FSR: Ancient Coin Bargain List

I think I screwed myself by getting those last two coins

 

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Your wording couldn’t be funnier.
I was just talking to my wife about all the poor folks that are sheltering in place without a lover. She said pretty soon it won’t be hand sanitizer they are hoarding, it’ll be “hand“ lotion!
Ps, your package will arrive and it’ll be glorious

 

Lol. *self edited just in case*

I'm hoping for Monday. I have to go back to work for my "essential personnel" week. It'd be nice to come home to some coins in the mailbox

 

They have arrived. Apparently the Neptune reverse went to somebody else, but I still got the other Postumus I wanted as well as a Herennia Etruscilla. Both have attractive portraits but are struck from somewhat struck reverse dies. Yet, for $30 shipped, that's a splendid deal in my opinion.

Here are some quick iPhone pictures that don't do these coins justice. It's already to dark to take proper photographs today.





I hope all of your FSR coins will arrive soon!

 

I excitedly open my package from Frank this morning.
The 3 coins I’d won went in this order:
Good, really good and then TRAGEDY
First, a fun coin from Locri with a beefy Athena and a big batch of grapes:


I was very excited with this one (my first of it’s kind). Pan’s has some good detail and the reverse is great. But ooooeeee! That patina is a beauty:


It is described as having a hole. Amazingly, it still does. All the damage it endured from travel has broken it into many tiny shards, how the hole in the middle didn’t cause it to break in half is beyond me. Oh well. Overall, I’m still happy with the coins. Maybe just a sign that I need to give up on Sassanians. This one followed by a fake i had acquired a time ago (not from Frank) make me leery, weary or just dreary of them


Does anyone have the list Frank originally sent out? I’d like to read his descriptions of these. When he puts in a good wise crack I always like to include that with my coins description.

Anyway, Happy Easter my CT pals:

 

Mine didn't show up have to wait til Monday I suppose.

 

Bummer on that Sassanian @Ryro that Pan is a beauty though!

 

My Julia Domna and Severus Alexander came today. These were add-ons to my original email to Frank so I'm wondering if perhaps I didn't get any of the others? I emailed him just to check. Either way, I like em. Shame about the chip on the reverse of the Severus.


Julia Domna,
Odessos, Thrace
AE18
193-217 AD
Obverse: IOYLIA DOMNA C, draped bust right
Reverse: ODECCEITWN, Herakles standing front, looking right, leaning on club, holding bow and lionskin


I can't find this Severus Alexander on wildwinds or rpc. All their examples have three standards. Mine has four. Can anyone help me out here?

It has an old tag that says:
Severus
Alexandar
Nikaia AE20
Bythinia
222-235
Aristos Ancients


EDIT: Looks like it was misattributed!
I did some google-fu and found this old thread here on CT where @Romancollector nailed it:
https://www.cointalk.com/threads/2-mysterys-for-me-in-one-coin.317487/
Then I hopped over to wildwinds and badda-bing-badda-boom!

Gordian III
Nicaea, Bithynia
AE19
AD 238-244
Obverse: M ANT ΓOΡΔIANOC AVG, radiate, draped, cuirassed bust right
Reverse: N-I-K-A-I-EΩN between and beneath two legionary eagles between two standards

 

I just sent Frank an email about a couple of the mystery lots from his bargain list:

305. -- Lot of 35 ALL DIFFERENT varieties, all strictly VF 64.75
306. — Lot of 10 different varieties, VF-EF very nice 19.95

Not only am I very interested to see what shows up for under $2/coin, it should give me something to do for at least one weekend afternoon.

 

My other package came today and I was both pleasantly surprised and disappointed at the same time. Of the 16 coins I was interested, 4 arrived. I was really hoping for one of the Egyptian Ptolomeys since I have been wanting one for a while now. Looks like I will keep on wanting haha. There were a couple denari that I was interested in and missed out on as well.

