Inspired by our colleague @Marsyas Mike https://www.cointalk.com/threads/is...es-in-low-grade-ancients.380547/#post-7556993 I have started my own adventure. Bought a lot of 12 coins in an auction, some of them completely lost causes (I expected) but I am trying to attribute the ones that can be attributed. The best one is this (not as rugged and shiny as in my pics - I need to find a way to take photos of my coins ..... but that is a different episode) The coin is denarius sized but as seen, bronze. Is this a limes denarius similar to "original" http://numismatics.org/ocre/id/ric.4.el.115 ?
I can read antoninus Aug (that could several guys, but note how young he is) on the front and see a seated Libertas on the reverse and its bronze, but doesn't appear to be limes... to me.
My pics are horrible. The legends are fully visible in hand, IMP ANTONINVS AVG LIBERTAS AVGVSTI Edit - just noticed your last part of the post, @Ryro - if not limes, what could it be? Couldn't find this legend on other denominations and the coin is denarius sized. Cannot be an official denarius though..
I guess I'd lean towards a limes, but it could be the exposed core of a fourree, possibly? From the PM photo of the lot I got to see (a preview!) there is one definite fourree and one possible. Could these be from the same hoard? Sometimes it is hard to tell with these uncleaned denarii. Here is an Elagabalus denarius that I got in a recent lot - I finally determined it was silver after some partial, inexpert cleaning - it was a uniform dark gray when I got it. Note it is holed and plugged four (!) times: Elagabalus Denarius (218-222 A.D.) Rome Mint IMP A[NT]ONINVS PVS AV[G], laureate draped bust right / CONS[E]RVATOR AVG, Sol standing left, holding right hand high up in salute and whip, star in left field. RIC 63; RSC 19; BM 199; C 19. (2.71 grams / 18 mm) From the same lot, this green monster is probably a limes - all base metal, all the way through. The portrait is crude, but Annona looks pretty good: Severus Alexander Denarius (222-228 A.D.) Rome Mint I[M]P C M A[V]R SEV [A]LEXAND [A]VG, laureate, draped bust right / [A]NNON[A] AV[G], Annona standing left with corn-ears and cornucopiae, modius at foot. RIC 133 (2.79 grams / 18 mm)
Thanks @Marsyas Mike. Studying these low grades is quite fun! I can show the photo to all the audience This was the only pic. From what I managed to attribute in a quick look after a long day's work (simply not in the mood) The serrate RR denarius (@Ryro , we talked about it) is a L. Procilius. Crawford 379 A Gordianus antoninianus - IOVI STATORI Valerian - Virtvs AVGG Domna coin - suspect another limes, it matches RIC IV Caracalla 388C but not silver The Trajan Denarius would have been a smashing coin, it is a FORTRED coin but somebody was hungry and ate a chunk of it. A Septimius Severus fourree and a Caracalla fourree where the reverse is completely gone.
Nice!!! Very jelly. A type I've been looking for. I thought I recognized that violin case and bow Athena is holding/ spear and shield. Is it Juno wearing the goatskin obverse, like this obverse??
@Ryro - this is the coin. Yep, the violin case I was able to spot made me raise an eyebrow, because there was another one in the same auction - different quality, of course The "violin case" and the biga made the coin easily identified: http://numismatics.org/crro/id/rrc-379.2 This one was quite hard to spot as the "peeling" made it hard for me to read the leggends, finally I managed to spot (in hand) PHILIPPVS ... not too much Antoniniani with somebody seated and starting with rev legend PM for Philip. And curule chair. Only found this http://numismatics.org/ocre/id/ric.4.ph_i.249 I am still struggling with this one. This one's interesting - a Fourree of Septimius Severus or Caracalla with Provid AVGG reverse?
I think we can figure this out! I have faith! Can you make out the letters? The pointy nose makes me think Trebonianus Gallus. The reverse figure is leaning an elbow on a lyre(?) holding out a branch? That could be Apollo. There is a FORVM article on "leaning on stuff" - https://www.forumancientcoins.com/moonmoth/reverse_securitas.html Gordian III has a couple of that type, but yours does not look like Gordian. What if it is this one? Herennius Etruscus, AR Antoninianus, 250-251, Rome Q HER ETR MES DECIVS NOB C Radiate, draped bust right, seen from behind PRI_NCIPI IVVENTVTIS Apollo seated left, branch in right hand, leaning on lyre with left arm 22mm x 24mm, 3.48g RIC IV, Part III, 146 (R) http://www.beastcoins.com/RomanImperial/IV-III/HerenniusEtruscus/HerenniusEtruscus.htm A bit clearer photo would help...
Clear photos + me =/= love but I will keep trying the best I can. Thank you for your help, I appreciate it. Found other interesting coins in the lot, will post later. Now the problematic coin - I am struggling to read the obverse legend letters and I am sure I will. I think the obverse legend ends in [...]VS PIVS FEL AVG. Checking more. .. and it will be this or something very similar. http://numismatics.org/ocre/id/ric.4.gor_iii.88
Yep - that looks more like Gordian to me. I think you are close, but I think I see a "V" in the reverse legend, which would be RIC 89. Here are the four Apollo types for Gordian with the COS TRP etc. reverse legends - there are four, based on the TRP number: http://numismatics.org/ocre/results...portrait_facet:"Gordian+III"+AND+fulltext:COS
Haha, I corrected my attribution in my personal catalogue 30 seconds ago. Yep, V is visible, so it's either V or VI, but I think the legend has COS after V so 89. Not my favourite coin, but it has its rightful place in my album. Other interesting stuff from the 30 EUR lot: This would have been quite a denarius, had it been full. Now it's a boomerang of ancient provenance. This one was extremely difficult to photo because my phone refused to focus on it. The color is dark, dull gray, like a zinc coin from WW2. The hairstyle made me think at Julia Domna instantly. The obverse legend has [...] PIA FELIX discernible (somehow) and after checking the reverse, I think the coin was supposed to be http://numismatics.org/ocre/id/ric.4.crl.388C_denarius Except this is not silver. Core of a fourree? Limes Denarius? Struggled with this one because of the small flan, the reverse is clearly VIRTVS AVGG, two characters and a Victory. Obverse legend ends in [...]IANVS PF AVG - RIC V Valerian 293. Not bad as this emperor was missing from my album. ... and a decent Gordian antoninianus. RIC IV Gordian III 84 Check the nose of Jupiter, impressive. And a Caracalla (I think) fourree, but the reverse, well....
