Hi gang! I come back from a great fathers day weekend to find these on my desk. I think they are ok... but I'd like opinions. Diocletian 10.3g Next: Jovian 10.1g
I like these a lot. I have seen so many high quality LRB's lately. I feel a distraction and a purchase coming on even though I really shouldn't be buying anymore coins!
I agree with Mat. The Jovian is probably the more impressive coin. He did not rule a long time, nor did he make nearly as many large coins as Diocletian. Much scarcer.
I was only able to fine a couple of examples made in Antioch of the Jovian piece. It looks like the majority of the coins with this design were made in Thessalonica. And of the Antioch pieces none showed him in this head dress.
Some here... http://www.cngcoins.com/Coin.aspx?CoinID=110907 http://www.cngcoins.com/Coin.aspx?CoinID=229093
I am sorry to say the Jovian is a fake. Here is the fake example I owned: The key diagnostic is the lack of even the slightest concavity on the reverse. In fact, it almost bulges out slightly. Of course, the die match with my fake condemns it. But if I hadn't noted a die match with a coin Frank Robinson called fake, it probably would have passed me. But the more I look at it, the more I also see the outsized rosettes on the diadem, the crude eye, the uneven mintmark lettering, and nose. It is an excellent and convincing fake, but fake nonetheless. Sorry!
oh no! man, i would have never have thought that was a fake.....but the dioletician is great....its ok right? now i'm going to be all coin paranoid again. :dismay:
Great post, thank you sir. Its a great diagnostic the oversized diadems. I will keep that one in mind.
*sigh* Ummm yah, I'm probably only batting "500" in the fake/authentic league ... => Oh, but very good eye, Valentinian (yah I'm pretty sure that you're the Ty Cobb of the ol' coin league!!?) => battin' a thousand!! Well played :bow:
Steve, I like the Medusa head you posted in your avatar. What Greek city issued that hideous coin? Its like the snakes are in 3D coming out after me......
Yah, I must admit that I felt Windchild's pain ... so I had to save poor ol' Liz-II's rep (long live the Queen)