This Month's Bargain

I didn't pay too terribly much for this latest one, about the price of a decent meal out on the town.



Vespasian
Æ Diobol, 7.57g
Alexandria mint, 70-71 AD
Obv: ΑΥΤΟΚ ΚΑΙΣ ΣΕΒΑ ΟΥΕΣΠΑΣΙΑΝΟΥ; Head of Vespasian, laureate, r.
Rev: Date LΓ; Bust of Sarapis, r.
RPC 2429 (13 spec.). Emmett 218.1. Dattari-Savio 398.
Acquired from Marc Breitsprecher, October 2021.

The cult of Sarapis gained importance during the Flavian dynasty because of Vespasian's vital connection to Egypt during the Civil War. Alexandria was the first city to declare for him in July 69 and in November he arrived there to await the outcome of the war and to secure the grain supply to Rome. According to both Tacitus and Suetonius during Vespasian's sojourn in Alexandria he paid a visit to the temple of Sarapis alone to consult the god about the chances of success in his bid for the empire. After receiving a positive sign he was able to administer healing miracles to the local Alexandrians. Of course, all this was later Flavian propaganda intended to bolster Vespasian's claim to the purple. It then should come as no surprise that Sarapis figured importantly on the local coinage under Vespasian, being commonly struck on the bronze diobol.

Please post your bargains!

 

Log in or Sign up to hide this ad.

That is beautiful. I like it!

 

Very nice!

 

Very nice coin with an interesting history!

Funny thing, though. After I read this post, I thought "hmm...Since I'm in the mood for wasting time, let's take a look at what Marc Breitsprecher has for offer."

I found this (Marc's image, since I don't have it yet)


Title: Cyprus. Citium. Pumiathon Æ Chalkous / Lion
Attribution: BMC 69
Date: 362-312 BC
Obverse: Lion walking left, ram head above
Reverse: Horse standing left, star above, symbol before
Size: 16.37mm
Weight: 2.70 grams
Description: VF, light roughness.

Although the coin looks rough, it's nice for the type. This one has most of the details. Most others (and I've only found three) are lacking.

Pumiathon was neutral while Alexander the Great fought the Persians, whereas his rival Pnytagoras provided valuable assistance in the siege of Tyre. Alexander remembered this, and later seized territory from Pumiathon in favor of Pnytagoras.

Pumiathon eventually met his end at the hands of Ptolemy I, who executed him and burned many of the temples in Kition.

Pumiathon minted a number of silver drachms in the name and types of Alexander, and they're relatively common. However, I prefer to pick up more personal issues when I can, so I was on the lookout for this bronze.

So, thanks for leading me to this coin!

 

I just received this one today, and as another "dinner priced" ($66) coin, I'd say it's also a bargain.

This is RIC VI Rome 45a from the first Rome mint issue after Diocletian's coinage reform of 294 AD, when the nummus was introduced, and the coinage was standardized across mints. As typical for these first-issue coins, only the mint is indicated (here "R" for Rome), and no officina. This Rome first issue seems pretty scarce - I've only ever seen one other, the RIC 45b (Maximianus) BM plate coin.

 

Congrats, I love the "rusty" patina !

 

Mine was similarly priced ($60)!

 

Glad to be be of help!

 

I also bought a coin from Marc Breitsprecher a few days ago. Hopefully I'll be posting it soon. It looks like he has a lot of clients among us!

 

This one cost less than a fill-up at the gas station. It's not exactly FDC, but the coin may be only the second known example.

Faustina II, AD 147-175.
Roman orichalcum sestertius, 18.93 g, 31.7 mm, 5 h.
Rome, mid AD 152-autumn 154.
Obv: FAVSTINA AVG PII AVG FIL, bare-headed and draped bust, left.
Rev: VENVS S C, Venus standing left, holding apple and scepter.
Refs: RIC –; BMCRE 2185n.; Cohen –; RCV --; Strack 1322. ​

 

Definitely a nice feeling to grab a bargain given the current state of the ancient coin market. The Domitian As below arrived earlier this week. It's a reverse type I've wanted for a long time and I was pleased to win it for about half its hammer in a 2009 CNG auction. Pricewise, it's probably my best score this year.


DOMITIAN
AE As. 11.73g, 28mm. Rome mint, AD 88. RIC 623; Cohen 85. O: IMP CAES DOMIT AVG GERM P M TR P VIII CENS PER P P, laureate head right. R: COS XIIII LVD SAEC FEC, Domitian standing to left, sacrificing over an altar; to left, a lyre player and a flute player; in the background, a tetrastyle temple with a sculptural pediment; S C in exergue.
Ex P.A. Zanchi ("White Mountain") Collection, CNG E-Auction 202 (14 Jan 2009), lot 229

 

I just noticed a minor typo in your description: since the coin is Year 3, then by definition it must be Emmett 218.3 rather than 218.1.