Complaining over...the 4 that came today are all pretty cool in their own right. Without further ado here they are:


Alexandreia Troas
AE13
3rd-2nd BC.
Obverse: Laureate head of Apollo left Reverse: ALEX above horse grazing left, ΠΡ monogram below, thunderbolt in exergue

I like everything about this coin


Abydos, Troas
Civic Coinage
AE 24mm
320-200 BC
Obverse: Turreted head of Artemis right
Reverse: ABY, eagle standing right on thunderbolt, head turned left; kantharos to right

I don't like the obverse of this coin. Looks like it was lacquered or something before. But the reverse is beautiful


This one has an old tag from "The Fountain Head of Fine Coins, Coram NY"
It is listed as a bust of Valerian II but I was unable to find it on wildwinds or rpc.
Here is what the tag says:

Pisidia Sagalassus CA 256AD
AE18
Diad bust of Valerian II r. Rv Nike Adv l, holding wreath and palm


The closest I could find on RP that looks similar is this one from Trebonianus Gallus with Volusian on the obverse. What do you think?
https://rpc.ashmus.ox.ac.uk/coins/9/959


Lastly, my favorite coin of the 4. And the cheapest, at a princely sum of $7.95.

Julia Domna
Stobi, Macedonia
AE23
Obverse: IVLIA AVGVSTA, draped bust right
Reverse: MVNICI-P STOBE, Nike walking left, holding wreath and palm

 

All in all, I believe you did well.

There are several side hobbies available to those who collect ancient coins. I take photos, others study history in depth but one that is fun is catching ID errors made by the professionals. OK, calling an 'old tag' professional may be pushing the matter but eventually you will find one in the British Museum or the biggest of big name dealers and will feel good about it. It is fun at shows asking dealers to look again at their ID of a coin and seeing which ones say thanks and which ones get mad. As a, let's say, non-rich guy you will never have the kind of collection that makes the dealers fight over your bones when you are gone but that doesn't mean you can't have more fun out of this than the Hunt Brothers.

 

Now that I have a Septimius Severus and Julia Domna provincial with Victory on the reverse, I fee the need to finish the family with a Caracalla and Geta.

 

I have neither Provincial. I have not researched it but it could be interesting to see what there are before you go searching for what does not exist. Here is a Geta Imperial.

 

I looked on wildwinds and also vcoins. I think it is doable if not a bit pricey (for me) There is one on vcoins now for $65 from Pisidia.

 

I donate to several of these afflictions, due to their annual impacts on our lives:

https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/deaths.htm

CDC Death Rates for the US Year 2017

Number of deaths for leading causes of death: (Daily and Weekly are ROUNDED)

• Heart disease: 647,457 or 1770/day; or 12,440/week
• Cancer: 599,108 or 1,640/day; or 11,480/week
• Accidents (unintentional injuries): 169,936 or 465/day; or 3,255/week
• Chronic lower respiratory diseases: 160,201 or 435/day; or 3,070/week
• Stroke (cerebrovascular diseases): 146,383 or 400/day; or 2,800/week
• Alzheimer’s disease: 121,404 or 330/day; or 2,325/week
• Diabetes: 83,564 or 225/day; 1,600/week
• Influenza and Pneumonia: 55,672 or 150/day; 1,065/week
• Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis: 50,633 or 135/day; 970/week
• Intentional self-harm (suicide): 47,173 or 125/day; 900/week

https://carsurance.net/blog/car-accident-statistics/
Car Accident Statistics – Highlights

• Over 40,000 fatal car accidents per year in the U.S.
• Each day, more than 90 Americans die in car accidents.
• On average, 2 million drivers experience a permanent injury every year.

 

Puts things in perspective doesn't it? But, other than influenza, none of the above are transmitted person-to-person like the Covid-19

 

I read some interesting articles on Influenza death reporting. Many death certs are supposedly recorded under other afflictions instead of the Flu... Basically, it is being stated that actual Flu deaths are disproportionately UNDERSTATED. I am skeptical, but Flu deaths may be recorded as "respiratory complications", and other complications, etc. vs. dying of Flu. The various articles' concerns were that CDC was not consistently recording Flus vs. Covid...

 

Same thing is being done with Covid.

 

Agreed.

 

My favorite one is the Chilean health minister who said they are counting those who died of Covid as “recovered” since they no longer have Covid...