Featured Follow the coin theme GAME - ancient edition - post ‘em if you got ‘em

Thanks @GinoLR , I was relying on Metcalf's 1975 paper on The Tell Kalak Hoard and Trajan's Arabian Mint. Museum Notes (American Numismatic Society), 20, 39–108. Which rules out Caesarea and suggests Bostra (although admittedly with reservation: "It may have been located in Bostra, but certainty is impossible"). Woytek and Buttrey's more recent 2015 paper is a useful update: The Camel Drachms of Trajan in Context: Old Problems and a New Overstrike. The Numismatic Chronicle (1966-), 175, 117–136. Let me know if you have other relevant references to recommend.

 

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Marcus Aurelius, sestertius, 180 AD. Consecratio reverse, with a left facing eagle standing on globe.
Cohen 89
22.6 grams

Next: Any coin of the first adoptive Roman emperor.

 

Augustus. 27 BC-AD 14. AR Denarius (4.00 g, 10h). Rome mint. L. Aquillius Florus, moneyer. Struck 19/8 BC. CAESAR AVGVSTVS, bare head right / RIC I 309; RSC 364; BMCRE 46-8 = BMCRR Rome 4553-5;
L # AQVILLIVS # FLORVS # III # VIR #, open flower, displaying six petals, stamen, and pistil.

Next :Augustus but earlier than this one.

 

Octavian AR Cistophoric Tetradrachm of Ephesus. 28-20 BC. IMP CAESAR DIVI F COS VI LIBERTATIS P R VINDEX, laureate head right / PAX, Pax standing left, holding caduceus, beside a cista mystica to right with serpent emerging, all within laurel wreath. RSC 218; RIC 476; RPC 2203; Sear 1533. 27mm, 11.4g

This may technically be just an Octavian type, but the date range wildwinds provided stretches into Augustus territory so I'm going to sneak it in anyway.

Next: cistophorus / cistophoric tetradrachm

 

DOMITIAN
AR Cistophoric Tetradrachm
OBVERSE: IMP CAESAR DOMITIANVS AVG P M COS VIII, laureate head right of Domitian
REVERSE: Legionary eagle (Aquila) between two standards; one surmounted by a banner, the other by a hand
Struck at Rome for circulation in Asia, 82 AD
10.39 g 25.5mm
RIC II 843; RSC 667, RPC 865; BMC 252

Next: Any Flavian

 

Titus denarius with a banker's mark (or was it in conformity with the ISO technical standard?)

Next up : Banker's mark or countermark

 

Next: a full figure on a Greek coin.

 

All right, the game is active again!

My favorite full figure on a Roman coin is probably this Zeus Labraundos, with his double-headed axe (labrys) over shoulder, a distinctively Carian version of Zeus.

CNG's photo:

Other photos of this coin (or photos-of-casts of this coin, Weber, Bement X2, Lockett X2, Aulock, CNG, Noble):

NEXT:
Facing head on a Greek coin​

 

What an amazing coin and amazing provenance @Curtis ! I have done some provenance hunting for my hecatomnid but so far nothing before 2011. Congratulations on such a splendid specimen.



Next: Same theme… facing head on a Greek coin.

 

Another favorite Greek silver coin with a facing head...


Larissa AR Drachm (20mm, 5.68g), c. early 4th BCE = BCD Thessaly II 218 = Lorber (2009), Thessaly 1993 Hoard, Nr. 9 = Lorber - Shahar O6/R3, Spec. A.

NEXT:
another ancient HORSE coin​

 

Eastern Celts, tetradrachm, Leierblume type, circa 3rd century BC.
From Roma Auction XVIII, lot 130.



Next: A coin issued by a tyrant. Any old tyrant will do.

 

Top of many peoples lists...


Nero AD 54-68. Rome
As Æ

28 mm, 8,52 g

IMP NERO CAESAR AVG GERM, laureate head right / PACE P R VBIQ PARTA IANVM CLVSIT / S - C, temple of Janus with latticed window on right and garlanded and closed double doors on left.

Next Diocletian

 

I have only one Diocletian, and even though posted previously I am happy to post it again.
Diocletian AD 284-305. Potin Tetradrachm (19.5mm, 7.38 g.)
Egypt, Alexandria mint, dated RY 6 (AD 290/1).
Obv. A K G OYA ΔIOKΛHTIANOC CEB, laureate, cuirassed bust right
Rev. Eirene looking left, holding branch and scepter, SL (date) across field. No reverse legend.
Attractive brown patina.
Scarce variety with unusual date order,SL instead of LS
NEXT: Egypt Alexandria

 

Sorry for the time-out from the game, but I couldn't resist!

Ooh, great Celtic Tetradrachm! I was checking out the awesomely abstract lyre & wheel symbols, then noticed it came from Roma Auction 18....

