Hello my friends, here is a selection of historically interesting and eclectic coins. $4 shipping in the US for First Class Parcel with tracking. International shipping is whatever the post office charges me. Payment by paypal, check (if I know you) or money order - preferably a postal money order. Customers paying by paypal will have a 3.5% fee, customers in Pennsylvania a 6% sales tax. Please PM if you'd like to buy any of these coins, and happy collecting! ________________________________________ 1. Here is a wonderful small bronze of Maroneia featuring the god of wine and festivity, Dionysos, on both the obverse and reverse. This is coin is very well-detailed and clean for the price, compare to others here. Price: $40 Maroneia was on the Aegean coast about midway between the mouths of the Hebrus and the Nestus rivers. The city was named after Maron, sometimes identified as a son of Dionysos, who in the Odyssey gives Odysseus the wine with which he intoxicates Polyphemos. Maroneia was famous for its wine, which was esteemed everywhere and was said to possess the odor of nectar. -FORVM Also: on the reverse of this coin, Dionysos is holding two stalks of narthex, which is the ancient word for giant fennel. Fennel was a favorite ingredient in ancient wine making, which gave the brew a spicy, licorice-like flavor. Sounds delicious, doesn’t it? Bottoms up! THRACE, Maroneia Æ17, 6.1g, 12h; c. 146-100 BC Obv.: Head of young Dionysos right, wearing band across forehead, and ivy wreath. Rev.: ΜΑΡΩΝΙΤΩΝ; Dionysos standing left, nude but for chlamys on left arm, bunch of grapes in right hand, two stalks of narthex in left hand, chlamys on left arm. Reference: BMC Thrace p. 130, 80; SNG Cop 645; Lindgren II 805 ________________________________________ 2. I found this coin at NYINC and had to grab it because it’s one of finest examples of confronted busts on a provincial coin I’ve seen. The detail and style in the busts of Gordian and his queen Tranquillina are just superb. The reverse detail is also outstanding, and this is a large, dupondius-sized bronze. There is some light smoothing in the fields, but I don’t find it egregious, or even distracting for that matter. Compare to other coins of Anchialus with confronted busts here. This coin is a real gem. Price: $160 Gordian III and Tranquillina, AD 238-244 Æ26, 14.1g, 6h; Thrace, Anchialus mint. Obv.: AYT K M ANT ΓΟΡΔΙΑΝΟC AVΓ CAB TRANKVΛΛINA; Laureate, draped, and cuirassed bust of Gordian and draped bust of Tranquillina, wearing stephane, facing one another. Rev.: OYLΠIANWN AΓXIALEWN; Homonoia standing left, holding patera and cornucopia. Reference: AMNG I 675; Varbanov 716. Ex-Wayne C. Phillips, ex. Kirk Davis ________________________________________ 3. A lovely example of a Rome city commemorative from the Trier mint. Read about the legend of the the she-wolf suckling Remus and Romulus here. Beautiful color, beautiful strike, beautiful surfaces. Price: $40 Time of Constantine I and Sons Æ Reduced Follis, 17mm, 2.0g, 6h; Trier mint, AD 332-333 Obv.: VRBS ROMA; Helmeted head of Roma left. Rev.: She-wolf suckling Romulus and Remus, two stars above // TR•P Reference: RIC VII 542, p. 217 From the YOC Collection ________________________________________ 4. Here is a small follis of Constantine II from the Lyons mint, celebrating the glory of the army (GLORIA EXERCITVS). Beautiful detail and color all around. Price: $30 Constantine II as Caesar, AD 317-337 Æ follis, 15mm, 2.4g, 12h; Lugdunum mint, AD 332 Obv.: CONSTANTINVS IVN NOB C; Laureate, cuirassed bust right. Rev.: GLOR-IA EXERC-ITVS ; Two soldiers helmeted, standing, facing one another, reversed spear in outer hands, inner hands on shields resting on the ground; between them two standards // Dot-in-crescent PLG Reference: RIC VII Lyons 254 r1, p. 138 From the YOC Collection ________________________________________ 5. Due to inflationary forces, these Glory of the Army types shrunk in size, and the mints indicated the intentionality of the shrinkage by design: going from two military standards between the soldiers to one. Here is an excellent example from Constantine Junior’s brother and nemesis Constans. (Constans assassinated Constantine II, but eventually succumbed to a mutiny.) On these types, the banners sometimes have letters or symbols, in this case M. It’s not clear what these stand for. Are they just control marks or do they indicate specific legions, or perhaps both? This coin and the previous lot would make an excellent type pair in my opinion. Get them both! Price: $30 Constans, AD 337-350 Æ Reduced Follis, 14mm, 1.5g, 6h; Trier mint, AD 340 Obv.: CONSTANS PF AVG; Diademed, draped, cuirassed bust right. Rev.: GLORIA EXERCITVS; Two soldiers helmeted, standing, facing one another, reversed spear in outer hands, inner hands on shields resting on the ground; between them one standard, M on banner // TRS Reference: RIC VIII 106, p. 145, Rare From the YOC Collection ________________________________________ 6. Here’s a nice large, milled coin of the Medieval Bohemian king Jan I, or John the Blind. I was in the Czech Republic for business a few years ago and a friend wanted to take me to Kutná Hora, which I resisted because it’s such an obviously touristy place. I’m glad he won me over, because it’s absolutely beautiful - if you love Medieval history and art and architecture, it is an absolute must-see. I didn’t want to leave! These silver groschen all have somewhat weak features due to the rather crude milling technology of the time, but I thought this example was quite good, especially the rampant lion. York has a couple for sale at the moment in similar, typical grades, see here. Mine is a better deal! Price: $70 Jan I (John the Blind of Luxembourg), AD 1310-1346 AR Prague Groschen (Prager Groschen), 3.2g, 29mm, 19h; Kutná Hora mine and mint, 1300 onwards. Obv.: Crown surrounded by two concentric legends, inner IOHANNES PRIMVS, outer DEI GRATIA REX BOEHME, Rev.: ++GROSSI : PRAGENSES*; Lion rampant left. Reference: Fiala 817; Saurma 396
