AMCC 3 wins! Post em up!!!

Why does the Canadian Mail/USPS(mostly them probably) hate me???

 

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Mine arrived today – so here they are.

A beautiful chunky stater from Dyrrhachion, formerly owned by @Chris B. This is my first real Greek acquisition this year and will certainly make my top ten list for 2021.


A Parthian drachm of the usurper Osroes II. I picked it up rather spontaneously during the live auction since my other Greek bids were blown out of the water and because I already own a tetradrachm of this ruler's antagonist Vologases IV:


A Roman denarius from 46 BC with lovely toning and fair wear, from the collection of @Shea19 . It caught my eye because of the piece of Caesarian propaganda on the reverse. The combination of scepter, cornucopiae on globe and rudder probably celebrates Caesar's victory over Pompey at Thapsus:


This Volusian from Antioch is much better than the Rome example I already own. As a bonus, it is ex @Shea19 , ex CNG, and ex Richard McAlee (author of "The coins of Roman Antioch"):


A Valerian II was the only male member of the Valerianic dynasty still missing from my collection. This coin from @Severus Alexander 's personal collection is a most respectable example:


I can only assume that this is was one of the rarities hidden in the pick bins. Not only does this Probus have a very special bust type, it also is part of the coded EQVITI-series. (See here if you want to know more.)


Another coin that should have hammered for more than it did (but I'm glad it didn't). A Licinius from London minted by his later enemy Constantine the Great. Note the nice portrait:


This is a coin I picked up impulsively during the live auction when it didn't receive any other bids. It has more wear than I usually like to see on an LRB, but Procopius is a rare emperor and was the last ruler from Constantine's family. I didn't regret this purchase yet.


Apart from the coins I won, this thread contain multiple lots that I was the underbidder on. Congratulations to the winners! (Although on second sight I wish I had gone higher on that Antoninus Pius denarius now owned by @IMP Shogun and the Helena with the Joachim Meisner provenance that went to @trish...)

And I'm glad my Carthage shekel went to a good home, @Parthicus. It is a very attractive coin with great patina, and I only parted with it because I promised myself not to keep more than one example of the same type.

 

I'm glad to see at least one of my consignments went to a CT member.

 

Don't take it personally; I think it's just that Canada loves La France. We will just keep waiting

 

Happy to see this end up in a good home! I definitely had a good laugh when I saw "Shea19 Collection" written next to "Richard McAlee Collection" in the auction listing.

 

I'm glad you're happy with your haul, @Orielensis! And good to see some coins moving amongst CoinTalk family.

Extra bonus: @Claudius_Gothicus pointed out to me that this coin also has a rare bust type, the same as that normally used for Hostilian as Augustus. Volusian's busts are usually the "from behind" type.

 

Just arrived today safe! Earlier than expected !

Will share this one now, and continue later:

All the pictures are from AMCC3

From the arnoldoe collection:

Loved this portrait of Dionysos on the obverse, a nice companion to my Thassian tetradrachm
Æ 26, Thrace, Maroneia, 1st century BC, after 148 BC
26 mm, 11.45 g
SNG Copenhagen 644; HGC3.II 1557, Psoma, Maroneia M129–33; Schönert-Geiss 1431, 1462; BMC Thrace, p.130, 72; Moushmov 3946

Ob.: Wreathed head of Dionysos to right.
Rev.: ΔΙΟΝΥΣΟΥ ΣΩΤΗΡΟΣ MAPΩNITΩN (Dionysos the Great of Maroneia) Dionysos standing facing looking left, holding bunch of grapes and narthex stalks, in inner field monogram ΡΔY

On the reverse, the two objects held by Dionysos in his left arm are variously described in catalogs as spears, arrows, narthex wands and narthex stalks.

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A small AE with the usual Aegis- Nike from Pontos with a beautiful monogram. It says "From the Erworben" collection, but as someone has already pointed out in another thread, there is no such thing as "Erworben" collection, Erworben means acquired....

Æ 19, Pontos, Amisos, ca. 85 – 65 BC struck under Mithridates VI Eupator, King of Pontos
19.5 mm, 8.38 g
HGC 7, 242; SNG Copenhagen 171; Sear 3642; SNG Black Sea 1176; BM Catalogue of Greek coins, Pontus, Paphlagonia, Bithynia and the Kingdom of Bosporus, p. 20, No. 72
Ob.: Aegis with Gorgon’s head at center
Rev.: AMI-ΣOY Nike advancing right, holding wreath and palm branch; ΔAT monogram at left monogram to right as in the following description

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This was an impulse buy after I had realized that I didn't have a Parthian empire coin:

AR Drachm, Parthian Empire, Arsacid Dynasty, Phraates II
He used the title Arsaces on his coinage, which was the name of the first Parthian ruler Arsaces I (r. 247 – 217 BC)

