Coins of yours that no one else on CT has and other hijinks;)-

Wonderful @TIF - another galloping horse with a snake-e-o.

 

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..no fair hiding coins!

 

Thrilled to have just received this rare beauty!
Though, the excellent portrait of a Helmeted Alexander is even more stunning in hand, I purchased this coin for the reverse.
It shows a man standing holding a spear in the ground. Oooooh.
Alexander is known to have claimed Persia as having been spear won by throwing a spear in the ground as soon as he reached those foreign shores. Talk about cocky! That was even before the battle at the Granicus!
Though, I've found two other coins with this reverse, neither with the Helmeted Alexander obverse, and one saying emperor or Alexander and the other saying soldier, I propose this is indeed Alexander claiming his spear won territory of Persia:


Koinon of Macedon. Pseudo-autonomous issue. Tetrassarion (Bronze, 25 mm, 9.38 g, 6 h), time of Severus Alexander, 222-235. ΑΛЄΞΑΝΔΡ૪ Head of Alexander III 'the Great' to right, wearing crested Attic helmet decorated with a griffin on the bowl. KOINON MA-KEDONWN NE-W, Emperor or Alexander standing front in military dress, looking right, possibly Alexander claiming Persia as spear won with spear in ground and parazonium. VF. Rare. No examples in Acsearch nor Wildwinds. Purchased from Savoca September 2021

 

Lovely coins in this thread!

Below are some coins of which I'm pretty sure no one on this board has. But if I'm wrong, I'd love to see other specimens!







And then there are the next two coins, of which the PN is said to be unique, which is not unique when it comes to coins of PN. And the Commodus is a neat hybrid, of which I have been able to locate just one other example. Would be interested to see if a member of this board has that example!

 

Going through my coins, I thought I'd post this one too. Coin is not in good condition, but the story behind it more than makes up for it.

 

Here's one I've not seen posted before...
Marcus Aurelius. AD 161-180. Æ Sestertius. Rome mint. Struck AD 171...(32mm, 24.68 g)
Obv. Laureate, draped head right, IMP M ANTONINVS AVG TRP XXV
Rev. Fides standing left, holding Victory and standard, FIDES EXERCITVVM COS III SC
RIC III 997......Double die match to the only example in the British Museum Collection..

 

Hi- you’re coin looks kind of like mine. Mine is 24.5 mm diameter, 8.5 gr. Not sure what I have here though:

 

is this coin rare because of the mint mark?

 

Doubt anyone has this small, billon coin. Appears to be a half-siliqua from a barbarous tribe that took over western Roman empire in 500-700sAD or so. Not sure, but has a king’s head with a jeweled crown on obverse, and some kind of double cross on reverse

 

I got this information from Dane who is the administrator of Wildwinds.

So this is the one in the list as RIC VII Cyzicus 113 var (officina) r5 Jim Buchholz's collection

It is rated R5 because it is not in RIC (or anywhere else I have searched), and it isn't on wildwinds - though it soon will be because I would love to add your coin. However because it is now a second example, it has be downgraded to R4 (which means only extremely few known, as opposed to R5 which means unique).
Of course, there is much more to the history of this coin. I am an amateur having been doing this for just two years. Any other feedback is always appreciated.

 

I'm assuming were only suppose to post "normal" coins and not mint errors or brockages? If that's the case here are my rarities I doubt any CT members have:

Authority: Elagabalus
Denomination: AR Denarius
Mint: Rome (218 - 222 AD)
Obverse: IMP CAES ANTONINVS AVG – should be IMP ANTONINVS AVG,
Laureate, draped bust right
Reverse: PROVID DEORVM, Providentia standing left with legs crossed and leaning on column, holding wand over globe and cornucopia
References: RIC -; BMCRE -; Sear RCV -; RSC -; OCRE - (hybrid or unlisted), extremely rare (only 4 known)


Province, City: Aeolis, Elaea (Elaia) - (Time of Marcus Aurelius)
Denomination: AE 16
Mint: Elaea (169 - 175 AD)
Obverse: ΕΛΑΙΤΩΝ, turreted and draped bust of Tyche wearing wreath, right
Reverse: ΕΛΑΙΤΩΝ, kalathos containing two poppies and two ears of corn
References: RPC IV.2, 2614 (specimen #5), extremely rare (only 5 known with 3 in museums)


