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<p>[QUOTE="Marsyas Mike, post: 7556933, member: 85693"]There hasn't been many trashy threads lately, so I thought I'd bring down the Coin Talk neighborhood real estate values with some uglies. <img src="styles/default/xenforo/clear.png" class="mceSmilieSprite mceSmilie103" alt=":yack:" unselectable="on" unselectable="on" /> Say what you want about low-grade lots of unattributed ancients off eBay (uncollectable junk, waste of money) they can really make you work <i>hard</i> for attributions. </p><p><br /></p><p>Here's my latest, four big AEs snagged for $11.50. Yikes! <img src="styles/default/xenforo/clear.png" class="mceSmilieSprite mceSmilie87" alt=":sorry:" unselectable="on" unselectable="on" /></p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]1303280[/ATTACH]</p><p><br /></p><p><b>Number 1:</b> First off, here is an Alexandria, Egypt AE drachm of Antoninus Pius. The obverse is not too horrid, with some of the legend even being visible. </p><p><br /></p><p>However, the reverse is bronze hamburger, but I was determined to figure it out. So I pulled up everything issued Alexandria for Antoninus Pius and got 114 pages (!) on RPC Online. My coin doesn't have enough visible to narrow the search, so I started scrolling. On page 107 (!!) I found Isis riding a dog and I think I got a match. Page 107, I said. <i>Of course</i> it was page 107. <img src="styles/default/xenforo/clear.png" class="mceSmilieSprite mceSmilie20" alt=":banghead:" unselectable="on" unselectable="on" /></p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]1303270[/ATTACH] </p><p><br /></p><p>Or am I fooling myself? Below are three versions of the reverse, one enhanced (dog in <span style="color: #ff0000">red</span>, Isis in <span style="color: #0000ff">blue</span>, cornucopiae in <span style="color: #00b300">green</span>), the third from RPC, showing what a nice one looks like:</p><p>[ATTACH=full]1303271[/ATTACH] </p><p><b>Antoninus Pius Æ Drachm</b></p><p><b>Year LKA=21 (157-158 A.D.)</b></p><p><b>Alexandria Mint</b></p><p>[ΑVΤ Κ]ΑΙ Τ ΑΙΛ Α[ΔΡ ΑΝΤƱΝΙΝΟϹ ϹƐΒ (ƐVϹ)], laureate draped bust right / Isis Sothis, holding cornucopia and sceptre, riding right on dog running right, [LKA below].</p><p>RPC IV.4, 15227 (temporary)</p><p>(15.45 grams / 32 x 29 mm)</p><p><b>Attribution Note:</b></p><p>Reverse is very worn and pitted, but dog's tail, along with face and cornucopiae of Isis are visible, barely. Unsure attribution. </p><p>Köln 1804 var. (obv. bust type); Dattari (Savio) 8580; K&G 35.752 var. (same); RPC IV.4 Online 15227; Emmett 1593.21.</p><p><br /></p><p><b>Number 2:</b> This next one got me really excited - a Scorpion from Commagene, with what might be a countermark. At first I thought it was Antiochus IV, but it is is wife Iotape - you can see the bun low down at her neck. It is too bad this is so pitted - the bust of Iotape is lovely, beneath the damage. </p><p>[ATTACH=full]1303273[/ATTACH] </p><p><b>Kingdom of Commagene</b> <b>Æ 25</b></p><p><b>Iotape (Antiochus IV consort)</b></p><p><b>(c. 66-72 A.D. - Straight Edge)</b></p><p><b>Samosata Mint</b></p><p>BA[ΣIΛIΣΣA IΩTAΠH ΦIΛAΔEΛΦOΣ], diademed and draped bust right / KOMMAΓ−</p><p>HNΩN, around scorpion, all within laurel wreath.</p><p>RPC I 3858; BMC Iotape 4.