SECRET SATURNALIA 2021!!!!!

Discussion in 'Ancient Coins' started by John Anthony, Nov 5, 2021.

  1. Theodosius

    Theodosius Fine Style Seeker

    Was travelling yesterday, so I had to wait until today to open my Saturnalia gift.

    Wow, an unpublished coin of Constantine! I think this is my first unpublished coin in 37 years of collecting! Check it out:
    Constantine Unpublished a.jpg
    Roman Empire
    Constantine I 330-333 AD Centenionalis.
    Rome mint
    OBV: CONSTANTINOPOLIS legend with laureate, helmeted and robed bust left, sceptre over left shoulder
    REV: Victory standing left, right foot on ship's prow, holding transverse sceptre and resting left hand on shield; R*Q in exergue
    16mm 2.3g Unpublished

    Very cool, and an attractive coin in hand. Whatever its catalog status, it is a nice coin that will have a good home in my collection.

    As if that was not enough, I also received this unattributed coin, which I suspect is a Domitian provincial with a Minerva reverse. Still researching it. It has a very colorful patina in hand that my photo does not fully capture.
    Domitian Sat a.jpg

    And finally, a small silver! coin from India? I love a mystery so I will enjoy tracking this .67 gram coin down:
    Sat3.JPG

    Big thanks to my Secret Saturn for the much appreciated gifts!

    John
     
    Alex22, Cucumbor, TheRed and 16 others like this.
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  3. bcuda

    bcuda El Ibérico loco

    I truly believe I received the best gift I have received in a long long time , this includes my Birthday's and Christmas also !
    I am in awe of this beautiful coin I received, I absolutely love it. The sliver wash on this follis is beautiful , I would think it is from a hoard to be this nice. My
    Secret Saturnalia went above and beyond with this coin. I love the Constantine II coinage and especially with the VOT issues. Would love to know any of the history or provenance on this one.
    Again thank you so much to my Secret Saturnalia !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    ss1.jpg
    Constantine II AE Follis. 320-321 AD. Siscia.

    CONSTANTINVS IVN NOB C, laureate head right.
    CAESARVM NOSTRORVM around VOT (dot) V within wreath.

    Mintmark ASIS star.

    RIC VII Siscia 163; Sear 17175
     
    Voldemort, RupertP, Alex22 and 18 others like this.
  4. Shea19

    Shea19 Well-Known Member

    Io Saturnalia! Sorry I'm a little late posting my gift, I was out of town for the weekend. My Secret Saturn did an excellent job, and I ended up with a 3-for-1 gift! I received a lovely denarius of a young Caracalla (my favorite emperor to collect), and a very interesting history-themed card game called Innovation, which looks like a lot of fun. And to top it off, he also even included a fun little Roman action figure. I haven't had a chance to take a proper photo of the coin yet (which also has a great Minerva reverse), but I did my best to get all three gifts in the same photo.
    2FC3461C-FA52-4D4B-ABB2-FB56A91BC68E.jpeg

    This was an especially good Saturnalia gift for me, because I've been trying (without any success) to get my 4-year old to like anything Roman-related...this one finally did the trick, he's been playing with his new Roman toy all weekend, so hopefully this will get him started on the right track!
    3795CC6F-9BAF-441E-B3F7-8567BFC2A334.jpeg

    Thanks again for the wonderful gifts, and a Happy Saturnalia to everyone on CT!
     
    Alex22, Cucumbor, IMP Shogun and 17 others like this.
  5. Curtisimo

    Curtisimo the Great(ish)

    Some great Saturnalia gifts shown here so far! I haven’t received a package yet but I’m not worried... the postal service is what it is.

    I also know that my giftee hasn’t received their gift from me either. According to my tracking info it is at least in the correct country now. :penguin: If it looks like it won’t deliver before Christmas I will reach out to my giftee and let them know it is on the way but still in customs. :)

    Io Saturnalia all!
     
    bcuda, Alex22, Spaniard and 8 others like this.
  6. Aidan_()

    Aidan_() Numismatic Contributor

    A little late in sharing my SS gift, but hey life got busy haha! My secret santa was none other than @furryfrog02 !!! THANK YOU!
    [​IMG]
    Antoninianus of Maximian, RIC 422

    A lovely addition to my side collection:
    [​IMG]
     
    Voldemort, bcuda, Alex22 and 15 others like this.
  7. furryfrog02

    furryfrog02 Well-Known Member

    Glad you like it :)
     
    Alex22 and Aidan_() like this.
  8. furryfrog02

    furryfrog02 Well-Known Member

    EDIT: Holy Double Post Batman!
     
  9. John Anthony

    John Anthony Ultracrepidarian

    Well I certainly didn't expect to receive any SS gifts as the emcee - it wouldn't be well-mannered to assign someone to send me a gift! So I was pleasantly surprised by @Deacon Ray who sent me these intriguing Japanese WWII military medals. I've collected medals before, but never military awards. Thank you so much Ray!! It's a new rabbit hole for me - something new to learn. Merry Christmas, peace and blessings to you and yours.

