I am preparing my cast AES collection for a coin show display. I do not like the picture quality on the red cloth. Probably not enough light. The features are not the best on many of the items, so poor picture quality and soft features make it hard to see what is there. I'll post them now and try to get better pics later. The small coins at the top of the picture are the few Greek coins I have that predate the start of Roman coinage. The AES rude and some of the bars with no features may be older. Aes Rude through cast bars and parts of bars. My wife asked how I know they are not just rocks. I said, "faith in the supplier, looks and weight/SpGr.... and in the end no way to know for sure." From left to right, oldest to newest, and from top to bottom As, Semis, Triens, Quadrans, Sextans, Uncia and semi-uncia. I have a set of Crawford 35's, 225 to 217 BC. You can see the weight reduction due to a shortage of bronze in the second Punic war in the As and Semis on the top right. We have talked a bit about cast items. Post yours if you have not already.
Cool! I bet the everyday Roman was happy with the weight reductions and the introduction of silver coinage!
Nice collection, rr! I've only got one as an example of cast coinage but it's not really my area. The National museum in Rome has an extensive and amazing collection of cast RR coinage on display if you ever get a chance to go. Anonymous. Circa 225-217 BC. Æ Triens (45mm, 95.85 g, 12h). Helmeted head of Minerva left; four pellets below / Prow of galley right; four pellet below. Crawford 35/3a; Thurlow & Vecchi 53; HN Italy 339.
I think that's an incredible collection, although I am still lacking AES Rude or AES Grave examples... However, I have purchased a few 'cast bronze' examples of late, like the Triens Carthago posted above (COOL COIN!!). A triens, sextans and semis---I think they were all cast...I don't have access to my 'notes' at the moment.
On my bucket list are trips to the NYINC in Jan (had hoped to go next year), London to see the RR coins in the British Museum and Rome to see some of the history first hand. I have enjoyed the online British Museum RRC collection. Is the collection you mention on line?
I'm not aware of a resource for the Rome collection. This is the website that basically gives no information. http://archeoroma.beniculturali.it/...o-massimo/coins-and-jewels/numismatic-section And a pic of a small hoard at the museum you might like.
Your photo is overexposed (too much light). I suspect your camera has a manual setting or at least a setting to give a stop less exposure. I only have one cast - a 38.4g sextans.
Doug, you are right. The dining room light was poor and I did not have a portable light, so I used the flash. I will need to read some of the posts on how to take better pics.
The #1 rule I believe in is to have a solid support for the camera so you can take a sharp photo in poor light. Coins don't move so an image can be made with long exposure and very dim light - certainly without flash. The one below was a 32 second exposure (auto AV mode) f/9 on my photo rig but with the lights turned off. It may not be perfect but it shows the camera is capable of making an image if set correctly. The problem is that every camera has different settings so I can't tell you how to work yours. The one below is with lights at 0.6 sec. Maybe I should just work in the dark. Scary. Obviously I have to try again here.
