Featured Follow the coin theme GAME - ancient edition - post ‘em if you got ‘em

12-hour rule:

Here are a couple of examples of Athena at least heading towards combat, even if she's not necessarily engaged in it yet:


Thessalian League (under Roman Republic from 146 BCE, Province of Macedonia). Late 2nd-mid 1st centuries BCE, AR Stater ( = Double Victoriatus* = 1.5 denarius), Magistrates Sosipatros and Gorgopas. Obv. Laureate head of Zeus right / Rev. Helmeted Athena Itonia advancing right, holding shield with left hand and preparing to hurl spear with right hand; vertical legend ΘΕΣΣΑ-ΛΩN to left and right of Athena; [ΣΩ]ΣIΠ-ATPOΣ above spear; ΓOPΓΩΠΑΣ in exergue. BCD Thessaly II 861.2 [CNG, The BCD Collection of the Coinage of Thessaly, Triton XV Auction, Jan. 3, 2012, Lot 861.2 (this coin)]; HGC 4, 209 [Hoover, Oliver, Handbook of Coins of Northern and Central Greece: . . . Thessaly . . . ., Sixth to First Centuries BC, The Handbook of Greek Coinage Thessaly Series,Vol. 4 (2014)]; SNG Soutzos 397 [Tsourti, E. and Trifiro, M.D., Sylloge Nummorum Graecorum, Greece 5: Numismatic Museum, Athens, The A. G. Soutzos Collection (Athens, 2007)]; Klose pp. 339 & 346, 2 (same dies) [Klose, D.O.A, "Zur Chronologie der thessalischen Koinonprägungen im 2. und 1. Jh. v. Chr., Ein weiterer Schatzfund aus Südthessalien," in Peter, Ulrike. ed., Stephanos nomismatikos: Edith Schönert-Geiss zum 65. Geburtstag (Berlin, 1998), at pp. 333-350]. 22 mm., 6.08 g., 2 h. [According to BCD: From Franke Hoard, Greece, found Summer 1983.]



Thessaly, Thessalian League (under Roman Republic from 146 BCE, Province of Macedonia). Mid-late 1st century BCE, AR Stater ( = Double Victoriatus* = 1.5 denarius), Magistrates Italos and Diokles. Obv. Head of Zeus right, wearing oak wreath, [ITAΛOY] [behind head, off flan] / Rev. Helmeted Athena Itonia advancing right, holding shield with left hand and preparing to hurl spear with right hand; vertical legend ΘΕΣΣΑ-ΛΩN to left and right of Athena; ΔIO-KΛHΣ above spear, N-I across field. BCD Thessaly II 874.4 [CNG, The BCD Collection of the Coinage of Thessaly, Triton XV Auction, Jan. 3, 2012, Lot 874.4 (this coin)]; HGC 4, 210 [Hoover, Oliver, Handbook of Coins of Northern and Central Greece: . . . Thessaly . . . ., Sixth to First Centuries BC, The Handbook of Greek Coinage Series,Vol. 4 (2014)]; McClean II 4797-4798 [Grose, S., Catalogue of the McClean Collection of Greek Coins, Fitzwilliam Museum, Vol. II, The Greek Mainland, the Aegean islands, Crete (Cambridge, 1926)]. 20 mm., 6.09 g., 12 h. [According to BCD: From Hoard found Dec. 1996, West of Karditsa,Thessaly, Greece.]

Next: another female deity wielding a spear and shield.

 

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Or is she playing a violin ???


L. Procilius L.F., Denarius - Rome mint, 80 BC
Head of Juno Sospita right, clad in goat’s skin, S . C behind
Juno Sospita in biga right holding spear and shield. A snake below biga. [L. PROCILI. F] at exergue
19,5 mm - 3.89 gr
Ref : RCV # 307, RSC, Procilia # 2

Next : another serratus

Q

 

Since some of these have been going for big money recently...

Moneyer: L. Roscius Fabatus
Obv.: L. ROSCI - Head of Juno Sospita right, wearing goatskin headdress; laurel branch behind
Rev.: Female figure standing right, feeding snake coiled erect before her
Exergue: FABATI
Mint: Rome (64 BC)
Wt./Size/Axis: 3.90g / 18mm / 6h
References:

• RSC 3 (Roscia)
• Sydenham 915
• Crawford 412/1
• Sear RCV 363

Provenances:

• Ex. William F. Stevens Collection
• Ex. Chris Rudd List 67, Jan. 2003, no. 38
• Ex. Leu Numismatik auction 83, 7-May-2002, lot 665
• Ex. Mesagne Hoard

Acquisition: Chris Rudd Online Auction Auction 165 #35 11-Jul-2019




Next - another serratus

 

a coin from the mint at Narbo in Gaul with an unusual administrative framework, with two senior monetary magistrates and five junior magistrates

L. Pomponius Cn.f. 118 BC, AR serrate denarius
Obv: C MALLE CF, Helmeted head of Roma right, X behind
Rev: L. LIC. CN. DOM., Gallic warrior in biga right, brandishing spear and shield; carnyx behind
Ref: Crawford 282/3 the least common variety with [32] dies reported in Crawford

Next: Another coin minted in Gaul

 

next: serrated denarius

 

Next up: another relative of Scipio Africanus

 

12-hour rule.