    IMG_4515.JPG
     
    Last edited: Dec 20, 2021
  10. Nathan F

    Nathan F Well-Known Member

    When I received my Saturnalia package the package was ripped through the center and I was fearful stuff fell enough...luckily I was wrong...

    Firstly I got some wonderful artifacts:
    upload_2021-12-20_13-27-9.jpeg
    According to the note, this Roman knife (about 5 inches) and fibula were found together in Serbia - considering I have been looking for a Roman knife recently I was very excited to receive these! This is not to mention the two Celtic proto-money rings which I've seen before but never owned!

    As for the coins... This was the highlight!
    [​IMG]

    Roman Empire
    Marcus Auerlius - Faustina II the younger December 161-175 AD
    Denarius
    Rome mint
    OBV: Bust of Faustina II, diademed, hair waved and fastened in a bun on back of head, draped, right, FAVSTINA AVGVSTA, Faustina Augusta, Faustina the venerable
    REV: Pulvinar, draped, on which are infants Commodus and Antoninus on throne, SAECVLI FELICIT, Saeculi Felicitas, Age of Good Fortune
    18.3mm 3g RIC 712

    Also included were my first Julius Caesar portrait and another Bohemond III denier to add to my Crusader collection! 2017873_1624823274.jpg

    Roman Provincial - Macedon
    Octavian with Divus Julius Caesar 28-27 BC
    Thessalonica mint
    OBV: Laureate head of Divus Julius r., countermark NK monogram within circular incuse (may stand for Nero Caesar)
    REV:Bare head of Octavian r.
    23mm 9.2g RPC I 1554

    IMG_1390.jpg IMG_1391.jpg
    Crusader States - Principality of Antioch
    Bohemond III 1163-1201 AD
    Billion Denier
    Antioch mint
    OBV: Helmeted head left wearing chain-mail, crescent to left, star to right, +BOAHVHDVS, Bohemond
    REV: Cross, crescent in the second quarter, +ANTI:.OCHIA, Antioch
    17mm 0.7g CCS 67b

    Needless to say I am very happy with my Saturnalia gift and want to thank my SS, whoever you are, for your generosity!
     
    bcuda, Alex22, Cucumbor and 16 others like this.
  11. Deacon Ray

    Deacon Ray Artist & Historian Supporter

    Many Thanks back at you, John !!!!

    Following ancient Judaeanand—as of 2021Roman coins—French and Japanese military medals are my forte and largest of collections.

    My apologies—I took the easiest route :hilarious: ;) :D I didn’t think there was any way that I could find an ancient coin that you didn’t have in your what must be an awesome collection and/or past/present inventory.
     
    Last edited: Dec 21, 2021
    bcuda, Alex22, Broucheion and 5 others like this.
  12. Curtisimo

    Curtisimo the Great(ish)

    My wife just told me I got a package from my Secret Saturn!

    I will be waiting to open it on Christmas. I am very excited! Thank you in advance to my Secret Saturn. :happy: I will take photos and post it as soon as I open it.
     
    bcuda, Alex22, Johndakerftw and 6 others like this.
  13. NLL

    NLL Well-Known Member

    I also have received my gift and will be waiting to open it on Christmas. I can’t wait!
     
    bcuda and Alex22 like this.
  14. Orielensis

    Orielensis Well-Known Member

    My Secret Saturnalia gift just arrived, and I am simply stunned and very touched by my anonymous Saturn's generosity. I received not one but three coins. All of them are wonderful and have obviously been chosen with the greatest possible care. From all my heart, thank you a thousand times - you really made my day!

    Unfortunately, it is already after sunset where I live, and my attempts to photograph the coins under artificial light didn't do them justice. Therefore, I will have to create some more suspense and wait a little longer before posting pictures...
     
    bcuda, Spaniard, ancientone and 8 others like this.
  15. Finn235

    Finn235 Well-Known Member

    So it turns out that my SS gift was delivered over a week ago and I didn't even realize! Wife had been getting a lot of packages, and mine was mistakenly put in the pile for the kids' stocking staffers!

    Three beautiful coins from Secret Saturn!
    20211221_125731.jpg

    First up, I must say that I have always loved Celtiberian / proto-Roman coinage, and this one from Castulo is a beauty! Much larger than the dinky little quadrans that I picked up 5+ years ago from lots
    ZomboDroid 21122021173547.jpg

    Second, an Augustus from Julia Traducta was one of my first ancients, but I sold it long ago - this is like seeing an old friend again!
    ZomboDroid 21122021173638.jpg

    And finally, a beautiful Domna denarius with the iconic Isis/Horus scene
    ZomboDroid 21122021173718.jpg

    Thank you Secret Saturn! And IO SATVRNALIA all!
     
