you working on?

For me, it's a slow couple weeks for coins but crazy personally. I live in Minneapolis. There has been a lot of unrest in my neighborhood the last weeks. This is a coin forum... so I won't delve more into those current events other than saying that living with a 3-year old and a 1-year old in the midst of the chaos of the first 4-5 days was stressful.

The reason I mention where I live is that my local post office was burnt down and several of my recent purchases were sacrificed to the cause (and fire) meaning a slow few weeks. Nothing grand or expensive was lost, so whatever it's cool. In the grand scheme of things, coins are not important.

I did have a cheap one run the gauntlet and make it to my mailbox. I bought this Probus in spite of the corrosion on the obverse because otherwise it was pretty sharp and cheap (around $10 with shipping). Also, the emperor's attire on the reverse is interesting as well. It almost looks like he's wearing pants. Check it out.


Probus
IMP CM AVR PROBVS AVG
CONCORDIA MILITVM
V / XXIMC
Cyzicus
RIC V-2 Cyzicus 908; Sear 11968

 

Although I'm in the middle of moving and most of our stuff already is in boxes, there still are two coins on my desk that didn't get enough attention in the very busy last couple of days. Tonight, I'll do proper tags and attribitions:

14th/15th century shilling or artig minted by the Livonian Order. The coinage of the medieval military orders is a fascinating and in my opinion often understudied field:


A tiny snack for less than $5: a Habbarid AR damma, minted under Amir Abd Allah II in Sindh (today in Pakistan), ca. 1030 AD:

 

. I can't even begin to imagine what you've been through/must be going through... please stay safe!

Very nice for the price!

I finally had a package with two coins arrive earlier this week after a couple of coinless months. Here's one of the coins, a Faustina II tet from Alexandria. They're not very common and don't tend be in great condition. Except for being a bit underweight, I think mine is fairly typical.

FAUSTINA II
Billon Tetradrachm. 10.09g, 23.6mm. EGYPT, Alexandria, RY 15 (AD 151/2). RPC Online IV.4, temp #13732; Emmett 1953 (R3). O: ΦΑVϹΤΙΝ ϹƐΒ ϹƐΒ ƐVϹƐΒ ΘVΓ, draped bust right. R: L-IE, Nike flying left, holding wreath and palm-branch.

 

Yeah it was wild here. By last Saturday my wife needed a mental break from nightly worry so we left the city for her mom's house in the country. Things are ongoing but peaceful now.

I love Alexandrian coins so your Faustina II is a good one. Other than ancient Rome and checking out the dinosaurs, Alexandria would be my first stop with a time-machine.

 

Recently arrived from a fellow CoinTalk member.. so may as well share on the Saturday Night Free For All thread..
I have been looking for a Carthage reverse for some time and very happy with the addition of this 29mm worn beauty:



Maximianus, Follis of Carthage. AD 299-303. 29mm
Obv: IMP MAXIMIANVS PF AVG, laureate head right.
Rev: SALVIS AVGG ET CAESS FEL KART, Carthago standing front,
looking left, holding fruit in both hands.
Mintmark B.


RIC VI Carthage 31b; Sear 13306.

 

Great idea! Probably important to avoid setting the time machine for a few dates... AD 66 and the year Caracalla's massacre of the citizens of Alexandria come to mind.

 

Great coin @Clavdivs ! I love these big coins from Carthage and the fruits and corns (that are not really corn but grain).

I have a few (a few of them are ugly) and am just missing Diocletian I think.

Maximain RIC 31b

Maximinus II RIC 40b or 51b (This officina was for Galerius so this coin is a bit of a question mark)

Constantius I RIC 39a

Galerius (the ugly one) RIC 32b

 

Yeah, there's a few dates I'd avoid... I think there was a time where Diocletion was going to make a mess of the city too until a horse decided to take a break... or maybe that was someone else. Yeah, Caracalla threw a fit there too huh.. But Alexander's tomb, Marc Antony's last stand, the lighthouse, I'd love to see it all. Time machine dreaming would make a good thread.

 

Wow .. amazing collection.. very impressive!
I have just started focusing on the large folles of the tetrarchy .. I really love them in hand and there are some bargains to be had if you shop around. I have a couple more on the way - but really just in the learning stage.
Question: were there any large (28mm+) folles struck for Constantine as Augustus? How about Licinius ? Or was that after the reform?
I have seen them struck for Constantine as Caesar... nothing for Licinius..
I am still trying to get a handle on this very interesting (but complex) area.. hope you do not mind a beginners question..

 

That's a good question.

One that I have is this Constantine I PRINCIPI IVVENTVTIS coin from Trier. It's 28mm and as Augustus. This coin is a bit of a mess with a patchy green patina... but what's cool about it is that it shows the overlap of another coin that it was buried with in a hoard. Without the green, it would be a beautiful coin... but I kinda like it how it is.


Constantine I PRINCIPI IVVENTVTIS RIC 781

This Licinius is 27mm and from 308-310 and Thessalonica.

Licinius I VIRTVTI EXERCITVS RIC 37v

Both are pretty common.

 

Well thank you so much - great coins! That Constantine is certainly unique - love it!... let the hunt begin!!

 

This weekend, I was able to photography some more old coins that had been previously languishing in my collection without images.

The Philip II of Macedonia AE below has a very pretty viridian patina. The head left/horseman left combination is the rarest for this type. There's currently no consensus as to which mint/s they were struck at, and which were struck during Philip's lifetime and which posthumously.


MACEDONIAN KINGDOM, Philip II
AE Unit. 5.0g, 18mm. Uncertain Macedonian mint, circa 359-294 BC. SNG Cop -; HGC 3.1, 885 (R1); SNG ANS 874. O: Male head left, hair bound in tainia. R: ΦΙΛΙΠΠΟΥ, nude young male rider on horse prancing left; below, lion's head.

Two more Greek AEs, with their old tags. No acquisition date is recorded on the Max Kiehn tag, but he seems to have been a German dealer active in Köln between the 1920s and 1930s. Unusually for the BCD tag, there's also no date of purchase recorded, and I haven't been able to track down the Munzen und Medaillen sale or auction it came from.



PONTOS, Amisos
AE21. 7.73g, 20mm. PONTOS, Amisos. Struck under Mithradates VI, circa 100-95 BC, or 90-80 BC. HGC 7, 243; SNG Cop 146. O: Head of Dionysos right, wearing mitra and wreathed with ivy. R: AMIΣOY, Thyrsos leaning against cista mystica draped with panther skin; monogram to left and right.
Ex Cardinal Joachim Meisner Collection



THESSALY, Herakleia Trachinia
AE Chalkous. 2.43g, 14.3mm. THESSALY, Herakleia Trachinia, circa 370-350 BC. HGC 4, 116; Rogers 250-1 var.; Cf. BCD Thessaly II 90.4. O: Lion's head right, with mouth slightly open and tongue protruding. R: Club to right; HPA above; all within olive wreath with ties to left.
Ex BCD Collection (with handwritten tag); ex Munzen und Medaillen AG (uncertain auction/sale, lot 0257)