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Message:: [QUOTE="Curtisimo, post: 3143709, member: 83845"]Welcome to Round 1 (Group 2) 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]804050[/ATTACH] I want to give a special thank you to the participants for volunteering to play the game.  We have a great group of people here at CT. ............................................................ #7 [USER=95174]@BenSi[/USER] [ATTACH=full]804033[/ATTACH]JOHN II Komnenos ( Ruled Eastern Roman Empire 1118-1143 CE) Metropolitan Tetarteron SBCV-1945 DOC 12 CLBC 3.4.1OBV.: Full length figure of Christ standing on a dais, bearded and nimbate, wearing tunic and kolobion; holds Gospels in l. hand.REV.: Full length figure of Emperor wearing stemma, divitision, collar piece and jeweled loros of a simplified type. Holds in r. hand scepter cruciger and in l. hand gl. cr.Size 21. mmWeight 4.03gm Price: $150.00 Why It’s Cool:John II Komnenos also known as John the Good, ruled the Eastern Roman Empire from 1118-1143, his time of rule was filled with small victories of battles across the borders of the empire. He lived a good and pious life; he and his reign are normally forgotten because of being overshadowed by his famous father Alexius I Komnenus and his famous son Manuel I Komnenus. His sister Anna Komnenus is also a factor in is anonymity in history. Anna was next in line to rule but her father favored the younger John II over her and she never forgave him for this.  In 1118 she attempted and failed to usurp John II's throne and was sent to a monastery.  There she wrote one of the best historical works on the time period, “The Alexiad,” and purposefully left John II's achievements out of it. The condition of this tetarteron is remarkable considering it was an everyday use coin, a denomination used by the majority of the public in Constantinople. Normally these coins are well worn because they were used for everyday commerce for decades, long after the issuing rulers passing, unlike the gold pieces of the day (AV Hyperpyron) which were sealed in purses and were rarely used in public transactions. This is one of the nicest tetarterons I have ever seen and I felt really lucky to get it for this price at auction. [ATTACH=full]804036[/ATTACH]John II Komnenos (Image from <a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Jean_II_Comnene.jpg" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Jean_II_Comnene.jpg" rel="nofollow">Wikipedia</a>) ............................................................ #26 [USER=91461]@Ryro[/USER] [ATTACH=full]804037[/ATTACH]MACEDONIAN KINGDOM.Alexander III the Great (336-323 BC). AR tetradrachm(15.98 gm). About VF,countermark, graffito.Late posthumous issue of Perga,dated CY 27 (195/4 BC).Heracles wearing lion-skin,AΛEΞANΔPOY, Zeus seated lefton backless throne, right legdrawn back, feet on ground line,eagle in right hand, scepter in left hand. Price: $170 Why It’s Cool:The Hellenistic Heracles / Zues type tetradrachms in the name of Alexander the Great are instantly recognizable icons in the collecting community.  There is a fierce debate about whether or not the portrait on the type should be associated with Alexander (or at least his features) or if it is strictly meant to represent a young, beardless Heracles.  It’s not unthinkable that mints in cities that Alexander had attained hero, or even divine, status would purposefully model his features on the universally recognized coins of the day, both in his lifetime and long after his death. If the portrait is of Alexander it is one of my favorite depictions of the greatest conqueror the world has ever known. When reading descriptions of Alexander you will read about his piercing eyes. Eyes as blue as the sky that could look right through a mortal man. That stare/glare, with a slight blue iridescence is represented chillingly on this coin. [ATTACH=full]804038[/ATTACH]Heracles strangling the Nemean Lion (Wikipedia) The portrait is as beautiful an example of (Alexander) Herakles as I could ask for. A well-worn theme at this point, but this coin has a very unique style. Perhaps even more interesting is the crisp Seleucid anchor countermark behind Zeus on the reverse of this coin. Presumably, the countermark was placed within a few years of the coin being minted.  Antiochus III had decided to step up to Rome and was defeated soundly at the Battle of Magnesia in 190 BCE, just 3 or 4 years after the coin was minted. This defeat was a severe blow to the Seluecid Empire and the countermark could be in the context of silver needed to pay for the Seleucid war effort or even somehow associated with the massive indemnity forced on Antiochus III by the Romans. As the death of Alexander was the dawn of the Hellenistic period and end of the classical, this coin shows the death throes of the Greek masters at the rise of Rome.Like the heads and tails of all coins, this particular ancient anomaly represents several beginnings and endings and will always be a favorite when 1st introducing friends and family to my love of ancients. ............................................................ 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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