Hello. Before cleaning and shooting these three coins, I managed to scan them quickly because they all look strange to me. They look Greek but one of them could be an original Roman. Thanks for your kind assistance.
The top two are Phoenicia, Arados 1st, and Marathos 2nd. I hope you are only planning on removing the loose dirt, otherwise these will be ruined.
Interesting group!! Of course, I suspect you think the last coin with the ANT reverse is 'Roman' (and I just noticed the first two have been Id'd by David) and it certainly looks 'provincial' to me but I can't make out enough of the legend or portrait to suggest anything off the top of my head...so I'll try to look into it a bit... I'm sure someone else will 'nail it' way before I can LOL
The last one is Antioch; you can read "ANTI" on the reverse. The reverse is upside down; it is a lyre. Similar to this coin: http://www.cngcoins.com/Coin.aspx?CoinID=23311 Sale: CNG 61, Lot: 312. Estimate $100. Closing Date: Wednesday, 25 September 2002. Sold For $70. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee. SYRIA, Seleukeia Pieria. Antiochia ad Orontem. Circa 65-66 AD. Æ 16mm (4.02 gm). Diademed bust of Artemis right / Lyre. BMC Galatia, etc. pg. 161, 86. Nice VF, dark brown to black patina. ($100) ... Charles, it would be easier for us to help if you first took good pictures and then posted the coins for ID help-- one per thread, with size and weight. Why wait to take real pictures? Also, I agree with David@PCC about cleaning. These don't look like they need to be cleaned-- they just need to have adequate images.
I've been searching and found out Bernike II and Astarte-Europa etc.. I have many others pertaining to Phoenicia. I shall recharge the battery and shoot as many photos as I can. Thank you very much for your concern, as usual.
I managed to crop the obverse of Bernike (Marathos) weighing 8.56g. as well as the reverse of Astarte- Europa ( Arados) weighing 7.48 g. I will try to fix some minor problem with my camera. I found out in my search that Bernike was the daughter of king Herod Agrippa. In this respect, is her coin considered as a biblical one? Fortunately I could fully crop another coin which is listed as "very rare". It has Athena on obverse and a bull butting right on reverse. Houghton 944. Please forgive this disorder as I'm checking tens of new coins in my hand.
Seeing these I would not clean them at all. I have several as well, and don't feel the need to clean them. For what ever reason Roman's clean up better, where the Greeks leave pitting. At least with the hoards that I have purchased.