</p><p>(15.72 grams / 25 x 24 mm)</p><p><b>Countermark:</b> Countermark anchor (?), in 5-6 mm irregular circle or square. Howgego 372</p><p>Countermark is not entirely clear on this specimen. This issue often found countermarked with these: </p><p>Cornucopiae: Howgego 403</p><p>Anchor: Howgego 372</p><p><br /></p><p>[USER=75937]@Roman Collector[/USER] has a nice one of these here: <a href="https://www.cointalk.com/threads/keeping-it-in-the-family-iotape-and-antiochus-iv.312205/" class="internalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://www.cointalk.com/threads/keeping-it-in-the-family-iotape-and-antiochus-iv.312205/">https://www.cointalk.com/threads/keeping-it-in-the-family-iotape-and-antiochus-iv.312205/</a></p><p><br /></p><p><b>Number 3:</b> I've given up on this one - a big Provincial (30 mm) of Antoninus Pius, with Zeus or somebody seated left. If anybody wants to give me a guess, I'd be delighted: <img src="styles/default/xenforo/clear.png" class="mceSmilieSprite mceSmilie5" alt=":confused:" unselectable="on" unselectable="on" /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]1303272[/ATTACH] </p><p><b>Antoninus Pius Æ 30</b></p><p><b>(c. 138-161 A.D.)</b></p><p><b>Unknown Provincial</b></p><p>[?}..AV...[?], laureate head right / [...?...], Zeus (?) seated on throne left, holding eagle or patera (?)</p><p>(16.74 grams / 30 mm)</p><p><b>Attribution Note: </b>Searched RPC Online for seated Zeus reverse types, of which</p><p>there are many. Not enough details preserved on this specimen to make a match.</p><p>Synnada Phrygia is possible; large size, similar style. See RPC 2206.</p><p><br /></p><p><b>Number 4:</b> Finally, here is the reason I bid on this lot - an as of Lucius Verus on a small flan, well-worn, but the most respectable of the lot. The three trophies reverse is a bit scarce, and has an interesting military background:</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]1303274[/ATTACH] </p><p><b>Lucius Verus Æ As</b></p><p><b>(167-168 A.D.)</b></p><p><b>Rome Mint</b></p><p>[L VERVS AVG ARM PARTH MAX], laureate head right / [TR POT VII] IMP IIII CO[S III S C], Three trophies</p><p>RIC 1464.</p><p>(8.12 grams / 22 mm)</p><p><b>Type Note: </b>"The type commemorates Verus' three Eastern victories, over the Armenians, Parthians, and Medes."</p><p>Harlan J. Berk Buy or Bid Sale 198, Lot 361, 07.07.2016</p><p><br /></p><p>The portrait on this kept nagging at me, until I figured it was because Lucius Verus here looks a lot like poet Ezra Pound:</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]1303275[/ATTACH] </p><p><br /></p><p>Well, it was quite a coin-workout to figure these out, but it was fun. <img src="styles/default/xenforo/clear.png" class="mceSmilieSprite mceSmilie1" alt=":)" unselectable="on" unselectable="on" /> Share your uglies, poet-emperor portraits, or nicer versions of the above (I know there are some nice Isis-on-a-dog drachms out there) or whatever else you feel like.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>
[QUOTE="Marsyas Mike, post: 7556933, member: 85693"]There hasn't been many trashy threads lately, so I thought I'd bring down the Coin Talk neighborhood real estate values with some uglies. :yack: Say what you want about low-grade lots of unattributed ancients off eBay (uncollectable junk, waste of money) they can really make you work [I]hard[/I] for attributions. Here's my latest, four big AEs snagged for $11.50. Yikes! :sorry: [ATTACH=full]1303280[/ATTACH] [B]Number 1:[/B] First off, here is an Alexandria, Egypt AE drachm of Antoninus Pius. The obverse is not too horrid, with some of the legend even being visible. However, the reverse is bronze hamburger, but I was determined to figure it out. So I pulled up everything issued Alexandria for Antoninus Pius and got 114 pages (!) on RPC Online. My coin doesn't have enough visible to narrow the search, so I started scrolling. On page 107 (!!) I found Isis riding a dog and I think I got a match. Page 107, I said. [I]Of course[/I] it was page 107. :banghead: [ATTACH=full]1303270[/ATTACH] Or am I fooling myself? Below are