How do you differentiate Rome versus Laodicia? I’m trying to pinpoint the RIC and it seems to be either RIC 2 Rome or RIC 95 Laodicia. Any tips?
From a post by @Mat a long while ago (https://www.cointalk.com/threads/ancient-common-young-geta.238972/), he shared a similar coin (listed RIC 95) and seen to have had a similar mint conversation... Maybe he might know more? He also listed RSC III 44 and BMCRE V 144, maybe there is more definitive descriptions in those references that distinguishes them further?
I'm guessing it's by portrait style. Looking through ACsearch for "geta denarius laodicea", I suspect yours is from Rome.
I forgot to mention that the old thread Justin linked covers the matter well. I should also mention that this is a later period than what I have studied in depth and there are coins that I have trouble IDing with certainty. In particular, some of the the Rome style portraits seem sloppy enough to make you suspect they are not official. The subject of Eastern Severans is huge. Martin and I each have specialty interests within the larger whole. He likes the earlier Laodicea while I like the earlier phase of all the mints better but am a lot weaker in Laodicea than is he. I pretty much stopped studying all of these when Roger Bickford-Smith died and it became obvious that continuing his work was not a priority with the people who inherited his papers. That was when I started my web pages and became more of a general collector buying coins that would illustrate some point on a web page. What I know is old news.
Thanks @Justin Lee @TIF @dougsmit and everyone else for all of the detail. It’s interesting to attempt to determine a mint by style. I need to spend some time on the differences.
As a virtual ignoramus, a few simple clues. Laodicea (in Turkey) was a Christian Centre. Seems the name can refer to early Christians being lukewarm or indifferent. In 188 BC Laocidea became part of the Kingdom of Pergamon and later on fell into the Roman rule in 133 BC. Levelled by an earthquake during Nero's reign, but re-built. A coiner describes a Laodicean coin as "new-style" Eastern, not Rome."
Wrong Laodicea. Several towns were named for Laodice. This one is Laodicea ad mare in Syria. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laodicea_in_Syria
Frank had two Geta's in this sale. Yours was started a bit lower and brought $1 more than the other. I would be interested in hearing what made you bid on the one you won and not on the other. Both were nice, Rome mint coins with considerable tone. You bid early, I suspect, which might have scared off other bidders but each of the coins has things going for it over the other only if you look into very minor differences. I have seen this before where the lower start coin draws more interest but this time it was only a dollar. Trying to figure out why some coins draw bids and others do not is a side hobby for some of us. There is no answer.
Yep, I remember viewing both and they had the darker tones that I often like. This one had a little more detail on the obverse while the other had a more interesting and detailed reverse. I suspected this obv had a high relief and it does in hand. Hard to capture in photos I suppose. I bid early. I like to set a bid and let it ride so I don’t get myself into a spending frenzy.