Here’s my most recent addition, my first owl. I decided to change my collection focus from Roman to Greek https://i.imgur.com/yMCJwzy.mp4
Got these three around the same time. The Cunobelin quarter stater and Hadrian sestertius were in the same auction.
I’m new here. So it’s ok to be open about liking NGC? I come from the bigoted lands of Reddit were I was constantly harassed for this. Great pics!
Ding ding ding! Promagisterial Cistophori. Gaius Claudius Pulcher as Proconsul of Asia. Menodoros, magistrate. AR Cistophoric Tetradrachm. Pergamon 55-53 BC. Serpent emerging from cista mystica; all within wreath / C•PVLCHER•PROCOS. Two serpents entwined by bow case; In the left field, monogram of Pergamon. In the right field, Asclepius' staff. MHNOΔωPOC in exergue. 28mm, 11.94 g. Stumpf 53; Metcalf 169-171 (O10/R-, reverse die unlisted)
Awesome thread.. Especially the starting thread featuring Chinese coins which are one of my favorite themes. My latest "ancient" if defined based on style and design would be the Vault Protector Coin of the late Qing Dynasty and a most unusual shaped Half Jin (Ban Jin) of the Wei State of China. Though the Vault Protector is fairly modern, the style and traiditon stretched way back 2 millenia. I also recently posted a thread on these 2 as well.
I just won this coin in today's CNG e-auction, so I obviously don't have it yet, and the write-up is CNG's, not mine. But it only has to travel from Pennsylvania to NYC, so I'm not too worried about jinxing the delivery! Plautilla. Augusta, AD 202-205. AR Denarius (19mm, 3.65 g, 5h). Rome mint. Struck under Septimius Severus and Caracalla, AD 202-203. Draped bust right / Venus Victrix standing left, holding apple and palm frond, resting arm on shield set on ground; to left, Cupid standing left, holding helmet. RIC IV 369 (Caracalla); RSC 25. Toned, porosity, some deposits. VF. Sadly, I lost out on the other coin I wanted, this Hadrian tetradrachm from Alexandria: Perhaps I'll regret it, but I simply couldn't bring myself to bid more than the winning bid of $800 -- and who knows how high I would have had to go?
Your comment about jinxing delivery made me smile @DonnaML I won several coins at the inaugural auction of Opisthodomos on Sunday, and paid their invoice yesterday. Monday was a public or bank holiday here but yesterday Biddr advised me they had been shipped! I was amazed that they had shipped the same day I had paid and guessed that as a new outfit they were out to impress! I was not impressed an hour later when the tracking details were sent and I learnt that they were in a Royal Mail holding depot on the way to the USA! I contacted them immediately and explained what they had done and that they had a tiny window for recovering them or they could spend several weeks in New York Customs with an invoice made out in British Pounds.. They acknowledged my email and apologised and this evening I had a text from Royal Mail to say they would be delivered tomorrow. What a relief! It will be interesting to see if anyone turns up on my doorstep tomorrow that I didn't win! If any USA bidder is advised their lots are going to Wales, you know where to find me Here are a couple of the coins I successfully bid on and I am assuming, that like you. as they are now on the way from London I will see them. Vespasian. AD 69-79. AR (6.3gr, 22.7mm) Roman Republic Gargilius, Ogulnius, and Vergilius. 86 BC. AR Denarius (4.2 gr, 19.4 mm) Domitian. AD 81-96. Ae 9.8 g 26.7 mm
I managed to refrain myself from that auction ... my finances are very low so this helped. Their very brief description is wrong. The coin cannot be silver. I think it is https://rpc.ashmus.ox.ac.uk/coins/2/1984 To be on topic, here is the last coin I bought. Another Gallienus from Zoo series, with a poor obverse but a nice reverse.
I believe you are right @ambr0zie and assumed it wasn’t. Although based in London , I do not believe their first language is English judging by their emails. This could work both ways.
Got this one in the mail a couple days ago. The coin is not perfect, but it would take a lot more than some pitting to detract from that large magnificent portrait of one of Rome's greatest emperors. And the reverse too, featuring Victory triumphantly raising a trophy with armor piled at its base, is a fitting commemoration to the might of Rome and its Emperor. This coin just may be the favorite of my collection now. I am enthralled!
Love the idea of this thread. You're awesome, OP. Was gonna/probably still will post this as part of a 3 new Honorius coins post, but it's my newest ancient & I want in on this thread. Especially with all the other Savoca coins. Really does ship fast. Siliqua or 1/2 siliqua in the name of Honorius; struck by the Visigoths. RIC X 3703
For Byzantine coinage, I have lately focused on the later regnal years of Justinian I and other emperors. I find, especially for Justinian I, locating nice examples of his later regnal years a challenge. The coinage becomes cruder and the flans smaller, compared to the apex of his early reform folles. Here are a couple that I snagged in a recent Roma auction, 94. Constantinople, year 32, 558-59 AD, Sear 163. 17.96 grams As typically crude as this coin is, the portrait is quite nice and the strike well centered. Cyzicus, year 29, 555/56 AD, Sear 207. 17.35 grams At first glance this coin has a regnal year of 28, but on closer examination there is an additional I below, next to the line separating the M from the KYZ. Again, the crudeness is very apparent, but again, the detail is quite good and the strike is well done, especially for this period.
My first coin of the three "rare" A.D. 68/69 Emperors came today. Cleaned with a belt sander! Jokes aside though, I'm pretty happy to have even this worn example. It still has a half-decent portrait of the old gentleman, and there's even some inscription left. Not too many Galba denarii fit my limited budget. Otho's going to be a challenge!