three versions of the reverse, one enhanced (dog in [COLOR=#ff0000]red[/COLOR], Isis in [COLOR=#0000ff]blue[/COLOR], cornucopiae in [COLOR=#00b300]green[/COLOR]), the third from RPC, showing what a nice one looks like: [ATTACH=full]1303271[/ATTACH] [B]Antoninus Pius Æ Drachm Year LKA=21 (157-158 A.D.) Alexandria Mint[/B] [ΑVΤ Κ]ΑΙ Τ ΑΙΛ Α[ΔΡ ΑΝΤƱΝΙΝΟϹ ϹƐΒ (ƐVϹ)], laureate draped bust right / Isis Sothis, holding cornucopia and sceptre, riding right on dog running right, [LKA below]. RPC IV.4, 15227 (temporary) (15.45 grams / 32 x 29 mm) [B]Attribution Note:[/B] Reverse is very worn and pitted, but dog's tail, along with face and cornucopiae of Isis are visible, barely. Unsure attribution. Köln 1804 var. (obv. bust type); Dattari (Savio) 8580; K&G 35.752 var. (same); RPC IV.4 Online 15227; Emmett 1593.21. [B]Number 2:[/B] This next one got me really excited - a Scorpion from Commagene, with what might be a countermark. At first I thought it was Antiochus IV, but it is is wife Iotape - you can see the bun low down at her neck. It is too bad this is so pitted - the bust of Iotape is lovely, beneath the damage. [ATTACH=full]1303273[/ATTACH] [B]Kingdom of Commagene[/B] [B]Æ 25[/B] [B]Iotape (Antiochus IV consort) (c. 66-72 A.D. - Straight Edge) Samosata Mint[/B] BA[ΣIΛIΣΣA IΩTAΠH ΦIΛAΔEΛΦOΣ], diademed and draped bust right / KOMMAΓ− HNΩN, around scorpion, all within laurel wreath. RPC I 3858; BMC Iotape 4. (15.72 grams / 25 x 24 mm) [B]Countermark:[/B] Countermark anchor (?), in 5-6 mm irregular circle or square. Howgego 372 Countermark is not entirely clear on this specimen. This issue often found countermarked with these: Cornucopiae: Howgego 403 Anchor: Howgego 372 [USER=75937]@Roman Collector[/USER] has a nice one of these here: [URL]https://www.cointalk.com/threads/keeping-it-in-the-family-iotape-and-antiochus-iv.312205/[/URL] [B]Number 3:[/B] I've given up on this one - a big Provincial (30 mm) of Antoninus Pius, with Zeus or somebody seated left. If anybody wants to give me a guess, I'd be delighted: :confused: [ATTACH=full]1303272[/ATTACH] [B]Antoninus Pius Æ 30 (c. 138-161 A.D.) Unknown Provincial[/B] [?}..AV...[?], laureate head right / [...?...], Zeus (?) seated on throne left, holding eagle or patera (?) (16.74 grams / 30 mm) [B]Attribution Note: [/B]Searched RPC Online for seated Zeus reverse types, of which there are many. Not enough details preserved on this specimen to make a match. Synnada Phrygia is possible; large size, similar style. See RPC 2206. [B]Number 4:[/B] Finally, here is the reason I bid on this lot - an as of Lucius Verus on a small flan, well-worn, but the most respectable of the lot. The three trophies reverse is a bit scarce, and has an interesting military background: [ATTACH=full]1303274[/ATTACH] [B]Lucius Verus Æ As (167-168 A.D.) Rome Mint[/B] [L VERVS AVG ARM PARTH MAX], laureate head right / [TR POT VII] IMP IIII CO[S III S C], Three trophies RIC 1464. (8.12 grams / 22 mm) [B]Type Note: [/B]"The type commemorates Verus' three Eastern victories, over the Armenians, Parthians, and Medes." Harlan J. Berk Buy or Bid Sale 198, Lot 361, 07.07.2016 The portrait on this kept nagging at me, until I figured it was because Lucius Verus here looks a lot like poet Ezra Pound: [ATTACH=full]1303275[/ATTACH] Well, it was quite a coin-workout to figure these out, but it was fun. :) Share your uglies, poet-emperor portraits, or nicer versions of the above (I know there are some nice Isis-on-a-dog drachms out there) or whatever else you feel like.[/QUOTE]
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Isis Riding a Dog Drachm, or Not? Adventures in Low-Grade Ancients
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