I bought this coin last summer encapsulated by NGC. I was keeping it entombed because a dealer I knew had another Myrina specimen, also ensconced, that looked nicer. I planned to trade mine for theirs plus maybe some additional coin of the realm. I met up with them at a show and they did not have their coin in hand, but they told me mine was the nicer coin once they examined mine. So I kept mine and cracked it out as soon as I got home. Here is the best photo I could manage through the plastic with my limited skills: And here is the naked version, which looks much more like the coin in hand: Aeolis, Myrina AR Tetradrachm, 16.86g Obverse: Laureate head of Apollo of Grynium right. Reverse: Apollo standing right, holding patera and filleted laurel branch, before him omphalos and amphora; KA monogram in field left, MYΡINAIΩN. References: Ex: Pegasi Summer FUN Show 2017 Fine style with hints of golden toning. I appreciate David Vagi and Barry Murphy authenticating ancient coins for people. Barry often helps authenticate coins on this board, which he does not have to do. I know a lot of people harp on how NGC does not guarantee their opinion of ancient coins, but if you read the fine print on David Sear's certificates, he does not either. I like to handle my ancient coins raw so I almost always crack them out, but that does not mean I have no regard for NGC's opinion of the authenticity of the coin. I ignore their letter grades for ancient coins so that does not bother me either. If I cared, I would give this coin an "A". Post your before and after crack-out pictures or your coins of Myrina! John
Wow, John! Wonderful capture! I very much agree with you regarding Barry and David. I have a learned a lot, and trust their expertise. I am a BIG fan of removing Ancients from Slabs. However, there is NO denying the expertise of Barry and David. I have few of my Ancients that have been removed from a slab. Here is one that I slam-danced a few years ago... Unfortunately, it was not photo'd in-slab, just the certificate after release... Etruria Populonia / Fufluna 3rd C BCE AR 20 As 8.1g Metus Blank HN 152
That is a very nice Populonia! You are a fan of the Etruscan coins, right? Don't see them too often. John
Yes, I am, thank you. I have each of the AR denominations (1-As, 2-1/2 As, 5-Asses, 10-Asses, and the above 20-Asses). My next task will be the AV denominations. Kinda cool Populonia is actually, in Etrurian, pronounced as FUFLUNA and the city's name is derived from one of their 16 Gods, Fuflans, (Greek equivalent of Dionysus).
That's a beautiful coin, Theodosius! The lighting on the slabbed version and the de-slabbed version is quite dramatic. I'm posting this image to show the difference in appearance of the slabbed and unslabbed "Masada" coin. This is before and after slabbing however, so I'm not really following the rules. When I sent this coin for encapsulating several years ago, I also requested Conservation Services. These before and after images show considerably less of the desert patina after the conservation treatment.
I hold David and Barry in highest esteem. It is a personal choice to break them out for your own pleasure. I'll keep mine the the holders if they are in'em or i send them off.
Wow, what a gorgeous Myrina tet! Your out-of-plastic images are wonderful I dislike the practice of encapsulating ancient coins but I do respect the knowledge of both Vagi and Murphy. Plastic doesn't stop me from buying a coin if the price is right, but they don't stay slabbed for long. (just lolzing, of course... this Rai stone was auctioned by GreatCollections and I couldn't resist poking a bit of fun at the practice of encapsulation) I had a run of slabbed coins a couple of years ago. Here are two: Roman Republic, the Pompeians L. Cornelius Lentulus and C. Claudius Marcellus Military mint in the East (Apollonia and Asia), 49 BC AR denarius, 19 mm, 3.8 gm Obv: Triskeles, with winged head of Medusa facing at center; stalk of grain between each leg Rev: Jupiter standing facing, head right, holding thunderbolt in right hand and eagle on left; LE(NT) (MAR) upward to left, COS upward to right Ref: Crawford 445/1b; Sydenham 1029a ROMAN REPUBLIC, M. Piso M.f. Frugi 58 BCE (redated from Crawford's 61 BCE by Hersh and Walker, 1984) AR denarius, 20 mm, 3.94 gm Obv: terminal bust of Mercury right, wearing winged diadem; calix below chin; to left, star above wreath; dotted border Rev: M·PISO·M·F / FRVGI above secespita (sacrificial knife) and patera; all within laurel wreath Ref: Crawford 418/2b; Sydenham 825; Calpurnia 23
@TIF : you got some pretty good pictures of them while entombed. The toning on both those shows up much better raw. I had a hard time avoiding glare. John
Well, actually those are from the auction house, cropped. Their imaging through plastic is much better than Heritage's.
That's an outstanding coin! I've admired these Myrina tets for some time and have come close to pulling the trigger once or twice. Slabbed coins on the other hand I've bid on numerous times but haven't yet had the pleasure of winning... and cracking open .
I have only ever owned one Myrina Tet. which I parted with during a period of job hunting.... It kept the food on the table for a bit longer. It may take me a while to get another.