I wonder how many of you Roman coin collectors would consider adding an emperor with a "Roman Provincial" instead of a "Roman Imperial" coin? Here is a provincial coin of Elagabalus (218-22): Elagabalus, 218-222. 25 mm., Struck at Odessus, Thrace City name in Greek on reverse. Sear GI 3041/reverse of 3654. Weber 2664, plate 102. Nice portrait. Good surfaces. It is 25 mm and has an excellent fleshy portrait of the decadent young emperor. Compare that coin to this one of Elagabalus: This one is a Roman imperial denarius. Denarius. FIDES EXERCITVS. RIC 68, p. 33. BMC 15, plate 85.8, page 532. "218-219 AD" It is only 20 mm. But, I bet many would much prefer the second coin to the first for two reasons. One, it is silver (debased), and two, it is "imperial." So, I figure the second is worth more. But, how much more? So, I am asking if you don't collect provincial coins at all, only occasionally, or if you collect them as much as imperial when the size and type are appealing?
i consider an emperor "checked" if i have any coin of his that i like. i dig them both, but kind of like provincials more....lots of variety and cool stuff on them. if i had to pick one of the two above, i'd take the denarius...but just because it seems bit nicer. i also don't have that reverse type.
You asked how many of us would consider getting a provincial instead of an imperial for an Emperor? Well, glad you asked! Hadrian, Cappadocian hemidrachm
They are all good to me. I actually find provincials generally more interesting than imperial issues. I really like Roman Egypt, but everyone seems to nowadays and the prices are through the roof!
I like provincials just as much as I do imperials. But I collect provincials just as that: provincials. I have a ton of them, probably near as many as I do imperial coins. TITUS Billon Tetradrachm OBVERSE: AVTOK TITOY - laureate head right REVERSE: Bust of Serapis right, LB before Struck at Alexandria, Egypt, Year 2 = 79-80 AD 12.7g, 25mm Dattari 426, BMC 2741, RPC 2464 ANTONIUS PIUS AR Didrachm OBVERSE: ANTWNEI-NOC CEBACTOC, laureate head right REVERSE: YPAT B PAT PATR, Helios, holding globe and sceptre, standing atop Mt. Argaeus; * in exergue Struck at Caesaria, Cappadocia, 139 AD 6.2g, 21mm Syd 301c MACRINUS Pentassarion AE28 OBVERSE: AVT K OPEL CEVH MAKREINOC K M OPEL ANTWNEINOC - confronted busts REVERSE: VP PONTIAN-OV MARKIANO/ POLIT, Coiled serpent with radiate head Struck at Markianopolis, Moesia Inferior, Magistrate Pontianus; 217 - 218 AD 12.6g, 28mm Hr & J (2012) 6.24.22.6 ELAGABALUS AE26 OBVERSE: AVT M AVRH ANTWEINOC, Laureate head right REVERSE: UP NOBIOU ROUFOU NIKOPOLITWN PROCI-CT-PO-N, eagle standing facing, wings open, head left with wreath in its beak Struck at Nikopolis ad Istrum, 218-222 AD 14.13g, 26mm Moushmov 1433
I'm usually more attracted to provincials. In my collection, provincials outnumber imperials by a wide margin. As for the recent escalation of prices for coins of Roman Egypt, might that have something to do with the US MOU with Greece?
I would honestly rather have a nice large chunk of bronze than a smaller piece of silver. I love provincials- Actually, the OP coin would fit in great with mine!
Bigger is always better, except for when it comes to silver or billon (they always win out over bigger AE coins). I may be biased. I am a huge silver bug, so the more silver it has, the more I love it.
Same, especially if its a scarcer/rare emperor in imperial but not in provincials. When I first started into ancients I didn't give much glance to provincials but the past 4 years I have no issues adding them, even if it's common.
Gooooooooollllllddddd...... Even WHITE Gooooolllllldddd..... Love either, whether Provincial or Imperial, as long as it is a cool coin, and fils my Portrait Slot for Emperors. Other Ancient collecting is my primary focus, Emperors: I really don't care.
Given a choice between a sestertius and a denarius in the same condition, I would pick the sestertius. Bigger is better!
I don't much like giving a reductive answer for a question that has so many variables, but if that's the name of the game here, for me, generally-speaking, it would be: 1. Small provincial AE (<20mm) vs Imperial denarius Winner: Imperial Denarius 2. Mid-sized provincial AE (~25mm) vs Imperial denarius Winner: Imperial Denarius unless provincial AE has an interesting reverse (ie., not just garden variety god standing) 3. Large-sized provincial AE (>25mm) vs Imperial denarius Winner: It'll be a fight, but the larger the provincial is, the more likely I'm going to go with hit Some have showed provincial silver or billon coins; for me those have about equivalent or greater attractiveness. In the case of the OP coins, I'd have to go with the denarius (with apologies to the Great God of Odessus). You also mentioned "worth"... it'd be different to different people, but I'd reckon the denarius would retail for at least twice the provincial coin.