Province, City: Bithynia, Cius
Denomination: AE 22
Obverse: ΤOΝ ΚΤΙϹΤΗΝ, Head of Heracles (bearded), right
Reverse: KIANΩN, Athena standing left holding patera and long spear, resting hand on shield
References: RPC Online IV.1, 11797 (specimen #2), extremely rare (only 3 known)


Province, City: Caria, Stratonikeia
Denomination: AR Hemidrachm
Mint: Stratonikeia (133 – 125 BC)
Obverse: Laureate head of Zeus right
Reverse: Eagle with spread wings standing right, IACΔI above, Σ-T across fields, helmet to lower right; all within incuse square
References: Unpublished, Historia Numoum Online (specimen 2805); Meadows - (erroneously listed as Meadows Group 2, 31 (O10/R27); BMCG -; SNG Cop -; SNG Keckman -; SNG Tubingen -; SNG Munchen -; SNG Kayhan -


Province, City: Lydia, Saitta - (Time of Hadrian)
Denomination: AE 34
Mint: Saitta (117 - 138 AD)
Obverse: ϹΑΙΤΤΗΝΩΝ, Helmeted and draped bust of Athena, with aegis right
Reverse: ƐΠΙ ΟΚΤΑΒΙ ΚΙΝΒΡΟΥ ΑΡΧ ϹΑΙΤΤΗΝΩΝ, Mên standing left holding pine cone on his right hand, left resting on staff
References: RPC Online, RPC III, 2544c (specimen #5), extremely rare (only 5 known with 2 in museums)


Province, City: Lydia, Tralles - Gordian III
Denomination: AE 18
Mint: Tralles (238 - 244 AD)
Obverse: ΓΟΡΔΙΑΝΟC ΑΥ, laureate, draped and cuirassed bust right, seen from rear
Reverse: ΤΡΑΛΛΙΑΝΩΝ, basket with poppy and ears of corn
References: GPRC Lydia 353; RPC ONLINE: RPC VII.1, 500 (specimen #5), extremely rare (only 5 known with 2 in museums)


Province, City: Macedonia, Thessalonica - Philip I
Denomination: AE 25
Mint: Thessalonica (244 - 245 AD)
Obverse: ΑΥ Κ Μ ΙΟΥ ΦΙΛΙΠΠΟC, laureate, draped and cuirassed bust of Philip I, right, seen from rear
Reverse: ΘECCΑΛΟΝΙΚEΩΝ ΝEΩΚΟΡ, agonistic crown with palm branch with inscription ΠΥΘΙΑ
References: Touratsoglou 41, 88; RPC ONLINE: RPC VIII, 86226 (specimen #5), extremely rare (only 5 known with 2 in museums)

 

Ok I got one for this thread...
CLEMENT VIII PAPE AVIGNON DOUZAIN 1597

 

Anyone have one of these?

GORDIAN III, AD 238-244
AE As (25.10mm, 8.47g, 12h)
Struck AD 242/3. Rome mint
Obverse: IMP GORDIANVS PIVS FEL AVG, laureate and draped bust of Gordian III right
Reverse: VIRTVS AVGVSTI, Gordian, in military attire, seated left on cuirass, holding spear, crowned by Victory standing left
behind him and receiving branch from Mars or Virtus standing right before; two standards in background, S C in exergue
References: RIC IV 326 (R2), RCV 8809
A very rare type, possibly commemorating Gordian's successful campaign against the Sassanid empire and the defeat of Shapur I at the Battle of Resaena in 243.​

 

One of my favorite numismatic themes: "Rarity" always depends on how we define the categories.

I have a few coins that have been described as "unique" in print, but that label might no longer apply if we shifted the boundaries of the "types," or which characteristics we considered important (e.g., control symbols, die-combinations, regnal years, magistrates).

Here are a few. I'd love to know if anyone has seen another specimen fitting these "types."


1. Severus Alexander Year 7 Elpis Alexandrian Tetradrachm

(only known specimen)

Ex Giovanni Dattari (1853-1923) collection, but first published in 1999.
Dattari-Savio (1999, 2007) 12335 / 9892bis (this coin illustrated as pencil rubbing) = RPC VI Temp 10362 (this coin) = Emmet 3101 (7), pp. 153 & 254 (this coin cited).​

There are other Severus Alexander Tetradrachms with Elpis reverse types from his Regnal Years 11 [RPC 10523], 12 [10562], and 13 [10606].

