And A Sanguine Saturnalia To All!

The day of reckoning has come my friends! Post your Saturnalia gifts (if you want to) and reveal your identities (if you want to).

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A massive thank you to @Parthicus (email on envelope), this is my first in the type so I am totally stoked.


Edit: Oops, forgot description

PARTHIAN EMPIRE, Artabanos III, c. AD 10-38.
AR drachm, 20mm, 3.5g, 12h.
Obv.: Bare-headed, bearded, diademed bust of king left, wearing torque, dotted border around.
Rev.: King (Arsakes I?) seated right on throne, holding bow, somewhat blundered Greek legend in 7 lines around: above: BAΣIΛEΩΣ BAΣIΛEΩN, at right: APCAKOY, below: EVERΓETOV / ΔIKAIOY, at left: EΠIΦANOVΣ / ΦIΛEΛΛHNOΣ, AT monogram (for Ecbatana) under bow.
Reference: Sellwood 74.6, Shore 404.
From the H8Modern Collection

 

When I received the box a couple of weeks ago I got excited because I knew who sent it. I knew it was deacon Ray, and based on his previous methods of presenting his presents I knew it would be interesting.

I will take you through the unboxing process.




First step, 2 small Christmas themed boxes.



A pair of Christmas themed socks.



Lift out the socks and voila. A red pouch with an "N" button. Now I wonder what that particular "N" stands for
In the second box an ANACS slab







A truly beautiful medal of Napoleon. This is an official French restrike of the 1815 Waterloo medal and it is gorgeous. It is also very large. The artistry of this piece is captivating.


And the second coin? This wonderful 8 prutot piece of Herod I. I was thrilled to see this coin. This is the first biblical themed coin in my collection. Deacon Ray did a superb job in choosing and packing these gifts. My sincere appreciation goes out to him I absolutely love the choices he made. As many of you know I am assembling an historical figures collection. These 2 will fit in very nicely.

Many thanks to Deacon Ray for the excellent gift and for the care he took in both selecting them and preparing them.

Oh, and I shall not be harming this particular slab in any way.

 

Io Saturnalia!

Wow, my generous gifter had a real treat in store for me... a book and two coins, and the book was actually one that I had considered buying myself!



There was also a nice message written on the inside cover of the book by my Secret Saturn, who clearly wanted to remain anonymous as he only signed off with a single, cryptic initial, "Q". I suppose that the packet came from France suggests that he lives in that beautiful country, but other than that small clue, it could literally be anyone!

Here are pics of the two coins...


GALLIENUS
AE Antoninianus. 3.1g, 21.5mm. Rome mint, AD 267-268. RIC V 230; Göbl 713b; Wolkow, CMR Gallien, 19a2. O: GALLIENVS AVG, radiate head right. R: LIBERO P CONS AVG, panther standing left; B (officina) in exergue.


GALLIENUS
AE Antoninianus. 2.75g, 21.8mm. Rome mint, AD 267-268. RIC V 245; Göbl 743b; Wolkow, CMR Gallien, 23a9. O: GALLIENVS AVG, radiate head right. R: NEPTVNO CONS AVG, hippocamp right; N (officina) in exergue.

Yup, they are, quite appropriately, Gallienus 'Zoo series' coins! The panther is a truly splendid super-upgrade to my current humble example, and the hippocamp is one that's been on my want list for a very long time. Needless to say, I love them both, and also promptly used the book as a reference when I attributed them.

I am quite honestly overwhelmed by the gift. Merci beaucoup, my mysterious French friend "Q"!

 

IO Saturnalia! My thanks to my mysterious Saturn who sent me this beautiful coin from the Sallent collection (forgive the phone pictures - my photo set-up was pur away during the school year, but since tomorrow is the official start of my break, I'm going to have to pull it back out again!)

Castile and Leon
Sancho IV, r. 1284-1295
Seville Mint, BI Cornado, 19mm x 0.7 grams
Obv: SAnC-II REX. Crowned bust left
Rev: +CASTEL-LE LE-GIOnIS. Castle witn sar and 'S' above
Ex. Sallent Collection

I haven't yet delved into the wide world of Medieval Spanish coins yet, but there is no denying this one is a beauty, with the detailed bust and magnificent castle on the reverse. Thank you again Saturn!!

 

Yes! Keep Saturn in Saturnalia!


"Saturnus," from a set of eight plates by Goltzius. After the monochrome paintings by Polidoro for the courtyard wall in the quarter of St.Paul's Convent, on the Quirinal at Rome, now called Monte Cavallo.
Dutch, 1592
Printed engraving on paper
355 mm x 212 mm
British Museum Collection

Thank you very much to my Secret Saturnalia benefactor! Three coins! Wonderful additions to my collection!


