Roman Republic, AE Semis 21mm, 8.6g, anonymous. After 211 BC. Obv.: Laureate head of Saturn right; S behind. Rev.: Prow of galley right; S above, ROMA below. Crawford 56/3; Sydenham 143a; BMCRR 229; Sear 766. IO SATURNALIA!
Wow, JA => I "really" love your new Roman Republic bronze (yummy-yummy!!) I have an AE Semis with Saturn and an AE Quadrans with Hercules (man, I love these prow-coins)
This coin arrived today, and as you can see, it looks quite different from the seller's pics. I knew it would, so I'm not disappointed - in fact, I'm thrilled to own my first RR bronze. But it does make me wonder about the aesthetics of so many dealer pics. Why are so many of them unwilling to offer an honest representation of the coin?
I would say it's not always intentional that a coin looks different in hand than in a photo. It's based on lighting, the camera, the background used for the coin, etc. Of course some sellers DO try to make a coin look "better" just to get rid of it. Very nice Roman Republic Semis. I've been wanting a RR coin for quite awhile. Still haven't purchased one yet.
The seller's photo is ok, but yours is no doubt better, especially if its an accurate representation of the coin in hand. This type is one of the few Republican types I want to acquire, but it will have to take a back seat to my main coin interests.
1. Lovely coin! 2. I know several dealers whose photo skill are way short of pathetic. The photo of your coin is above average. 3. Most dealers would rather coins look better than their photos. They get fewer returns from upset customers that way. Of course they don't want to be too much below a good photo since that would hurt sales but, where there is a difference, happy customers are more likely to be repeat customers.
oh yeah, very nice green and sand patina (or whatever you call it)...just the right amount of "sandy" stuff, much less wouldn't make the details pop, and much more would start to obscure them. great coin JA.
