Hello friends, here is a selection of ancient coins for your consideration. Shipping in the US is $4 First Class Parcel for any amount of coins. Payment can be MO, personal check, or paypal. A 3.5% charge will be added to paypal invoices - that's what they charge me for "buying goods and services" transactions. Send me a PM if any of these coins interest you - I like to write long-winded essays about my coins, so apologies in advance! ________________________________________ 1. The Thessalian league was a loose confederation of feudal Greek city-states. After the Second Macedonian War (200-197 BCE), the victorious Roman general T. Quinctius Flamininus declared all of Greece "free." He organized the Thessalian league, creating a federal council, the synedrion, with annually changing officers, strategoi. The seat of the league was in the largest Thessalian city, Larissa, and it continued to exist even after Thessaly became part of the new Roman province of Macedonia in 146 BC. These medium-sized silver coins are what you might call Roman Republic provincials, and they were even given a name from RR nomenclature: double victoriatii. However, numismatist and archaeologist Yiannis Stoyas informs us that that correct term is stater, as attested in a number of inscriptions from the time. This example is a real gem, with a solid, well-centered strike, good style, smooth surfaces, and clear lettering - you can read both magistrate’s names. Here are a bunch of them at CNG (for comparison - they aren’t rare, but they certainly are beautiful). I have reduced the price of this coin substantially, priced to sell! Price: $200 (reduced from $250) THESSALY, Thessalian League. AR Stater, 21mm, 5.7g, 12h; 196-146 BC Obv.: Laureate head of Zeus right. Rev.: ΘEΣΣA-ΛΩN; Athena Itonia walking right, brandishing spear and holding shield; magistrates ΣΩΣI-ΠATΡOΣ above, ΓOΡΓΩΠAΣ below. Reference: BMC 25. ________________________________________ 2. Here’s a very tough little drachm to find in collectible grades. Ariobarzanes III was king of Cappadocia, and a grandson of Mithradates VI of Pontos. He adopted the Pontic royal symbol of a star above a crescent. He was supportive of Pomey and maintained his rule after Julius Caesar won the civil war in Rome, but Cassius Longinus had him executed in 42 BC (the year this coin was struck). Ariobarzanes sought to limit Roman influence in Cappadocia without the military might to enforce his independence, and well...you don’t just tell Rome to go away! Ariobarzanes III had distinctive features and this coin presents them with wonderful centering and a strong strike. The is the first of these drachms that I’ve acquired - I’ve seen a few here and there, but none that really wowed me. I think this specimen would easily cost around $150 retail - see vcoins here, and CNG here for some comps. This a an excellent example of a scarce type at a great price. Price: $89 KINGS of CAPPADOCIA. Ariobarzanes III Eusebes Philoromaios. 52-42 BC. AR Drachm, 16mm, 3.4g 1h; Dated RY 11 (42 BC). Obv.: Diademed head right. Rev.: BAΣIΛEΩΣ APIOBAPZANOV EVΣEBOVΣ KAI ΦIΛOPΩMAIOV; Athena standing left with shield and spear, holding Nike; to left, star above crescent; to right, monogram; IA (11) below. Reference: Simonetta 3c. ________________________________________ 3. Here come old flat top he come, groovin’ up slowly...Nahapana was a ruler of the Western Satraps, Indo-Skythian rulers of western and central India. The exact dates of his rule are debated by scholars, some assigning his reign to AD 119-124, others to various dates in the 1st century. His coins were extremely rare until 1906, when a hoard of over 13,000 were discovered. Almost every drachm of Nahapana’s currently on the market come from this hoard. These coins are trilingual. The obverse is modeled after Roman denarii, with a legend in Greek letters that transliterates the legends found on the reverse: Raño Kshaharatasa Nahapanasa. The reverse has a legend in Kharoshti on the left, Brahmi on the right: RANJNO KShaHaRaTaSa NaHaPaNaSa, of the Rajah Nahapana, the Kshaharata. The fact that the coins have a Kharoshti legend suggests a connection to the Kushans - perhaps Nahapana was acknowledging the lordship of a Kushan king? Much of the history of this region in the 1st century is shrouded in mystery. The drachms of Nahapana are always struck on tight flans, and the reverse strikes are usually awful to boot, not to mention that most are found very poorly preserved. I always keep my eyes open for pleasing examples of this type, but so far I’ve only found about one per year. Here are some at vcoins, here are some at CNG. I have a very LOW price on this exotic issue: $35 INDO-SKYTHIANS, Kshaharatas. Nahapana. 