Alright JA, let's get organized, dammit.

Discussion in 'Ancient Coins' started by John Anthony, Oct 9, 2015.

  1. Mat

    Mat Ancient Coincoholic

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  3. John Anthony

    John Anthony Ultracrepidarian

    I thought this coin would be a snap to attribute, but it appears to be an unlisted variety. RIC VIII lists an FH of Constantius II with mint mark CONSA and no field marks, #78. But the FEL TEMP Phoenix types are listed with a star, either after the mint mark, or in the right reverse field, #93 and #94.

    Dane has this coin listed as 93 var., so I guess I'll go with that, but if we group coins by mint marks, this variety should fall after 78. It's significant to note that the Wildwinds coin is not a die match to mine, meaning that the coins without stars are probably not an engraving error, and should properly be grouped with coins with CONSA mm and no field marks. (Unfortunately, Not In RIC only catalogs coins that should be included in volumes VI and VII, and is therefore of no help.)

    So all in all, an interesting and unexpected little find. This one's going to Wildwinds, simply because it's important to document the possibility that this variety is not an engraving error.

    CIIPhoenix.jpg

    Constantius II, AD 337-361
    AE3, 2.3g, 19mm, 6h; Constantinople mint, third group, AD 348-351.
    Obv.: DN CONSTAN-TIVS PF AVG; Pearl-diademed, draped, and cuirassed bust right.
    Rev.: FEL TEMP REPARATIO; Phoenix, radiate, standing right on globe // CONSA
    Reference: RIC VIII Constantinople 93 or 94 var. (no star after mint mark or in field), p. 454.
     
    Last edited: Oct 10, 2015
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  4. John Anthony

    John Anthony Ultracrepidarian

    You have great skeletons, Steve.
     
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  5. chrsmat71

    chrsmat71 I LIKE TURTLES!

    that a very nice phoenix-globe!

    well, JA you did inspire me to pull this thing out of my desk drawer and take a picture of it. i picked it up at a coin show for 1 dollar. where should i put this? with my ancients or with my box of modern stuff? hmmmm...

    [​IMG]
     
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  6. Mat

    Mat Ancient Coincoholic

    Randy has the same thing. I remember it as a kid but lost it.
     
  7. John Anthony

    John Anthony Ultracrepidarian

    I inspired you to pull out fakes? :confused: :p
     
  8. stevex6

    stevex6 Random Mayhem

    chrsmat => I may be wrong, but I keep my ancient-fakes with my ancients (yah, I let Claudius-the-fake hang-out with my authentic Claudius example and the rest of my authentic Romans .... gawd, I can only imagine what Elagabalus gets up to when I turn-out the lights?!!)

    :eek:

    :rolleyes:
     
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  9. John Anthony

    John Anthony Ultracrepidarian

    I tossed this coin into the box because I wasn't happy with the pics I took initially. These are somewhat better. This coin confounds me when it comes to lighting, as the busts are in high relief and glossy, while the lettering is very shallow and the fields are flat - a very difficult combination to image.

    At any rate, I looked at quite a few of these types today, and this one stands out for its wonderful style and preservation. I liked it much better than most of the ones I saw online. The youthful portraits of Rhoemetalkes and Augustus are finely engraved and particularly poignant. We forget that so many of the conquerors of the ancient world were mere kids (if you're in your twenties I consider you a kid).

    rhoaug.jpg

    Kings of Thrace, Rhoemetalkes and Augustus, 11 BC to AD 12
    AE20, 4.2g, 6h; Thracian mint, 11 BC - AD 12.
    Obv.: BAΣIΛEΩΣ POIMHTAΛKOY; Diademed bust of Rhoemetalkes right.
    Rev.: KAIΣAPOΣ ΣEBAΣTOY; Bare head of Augustus right.
    Reference: RPC I 1718, SNG Cop 1192.
     
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  10. Jwt708

    Jwt708 Well-Known Member

    That does make the relief look good and I can absolutely see why it's a pain to photograph.
     
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  11. chrsmat71

    chrsmat71 I LIKE TURTLES!

    that's very nice, the busts are super...man, you had some goodies in that box of yours.
     
  12. John Anthony

    John Anthony Ultracrepidarian

    Here's an ant of Aurelian, very common CONCORDIA MILITVM type, but this coin is special for a few reasons. The Q-star in exergue makes it a scarcer Siscia mint issue, and this coin is superbly struck, with enough silvering left to give it a pretty glint in the sunlight. I have yet to track down the exact reference as there are so many small varieties and RIC V leaves much to be desired...

    aurelian con mit 500.jpg aurelian hand 500.jpg

    The reverse is typically described as Concordia and emperor clasping hands, but that Edward Scissorhands way of depicting it is odd. It frequently looks to me as if they're exchanging some sort of thunderbolt - but that would be the wrong god.

    Edit: looks like RIC V(a) Aurelian 215 does the trick, p. 288.
     
    Last edited: Oct 11, 2015
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  13. John Anthony

    John Anthony Ultracrepidarian

    Here's my image of the tiny Theo II AE4, cross-with-legend. The obverse isn't wonderful, but the reverse is one of the best I've seen on these types. Tiny coin gets small pic...

    theo cross 400.jpg
     
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  14. Jwt708

    Jwt708 Well-Known Member

    Curse this thread! It reminds me I have a small but growing pile of coins that need my attention!
     
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  15. stevex6

    stevex6 Random Mayhem

    Seriously, JA? => man, having left-over coins is kinda like having left-over wine (what the hell is that?)

    [​IMG]
     
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  16. John Anthony

    John Anthony Ultracrepidarian

    I don't have any "leftover" coins. I just have too many girls in my harem and I can't give them all the love they need at once.
     
  17. stevex6

    stevex6 Random Mayhem

    Oh, did I mention that it's Canadian Thanksgiving Day?!!

    ... yah, don't feel too sad for me, but my sweet wife is down south in the big city, so it's just the hounds and I for the holiday (I bought a cooked chicken and I'm gonna make some mashed potatoes and gravy ... maybe some carrots in butter & brown sugar and we're sit back, lay on the couch and watch footabll ...... I bought lil' doggy sweat-pants to go with my big-arse sweat pants ... *burp* ... it doesn't get much better than this)

    ... ehhh?


     
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  18. John Anthony

    John Anthony Ultracrepidarian

    I guess your Thanksgiving is our Columbus Day.
     
  19. Jwt708

    Jwt708 Well-Known Member

    Well if Columbus didn't discover Canada poor Steve wouldn't have anywhere to eat his chicken decked out in sweats with his dogs! Give Thanks!
     
  20. John Anthony

    John Anthony Ultracrepidarian

    Columbus discovered Canada, lol. Damn the public education in this country to hell!
     
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  21. Jwt708

    Jwt708 Well-Known Member

    Ya - don't you know? The Chinese invented California, the viking-Templars erected runestones in the midwest in the 1300s, and aliens built all the coolest monuments. Except Stonehenge. That was built by giants in Africa and stolen by Merlin as a monument to the troops that died in battle for King Arthur's father. Geoffrey of Monmouth said so!
     
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