Nice Snack

So, turns out there are seven ancients dealers attending the Santa Clara coin show here in California. Some really nice things to be had and I picked up two for my collection today. I’m using the Goldberg photos from their site as I’m on my phone in the hotel. The Bostra piece is actually dark and glossy, the Domitian pretty accurate. I’m super pleased, though I paid a good premium over the price realized from the auctions:

 

Log in or Sign up to hide this ad.

Those are some pretty heavy snacks! The Domitian is one of my favorite reverses from the Flavian era.

 

They really are lovely in hand. The Domitian is rather dramatic and the Julia is a bit smaller in diameter but as thick as an Alexandrian tetradrachm of the period. Those photos are harsh and one can’t see any of the flaws in person.

I was tempted to get the Nigrinian ant but it was too high at $1,000. Another tempting coin was the Julian of Pannonia but it was a bit too rough for the price. There are some really nice coins here. There was a nice EF Hadrian sestertius but I was disappointed to find the reverse legends tooled. Hopefully I will find some other things. My table was pretty busy today so I wasn’t able to look much.

 

Very nice! What's happening on the reverse of the Domitian?

 

From the CNG website:

Honoring the original system for the celebration of the games, Domitian held the Ludi Saeculares in October AD 88, coming close to the traditional 110-year standard. The reverses of the gold and silver issues typically employ a herald of the games, while the bronze issues convey the various events which occurred before and during the celebration. The legend LVDi SAECulares FECit is used throughout, and conveys the emperor as bringing the celebration of the games to the city.

The reverse type employed on some of these issues is alluded to by a passage in Suetonius in which heralds are described as going around the city, inviting people to a spectacle which “ ... [they] had never seen and would not see again.” He also states the fallacy of this event however, since the games had just been held 40 years earlier during the reign of Claudius in a break from past celebrations.

 

o wow! the reverse on the Domitian is real boss! kool Ken..

 

Sweet coins Ken. I've never seen the Bostra type before. I need one now.

 

They are pretty rare, only half a dozen in the archives and this one is the nicest of them all.

 

Great coins Ken especially the detail on the Domitian is one of the best I've seen, much better than mine (still using dealers pic) I will have to photograph soon.
Just took a new pic what do you think? Top picture.

 

LOVE Bostra's helmet! But yeah, that Domitian reverse is BANANAS!!!
Wish you'd picked up that Nigrinian though. Then my po boy version would have someone to play with...

Nigrinian
DIVO NIGRINIANO
AE Antoninian
CONSECRATIO
Reverse: Eagle Very
Rare

 

Lovely coins, @Ken Dorney , particularly the Domitian! Here's my Julia Mamaea from Bostra. I did a write up about Bostra and this coin last year:


Julia Mamaea, AD 222-235.
Roman provincial Æ 22.45 mm, 4.86 g, 5 h.
Arabia, Bostra, AD 222-235.
Obv: IVLIA MAMAEA AVGVSTA, diademed and draped bust, right.
Rev: COLONIA BOSTRA, turreted and draped bust of Tyche left, cornucopia over shoulder.
Refs: SNG ANS 1231; Kindler 40; Spijkerman 54; Rosenberger 46.

 

What he said!

 

Both great coins

 

nice coins Ken! I like the way your Domitian shows him in his robes. It looks like one of his buddies has a sextant. Neat look into Roman life.

 

Nice pick-ups @Ken Dorney - the Mamaea one I've never seen before.

 

It does look like a sextant, doesn't it? It's a double flute (to accompany the lyre player). Looks more like a sextant

 

If those beauties are what you have for a snack, I can’t wait to see what’s for dinner.

 

Love the Domitian Ken. Congrats!

 

Here are the pictures I took of the two coins. I think they are remarkably different from the auction photos. Mine look much closer (almost exactly) to what they are in hand:

 

Lovely Domitian reverse. If anyone wants to read a scholarly article (not mine) on the Ludi Saeculares coin series, PM me an email address.