Unsold but Not Unworthy

I picked up this neat Vespasian obol as an unsold lot from one of CNG's recent eAuctions. Why it didn't receive any bids at all is baffling to me. It's a handsome coin with a nice Egyptian themed reverse.




Vespasian
Æ Obol, 6.59g
Alexandria mint, 72-73 AD
Obv: ΑΥΤΟΚ ΚΑΙΣ ΣΕΒΑ ΟΥΕΣΠΑΣΙΑΝΟΥ; Head of Vespasian, laureate, r.
Rev: LE; Hawk standing, r.
RPC 2440 (15 spec.). Emmett 222.5. Dattari-Savio 415-16.
Ex CNG eAuction 507, 5 January 2022, lot 329.

The reverse design of this type has variously been described in numismatic catalogues as either a hawk or falcon standing right. The bird in question is wearing a pschent crown and is almost certainly a reference to the Egyptian god Horus. The Lanner falcon, native to Egypt and north Africa, was likely the bird upon which the ancient Egyptians based their depictions of Horus and is likely the one shown on the obol's reverse.

Post your falcons, hawks, or any other birds of prey.

Thank you for looking!

 

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That's a nice pick up! Some very good buys can be had in the "remainders" sale, if one has a good eye and knowldege on a give type.

Here's a cast AE 36 from Olbia, featuring a sea eagle on the reverse, clutcing a dolphin, but actually looks more like Ahab's white whale.

20.1 grams

 

@David Atherton....What a nice, interesting pick up!...Cetainly is a handsome coin with a strong Roman portrait!...intriguing reverse too...Congrats.
Here's my Secret Saturnalia coin....Still don't know who they are but thanks again!

SYRIA, Seleucis and Pieria. Antioch. Gordian III, AD 238-244.
AR Tetradrachm, 28mm, 13.7g, 6h, struck AD 238-240.
Obv..Radiate, draped and cuirassed bust right.
Rev..Eagle standing facing with spread wings, head turned to left, holding wreath in beak. //SC.....McAlee 862.....Prieur 279.

 

Same coin as @David Atherton just more worn and not as nice looking... He wins this round.

 

This AR dirham of the Ilkhan ruler Ghazan Mahmud (694-703 AH/1295-1304 AD) features a hawk on the reverse:

 

@David Atherton - congratulations!
I am always happy for a collector who gets a nice overlooked coin in his or her area of interest. The coin is very OK and I'm sure it has its special place in your collection.

I have never bought a coin from unsold lots. Also my only birds of prey in my collection are plain old eagles but here is one I am very fond of, as it is a type I always wanted, but missed some - the nice ones were too expensive and the affordable ones with too many issues.



Moesia. Istrus circa 280 - 256/255 BC
Obol or Trihemiobol AR 12 mm, 0,77 g
Facing male heads, the left one inverted / IΣTΡIH, Sea-eagle left on dolphin, ΔI beneath dolphin.
Dima, Tabelul III, Grupa IV, Subgrupa VII, II – Pl XXI, 10

A rare variety with left head inverted and eagle and dolphin facing right. It was a big surprise that people didn't like this and the price was more (or less) than my most optimistic expectations.

 

Does the dolphin have a fish?

 

I almost bid on that coin. There were some very nice Egyptians in that auction. You know how it is though - too many coins, too little money.

 

Not sure if that was a question for me, but it makes me wonder now.
Just checked the plate coin in the reference I found it and it seems that on that one also the dolphin has a fish . Interesting.

 

That's a cute obol!

Here's a few of mine with eagles.

Chr. KINGDOM OF EGYPT - PTOLEMAIOS III EUERGETES
dichalkon 3,36gr. | bronze Ø 17mm.
Minted in Telmessos (Lycia) by Ptolemy Epigonos or Lysimachos 246-221 BCE
Svoronos 118,793 (Plate 25, 23) | SNG.Copenhagen- | Weiser 80 | Lorber B437
weight 3,36gr. | bronze Ø 17mm.
obv. Horned head of Zeus-Ammon right, wearing taenia
rev. Eagle with closed wings standing left on thunderbolt, tripod in left field,
BAΣIΛEΩΣ on right, ΠTOΛEMAIOY on left
Ex Henzen​

Ptolemaic Kingdom of Egypt, Ptolemy II Philadelphos
AR Tetradrachm. Tyre, dated RY 30 = 256/5 BCE
14.01g, 25mm, 12h.
Diademed head of Ptolemy I to right, wearing aegis around neck / ΠΤΟΛEΜΑΙOΥ [BAΣΙΛEΩΣ], eagle standing to left; monogram of Tyre above club to left; Λ (date) above monogram to right; A between legs.
CPE 577; Svoronos 657; SNG Copenhagen 488; DCA 20
Ex collection of R. N. Draskowski;
Ex Ephesus Numismatics, North Carolina, USA​

Here's a hawk (my photo).