But this is the only Elpis for Sev. Alex. in Year 7 (LZ = 227/8 CE). There were briefly believed to be two specimens -- so it is described as "Specimen #2" (!) in RPC Online -- but this coin turned out to be both of them!

There are a couple specimens for Julia Mamaea, though only a single pencil rubbing exists to illustrate that type [RPC 10376]. So, if my reverse die matches one of hers, it's possible that both of my dies are known from other types -- just not together! If the two dies were separately common, but not in combination, would we still consider it to be as rare?


2. Antoninus Pius AE Großbronze (34mm, 21.25g) from Hadrianopolis

(only known specimen)

This coin = RPC IV.1 Temp. 11165 = Varbanov 3145. See also Wildwinds pages (corr., cited as Moushmov 2498) for Thrace, Hadrianopolis [LINK] & Antoninus Pius [LINK].​

There are specimens with different legends and the horse and figure facing to the right (Varbanov 3158), but this is the only one with Castor (?) standing left.

Once again, this coin was briefly believed to be the second known, but both turned out to be the same (Varbanov had just tinkered around a bit with the photo)!


3. Bithynia, Herakleia EL Hekte (1/6 Stater) c. 530 BCE (formerly Ionia, Erythrae)

(formerly common, now the only known specimen ["a"] of the type "Fischer-Bossert 10")

This coin = Fischer-Bossert 10 (V5’’/O9), page 89 & illustrated on page 156.
Only known example of its reverse die; possibly the only known example of obverse die, too, though Fischer-Bossert suggests it may be re-engraved from obv. die V5.​

We're used to thinking that rare ancient coins can become common when others are unearthed. But, as in this case, common coins also become "rare" or "unique" when we redefine the types more narrowly.

Die-studies like Fischer-Bossert's often construct the "type" very narrowly as the "die-combination." Where there used to be only one general type of this EL Hekte, or perhaps a few, depending which reference you used, now there are 173 types of these Herakles/incuse-square Hektes!

We can also define the "types" more broadly, for example, by using Fischer-Bossert's Groups 1 through 26, or by period (about a dozen periods, c. 530-420 BCE), or by weight standard (looks like 2 or 3) -- in which case, we would count anywhere from 29 to several hundred known specimens!

Which category to use is not objectively fixed, so "how rare" depends on context.


4. Caria, Myndus AR Drachm, 2nd cent. BCE, magistrate Apollonios

(one of two from this magistrate, the other now lost (?), only example photographed)

This coin = Gorny 247 (2017), Sammlung Laurent Bricault (1963-), 4030 = SNRIS Myndus 02 (a6) = HNO 2653.1 = Lanz 131 (2006), Sammlung Erich Karl (1924-2009), 266 = (probably) Gorny 81 (3 Mar 1997), 342, cited in Meadows & Zabel (Coin Hoards IX, 522: pp. 248 n. 7 & 251).​

This magistrate was known at the end of the 19th century from a specimen in the James Whittall Collection, purchased by Hoffmann in 1867, and published by Imhoof-Blumer in 1876. It was never photographed or illustrated, to my knowledge (or that of other scholars of the type).

It's been almost 150 years since the disposition of the other specimen was last known. (Its weight was published, so we know it was not this one.) Does it still exist? Was it blown apart during the World Wars or melted down during any number of upheavals or thefts? Do we still say there are two known, if we don't really know if the other one survives? How would we answer if we knew that the other had been melted down?

...

Two more quickly, both "unique" in a way...

Rhegion AR Hemilitron, 7mm, 0.31g. Very rare denomination for type (maybe 3 or 4? all same obv. die) but unique with these reverse controls.
Elivra Clain-Stefanelli Collection, published in RBN 1987, E. C.-S., “Fractionals” [to PDF] Fig. 32-2 (this coin illustrated)

Incidentally, look how tiny that little 0.07g Hexas is! (I'd love to have gotten that one, but I missed its sale at Naville in 2016!) Clearly the same engraver of the lion mask, whose work can be recognized on the larger denominations too.