Next, an elephant or elephants on a Roman Imperial coin. Here are two of mine, respectively from Titus and Septimius Severus:

 

Here's one which arrived this week.

Augustus Silver Denarius
Obv.: L AQVILIVS FLORVS III VIR - Helmeted and draped bust of Virtus right
Rev.: AVGVSTVS / CAESAR - Augustus, holding branch and sceptre, driving biga of elephants left
Mint: Rome (19 BC)
Wt./Size/Axis: 3.39g / - / -
References:

• RIC 301

Provenances:

• Ex. G. Hirsch Nachfolger 6, 58

Acquisition: Numismatik Naumann Online auction Auction 109 #178 17-Oct-2021
Notes: Oct 24, 21 - Broken and glued.




Next - something else broken and repaired

 

A nice example of a really interesting type I've never seen before. Any idea how long ago the repair was done? I suppose it's good that the repair is obvious -- there's no danger that the coin could ever be sold without disclosure of the break.

Museums are full of ancient artifacts that have been broken and repaired, particularly vases but also faience artifacts like ushabtis. Sometimes, it's almost impossible to see the repair, especially if it's been painted over.

 

Hi Donna,

I don't know when it was repaired - maybe if I can find the Hirsch 6 catalogue and see if it's damaged and repaired there, it will be a clue. From a quick scan of Hirsch's website, they're up to auction 369 now and they don't list anything before 2019, when the first coin auction was no. 346, so it may have been a while ago, if the Naumann provenance is accurate.

ATB,
Aidan.

 

Next - something else broken and repaired

I bought this coin in April as I liked the gorgon and I thought that the coin has a weirdly shaped flan. Obol (?!) from Troas, Abydos.


In fact the coin was simply clipped due to heavy corrosion/crystallization.
I wasn't too bothered (although the auction house could have mentioned this - probably they thought it's obvious and perhaps it was)

Bad part is after a few weeks, when checking my albums, I noticed it was broken into 3 small pieces (it has 8 mm maximum diameter and 0.58 g so a small one).
I suspect the pocket album I was keeping my coins in was dropped and this was the main cause.

I did my best to glue the puzzle back together and this is easier said than done.
Placed it into a cardboard holder as it should protect it a little better.
I am aware that the coin value is not something to brag about but I felt bad that a coin almost 2500 years old has, somehow, made it (I would say "made it in one piece" but it wasn't the case)... but after reaching me, it was broken. I was glad I "repaired" it.


Next - another repaired coin

 

two repaired holes (still visible - as it should be)


Freiburg im Breisgau
Groschen
16th cent. AD
Obv.: *MON: NOVA. FRIBVRG. EN: BRISGO, raven or eagle (the coat of arms of Freiburg)
Rev.: AVE MARIA. GRATIA. PLENA, Madonna seated with child
AR, 2.36 g
Ref.: Berst. 141a var., Schulten 897, Rommel 17.

Next: filled hole

 

Next up: rare LRB

 

Rated R4



15.35 mm 0.95 g

Delmatius, AE follis. Siscia. AD 335-337. FL DELMATIVS NOB C, laureate, draped, cuirassed bust right / GLOR-IA EXERC-ITVS, two soldiers holding spears and shields with one standard between them with O
on banner. Mintmark: ASIS star. RIC VII Siscia 266; Sear 16895

Next - Delmatius

 

Delmatius, Roman Empire, AE4, 335–337 AD, Antioch mint. Obv: FL DELMATIVS NOB C; laureate, draped, cuirassed bust of Delmatius r. Rev: GLORIA EXERCITVS; two soldiers standing with one standard between them; mintmark SMANΘ. 15mm, 1.36g. RIC VII Antioch 112.

Next: Yet another Delmatius

 

Type: AE 17 mm 1.8 grams

Obverse: FL DELMATIVS NOB CAES
Laureate, draped, and cuirassed bust right

Reverse: GLOR-IA EXCERC-ITVS
Two soldiers standing facing one another, each holding spear
signum between

Mintmark: SMN zeta, Nicomedia

Reference: RIC VII 204





Next: Hannibalianus

 

12

Next up: anything Ptolemaic

 

It's a ruin, but hey, its Ptolemaic:

Next: any Seleucid tetradrachm.

 

Antiochus VII, Seleucid Kingdom
AR tetradrachm
Obv: Diademed head right within border
Rev: BAΣIΛEΩΣ ANTIOXOY EYEΡΓETOY, Athena standing left, holding Nike in right hand, spear, and shield decorated with face in left hand
Mint: Antioch
Date: 138-129 BC
Ref: HGC 1067



Next: any Seleucid or Ptolemaic didrachm

 

12 hr.

Not the best of detail but it is 13mm.

Mysia, Apollonia ad Rhyndacum. Nerva AE13
Obv: AYT NEΡBAΣ KAIΣAΡ ΣEBA, laureate head right.
Rev: AΠO to right of lyre; plectrum in l. field.

Next: Nerva "The Nose"