Hello ladies and gentlemen, I was looking at an auction today and managed to get 4 coins, I consider all of them good additions (especially one of them, I bet @Ryro will like it as it has one of his favorite reverses - hint - not a MSC, yep, you guessed it, Ryro). But for that one I am waiting an opinion from an expert here and will post it. The coin I want to present in this thread has a reverse I always wanted to get but never managed to grab one until today. It has the Three Graces. (14g 37mm Bronze) CILICIA, Tarsus. Maximinus I. 235-238 AD. AE Obv: ΑΥΤ Κ Γ ΙΟΥ ΟΥΗ ΜΑΞΙΜƐΙΝΟϹ Π Π, radiate, draped, and cuirassed bust right, seen from rear / Rev: ΤΑΡϹΟΥ ΜΗΤΡΟΠΟ Α Μ Κ Γ Β, the three Graces standing facing with arms around each other, one head l., the others head r., each holding flower. RPC VI, 7113 (temporary); SNG Levante 1096, BMC 233–4 A big chunky 37 mm coin (the largest in my collection. I am curious if the weight is only 14 g as it might be an error from the house) - what's not to like? And of course, as many other collectors, I always like when I win a coin related to mythology. From Wikipedia: In Greek mythology, the Charites /ˈkærɪtiːz/ (Χάριτες [kʰáritɛs]), singular Charis, or Graces, were three or more goddesses of charm, beauty, nature, human creativity, goodwill, and fertility. Hesiod names three – Aglaea ("Shining"), Euphrosyne ("Joy"), and Thalia ("Blooming") – and names Aglaea as the youngest and the wife of Hephaestus. In Roman mythology they were known as the Gratiae, the "Graces". Some sources use the appellation "Charis" as the name of one of the Charites, and equate her with Aglaea, as she too is referred to as the wife of Hephaestus. The Charites were usually considered the daughters of Zeus and Oceanid Eurynome. Rarely, they were said to be daughters of Dionysus and Coronis or of Helios and the Naiad Aegle or of Hera by an unnamed father.] Other possible names of their mother by Zeus are Eurydome, Eurymedousa, or Euanthe. Homer identified them as part of the retinue of Aphrodite. The Charites were also associated with the Greek underworld and the Eleusinian Mysteries. In post-classical painting and sculpture, the three Charites are often depicted naked or almost naked, but during the Archaic and Classical periods of Greece, they were typically depicted as fully clothed. Please post coins with less common mythologic characters, large coins or whatever you feel related.
Oh snap! I almost bid on that my friend It looks like we'll have to chat about auctions other than what we're going for in Savoca HUGE CONGRATS A really gruff and menacing portrait as well noice I just made a thread about 1 of the 2 coins I just won there as well Here's my Julia Domna version and not nearly as big as your new CHONKER!: MOESIA INFERIOR, Marcianopolis. Julia Domna. Augusta, AD 193-217. Æ (25mm, 8.05 g, 7h). IOYΛIA ΔOMNA CЄ-B, draped bust right / MAPKIANOΠOΛЄITΩN, the Three Graces standing facing, heads right, left, and left, respectively; the first holds an amphora, the third holds a wreath. AMNG 605 var. (obv. legend); Varbanov 887 var. (same). VF Ps, the weight seems fine to me
That is a MASSIVE coin at 37mm. Amazing. My own little guy is just 25mm, but I love the color and the quality, though the off-center reverse is unfortunate.
14 g looks normal indeed but looking at the RPC entries https://rpc.ashmus.ox.ac.uk/coins/6/7113 the lightest one is 16.2g , there are other 2 just under 20 and rest are 20 something (one even 30.37) I will see it in hand, not complaining if it's "just" 14 g anyway
Many Cilician coins are of thin fabric; this one is too. I'll contribute this one, one of the last coins in the Roman provincial series to depict the Three Graces. Volusian as Augustus, late AD 251-AD 253. Roman provincial Æ 20.1 mm, 5.91 g, 1 h. Bithynia, Nicaea, AD 151. Obv: ΑΥ Κ ΒΕΙΒ ΓΑΛΛΟC ΟΥΟΛΟCCΙΑΝΟC, radiate head, right. Rev: ΝΙΚ Α Ι Ε ΩΝ, Three Graces standing side by side, hair in bun: Grace 1 head left, Graces 2 and 3 heads right, holding undefined objects. Refs: RPC IX, 311; Sear GI 4366; BMC 13.174,139-140; SNG Von Aulock 712; Imhoof-Blumer NC 201; Waddington RG 498,784; Von Vacano 392; Staal 53.1.1; Weiser 165-167.
Thanks for this info, it certainly makes sense why my Otacilia Severa from Tarsus is very thin. (30 mm 12 g, so also a large coin but quite light)
The coin arrived (FedEx really used warp drive this time) The patina chips are not that distracting in hand. And as I suspected (although what @Roman Collector said was a big possibility proven by my other Tarsus coin) - this one is in fact 26.1 g not 14 as described. A good chunky coin with a reverse type I always wanted - a candidate for my top 10 for sure.
