"Follow The Leader" coin thread BY THEME (for ALL types of coins, tokens, and medals)

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I found this picture amongst my archive of coins bought and sold - I can't remember where they went on to:

 

I don't have any paperwork with this one, however it looks like one of the Admiral Gardner shipwreck coins, and is in way too good a condition to have been circulated much.

 

I don't have any true shipwreck coins but I do have a ton that were recovered from the Musi River in Palembang, Sumatra. The city has been continuously occupied since the mid-late 600s AD and up until the last two centuries the city was miles long and only one or two blocks wide around the river. Over the years a ton of artifacts and coins have gone missing and are now showing up by divers.

Tang Dynasty of China
718-732 CE
AE Cash; 2.91g 24.5mm
Kai Yuan Tong Bao
Middle Type
H#14.4​

 

This was my first coin from China. Found it on the playground in grade school. I recall playing some type of game and getting knocked to the grassy ground. This coin was right within a few inches of my unfortunate face plant.

 

Here is another Musi River discovery.

Local tin cash
Circa. 1500-1800 CE
Tin Cash; 0.48g
Completely blank with inner border
Unlisted
​

 

This one was reported to be a river find

China Tang Dynasty - Su Zong

 

Nero AE As. Lugdunum, ca. 65 AD. NERO CLAVD CAESAR AVG GER P M TR P IMP P, bare head right, globe at point of bust / GENIO AVGVSTI S-C, Genius standing left, sacrificing from patera over altar & holding cornucopiae. 31 mm, 10.38 gr.
A patient of my father-in-law (a GP who was a well-known lover of Roman history) found it in a churchyard near the river Rhine, 50 years ago.

 

I was a keen collector as a boy, especially of Roman coins. With the determination of my still youthful brain I managed to learn all the Roman emperors from August to Theodosius by heart, including their reigning years. Much of this has worn off in the course of life, but I still can manage to amaze friends and neighbours by correctly answering staccato questions for dates of emperors (and classical composers).

So - in the collection of my youth there were many emperors missing, and these I have been longing for ever since. In the case of the short-lived emperor Marius (Gallic Empire, 269) a recent treasure found in Britain brought salvation:
'On Wednesday 13 November 2013, amateur archaeologist George Hughes was investigating some farm land near South Petherton in South Somerset, England, when he discovered a hoard of 7565 coins. Upon inspection, the hoard was declared to be Treasure, and much of the hoard was acquired by the British Museum and the Somerset County Museum; the coins offered here [at CNG auctions] were returned to the finder. The hoard, which consisted almost entirely of antoniniani, had been in the ground since 274 AD, when they had been buried in a bag during the fall of the Gallic Empire. The lion’s share of the coins – over 3000 – were issued by Victorinus; only 81 of the coins in the group were issued by Marius.'

I probably bid too much, but that doesn't matter: finally I have my Marius now.



Marius (269), antoninanus. Cologne. Radiate, cuirassed bust right. IMP C M AVR MARIVS AVG. Rev. Victory standing left, holding wreath and palm frond. VICTO RIAAVG, Victory standing left, holding wreath and palm frond. 2nd emission, circa mid AD 269. Some silvering and brown patina, struck with worn reverse die. Ex 2013 South Petherton Hoard, Somerset.

 

Some of these really green VOC duits I bought from India and figure they must have been recovered from salt water, most likely ship wrecks.

 

Srivijaya Empire
Circa 1000-1300 CE
Scyphate / Cup-shaped
AV 1/32 Massa; 0.16g 5mm
Obv: Sandalwood flower motif
Rev: 'ma' in Sumatran style Early Nagari script
Musi River Discovery, Palembang​

 

I purchased a batch of these Aceh tin listed as a river find

 

AV 8 Escudos 1751-So Santiago Mint
Fernando VI of Spain
Chile/ Spanish Colonial
From wreck of the Luz

 

Roman Camp Gate found in an uncleaned Roman coin lot

 

Very cool! Do you know which river? I haven't heard of any Aceh coins from a river hoard, but I purchased some Jambi tin katun from a river too.

 

Here is another Musi River find.


Palembang Sultanate
Circa 1812-1825 CE
Tin Pitis
Ref.: R#17​

 

I do not know. Just a purchase from an ebay seller in Indonesia of 7 examples.

 

Tin farthing GB 1684 - found by a "Mudlarker" in the River Thames:


(Date is on the edge.)