I just purchased my first ancient coin

I would drop "plain" if I were you.

 

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I like your avatar, Truble! Patrick Henry was one of the most heroic Americans ever.

If you’ve had a bad experience with the CoinTalk Ancients Forum I hope that you’ll hang around and give us another chance! From what I've experienced the Ancients Forum is “Troll free.” Beginners and newcomers are welcomed and encouraged. You’re a V.I.P. in my book and I mean that in it’s traditional sense—Very Important Person. Come on and show us your ancients. If you don’t have any yet you’re still welcome.

 

I'm late. So much to do in so little time.
@LaCointessa welcome, I've seen your posts here & there on CT forums.
There are some anal members but you will mostly see them on other forums. I do still have members I consider friends so I peek from time to time.
Here in ancients most will give truth if you ask for it, all share their knowledge. To me it's a great forum because of the menbers here.
My collection for the most part is just humble but I like them. I share for the other members knowledge.
I believe give it a chance you may become addicted as we all have.

 

is it here yet?!

oh...darn.

well, here's my first ancient as well while we wait.

 

@chrsmat71 - Thanks for posting your first ancient. Was your first ancient also a Faustina II?

@Smojo - Thanks for the 'welcome' and anal is not necessarily bad (imho).

 

For some reason, collectors of world coins refer to their "side" of the hobby as the dark side (US coins being the light side?), so I thought the "old" dark side fit with ancients.

I don't know when and why the "dark side" moniker became common for world coins. Is it a Star Wars geek reference? I'm just going with the flow in perpetuating the name.

The Polite Side might be more accurate in terms of our usual* interactions here on CoinTalk Ancients.

*Hope I didn't just jinx it... seems like whenever we start singing Kum Ba Yah a minor kerfuffle begins .

 

Personally, I like it when people post sellers' photos of coins on-the-way. You get to share in the anticipation, and then hear about how it compares in hand... and better appreciate the collector's new photo, if any. Also this would presumably result in more heartfelt commiseration if the coin goes astray. (Making up for a few "I told you shouldn't post!" .)

I admit I've posted several before I had them. One I still haven't received and am particularly nervous about... perhaps my most admired coin ever posted in my few months on this forum. (I'll let others guess which one.)

My first ancient, purchased when I was a young teenager. It's an AE as of Severus Alexander (thus my avatar):

 

@TIF ...Whew! Thanks!
@Severus Alexander .....Beautiful coin. I love it. What is happening on the reverse? Is that a lady planting some seeds or sprinkling something?

 

Thanks! It's in pretty rough shape, but the AE as version is fairly scarce. (Strange first ancient, for sure.) Here is more detail than you ever wanted to know about the reverse type.

The lady in question is Providentia, and she's holding an anchor and corn ears, with a modius at her feet. (A modius is a container holding a standard dry measure equivalent to 8.73 litres.) The anchor is presumably symbolic of the state's shipment of foodstuffs.

Providentia is a divine personification of the ability to plan ahead and make provisions, i.e. the timely preparation for future eventualities. The embodiments of various virtues, including Providentia, were part of the Imperial cult in Rome, but didn't figure in any mythology to speak of. Tiberius established an altar and priesthood for Providentia, in honour of Augustus's ability to provide for the Roman people. (Note that the important grain dole had its own personification: Annona.) The Latin word is the origin of the Christian concept of divine providence.

Here's a denarius version in nice condition, so you can see the details better:

 

Thank you @Severus Alexander. I can see the modius on the reverse. Isn't "providence" a fundamental Judaic concept? Perhaps you are saying that the particular word 'annona' was applied to the concept of "future events coming nicely together in a beneficial and sometimes unexpected way due to an unseen powerful organizing Force" by Latin speaking Christians?

 

I had to look this up! You're no doubt at least partly right, in that it's more the word "providentia" than the concept that comes from Latin. That said, on a cursory glance, the Judaic concept seems to have more to do with God's interactions with nature more generally, so the Latin concept may well have contributed, in part, to the Christian concept, which is narrower. (?) Definitely outside my areas of expertise...

 

@Severus Alexander. Thank you for responding.
Numismatics can lead to divers realms of study!

 

Humor me and check this one with a magnet. There are a few, rare plated coins copper over iron. I don't think this is one but it would be a nice one if it were. I once saw a Nero as were the iron core had completely rotted away leaving a hollow shell. Cool!

 

Ridicule? My first coin purchase is a barely identifiable green blob and the people here welcomed it. Probably a little bit more than I did lol. I'm pretty sure we're going to like your first purchase. And yup, welcome to the dark side... we have cookies but no milk.

 

Thanks @icerain. But, now I'm emotionally divorcing myself from those coins in case they don't show up!

 

no it a dude named "arcadius". you can see it on the legend, nice thing about the latin legend vs. the greek provincials. the "A" right behind the head. the letters before and after the names are abbreviations for various things. like see the DN at the start? or the PF after the name?....check out dougs page for a good explanation...

http://www.forumancientcoins.com/dougsmith/abb.html

check out the legend on your coin when it show up and try to translate it (if its a roman imperial).

 

Thank you @chrsmat71

Unfortunately the link did not work but I will look around and see if I can find it. Yes! I will look at the legend on my coins and see what I can make out.

 

This reminds me of when my first ancient was on its way to me 14 years ago this time of year.

I still have it.



And can't wait to see yours. Welcome to the forum!

 

Welcome @LaCointessa ! Here's my first ancient, bought unidentified for $3 at a local coin shop over 20 years ago: