Philippus---From an uncleaned lot.

Back in November while just reentering coin collecting again after a lengthy hiatus, I started bidding on Heritage and purchased a few uncleaned lots on eBay; most were slugs and many very low grade and identifiable, but a few (VERY FEW) were about Fine to Very Fine---and this coin falls among the latter.

It is a right facing radiate of Philippus unmistakably of Viminacium, Moesia Superior with the Bull and Lion reverse. It seems to be a match with SNG COP 151, an AE-28 of about 16.5 grams...(Notice the 'ancient' hole for a chain).

Forgive the photos, but it's stormy here now and I still haven't resolved my 'light' issue(s) yet--BUT I WILL TIF----PROMISE!!!

Please post any Philip the Arab coins you have or any recently cleaned coins with some eye-appeal...

 

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A good score.

 

That's rather nice for an uncleaned pickup, Mikey. Can't quite see if the year is AN V, VI, or VII?

I had to buy mine (and it looks worse than yours), a Year 5, the first year Philip I struck at this mint.


PHILIP THE ARAB
AE 'Provincial Sestertius'
19.42g, 30.5mm
MOESIA, Viminacium, AD 244
AMNG I 100
O: IMP M IVL PHILIPPVS AVG, laureate, draped, cuirassed bust right, seen from the back.
R: PMS C-OL VIM, Moesia standing facing, arms outstretched over a bull and a lion. AN V (CY 5) in exergue

 

I've always liked the Viminacium reverses. Decent coin. Is this one you got in an uncleaned lot. If so, you got a better lot than I ever got. I almost always had slugs, thus the reason I no longer do uncleaned lots.


PHILIP I
AR Antoninianus
OBVERSE: IMP M IVL PHILIPPVS AVG,
radiate draped bust right
REVERSE: LIBERALITAS AVGG II, Liberalitas standing left with abacus & cornucopiae
Rome mint (4th Issue, 5th Officina), AD 245
RIC 38b

 

I think yours is AN V also, Mikey. I don't see any I's after it, and it seems centered right under Moesia. That's a nice coin - the bull and lion are quite clear, and you've got solid legends. Very nice.

 

PHILIP I
AE30
OBVERSE: AVTOK K M IOVLI FILIPPOC CEB, laureate, draped and cuirassed bust right
REVERSE: ANTIOCEWN MHTRO KOLWN D-E S-C, turreted & draped bust of Tyche right, ram leaping right above, star beneath
Struck at Antioch, 244-249 AD
30mm, 14g
BMC 528

 

'Z', even with a loupe, nothing seems to be left after the 'V'...and I think yours is quite nice, depending on what you paid for it, of course...

I just saw Bing's and JA's post---Yes it was one of the 'uncleaned'... and I love that reverse on your example!!!

I have to agree with John's assessments as well--just AN V

 

It was about $13 shipped, from the first lot of ancients I ever purchased. I still like the big ol' lug of a coin.

 

Sounds like a great deal to me 'Z'----I really like it!!! It shows its age gracefully, which I seem to be doing quite poorly at of late LOL

 

I'm not sure how much 'eye-appeal' these have, but here are three examples of Aurelian's ( Uncleaned lot, of course):

 

Melt 'em down and make yourself a nice belt buckle!

Just jokes, but I have a hard time giving common coins in poor grades any sort of love. I had my stint with uncleaned ancients also, and after all the work, the results were just too damn frustrating.

 

Can't go wrong with Phillip the Arab, - he will get you back to Rome in one piece.

Rome, Italy
Philip The Arab
AR Antoninianus 24 mm x 4.3 grams
Obverse: IMP PHILLIPVS AVG Radiant, draped, cuirassed bust of Philip I.
Reverse: SAECVLARES AVGG-Tall thin cippus inscribe with COS III in two lines
Tall thin cippus inscribe with COS III in two lines
ref: RIC 24c, C193
Note: Celebrates the thousand years since the founding of Rome.Superb XF condition.

 

Here's a sestertius of Philip II. I no longer own the coin, and I'm still kicking myself for selling it. I don't mind selling other people's coins, but it turned out that selling mine was too emotionally disturbing.

Philip I and Philip II sitting in curule chairs. Ain't it lovely? Ugh - what was I thinking?

 

Love your example A-noob!!

I know how you feel JA...I'm still moaning over selling even one of mine, let alone hundreds with a full album entitled 'Ancient Civilizations'...and that coin is beyond LOVELY!!!

And I also agree 100% with JA about uncleaned lots---so damned frustrating, too time-consuming and those are the last uncleaned lots I'll probably ever buy..,

Well, here's a Trajan that was among my lot---sesterces (? it seems a tad small, more like an AS) with a laureated portrait and a reverse barely displaying Trajan on a prancing horse, thrusting a spear at a fallen Dacian. Apparently, RIC 534:

 

Great find Mikey, i like dinking around with these unclean ancients. you never know what you will find!!

Found this one in my lot PCONST, Chi-Rho in left field.

 

It took me quite a number of years to try 'uncleaned lots' again---I had a lot of luck with them when I started in the early nineties, but not so much since and like lottery tickets, I mostly, almost solely, spend more than I 'get back' but there's that allure of finding something cool and I'll probably try again this winter when I get bored and my budget is hurting....

This is apparently Constantius II(? Valentinian II?) and I have yet to attribute it in any way---I was just about to try....and it's about the second best one I have in the lot. I also have a decent Constantinople Commemorative I may post later this evening:

 

some nice uncleaned lot coins MZ.

i purchased a few a couple months ago, i just kind of missed doing it. no illusions about what i'm going to find...maybe a keeper or two.

i posted my philip coin recently, so here's an old uncleaned lot coin that came out pretty good.





here's the before reverse, lost obverse pic...

 

That's the right attitude to have---It's a bit fun, mostly frustrating, but you do 'score' a keeper or two every now and then....and even a scarce type.

I think yours came out very well----- and I'm still puzzled by that last one I posted. It's Valentinian II with a Tyche kneeling reverse, but the mint mark confuses me---Is it Sirmium SM and Delta, or Siscia S and M (moneta) and Delta?? I'm off to Wild winds to try and find out.

 

Can anyone determine if my 'educated guess' (after a bit on acsearch and wildwinds) is correct:

Valentinian II with a turreted woman (Tyche) kneeling or being helped up and an incomplete mintmark which should read SMRP or Rome?? And possibly RIC 43B???

 

I would have guessed Gratian from the portrait. Can you read any legend?