Hello everyone. Today I took some new photos of my newest coins and just wanted to share. I only used natural light and it's an overcast day in this part of Texas. Photos were combined, cropped, and resized using Paint. Nero, AD 54-68 Æ As, 27mm, 9.8g, 6h; Rome mint, AD 65. Obv.: NERO CAESAR AVG GERM IMP; Laureate head right. Rev.: PACE P R VBIQ PARTA IANVM CLVSIT; Temple of Janus; S – C Nero has a huge bust and I need to figure out a way to shoot these from the side to show how high relief his portrait is. I have been long wanting an upgrade to my last Nero as and this coin is it. SPAIN, Bolskan (Osca). Circa 150-100 BC. AR Denarius, 18mm, 3.7 gm, 2h. Obv.: Male head right; Iberian 'bon' behind. Rev.: Horseman holding spear right, Iberian 'bolskan' below. This little Bolskan has a pretty stunning amount of relief as well. While the reverse is concave, the horseman has plenty of detail as well as the obverse male head. You can clearly see between the beard curls! PARTHIAN KINGDOM. Mithradates II, 123-88 BC AR drachm, 22mm, 4.1g; 12h. Ekbatana mint, struck circa 109-96/5 BC. Obv.: Long-bearded bust left wearing diadem, circular border of pellets. Rev.: ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ − ΒΑΣ − IΛΕΩΝ − ΜΕΓΑΛΟΥ / ΑΡΣΑΚΟΥ / ΕΠΙΦΑΝΟΥΣ; Beardless archer wearing bashlyk and cloak seated right on throne, holding bow in right hand. I'm not so sure I did a better job photographing this coin. The obverse has some very sharp details and the overly bright reflection on Mithradates head is distracting. Maybe one day I'll sit down and just play around shooting silver because it gives me the most issues. Both the Nero and Mithradates II coins were purchased to accompany another coin. For Nero this Augustus coin: Augustus, BC 24 - 14 AD AE, As, 27mm, 9.5g, 2h; Rome, BC 6 Obv.: CEASAR AVGVSTVS PONT MA…[X TRIBVNIC PONT], bare head right Rev.: [A LICIN]...NERV…[A SILIAN IIIVI]...R AAAFF For Mithradates II this Gotarzes II: PARTHIAN KINGDOM, Gotarzes II, c. AD 40-51 AR Drachm, 21mm, 3.3g, 12h; Ecbatana mint. Obv.: Bust left, beard cut away to triangular shape on coin, wearing double banded diadem with double loop, earring visible, dotted border. Rev.: Archer enthroned right, monogram below bow, seven line inscription ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩN ΑΡΣΑΚΟY EYEPΓETOY ΔΙΚΑΙΟY ΕΠIΦΑNOYΣ ΦΙΛΕΛΛΗΝΟΣ , stylised. My collection is eclectic and I don't mind! Parthians are poorly represented and I'm glad to add to them whenever I can. Feel free to share any coins you would like or opinions. Thanks for looking!
Fantastic photos @Jwt708 . There is no substitute for natural sunlight when trying to capture the in-hand look of some coins. .. and of course everyone knows Texas’s sun is much better than the sun from all those other states
Great coins and pictures! That Mithradates has a really nice strike, I even like the bit of doubling on the reverse. The Nero and Bolskan are excellent too.