  16. ValiantKnight

    ValiantKnight Well-Known Member

    AF60068D-B36D-4B9D-8010-28A45D1D0B00.gif

    I received mine today! It’s a very lovely coin. Will post photos later today!
     
  17. Orielensis

    Orielensis Well-Known Member

    When I wanted to take pictures of my Saturnalia coins this morning, I unfortunately discovered that my camera battery had broken. Since I won’t be able to get a new battery before after the Christmas holidays, I’ll post a bad cellphone picture of my wonderful gift for now and add better pictures later.

    A11A8A99-FA53-45D8-ACDB-A9D57B2448B5.jpeg

    A2D24E1D-2995-4913-9CA1-1865C59846E7.jpeg

    Again, I am deeply grateful for these three coins, which fit my an ancient collecting interests perfectly. The Faustina denarius is simply beautiful, and the anonymous quadrans is an example of a Roman imperial denomination that I find fascinating but didn’t yet have in my collection. The small Greek bronze, on the other hand, doesn’t only have two cute little dolphins on the reverse, it also is ex-BCD and came with his unmistakable handwritten tag.

    Once more, thank you so much, Saturn!
     
  18. TIF

    TIF Always learning.

    Saturn brought me more coins! @Ryro noticed I had a gaping hole in my collection (no small bronze Macedonian shields :eek:) and he very generously corrected that situation, x 3! Thank you so much, Scooby! :D

    LYDIA-Philadelphia-AEhalfunit-MacShield-FromRyro.jpg LYDIA, Philadelphia
    2nd - 1st c. BCE
    Herrmippos, magistrate
    AE 13 mm, 4.10 gm
    Obv: Macedonian shield
    Rev: EPMIΠ / ΠOΣ / ΦΙΛΑΔΕΛ / ΦΕΩΝ; thunderbolt diving legend, all within wreath
    Ref: GRPC 1; SNG Copenhagen 342; SNG von Aulock 3060
    Saturnalia gift from Ryro, 23 Dec 2021, from Savoca


    PhilipIII-HalfUnit-MacShieldKerykeion-Price2614-FromRyro.jpg
    KINGS OF MACEDON, Alexander III
    struck under Philip III Arrhidaios, c. 322-319/8 BCE
    AE half unit, 14 mm, 4.30 gm, 12 h
    Obv: shield with kerykeion in central boss
    Rev: Macedonian helmet; rose to lt, kerykeion to rt, B A across upper field
    Ref: c.f. Price 2614 (TI below on reverse);Liampi, Schild M 8
    Saturnalia gift from Ryro, 23 Dec 2021, from Savoca


    PhilipIII-MacShieldGorgon-Price3162-FromRyro.jpg
    KINGS OF MACEDON, Alexander III
    struck under Philip III Arrhidaios, Magistrate Nikokreon
    c. 323-315 BCE
    AE half unit, 15 mm, 3.82 gm, 11 h
    Obv: Macedonian shield with facing Gorgoneion in central boss
    Rev: Macedonian helmet; kerykeion lower lt; NK monogram lower rt; B A across upper field
    Ref: Price 3162
    Saturnalia gift from Ryro, 23 Dec 2021, from Savoca

    This coin year is ending on such a good note :). Thank you, Ryro, thanks to my other Saturn for the Aurelian, and thank you fellow CoinTalkers for another wonderful year of coins and camaraderie! Best wishes for a terrific 2022, everyone :).
     
  19. bcuda

    bcuda El Ibérico loco

    That's some seriously nice coins TIF !
    Ryro is a pretty good guy for sure.
     
    Ryro and TIF like this.
  20. Roman Collector

    Roman Collector Well-Known Member

    Mrs. Collector gave me a couple of coins for Christmas. :kiss::kiss::kiss: to Mrs. Collector for such a thoughtful gift!

    M Herennius Pietas Anchises carrying father denarius.jpg
    M. Herennius, 108-107 BC.
    Roman AR Denarius, 3.41 g, 17.4 mm, 3 h.
    Rome, 108-107 BC.
    Obv: PIETAS, diademed head of Pietas right.
    Rev: M • HERENNI, Aeneas carrying his father Anchises, r.; Control-mark L• in lower right field.
    Refs: Crawford RRC 308/1b; Sydenham CRR 567a; RSC I Herennia 1a; RCV 185; BMCRR 1272.

    And a Gallienus zoo coin I did not have in my collection:

    Gallienus DIANAE CONS AVG antelope left antoninianus.jpg
    Gallienus, AD 253-268.
    Roman billion antoninianus, 3.33 g, 18.8 mm, 10 h.
    Rome, AD 267-268.
    Obv: GALLIENVS AVG, radiate head, right.
    Rev: DIANAE CONS AVG, antelope walking left; Γ in exergue.
    Refs: RIC 181; Göbl 716b(2); Cohen 165; RCV 10200; La Venera 82; Hunter 102.
     
  21. John Anthony

    John Anthony Ultracrepidarian

    I love the patch of green mineral on that Gallienus.
     
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