Thanks. That is an interesting question since the Aramaic and Phoenician mem are quite similar. I always thought that the Phoenician mem was...
Nice coin, Al, with really nice patina and centering. That is a great reverse! You can count on the provincial coinage to have some very...
While not one of those flashy mint state owls touted for their "5 out of 5" NGC ratings, or for their complete, nearly complete, or nearly nearly...
Actually, your owl might be a pi-style II. The outer tendrils flair way from the central tendril, a characteristic of the II style palmette. At...
Wax is a very old method used to fill in holes. I once had a 1 1/2 broad thaler, 1672, that had a hole at 12 o'clock filled with silver wax....
Nice owl! Your coin looks like a pi-style V owl. Good centering, especially the reverse.
Yes, I think your owl is a pi-style III, and very nicely centered for this type. As the article (see link below) says, sometimes it is difficult...
Yes, these Campo Del Cielo meteorites were much more readily available about 20 or so years ago. There was a meteorite dealer in Oakland who...
The sub-specialty of collecting intermediate owls by pi-style is something that only the most diehard owl collectors pursue. I think most...
I think this is a perspective that one obtains over the years collecting ancient coins, or any coins that were used in trade and commerce. I...
Thanks! The quality of the engraving of the obverse portrait varies greatly with these intermediate types, and they are often very crudely done....
The term Pi is used because the floral design near the ear resembles the Greek letter pi (Π). Here's a link to a more detailed presentation on...
Nice coin! Yes your owl looks like a pi-style V. There are nuances that distinguish some pi-styles from one another, that can be challenging for...
Intermediate owls, produced in the 4th - 3rd centuries BC, were struck on usually irregular, thick flans, most of which were produced through a...
I found my antoninianus of Gallienus with a lion on the reverse, although it is not part of the "zoo" series. GALLIENUS. 253-268 Antoninianus,...
This is a work of fiction, but I am not sure if it could be called "fiat" in the sense that iron is a commodity, unlike the printed currencies of...
John Gardner, in his novel The Wreckage of Agathon, had this to say about the iron currency of Sparta, introduced by King Lykourgos. This is...
An entertaining video. I share Aaron Berk's distain for the slabbed coin scene, with its myriad markups for stars and certificates of provenance,...
The surfaces seem a bit rough, but I don't see anything out of the ordinary. A very nice coin!
Nice coin, Doug. Your coin and Al's have interesting symbols at the base of Caracalla's neck. I am not sure if they are just ornamental or serve...
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