Postumus, AD 260-269
Roman AR Antoninianus; 2.39 g, 19.4 mm, 12 h
Cologne, AD 265-268
Obv: IMP C POSTVMVS P F AVG, radiate, draped and cuirassed bust, right
Rev: PROVIDENTIA AVG, Providentia standing left, holding globe and transverse scepter
Refs: RIC 80; Cohen 295; DeWitte 247; RCV 10977; Hunter 75


Claudius II "Gothicus", AD 268-270
Roman billon Antoninianus; 3.12 g, 18.2 mm, 1 h
Rome, issue I, Sept 268-end 269
Obv: IMP C CLAVDIVS AVG, radiate and cuirassed bust, right
Rev: IOVI STATORI, Jupiter standing left, holding scepter and thunderbolt
Refs: RIC 52 var.; Cohen 124; MER/RIC temp. 262; RCV 11341; Normanby 595

And this tiny nummus, which I will have to rephotograph in natural sunlight:


Marcian, AD 450-457
Roman Æ nummus; 1.41 g, 10.3 mm, 12 h
Constantinople, AD 450-457
Obv: D N MARCIANVS P F AVG, diademed, draped and cuirassed bust, right
Rev: Monogram in wreath:

Ꚛ above; CON in exergue
Refs: RIC 546; RCV 21395

 

Got coins! I really like them...but the gift of a book is a gift of learning and that is always special.

 

Very nice. I like the Marcian best.

 

Very nice. I have looked at several coins of Sancho but have not bought one yet.

 

A great parthian coin! Wonderful.

 

Wonderful gifts from various Secret Saturn so far folks, I love them all

Q

 

Thanks @Pishpash, glad you enjoyed the coin!

I'd like to give a big thanks to my generous benefactor, unfortunately he only included his "real world" name (which I didn't recognize) and not his Cointalk screen name, and I don't know if he wants his real name used here. So, please feel free to expose your identity if you want, and big thanks in any case!

My coin:

It's a Faustina Junior sestertius, featuring a reverse of Fecunditas holding a baby. I've posted my two denarii from Faustina's Fecunditas series (featuring two babies on a pulvinar, and Fecunditas with four (!) babies), but this is my first bronze with the theme. Thanks for the coin, and Happy Saturnalia, everyone!

 

I'm a sucker for these awesomely toned denari!

 

My coin is a sweet AE from Colonia Patricia of Augustus that fits nicely into my provincial collection. Thank you to my gifter for such a nice and thoughtful gift.

 

I'm so glad that you received the package on time, @Orfew ! I was experiencing a bit of anxiety—having very little experience with international shipping. Thank you for the kind words and documentation of images! I was delighted when JA sent me your name as my Saturnalia gift recipient. I knew that the Herod the Great coin was destined for your collection and the Napoleon medal was going to a good home also.

Happy Holidays, my friend! Your knowledge and contributions to this forum are greatly appreciated!

I've received a beautiful coin from an anonymous Santa and will be displaying it later today. I'm still researching it's fascinating history.

 

Nice gifts, everyone!

Still waiting for mine. Got the tracking from the post office "informed delivery" and it's been yoyoing back and forth to the L.A. distribution center 3 times now since Dec 10.

 

My santa obviously knew I'm slowly putting together an emperess collection.
When I opened the box and sifted through the paper packaging the first coin I saw was the reverse, and was blown away.
Some quick photos as I've been working every day and long hours.
Excuse the fingers, I work with my hands and they're somewhat stained. Aircraft sealant is hard to remove from anything

Coin #1

Tranquillina (241-244 AD)
AE 26mm, 8.47g,
CA TRANKYΛΛINA AV diademed & draped bust right
MHTPO KAIC B N
Mt. Argaeus set on altar
ET V in exergue
SYD 617a [scarce]

Coin #2

This is my first of this type and only my 2nd Byzantine coin


Alexius III (1195-1205 AD)
Billon Trachy - Consantinople
2.62g, 30mm
JC-XC + KE HQEI, Bust of Christ facing, beardless, wearing nimbus cross, holding scroll & raising hand in benedication.
[ALEZIW ECP TW KWCTANTI] Alexius & St. Constantine standing facing, holding labara, globe cross between
Sear 2013

I think I know who my santa is but not certain.
Thanks for the generous coins. The Tranquillina has been on my want list and much appreciated. Alexius is awsome and is my 1st from the era. Both are great additions to my collection