budget elagabalus assarion, neat reverse

hi all,
i did a hop of the wagon a bit back and picked this little coin up out of the bargain bin. a cool provincial that i hadn't seen before, has a neat reverse. it must be a bit scarce, there aren't many of the type online, and ... toot my own horn...mine is one of the better one's i've found.




Elagabalus
218 - 222 AD
Nikopolis ad Istrum, Moesia Inferior
AE assarion

O: AVT K M ANTΩNINOC, laureate, draped and cuirassed bust right

R: ΝΙΚΟΠΟΛΙΤΩΝ ΠΡΟC ΙCΤΡΟΝ, Nike standing left, and Elagabalus standing right holding spear, they erect a trophy of captured arms with two bound captives at the base

Varbanov 3859

17.5 mm
3.7 g

this coin was very difficult to photograph. it really has a beautiful glossy black patina. indoor glare from lights was a problem, the above was taken in full sunlight. the color is a tad off.

 

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Beautiful and interesting piece, chrsmat!

 

Great find Chris, details are sweet! total winner..

 

Just my kind of coin. Congratulations my friend.

 

Very nice addition!

 

I'd love to see it in hand-- what a great find and fun coin!

I bought the opposite of your coin a week or so ago.

chrsmat71: dug through bargain bin, came up with a well-struck beautifully toned winner.
TIF: shopped at local antique store, bought overpriced off-center corroded unidentified coin (rationalization: trying to support the local economy )


(best-guess attribution) SYRIA, Laodicea ad Mare. Elagabalus. LEDI-CEON; (IMP C M AVR ANTONINVS), Laureate head right / Turreted bust of Tyche in distyle arched shrine. BMC 101, Lindgren I 2100A.

 

that's a cool coin TIF, i haven't seen tyche with the arch either.
so many cool provinicals, and elagabalus has a bunch of them.

 

That's a beautiful coin, Chris, with outstanding detail. It would seem that Nikopolis had higher standards than many other provincial mints. I see quite a few coins from Nikopolis in fairly high grades, like yours, that one can obtain at bargain prices.

I only have one to share, Septimius Severus with Mercury reverse, but it also has nice detail and came cheap.

 

I also understand how difficult it is to take good pics of black, glossy coins. You did a good job. As Doug once said, the problem is: how much light do you allow into your definition of black? My problem child is this bronze of Pergamon...



These coins always leave you saying it looks better in hand.

 

Great Elagabalus piece Chris!!!

I love your piece better than my sole and unphotographed denarius....Well-struck, glossy and interesting to the max......Congrats!!
And that Emperor has to be a featured player on Doug's mini-series....although I can just imagine the uproar over being 'politically incorrect' and 'stereotypical' considering Elagabulus' personal preferences....

 

thanks folks!

JA, that mercury with reverse is awesome...i like to see a sweet caduceus!

 

Hey @Bing, thanks for giving me my 5000th like

 

5,001.

I see stevex is the CT "like" leader by a huge margin, with bing and JA getting the silver and bronze. jello and DS rounding out the top 5.

i'm a respectable 7th place.

 

5002! But best start posting more coins if you want the next 5000. We don't just 'like' any old thing there, y'know.

 

From what I've observed, that is not true

 

You got me. I'll say anything to see more coins.

 

That is true, and probably being in the minority, I think we should push "like" if we really like what we see. Now don't get me wrong. I love almost all Roman and Greek coins, but when we see later Byzantine, Chinese, Eastern (Indian), I'm just not a fan and am not as likely to push the like button.

 

Nice ... yup chrsmat, that's a sweet, sweet Assarion you've got there, my friend (oh my, nicely played)

=> ummm, Assarion?? ... yah, okay ... I've got a couple (hopefully they belong in this cool thread?)

Cheers, my awesome coin-brother (Happy Easter)

Philip I, SYRIA, Seleucis and Pieria (Æ 8 Assaria)
Philip I & Tyche




Gallienus, Pamphylia, Side (AE 11 Assarion)
Gallienus w. c/m & Athena w. pomegranate

 

Great coins Steve---I'd love to have them myself...Do you allow them to go on tour?? They'd love it here about now---Spring in New York...

 

Mikey-Z ...

yah, those two coins usually travel on-the-road as the back-up band for:

=> Philip II and The Moesia Inferiors!!
(The Æ Pentassarion Tour!!)