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Message:: [QUOTE="Curtisimo, post: 3166542, member: 83845"]Hello everyone and welcome to Round 2 of the 2018 CoinTalk Imperator Tournament!  If you are unaware of the tournament I invite you to get caught up with all the fun in the master thread; <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]814045[/ATTACH] A big thank you to all of our participants.  Without further ado… ............................................................ #21 [USER=91461]@Ryro[/USER] [ATTACH=full]814046[/ATTACH] MACEDON. Thessalonica. Octavian with Divus Julius Caesar (27 BC-14 AD). Ae. Obv: ΘEOΣ. Wreathed head of Julius Caesar right; c/m on neck.Rev: ΘEΣΣAΛONIKEΩN. Bare head of Octavian right; Δ below.Struck circa 28-27 BCERPC I 1554. Weight: 12.3 g.Diameter: 21 mm. Price: $97.73 Why It's Cool:Bargain: You can currently find a version of this coin (lacking the hard to come by countermark) on V-coins for $750. History: With the murder of his defied uncle, Julius Caesar, Octavian Caesar, soon to be known as Augustus from 27 BCE onward, ran a mesmerizing propaganda campaign to both align himself with Julius in the eyes of the mob while also putting on a very believable show that he lacked his late uncle's desire for autocracy...all the while being a reigning autocrat! [ATTACH=full]814047[/ATTACH] His propaganda machine stretched far and wide. As this, delightfully near emerald patina'd, coin from Thessalonica in Macedon suggests. He was now in control of the mightiest empire the world would ever know, and he knew the power of rhetoric, hyperbole and coinage (himself a known collector). This coin is rich with irony. The countermarks, which we'll dive more into momentarily, on all of these coins seem to be placed on the upper breast/neck of Caesar and nowhere else. Of the 23 stab wounds sustained by Caesar only the 2nd one to his upper breast/neck was fatal. Then when you flip to the reverse you see a rather elongated neck of his young nephew making for a pretty easy target for future would be assassins! [ATTACH=full]814048[/ATTACH] The countermark itself is up for debate. Though, the ligate NK monogram isusually judged to be attributed to or a reference to Nero (Nerwn Kaisar).The concern being that Thessalonica had abundant coinages issued under Claudius.My other version of the coin is lacking any countermark, as Julius apparently in death no longer needed to wear that wreath to cover his bald spot. [ATTACH=full]814049[/ATTACH] As time went by Augustus had the wherewithal to distance himself from his uncle's legacy (and of even his own) and the less than patriotic acts that the "pater patriae" (father of his country) perpetrated during the civil war.  Though none will ever be able to sum up the life and career of then Octavian better than his greatest rival, Marcus Antonius, whom said, "You boy, who owes EVERYTHING to a name." ............................................................ #28 [USER=86498]@Terence Cheesman[/USER] [ATTACH=full]814051[/ATTACH] Septimius Severus Ar Denarius Minted 203-210 A.D. most likely 206 A.D. RIC 259 Elkins 140Rv Triumphal arch of Severus showing three arches and four columnsThis is surmounted by a facing chariot drawn by six horses and is flanked by two horsemen both facing away from the main group.Obv. SEVERVS PIVS AVG. Rv. COS III P.P. Price: $4,000 Why It’s Cool:Bargain: The price is at the upper end of these coins but so is the grade. This coin has both the obverse and reverse nice and crisp. This can be a problem with Severan coins as the reverse can be used rather longer than what would be ideal. I should note a dealer was interested in the coin and had agreed upon a price. The dealer promised to return later in the day. As I did not wish to be predatory I actually waited until the next morning to buy the coin at the same price quoted to the dealer. History: The Arch of Severus was dedicated in 203 A.D. It celebrates the success of Severus in his war with Parthia. The panels on the arch depict events in that campaign including the capture of the city of Edessa, the surrender of Seleukia, and the siege and sack of the Parthian capital of Ctesiphon. It was here that his son Caracalla became co-emperor on the same day as the accession of Trajan one hundred years before. By this act as well as building the triumphal arch Severus was advertising his successes against the Parthians, something that eluded even Trajan. Architectural reverses are unusual during the Roman Empire and are often reserved for the large Aes coins. There are three more or less intact arches within Rome. The Arch of Titus, the Arch of Severus, and the Arch of Constantine I. Of the three only the Arch of Severus appears on the Roman Imperial coinage. [ATTACH=full]814059[/ATTACH] ............................................................ A Gentle ReminderRound 1 went about as well as anyone could have hoped from the perspective of keeping the commentary fun, interesting and friendly. It would be a challenge to run a tournament of this type on almost any other board but with the great people here on CT it has been both an honor and a pleasure. Lets try to keep up with the perfect score in the friendliness department by concentrating comments on why you liked an entry instead of why you didn't like the other. 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 thread for comments, opinions, coin pile-ons and random posting of coin things as you see fit.[/QUOTE]

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