My new coin for today is an AE drachm of Alexandria for Caracalla with Zeus reverse. It has many faults but is better than anything remotely similar I have seen at a price I'd pay. Splits and wear don't bother me but the date is LK plus a letter at the right that could be B or Gamma so I am uncertain if the coin is year 22 or 23. Sure we could have more obverse letters, too. LKB is not listed in Emmett but seems the best guess. The one below is a much better type and has over half the obverse legend making it beyond exceptional. That may be why it sold for $8500. Nice Severan Alexandrian bronzes are not common. I feel lucky to have the one I have. https://www.cngcoins.com/Coin.aspx?CoinID=240236
That's a very nice coin, Doug. I really like the portrait on it. I ran the "sharpen" filter twice in photoshop, looks like"B" to me too.
A pleasant surprise to see Caracalla (and an excellent portrait of him, at that) on a drachm of Alexandria. Nice score!
Mentor => wow, that's an awesome first coin ... Hmmm, are you going to be able to pull-back on the reins and merely post one of your new hoard, per day! (or even per week? => I hope so ... then your purchase will end-up being quite thrifty) ... ummm, but if you end-up being like me, then your 20 or 30 coins will be posted within the next week!! (either way, I love your first coin and I can't wait to see the next one!!) cheers, brother => congrats again on scoring those amazing lots
You realize I have to hate you a little bit for this, right? I guess I'm happy that lot went to a friend since I couldn't bid on it.
Bronze drachms of Alexandria like this are about 34mm diameter. Silver ones from other places are half that.
Newb alert...... Didn't the Romans use denarii and the Greeks use drachms? Why did a Roman emperor mint drachms? Could you give some backstory on this?
