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Message:: [QUOTE="Curtisimo, post: 3150475, member: 83845"]Welcome to Round 1 of CIT 2018!  If you are unaware of the tournament I invite you to get caught up with all the fun on the following link: <a href="https://www.cointalk.com/threads/ancients-it%E2%80%99s-time-the-second-annual-coin-imperator-tournament-2018.320328/" class="internalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://www.cointalk.com/threads/ancients-it%E2%80%99s-time-the-second-annual-coin-imperator-tournament-2018.320328/">https://www.cointalk.com/threads/ancients-it’s-time-the-second-annual-coin-imperator-tournament-2018.320328/</a> [ATTACH=full]807016[/ATTACH] This will be our last match-up of Round 1 folks.  A couple of great coins to send the first leg of our tournament out on a high note! Enjoy the show everyone <img src="styles/default/xenforo/clear.png" class="mceSmilieSprite mceSmilie1" alt=":)" unselectable="on" unselectable="on" /> ............................................................ #6 [USER=32619]@Jwt708[/USER] [ATTACH=full]807015[/ATTACH]ROMAN REPUBLIC. M. Sergius Silus AR Denarius, 19mm, 3.9g, 9h; Rome, 116-115 BC.Obv.: Helmeted head of Roma right; ROMA and XVI monogram behind, EX•S•C before.Rev.: Soldier on horseback rearing left, holding sword and severed Gallic head in left hand; Q M SERGI below, SILVS in exergue.Ref.: Crawford 286/1 Price: $225 Why It's Cool:Military themes are always a big win with me. The reverse of this coin is celebrating the exploits of Marcus Sergius, who our esteemed [USER=42773]@John Anthony[/USER] described as the "Roman Republican Rambo." I will let Pliny explain the history: Nobody - at least in my opinion - can rightly rank any man above Marcus Sergius, although his great-grandson Catiline shames his name. In his second campaign Sergius lost his right hand. In two campaigns he was wounded twenty-three times, with the result that he had no use in either hand or either foot: only his spirit remained intact. Although disabled, Sergius served in many subsequent campaigns. He was twice captured by Hannibal - no ordinary foe- from whom twice he escaped, although kept in chains and shackles every day for twenty months. He fought four times with only his left hand, while two horses he was riding were stabbed beneath him. He had a right hand made of iron for him and, going into battle with this bound to his arm, raised the siege of Cremona, saved Placentia and captured twelve enemy camps in Gaul - all of which exploits were confirmed by the speech he made as praetor when his colleagues tried to debar him as infirm from the sacrifices. What piles of wreaths he would have amassed in the face of a different enemy! Natural History, Book 7 Chapter 28 The image fails to capture all the toning. This coin is much brighter in hand with iridescent gold and blue hues. I was very pleased to have this coin in hand. Also, there is a severed head on the reverse! ............................................................ #27 [USER=84744]@Severus Alexander[/USER] [ATTACH=full]807018[/ATTACH]Constantius I as Caesar, 293-305; issued 296/7Silver-washed AE follis, Alexandria (third officina), 9.18g, 21.5mmObv: FL VAL CONSTANTIVS NOB CAES, Laureate bust rightRev: GENIO POPVLI ROMANI, Genius standing left, holding patera and cornucopia; at feet to left, eagle standing left, head turned upwardReference: RIC VI Alexandria 21aProvenance: The Dattari Collection Price: $58 Why It's Cool:Just a lovely but ordinary tetrarchal GENIO? Not on your life! This coin was issued by the rare usurper Domitius Domitianus from his headquarters at Alexandria, with all the awesome history that comes along with that. Even better, coins like mine have actually played a major role in reconstructing that history. But first: how do we know that my coin was issued by Domitianus? A number of factors make this virtually certain. For example, the best explanation for the unique addition of the eagle to the GENIO type is that it represents Domitianus’s Imperial pretensions. Most importantly, the coins in the name of Domitianus (which fall under a single issue) correspond very exactly to their equivalents for the tetrarchs, even down to such details as the orientation of the eagle’s head for officina gamma (see image below, and footnote [1]). As RIC notes, they are clearly part of the same issue. Domitianus is entirely absent from the next Alexandrian issue, which must have come after his defeat. The revolt was initially very successful, and must have recalled the dark days of the third century crisis. Cleverly, Domitianus pretended legitimacy, issuing coins like mine bearing the tetrarchs’ portraits [2]. He also timed the revolt well, taking advantage of Egyptian Greek unhappiness with new taxes and demoted status, as well as the empire’s wars on several fronts, most seriously with the aggressive new Persian Shah, Narses. As a result, the emperors couldn’t mount an armed response without stretching their regime to its breaking point. However, Diocletian was plotting his revenge… After a few months’ delay, the senior emperor himself took it in hand to quell the revolt, which had by this time engulfed the entire province. After intense fighting, Domitianus was corralled into Alexandria and put under siege. The siege reportedly lasted eight months; at some point, Domitianus met his death and Diocletian rejoiced. When the city finally fell, Diocletian’s wrath was terrible: in a city of a million people, it would be the sack to end all sacks. “Do not stop,” he said, “until the blood reaches my horse’s knees.” Except… just as he uttered this merciless command, his horse stumbled and bloodied its knees in entrails. Diocletian knew a sign from the gods when he saw one, and mercilessness was transmuted to mercy in the nick of time. Diocletian marked his victory by erecting one of the largest columns ever produced from a single stone, still standing proudly in Alexandria today (see the image below). The populace of Alexandria erected a rather different monument, a statue of their saviour: Diocletian’s horse! <img src="styles/default/xenforo/clear.png" class="mceSmilieSprite mceSmilie101" alt=":woot:" unselectable="on" unselectable="on" /> [3][4] Bonus history points: Constantius I is an important historical figure in his own right, and also father to Constantine the Great. Constantine was likely present while the rebellion was quashed, since Diocletian had him in his entourage as a hostage to his father's good behaviour. Numismatic interest: The introduction of the follis was a momentous event across the empire, but particularly so in Alexandria where a protected economy had previously restricted internal circulation to the locally produced tetradrachm et al. This coin is significant as an early Alexandrian follis. Second, it has a great provenance: the famous Dattari collection. Giovanni Dattari assembled what was undoubtedly the best ever collection of Imperial-era Alexandrian coins in the late 19th and early 20th centuries [5]. Value for money: $58 would be a great price even for an ordinary Genio follis in this condition; with the Domitianus connection (missed by the seller) and the Dattari provenance, it was a super bargain. CNG sold a significantly worse example in 2010 for $175 plus juice (also without noting Domitianus). That’s the only other example on acsearch. It seems that my coin may in fact be the best preserved example of the type; I have seen none better in auction archives, shop archives, or museum examples. As you know, “best of type” typically commands a very large premium, especially for historically significant coins. Perhaps I should just quote <a href="https://www.cointalk.com/threads/maximianus-genio-popvli-romani-from-alexandria.298166/#post-2857665" class="internalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://www.cointalk.com/threads/maximianus-genio-popvli-romani-from-alexandria.298166/#post-2857665">Warren Esty on this point</a>: “Severus Alexander, your Constantius version is really special and you got a super bargain. Congratulations!” Are you going to argue with [USER=44316]@Valentinian[/USER]? <img src="styles/default/xenforo/clear.png" class="mceSmilieSprite mceSmilie1" alt=":)" unselectable="on" unselectable="on" /> Footnotes: will be provided in a separate post in this thread because I've already taken too much space. <img src="styles/default/xenforo/clear.png" class="mceSmilieSprite mceSmilie8" alt=":D" unselectable="on" unselectable="on" /> [ATTACH=full]807019[/ATTACH] ............................................................ A Gentle ReminderWe have had a remarkably fun and friendly tournament so far and I want to thank all of our members who have contributed and commented <img src="styles/default/xenforo/clear.png" class="mceSmilieSprite mceSmilie1" alt=":)" unselectable="on" unselectable="on" /> Let's continue to do a good job of keeping our tournament friendly! Instead of focusing comments too much on why you didn't vote for one coin over the other try to focus on why you did vote for the one you chose! Remember that everyone gets 3 votes to choose which coin you think comes out on top in each of the three categories. With that I will open the floor to comments, pile-ons and shameless lobbying.[/QUOTE]

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