Syracuse AR Tetradrachm, c. 450 BCE. Reasonably non-rare obverse (V274) and reverse (R378) dies from Boehringer Series XV, but to my knowledge the only specimen with this die-pair. (Unpublished.)
Was incorrectly identified in 2015 as a "Boehringer 540" by Goldberg, but it actually has a different obverse die (V274 not V275). I'm glad about that: I much prefer this one, since my rear horse is more spirited and its head visible, unlike the other.

 

A few more:

Province, City: Moesia Inferior, Odessus (Odessos) - Marcus Aurelius
Denomination: AE 22
Mint: Odessus (Odessos) (161 - 162 AD)
Obverse: ΑV ΚΑΙ ΜΑΡ ΑVΡΗ ΑΝΤΩΝΕΙΝOC, bare head of Marcus Aurelius, right
Reverse: ΟΔΗϹϹΕΙΤΩΝ, nude Heracles (bearded) standing, right, resting arm on club, holding lion skin
References: Berlin 1902.1064; RPC ONLINE: RPC IV.1, 8205 (specimen #3), extremely rare (only 3 known with 1 in museum)


Province, City: Lycia-Pamphylia, Magydus - Gallienus
Denomination: AE 29
Mint: Magydus (253 - 268 AD)
Obverse: ΑΥT ΚAI ΠO ΛI ΓAΛΛΙΗΝΟ ϹEB, laureate, draped and cuirassed bust of Gallienus, right, seen from rear; below, globe
Reverse: ΜΑΓΥΔƐΩΝ, river god Katarraktes reclining left resting on urn, holding rudder and cornucopia in left hand; I in left field
EX: MA
References: Watson 1852; Ünal 82; SNG vA 4646; RPC ONLINE: RPC X, 62243 (specimen #4), extremely rare (only 5 known with 2 in museums)


Province, City: Lycia-Pamphylia, Perge - Herennia Etruscilla (Reign of Trajan Decius)
Denomination: AE 24
Mint: Perge (249 - 251 AD)
Obverse: ΕΡΕΝ ΑΙΤΡΟΥϹΚΙΛΛΑΝ ϹΕ, diademed and draped bust of Etruscilla, right
Reverse: ΠΕΡΓΑΙΩΝ, Tyche standing left, holding rudder and cornucopia
References: Lindgren I, 1132; RPC ONLINE: RPC IX, 1105 (specimen #2), extremely rare (only 2 known)

Province, City: Phrygia, Docimeum (Dokimeion) - Tranquillina (Gordian III)
Denomination: AE 27
Mint: Docimeum (Dokimeion) (241- 244 AD)
Obverse: ϹΑΒ ΤΡΑΝΚΥΛΛΕΙΝΑ Ϲ, diademed and draped bust of Tranquillina, right
Reverse: ΔΟΚΙΜΕΩΝ ΜΑΚΕΔΟΝΩΝ, Tyche of Docimeum seated left on rocks, holding ear of corn; at her feet, river god Dureius
References: RPC ONLINE: RPC VII.1, 750 (specimen #2), extremely rare (only 3 known with 1 in museum)

Province, City - Reign: Pontos, Amisos – (Time of Aemilian)
Denomination: AE 22
Mint: Amisos (253 AD) CΠΔ = YEAR 284
Obverse: AMICOY ΕΛEYΘEPAC, Head of Dionysos right wearing ivy leaf crown
Reverse: ETOYC CΠΔ, Vertical filleted thrysus
References: SNG France VII, 1467; RecGen Vol 1, Part 2, page 59, 63; Imhoof KM Vol 1, page 2, no. 6, plate I.2; RPC Online IX, 1233 (specimen #3), extremely rare (only 3 known with 2 in museums):
Specimen #1 - previously owned by Friedrich Imhoof-Blumer 1900–1920; Oscar Bernhard 1920–1928; donated to the Staatliche Museen zu Berlin in 1928.
Specimen #2 - previously owned by the Russian Grand Duke Georgii Mikhailovich, purchased by the Bibliothèque nationale de France (BnF) in mid 1920's. This coin is very historical as the Grand Duke's coin collection was taken during the Bolshevik Revolution and he was executed in 1919. Shortly thereafter his entire collection was sold at various auctions.
Specimen #3 - the only coin in a private collection (best example of the 3)
All 3 coins are double die matches