Red-tailed hawk
570mm 1087g
Obverse: streaked belly
Reverse: dark bar between shoulder and wrist
Audobon 51
ex Ridgefield Wildlife Refuge​

 

Recent purchase

EGYPT, Claudius II, 268-270 AD, tetradrachm, year 2 (269 AD), Alexandria mint, Obverse: laureate bust R, ΑΥΤ ΚΛΑΥΔΙΟΣ ΣΕΒ, Reverse: eagle standing R, head turned L, wreath in beak, LB, billon

 

Yes, The descriptions of coins seem to be so detailed (I'm the glyptics intruder here), I was surprised there was no mention of what the dolphin has in its mouth.

 

I would have to read more on this topic - it is really interesting and I'm surprised in a bad way I didn't pay attention to the aspect.

Here is another coin I like a lot. Main reason - it belonged to one of the CT members I admire the most - @Ryro . It is almost scary that a coin was minted and used in Rome almost 2000 years ago, somehow reached the United States and now went to me - more than 5000 miles away.


Titus, as Caesar AD 76-78. Rome. Denarius AR. 18 mm, 3,28 g
AD 76
T CAESAR IMP VESPASIAN, head of Titus, laureate, right / COS V, Eagle with wings spread, standing front on cippus, head left
RSC 59a; RIC 191a; RIC2 861; ex Ryro

 

At first I thought it was a previously unrecorded type, a Vespasian obol of year 5 with eagle standing right, head left... but that's the hawk's crown .

Mine is weakly struck, worn, and rather corroded. Nice bold date though.


EGYPT, Alexandria. Vespasian
year 5, CE 72/3
obol, 21 mm, 5.2 gm
Obv: AVTOKKAIΣΣEBAOVEΣΠAΣIANOV; laureate bust right
Rev: hawk standing right; LE in left field
Ref: Emmett 222.5, Milne 430

More Egyptian hawks:


EGYPT, Alexandria. Antoninus Pius
year 19, CE 155/6
AE obol, 18.5 mm, 4.26 gm
Obv: laureate head right
Rev: Hawk or Horus falcon standing right, wearing skhent; LI - [Θ]
Ref: Dattari-Savio Pl. 165, 3134 (this coin); Geissen --; Emmett 1774.19, R5




EGYPT, Alexandria. Trajan
year 11, CE 107/48
AE obol, 20 mm, 4.76 gm
Obv: Laureate head right
Rev: Horus falcon (or hawk) standing r., wearing skhent; in field LI/A.
Ref: Geissen - cf 473. Dattari 1233

 

wow.

 

Surprised it didn't get any bids, that's a nice one, David. Congrats.

 

Nice pickup, David.

Here is my Troas coin with an eagle reverse design.

Troas, Alexandria, Pseudo-autonomous issue, c. mid 3rd century AD. Æ
Obv: Turreted and draped bust of Tyche r.; vexillum behind.
Rev: Eagle standing r. on forepart of a bull.
21mm, 6.66g, 12h.
Bellinger A490
London Ancient Coins. Nov 2021.

 

Sicily, Akragas. Circa 450-415/06 BC. Æ Hemilitron (27mm, 13.27g, 10h). Obv: Eagle right, clutching dead hare in talons. Rev: Crab, crayfish below, six pellets (mark of value) around. Ref: CNS 10 variant (location of ethnic); SNG ANS -. From the Collection of Dick Schultz. Near Very Fine, attractive green patina, obverse metal flaw, beveled flan. Ex-CNG eAuction 276, Lot 18.

 

Thank you everyone for the kind replies here. But I now can honestly say this coin is indeed "unworthy"!

After having it in hand and prompted privately by another CTer, I examined it with my loupes and discovered the obverse legend and some portrait details are tooled. The evidence of which is very apparent with a 10x loupe.

I'll probably end up keeping it as an expensive lesson. At any rate, it's now labelled as 'tooled' in my collection.

BTW, the auction listing did not mention any alterations.

https://auctions.cngcoins.com/lots/...ad-69-79-obol-21mm-658-g-1h-dated-ry-5-ad-723