Parthia, Tambrax, ca. 128 – 126 BC
21 mm, 4.21 g
Sellwood 16.11; Shore 50, Sunrise 272; BMC Parthia p. 17, 15;

Ob.: short-bearded and diademed head of Phraates II to left; city mint mark TAM behind; circular border of pellets
Rev.: ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ ΜΕΓΑΛΟΥ ΑΡΣΑΚΟΥ ΘΕΟΠΑΤΟΡΟΣ; Archer Arsakes I wearing bashlyk and cloak seated right on omphalos, holding bow; guidelines in legend. No border

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My last Greek win:
I am quite sure that not many collectors would have bid on this Tetrobol, because it is a particularly popular one to fake. In my non-expert opinion, this one is not a fake. It is a Roman imitative, struck in Macedonia by the Roman military during the Roman Republic prior to the Roman victory in 168 BC.

A recent publication about these Tetrobols by Christos Gatzolis & Selene Psoma, "Coinages Issued to Serve Roman Interests and the Case of Histiaia", in Julien Fournier, Marie-Gabrielle G. Parissaki (eds.), Les communautés du nord égéen au temps de l’hégémonie romaine. Entre ruptures et continuités, MΕΛΕΤΗΜΑΤΑ 77, Athènes 2018, pp. 63-77:
https://www.academia.edu/43455538/Coinages_Issued_to_Serve_Roman_Interests_and_the_Case_of_Histiaia

AR Tetrobol, 13.5 mm, 2.03 g
Euboea, Histiaia, c. 168 BC

SNG Copenhagen 517.1; BCD 369; BMC Central Greece 27;

Ob.: Head of Maenad/ nymph Histiaia right, wearing necklace, vine-wreath
Rev.: (IΣTIAI) / EΩN, Nymph Histiaia seated on stern of galley decorated with wing, holding stylis

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Once more thank you @Severus Alexander it was an amazing auction and I am absolutely delighted with all of my Greek wins; still haven't shared my Roman wins, but this is already quite a long read, my apologies ...

 

I'm glad to say my wins are here! Although I have not yet pulled out the good ol' picture-takin' jig. The pictures will have to wait, but boy are these coins absolute beauties.

 

The USPS finally came through! Let me tell you, it has been a tough wait.
But it was totally worth it!
My 3 wins were perfect editions to the FF collection and there was a surprise gift inside from none other than @Shea19 !

First, my 3 wins. The pictures are not as good as the auction pictures but...the light was dying thanks to an incoming thunderstorm sooooo it is what it is for now.

First up: A new Roman emperor to add to my growing Alexandrian billon tetradrachm collection.

Philip I
244-249 AD (Year 5 247/248 AD)
AE tetradrachm
Obverse: A K M IOV ΦIΛIΠΠOC EVCE, laureate, draped, and cuirassed bust right
Reverse: Alexandria, mural crown, standing left, holding bust of Serapis and sceptre; L E (date) across field.
Emmett 3469, Köln 2736.


Second (and my favorite of the 3 I won):

Basil I with Leo VI and Constantine
867-886 AD
AE follis
Obverse: + LЄOҺ ЬASIL S COҺST AЧGG; Crowned half-length facing busts of Basil, wearing loros, between Leo and Constantine, each wearing chlamys.
Reverse: + ЬASIL / COҺSTAҺ / T S LЄOҺ ЄҺ / ΘO ЬASILS / ROMЄOҺ.
SB 1713.
* I'm pretty sure this is an overstrike on an earlier coin based on what looks like something over Basil's head around 1 o'clock. I will have to do some research.

Third: A new English king to add to the fledgling collection of English hammered coins I started this year.

Edward III
1327-1377 AD
AR penny, 4th coinage, post-treaty period, issued 1369-1377, archbishop Thoresby or Neville. York,
Obverse: EDWARD REX ANGLIE Z FR, saltire stops; facing bust.
Reverse: long cross with quatrefoil at centre and pellets dividing +CIVI TAS EBO RACI with cross before CIVI for York mint.

Last, but certainly not least, is a beautiful coin from the Ptolemaic Kings of Egypt and ex: @Shea19 coin. My daughter has been complaining that we don't have enough girls in our collection so she was excited to have a coin with a girl (Isis) on it! She has laid claim to this coin and I think it will be a great addition to her growing collection.

Ptolemy VI Philometor
2nd reign, 163-145 BCE
AE27 (=60 new drachms =1 old drachm)
Alexandria
Obverse: Head of Isis wearing wreath of grain ears right
Reverse: ΠTOΛEMAIOY BAΣIΛEΩΣ; Eagle standing on a thunderbolt left with wings open. Pi-Alpha monogram to left
Svoronos 1384, Lorber & Faucher Series 7B
From the Shea19 collection, acquired from Aegean Numismatics

 

And these are my Roman wins needless to say, I love them all!

