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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;JeffsRealm, post: 2523187, member: 81515&quot;]So, I just posted last week about some of my US collection. I specifically said I like ancients and been watching the ancient forums but don&#039;t know enough about them to get started yet.</p><p><br /></p><p>Which several people replied:</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>And why do I bring this up here. Because this weekend I had some time to kill and I was traveling up in mid Michigan I seen a sign on a small shop on coins. I decided to stop in and see what he had. He was a very nice guy, he had quite a few coins from the US and some world coins, but he also has ancients. He said Ancients are really his specialty. I told him, I primarily do US, and then I have a few world coins that I only have because I like the design on them. I explained to him the same thing, I didn&#039;t really know enough about ancients. But I love the stories about the coins. So I was picking through the coins he had and was going to buy a few. You tricky little tempting ancient guys you. He made me a deal since I was buying some. Any of his low end Ancients which were marked as $7-$8 he would give me for $5, which he actually went down to 4$. And he could tell me the story of the coin and the ruler. This is what sold it. </p><p><br /></p><p>So now I have my first ancient. <img src="styles/default/xenforo/clear.png" class="mceSmilieSprite mceSmilie101" alt=":woot:" unselectable="on" unselectable="on" /></p><p><br /></p><p>Ok for 4$ is is not in the best of condition but still you can see everything visible. Sorry I do not have any pictures, my cell phone is just not good at getting the pictures of this. I will try again tonight. </p><p><br /></p><p>So my first ancient, Bronze, Julian II AE 3 with a reverse Wreath enclosing VOT/X/MVLT/XX</p><p><br /></p><p>The coins though is very similar shape to this one, maybe a little rougher on the edges. <a href="http://www.coinproject.com/coin_detail.php?coin=302216" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="http://www.coinproject.com/coin_detail.php?coin=302216" rel="nofollow">http://www.coinproject.com/coin_detail.php?coin=302216</a></p><p><br /></p><p>The story that sold me was he was raised as a Christian but became a pagan that rejected Christianity. Also attempted to make it appear as crazy and silly in an attempt to bring Rome back to it&#039;s original values. Also I am not sure if it is true or not but he was one of the first Emperors in a very long time to return to putting a beard on his coin as this was again in a defiance of Christianity. He was also the last non Christian emperor. Not only this but was a philosopher and author with some of his writings still in existence today.</p><p><br /></p><p>A very good write up from Magnus Maximus already done here at coin talk.</p><p><a href="https://www.cointalk.com/threads/julian-ii-siliqua.266971/" class="internalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://www.cointalk.com/threads/julian-ii-siliqua.266971/">https://www.cointalk.com/threads/julian-ii-siliqua.266971/</a></p><p><br /></p><p>I am actually still researching and reading more on Flavius Claudius Julianus as I had never really heard of him. He only reigned for a short time after the death of Constantius in which he was killed by a Persian spear. However there is even controversy in his death as one one side the Pagans claimed he was assassinated by Christians. Later Christian historians claimed that Julian was killed by Saint Mercurius allowing Christianity to return to Rome. </p><p><br /></p><p>Ok, hopefully you can see why I kind of like the guy. So I will probably be looking passively for another Julian II coin some day. I also sit there and think, imagine this coin which was struck somewhere in 361-363 A.D. made its way to the middle of Michigan, only for me to find it totally on a fluke where I seen a sign that said coins and stopped in. The owner made me a great offer and I took it home with me. That&#039;s 1653 years of traveling to end up with me.</p><p><br /></p><p>Alas, I begin down the dark side of Ancients.</p><p><br /></p><p>On a side note. What books on Ancients would you recommend? I need to learn more about the coins themselves.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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