You are probably aware, but...

Roma XVIII (29 Sep 2009) was Part II of the Hermann Lanz (1910-1998) Collection, one of most important private collections of Celtic coins. Published in an important reference shortly before Hermann's death:

Michaela Kostial (1997/2003). Kelten im Osten - Gold und Silber der Kelten in Mittel- und Osteuropa - Sammlung Lanz. München: Verlag Staatlichen Münzsammlung.​

1997: The Kostial-Lanz book was published on the occasion of a major German State Museum exhibition of the collection (a big deal!):

Staatlichen Münzsammlung München, for the International Numismatic Congress in Berlin, 1997.​

2003: Another exhibit for 60th birthday of Hermann's son, Hubert (1943-), w/ fewer coins & Kostial's 2nd ed.

Your (@robinjojo 's) coin: in both exhibitions & both book editions, published as Kostial-Lanz 522.

Hermann acquired it from his own auction (actually, son Hubert took over, c. 1989/90, after Hermann's other son, Hubert's younger brother, was murdered, Ernst H. Lanz [1945-1989]):

Ex Lanz 54 (12 Nov 1990), lot 28.​

My specimen (Lanz 422, a "Baumreiter Drachm") shares most of the same history, though I don't know where Hermann got it. (I still haven't filled in the emply Lanz entires in my online provenance glossary, but I should. I've posted my coin from the collection w/ some info above.)
Expandable thumbnail (Lanz 422): Coin + Cover + Plate

 

I've posted a lot of my Alexandrian repeatedly, but have a few unposted. Or not posted much!​

Here's a new favorite. Hadrian AE Drachm from Alexandria. Euthenia on reverse:



Aside from the "heroic bust," I like this one for his backstory, I'll give a proper post at some point, but here's the expandable thumbnail:

NEXT:

Portrait / Bust (Human or Deity)
that you find especially
Interesting or Attractive​

 

Fantastic that you would devote such energy to helping a fellow member with provenance research. Hats off to you sir.

One of my favorite coins in my “12 Olympian Portraits Collection” is this Dionysus.


BOEOTIA, Thebes
AR Stater, struck ca. 425-400 BC
(22 mm, 3h, 11.84 g)
Obv.: Boeotian shield.
Rev.: Θ-Ε Bearded head of Dionysos to right, wearing ivy wreath.
Ref.: BCD Boiotia 438. An attractive, toned example.
Ex Collection of Kommerzienrat Heinrich Otto Jr. (H Otto), Stuttgart (1856-1931), Adolph Hess Nachf. (Luzern) Auktion 207, Lot 422 (Dec. 1, 1931); Ex W. F. Stoecklin Collection, Amriswil (1888-1975), acquired from Münzen und Medaillen in Basel prior to 1975; Ex Obolos 8, lot 224 (Dec. 2, 2017)

I am sure that you are aware of the German industrialists whose collection this came from. It is one of my favorite portraits and provenances. Published in Hess 207 in 1931.



Next: More interesting portraits!

 

Characene, Attambelos I, 47/46 25/24 BC, BI tetradrachm, dated SE 280 (33/2 BC). Hill Series C
11.85 grams



Next: Another interesting portrait, female this time.

 

Thank you for the information, Curtis. I was aware of the provenance, but not to the extent that you posted. Thanks again!

BTW, I think the lyre-like figure is actually the rider, highly stylized in the Celtic tradition.

 

A good opportunity to share my favorite portrait on any coin at all. I find her endlessly fascinating.

I'm convinced this was an actual living person, presumably one of the Gallic captives brought back by Caesar (not in an "I can demonstrate it empirically" sort of way, but I believe it nonetheless).

Her grimace makes clear what she thought of the Romans. (But the portrait shows a mysterious degree of respect by the Romans, as did the matching portrait Gallic male portrait denarius.)

​

Roman Republic. L. Hostilius Saserna. AR Denarius (4,03g; 19mm; 8h). Rome, 48 BCE.
Obverse: Head of Gallia (as Pallor), right; Gallic trumpet (carnyx) behind.
Reverse: L•HOSTILIVS (right) / SASERNA (left). Diana / Artemis of Massalia (after the Ephesus original) standing facing, holding spear and stag by its antler.
References: Crawford 448/3; Hostilia 4; Syd 953
​

Sometimes I wonder if the Romans also imprisoned a woman related to Vercingetorix (his wife? the Boudicca we never learned of?), or another important woman from Gallic culture, possibly to be killed at Caesar's Triumph alongside Vercingetorix?

NEXT:

Interesting Hair​

 

I always thought this Clodius Albinus SEAR 6144 had weird hair. It looks as if the engraver started on the hair and then decided the beard should be identical as it was easy to engrave.
Next carry on with more hair.