AR Drachm, Septimus Severus, Cappadocia, Caesarea 206 – 207 AD
18 mm, 3.04 g
Unpublished in standard references; Sydenham, Caesarea 397 var. (different denomination, bust type); Sydenham –, Wildwinds –, ANS

AMCC3 description says: Metcalf states in his “Notes on the Severan Coinage of Caesarea” about this series that the statue /Helios on top of Mt. Argaeus is usually reserved for tridrachms; a year 4 Julia Domna Drachm was sold by Savoca in 2018 (22nd Silver Auction, lot 320), but this is the only Septimius Drachm with a statue we are aware of.

However, one can find Drachms of several emperors, e.g. Antoninus Pius among others, with a statue on top.

Ob.: AY KAI Λ CEΠT CEOYHΡOC Laureate head to right.
Rev.: MHTΡO KAICAΡI Mt. Argaeus; at summit Helios standing to left holding globus and scepter, crescent at right; ЄT IΔ (year 14 = 206) in exergue

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This Tetradrachm was on top of my list along with an octobol, which I didn't win. Had to fight for this one. The far-away look in Philip's eyes caught me:

AR Tetradrachm, Seleucis and Pieria, Antiochia ad Orontem, 248 – 249 AD
27.5 mm, 11.78 g
Ref.: McAlee 934, Prieur 445; BMC 518; RPC VIII online ID 28991
From the Al Kowsky collection

Ob.: AYTOK K M IOYΛI ΦIΛIΠΠOC CЄB laureate, draped and cuirassed bust right, seen from behind
Rev.: ΔHMAPX ЄΞOYCIAC YΠATO Δ (Δ means year 4 = 248); eagle standing right, head right, wreath in beak, tail left, wings spread; ANTIOXIA / S C below

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A Probus with a spread quadriga - didn't have one until now:

Antoninianus, Mysia, Cyzicus (Kapu Dagh, Turkey), 2nd emission, 276 – 277 AD, 7th officina
23 mm, 3.91 g
RIC V-2 Cyzicus 911, Bust type H(H2)
Ob.: IMP C M AVR PROBVS P F AVG Radiate bust to left wearing imperial mantle, holding eagle-tipped scepter
Rev.: SOLI INVICTO Sol, head left holding whip, standing facing in spread quadriga; Mintmark CM //XXIZ (CM = Cyzicus, Z = 7th officina)

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Roman Provincial – Greek Imperial, Phrygia, Pseudo-autonomous issue,
Æ Diassarion, Phrygia, Cotiaeum, issued, c. 254-268 under the reign of Gallienus by Archon Diogenes son of Dionysiou
23 mm, 6.83 g
Ref.: SNG Copenhagen 317; BMC 25
From the Shea19 collection

A wonderful Demos head, beautiful patina,well centered, just love it:

Ob.: ΔHMOC KOTIAEΩN head of Demos with tainia, no beard, to right
Rev.: EΠI ΔIOΓENOYC ΔIONYCIOY; A / Ρ-X across fields, KOTIAEΩN in exergue, Zeus Aetophorus seated left, holding egle in extended r. hand and scepter in l.hand

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Also won two groups of Romans; will have a great time researching them.

Once more, thank you so much @Severus Alexander for all this; you did an amazing auction

 

Awesome wins! Now I know which ones will be on my next wish list: an Alexandrian tetra of Philip with Alexandria holding a bust of Serapis and a Ptolemy VI with a head of Isis

 

I need to take better pictures of the Philip.
It's a good chunky tet. I love these things!

 

Thanks for the kind words, the auction seems to have enhanced a lot of CT collections. Good to see!

I usually manage to win a few coins, but this time around the bidding was so strong that I only ended up with two cheap Chinese coins. Not that I'm unhappy with them, far from it... I just wish they had some company. (Both were consigned by Ken Dorney.)


CHINA: Eastern Han, Emperors Zhang Di to Zhi Di (75-146 CE). 3.43g, 26mm.
Obv: Wu zhu, Pellet in field centred above and touching rim, normal outer rims
Rev: Blank as made, inner & outer rims
Hartill 10.32 (unattributed); G&F 4.24


CHINA: Eastern Han, Emperors Huan Di to Xian Di (146-220 CE). 2.69g, 26mm.
Obv: Wu zhu, no inner rims
Rev: Two horizontal strokes in left field; inner & outer rims
Hartill – ; G&F 4.148. Rare.

 

Those are pretty cool! Ken Dorney always has some interesting Chinese coins.