One of the best things about numismatics in the modern era is the ability to assemble large databases beyond a single author compiling the literature and taking an inventory of museum specimens. One such database is Roman Provincial Coins, a project of Oxford University's Ashmolean Museum. While RPC online lists tens of thousands of coins, the database is by no means complete. When I find a coin that's unlisted there or represented by a poorly-preserved example, I submit it for inclusion. That's what I did with this coin, which was not listed by RPC. When I first acquired it, I found it very hard to attribute and had to ask for help. Fortunately, @zumbly came to the rescue with his copy of Varbanov (who cites Karayotov), because there were no other examples anywhere online. Gordian AD 238-244 and Tranquillina. Roman provincial Æ 28.6 mm, 11.36 g, 7 h. Thrace, Mesembria, AD 241-244. Obv: ΑVΤ Κ Μ ΓΟΡΔΙΑΝΟC ΑVΓ CΕΒ-ΤΡΑΝΚVΛ|ΛΙΝΑ, laureate, draped and cuirassed bust of Gordian and draped bust of Tranquillina, wearing stephane, confronted. Rev: ΜΕCΑΜΒΡ-Ι-ΑΝΩΝ, Demeter standing left, wearing stephane, holding phiale and long torch. Refs: RPC VII.2, — (unassigned; ID 48421); Varbanov 4190, citing Karayatov 87; Corpus Nummorum 425 (citing Varbanov); SNG Copenhagen --; BMC --; Moushmov --; Lindgren --; Mionnet suppl 2 --; Sear --; Wiczay --. I submitted it to RPC last night and when I woke up, I received the following e-mail from Jerome Mairat: Dear RC, Many thanks for your recent feedback on RPC: it was very useful. It confirms the existence of the following type: https://rpc.ashmus.ox.ac.uk/type/48421 And your coin is used as the plate coin for this type. Best regards, Jerome The brand-new listing in RPC also includes the plate coin from the Shumen Museum in Bulgaria illustrated in Karayotov (no. 87, p. 408, pl. 136, pic. 87). It is, unsurprisingly, a double-die match to my coin. I also did the same thing for this previously unpublished coin. It took some help from fellow CT members and a bunch of online research in order to properly attribute it. I subsequently submitted my findings to RPC and it's now listed too. Faustina II, AD 147-175. Roman provincial Æ 5.84 g, 22.0 mm, 7 h. Bithynia-Pontus, Apamea. Obv: FAUST[INAC AUG], draped bust of Faustina II, right. Rev: UЄNU[S ... C]ICA dd, Venus seated right, head left, on dolphin swimming left, resting right arm on dolphin, uncertain object in left hand. Refs: RPC IV, 11815 (temporary); Waddington RG --; BMC --; Sear --; Mionnet Suppl 5 --; Lindgren --; Wiczay --. Notes: The exemplar of RPC IV 11815. Obverse die match to RPC IV.1 4729. So, I would encourage you to do the same. Post any coins you have submitted to an online database, such as RPC, Wildwinds, Corpus Nummorum, etc., and anything you feel is relevant, of course!
Mea Culpa. I should take the time to do so and help all the collectors' community...Here's one I did.
A question here: I have this coin: My description is: Obverse: ΑΥ Κ Μ ΑΝΤ ΓΟΡΔΙΑΝΟϹ; laureate head of Gordian III, r. Reverse: ΜΗΤΡΟ ΚΑΙϹ(Α) Β Ν(Ɛ), ƐΤ Ɛ; view of Mount Argaeus; to r., pellet The obverse description is taken from the 1st coin here, the reverse from the second: This is the closest I came on RPC. Do the variations in the obverse and reverse legends here warrant that I send it in? Would it make another type? Perhaps the best thing is to send them a mail anyway, I have another coin or two that I should send.
Don't collect them but have much admiration for the dedication to research, study, and sharing of the knowledge. Thanks to all
May I second that? These guys Know How It's Done. If all you get is an object lesson in methodology (...and it never is), That's Good Enough.
I think that some of my Macrinus provincials qualify but, i have no idea how to submit them. Would you be kind enough to give me a guiding hand @Roman Collector
Thanks to you introducing me to this site (Corpus Nummorum) and suggesting, I submitted this coin now shown for cn.deultum.100 also posted here on CT. Thrace, Deultum, Julia Avita Mamaea, AD 222-235 during the reign of Severus Alexander, with Julia and her mother as regents. Æ23 Obv: IVLIA MAMAEA AVG, Draped bust right, wearing stephane Rev: COL FL PAC DEV-LT, She-wolf standing right, suckling twins Ref: Jurukov 174 (same reverse die), Moushumov 3615, CNG Featured Coin (same dies), SNG Bobokov 675 (same obv. die), Windwinds shows Varbanov 2378 (same dies)
Here's a coin I picked up from a Frank Robinson auction in 2018, where it had the intriguing but uncertain description, "Apameia??... guy stg on dolphin... I spent too much time trying to identify this." It turned out to be a guy standing on a galley, and was a significant improvement on the single example that was in the RPC online database, so I submitted it, and it now serves as the plate coin for the type. ANTONINUS PIUS AE22. 5.22g, 21.8mm. BITHYNIA, Apamea, AD 145-161. Rec Gen 45; RPC Online temp #4720/2 (this coin). O: ANTONINVS AVG CO IIII, laureate head right. R: C I C APAM, Heroic founder (Myrlos of Colophon?) in military dress standing left on galley, extending right hand, left hand on hilt of sword; D-D in fields.
You go to the listing for any coin and you'll see a "feedback" button in the lower left corner: Click on that and you'll get this screen. You can enter the data about ANY coin and upload up to two photos:
I have submitted too many to display in one post. I currently have 15 Wildwinds coins and it is about the same number for RPC Online.
Thank you, this is very useful information. I have a Caracalla tetradrachm of Tyre that I would like to submit to RPC. How do I go about doing this?
I would add that not only new types should be submitted, but also any corrections or discrepancies you find. Very easy to submit, just today I did it twice. As a result one type of Philip from Caesarea was wiped out in just few minutes (all 3 illustrated coins were misattributed Decius), Jerome was very quick and efficient.
I have just done a trial submission of a variant I spotted in my files. I will see how the process works and then look through again.