My first Ancient

I bought my first ancient today


It's an Otacilia Severa - Antoninanus with a Concordia reverse.





What do ya think?


I also subscribed to The Celator today. Now what books, besides the Van Meter book I already have should I get? Are the Sear books still considered tops?



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Very nice coin. Good choice

Take Care
Ben

 

Old Roman stuff is kind of fun.
I have about 26 old Roman coins, mostly common silver denarii and antoniniani.

 

Brian,David R. Sear's 'Roman Coins & Their Values' are the best books on Roman coins.

Aidan.

 

Thanks Aidan. I knew his books were the best in the past, just wanted to make sure nothing better had come along before I get one.

 

That's a REALLY good strike there anemic....makes my Otacilia S. look like a junker..you're on the way my friend!

 

In fact,now that I look at it,mine IS a junker.Worst looking Roman coin in my entire collection.If I remember right,I accidently broke it when I was opening it from the dealer..LOL..Imagine how I felt.
So anyway,I'm jealous.Great buy!!

 

Thanks Miljo0. I saw this guy & decided she might get lonely so I picked it up.

 

Hi Doug, I got them from a couple of respected VCoins dealers.

 

Hello Brian

Brilliant starting IMO, both coins look great, and seem genuine to my eyes
Congratulations

Cucumbor

 

Nae fear with those two. They are the real McCoy ok, and beauties too.

What i'm a wee bit gobsmacked about is that I had a new arrival just this morning. A silver antoninianus of Gordian III (238-244 ad) with the same design reverse as the Phillip denarius belonging to the original poster.....ie. Roma sitting facing left holding Nike (winged Victory) and holding a sceptre. ROMAE AETERNAE (`Rome is eternal'). The coin I got is very dark toned with highlights of petroleum blue and honey gold. I'm pretty sure that this coin has never been cleaned or otherwise tampered with, which in itself is quite unusual to find on the market these days.

 

Nice coin Ian. Looks like a RIC 38? http://www.wildwinds.com/coins/sear/s2459.html

It sure doesn't look like anyone's messed with it (at least not in modern times).

 

Hi Brian. same type with the exception that RIC 38 / Sear 2459 note the legend as being IMP CAES M ANT GORDIANUS AUG

This one has the legend IMP CAES GORDIANUS PIUS AUG.

Probably just a frugal Roman moneyer maximising the use of an old die for the obverse

Ian

 

Right Ian,
Since Phiip II succeeded Gordian III,there may have been some die recycling going on but I've found that they used many of the same gods on their coins.Mine have Pax and Fortuna which were also used by both rulers.

 

You've got quite a neat collection my friend!

That Gordian one of yours is S.2435 RIC143

It uses the third obverse legend ie IMP. GORDIANUS PIUS FEL. AUG

Here's another one of mine with the same obverse legend, but with Jupiter standing facing, head to the right. S.2437 RIC2

I like the antoninianis / double denarius of the Gordian III era. Such a variety of them to collect, and they seem to be fairly readily available at relatively low prices. I don't claim to understand why they are so cheap. I got both of mine for well under $20 each.

 

Another light beer for you Ian,on the house.I thought I had too few letters on my inscription when I saw the closeup pic.
I'll update my label.
Done...the only thing I changed was the U's to V's,for historical accuracy.On closer inspection,I believe it's an RIC144.143 has the abbreviation FORT and mine has FORTVNA...right? Is there a way to tell the year it was minted? Wildwinds doesn't say on this particular coin but all the ones near it on the thumbnail list are from 244AD.

 

You're right. I was looking at Sear's Roman Coins and Their values and 2435 is `Fort.' The way my mind was last night I must have taken it to be an abbreviation

I don't think there is any way of telling the mintage year from an antoninianus, excepting that the legend which ends PIUS FEL. AUG dates between 240 -44.

On other coins of his the legends without AUG in them (obverse) are likely to be when Pupienus and Balbinus were still alive, that is 238 ad. Some coins have the tribunal year on them, which enables dating to within the year.

 

My first coin has been dated to Spring of 247. This info is from Curtis Clay over on Forvm. I was amazed that you could get that precise on a date, not just year but time of year. Of course he's making the assumption that changes to her coins would have been made at the same time as her husband's.