Also, fyi, I recently bought a used copy of Milne's catalog of Roman Alexandrian coins in the Ashmolean collection (the 1971 reprint with supplement), and your coin is Milne 417 at p. 12. I think that Milne is by far the most comprehensive and detailed -- and most complicated to use! -- of the four Roman Alexandrian catalogs I own (along with Emmett, K&G, and BMC Alexandria 16): it has separate entries for each variety of each type, including varieties in the placement and design of the date, and not only substantive legend varieties but varieties in where the legend breaks. There's even a key to the different varieties of wreath ties on the obverse portraits! Plus, to save space, almost every aspect of every entry is coded, with the keys to the different codes on several different pages both in the front and the back of the book as well as at the beginning of each emperor's section. Fortunately, there's apparently only one variety of the Vespasian Year 3 diobol with a bust of Serapis on the reverse, so there's no question as to which number applies to your coin.

 

Sharp eye! I'm not sure why I typed that because I correctly attributed it on the coin's envelope!

 

That is a really interesting coin David. Here is a bargain I picked up a couple of years ago.

I paid 30 Euro.

Domitian as Caesar Denarius 79 to 24 June
18mm., 3,15g.
Obv:Head laureate l; CAESAR AVG F DOMITIANVS COS VI
Rev: Salus stg r resting on column feeding snake out of patera; PRINCEPS IVVENTUTIS
RIC 1085 (R2) [Vespasian] BMC page 47 note. RSC 385.
Ex: Savoca Blue 19th auction April 21, 2019 Lot 1138

 

I won my bargain coin of the month at Dara E-Auction 2. A Valerian VOTA ORBIS Antoninianus for €5. It arrived on Thursday.



RIC V Valerian 295
A.D. 255 - A.D. 256
Antoninianus
Antioch
Obverse
IMP C P LIC VALERIANVS P F AVG: Bust of Valerian, radiate, draped, right
Reverse
VOTA ORBIS: Two Victories, winged, draped, affixing shield inscribed S C onto palm-tree

 

Just wait until you get Dattari-Savio ... it's on a whole other level!

BTW, thank you for the Milne reference, I've been meaning to get my own copy.

 

Did anybody say bargains?
I participated in an auction this month, although I was planning not to, as a few listed coins were interesting for me. I managed to get them. Prices were OK-ish, although the ones I really wanted were offered at previous auctions on the same auction house. Won. NOT paid. Relisted.
I got them with bigger prices - well, can't complain overall.

At 28 EUR + 20% fees this might not be a bargain, especially since the previous hammer price was .... 10. But I liked it. Was very curious about the color. In hand the coin doesn't disappoint at all!

But the true bargain was this Gallienus from Zoo series. I only had one - with the centaur.


I suspect the missing part of the legend (and other parts of the coin) are caused by a very worn die as if it were circulation wear, the coin would be a slug.
8 EUR for this + fees.

 

There are several coins in my wish list For which I have been waiting for ages to find the right (in my mind) balance between conservation, eye appeal and price.
The last Bertolami auction gave me the right chance to finally buy the Cn. Cornelius Blasio denarius, which is believed to report the portrait of Publius Cornelius Scipio. I think there were few bids on it due to the concretions of horn silver especially on the reverse, but it will be fun to gently clean them.
I won it for 85€.

Cn. Blasio Cn.f., Rome, 112-111 BC. AR Denarius (20.5mm, 3.86g, 6h). Helmeted male head r.; [prow stern] behind. R/ Jupiter standing facing, holding sceptre and thunderbolt, between Juno, and Minerva, crowning Jupiter with wreath; Π between Jupiter and Minerva. Crawford 296/1d.

 

Looks like some good deals, @ambr0zie!

It's caused from the reverse die (the one held in hand) not being perpendicular to the planchet's surface during striking, creating a gap between the dies on one part of the flan (in your case from 5:00 to 9:00 on the obverse and 10:00 to 2:00 on the reverse).

 

These came from a dealer in Germany for relatively cheap. I'll never understand why anyone would list a coin and not give the city name especially when it is as obvious as these.


Caria, Trapezopolis. c. 150-200. Æ19
Obv: ΙƐΡΑ ΒΟΥΛΗ / Veiled and draped bust of the Boule, r.
Rev: ΤΡΑΠƐΖΟΠΟΛΙ / Cybele standing, facing, wearing kalathos, resting hands on two lions seated beside her.
Time of the Severans, 193-217.



Aeolis, Elaea. Trajan Decius Æ19
Obv: ΤΡΑΙΑΝ ΔƐΚΙΟϹ / Laureate, draped and cuirassed bust of Decius, r., seen from rear.
Rev: ƐΛΑƐΙΤΩΝ / Demeter standing l., holding grain ears and torch.