1st century AD. AR Drachm, 17mm, 2.1g, 8h. Obv.: ΡΑΝΝΙΩ ΞΑΗΑΡΑΤΑϹ ΝΑΗΑΠΑΝΑϹ Capped bust right / Rev.: Kharoshti and Brahmi legends, RANJNO KShaHaRaTaSa NaHaPaNaSa; Arrow pointing downward and thunderbolt; • between. Reference: Senior 303. ________________________________________ 4. Elymais was a semi-independent nation at the north end of the Persian Gulf, existing between the 2nd century BC and the early 3rd century AD. It was a vassal state of the Parthian Empire, and the coinage reflects this influence. The early drachms are large and struck of good silver, the later ones are debased, and quite difficult to find in attractive grades. The meaning of the dashes on the reverse of these 2nd century types is unknown, but over time, the inscriptions on the drachms of Elymais became more and more corrupt. It is possible that these dashes represent a final, unintelligible abstraction of lettering. This example, struck by king Phraates is simply delightful, with superb detail and a colorful desert patina. What a charming little coin - they don’t get much better than this! Compare to vcoins here. Also, see this page at Parthia.com for an excellent overview of all the coinage of Elymais. Price: $45 Elymais, Phraates, Early to mid 2nd Century AD Æ Drachm, 15mm, 3.18g. Obv.: Bust of Phraates left with star and crescent, trident behind. Rev.: Regular pattern of dashes. Reference: van'tHaaff14.2, 2-1; Sear5902 ex Ken Dorney ________________________________________ 5. It never ceases to astonish me that Antoninus Pius had an entirely non-military reign. The Empire engaged in various military operations during his tenure, to be sure, but he did not participate in them. J. J. Wilkes has written, “It is almost certain not only that at no time in his life did he ever see, let alone command, a Roman army, but that, throughout the twenty-three years of his reign, he never went within five hundred miles of a legion.” AP’s legacy would be that of an accomplished administrator and builder. Unsurprisingly, he is one of the very few Roman emperors that died of natural causes. Of this type, RIC says, “A thunderbolt on a throne represents the pulvinar of Jupiter and Juno, as on coins of Titus, but the exact occasion of the issue is unknown.” (RIC III, p. 8) A pulvinar is an empty throne, or Hetoimasia, which was prepared and reserved for a god, in this case Jupiter, as evinced by the thunderbolt. What I have here is an EF example of the type with a phenomenal strike, brilliant surfaces, and almost no circulation wear. And I’m offering it at a VF price. This is a $250+ coin, see vcoins here for comps. This coin hammered at $250, and this one at $943, but that’s an outlier - obviously someone absolutely had to have that coin at all costs. My opening bid is a hundred bucks less than the market value! Price: $150 Antoninus Pius, AD 138-161 AR Denarius, 19mm, 3.1g, 1h; Rome, 145-161. Obv.: ANTONINVS AVG PIVS P P; Laureate head of Antoninus Pius to right. Rev.: COS IIII; Thunderbolt on draped throne. Reference: RIC III 137, p. 43. ________________________________________ 6. Mount Argaeus is a mountain on the moon, where the ancient astronauts of Cappadocia landed and founded the most distant Roman colony, which unfortunately didn’t last very long as there wasn’t any air to breath. Seriously though, there really is a Mount Argaeus on the moon, named after the mountain in Cappadocia that is known today as Mount Erciyes. This mountain was portrayed extensively on the coinage of Caesarea, and today I have a stunning example on a drachm of Gordian III. This coin has a superb strike with excellent centering that captures every single letter, with a lifelike bust and very sharp rendition of the mountain. Compare to others at vcoins here (note that the first two are Tranquillina, much more rare). Price: $165 Gordian III, 238 - 244 AD AR Drachm, 19mm, 3.16g, 11h; Cappadocia, Caesarea Mint Obv.: Laureate head of Gordian right. Rev.: MHTPO KAI B NE, View of Mount Argaeus, pellet to upper right, ETE in exergue. Reference: Sydenham 604; Bland 127. ex Ken Dorney ________________________________________ 7. SOLD ________________________________________ 8. Here is a mixed lot of coins on consignment from Doug Smith. It includes a 2 soldiers 2 standards type of Constantine II, A Victory of Gratian, Vot of Julian II, Emperor dragging captive type of Valentinian, and a Helmet/Shield bronze of Mesembria (5th century BC - worn, but recognizable). From the Doug Smith Collection. Price: $45 (that's nine bucks a coin! - start your collection of ancients today with this great, affordable set.) ________________________________________ 9. Here's another inexpensive variety pack from Doug: a Crispus campgate, FH of Julian II, ant of Gallienus, provincial bronze of JD, and a rugged Byzantine - you figure it out. Of the JD, Doug says, “The Domna is a great example of a centration dimple where the pin broke free and carved a circle but hardly shows on on the reverse.” From the Doug Smith Collection. Price: $45
