Greetings All, I've got a pretty beaten up issue here from SMHB - Heraclea. The size is about that of a 25mm - quarter, I apoligize for not providing the weight, but my digital scale is broken and just haven't gotten around to replacing it. As you can see there is some black concretion still on the coin.* I've used a brass brush to remove all I dared to but it's still over cleaned, alas... I'm continuing with extreme heat/cold as I've had luck with that in the past.* But back to the coin, there's not much left under the crud. Any takers? Thanks for looking Ben
Looks like our old friend Gratian again...something like this one...http://www.wildwinds.com/coins/ric/gratian/_aquileia_RIC_030a.jpg It's not your same mint but the reverse is the same. I can just make out,from his right shoulder DN GRATIA NVS on the obverse.
In fact,I'm going to hazard a guess that this coin from Aquileia is your exact coin.Your mintmark does seem to read SMHB but if you look at the Wildwinds photo,it looks like that too but is in fact SMAQS. The reason I think this is that the only reverse like yours is this one.All the Heraclia coins show the emperor dragging a captive etc...so here is the full inscription: Gratian AE2. AD 379-383. D N GRATIANVS P F AVG, diademed, draped & cuirassed bust right / REPARATIO REIPVB, Gratian standing front, head left, offering right hand to female on left to help her rise from kneeling position, in other hand he holds Victory on a globe, SMAQS in ex. Cohen 29.
I am begining to think that Mik was actualy involved in the production of these coins LOL he seems to be able to pull Id's out of thin air De Orc :bow: :bow:
Sometimes ya just get lucky.In this case,I could JUST make out this..and once the emperor is ID'd,the rest is easy.
