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Galba is even better.

 

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Speaking of Nerva, though, here is a dupondius I recently bought (CNG Keystone Auction 6). It was part of a group lot which included a Trajan sestertius and a Antoninus Pius dupondius. I got all three for a hammer price of $40, which I thought wasn't too bad, even though the coins are not in the best shape (particularly the Trajan)

 

This just came in today. Honestly I can't say enough good things about NeroNumi. 72 hours after placing the order I have the coin in my hands, and that's all the way from Norway to the central United States!

It is a lovely coin, too. My first Nero sestertius. Hopefully, I will be able to get some better photos soon!

 

Nice. I thought of ordering from them. What service do they use to ship?

 

DHL Express. It's expensive (~ $30) but wow it is fast.

 

Did it require a signature?

 

Vespasian "Judaea Capta" AE As. As I've commented before, one of my favorite sub-collections is "barbarians, captives, and enemies" on Roman coins. It's my first Judaea Capta RIC bronze.



The coin also fits my other favorite collection theme: History of numismatics.

I don't know if Mark Salton-Schlessinger collected any Romans (none in the auctions so far, but another ancient group is scheduled), but as a dealer he sold this coin in 1957. The provenance is important, since he comes from a family of prominent numismatists (Schlessinger, Hamburger, et al.) who were Jewish, most of their coins and other property seized by the Nazis, and most of them murdered in the Holocaust.

The purchaser of the coin in 1957 was another important numismatist: Kenneth Bressett (1928 - ), whose collection CNG just sold at Keystone Auction 6. Bressett primarily specializes in U.S. Coins, having written extensively and served in many offices of the American Numismatic Association. He was ANA President in 1995.


Bressett's biography is on pp. 50-51 of Pete Smith's (2021 ed.) American Numismatic Biographies (on Archive; or here on NNP).

I purchased several other group and single lots from his collection, but this is my favorite (others include 6 from 1936 Dorchester Hoard, 6 from "Lincoln Higgie Hoard [1967, Turkey]," plus a couple more groups of late Roman AE3s). Aside from the custom CNG tags, it's the only one with additional collector tags/ envelopes--one in Bressett's handwriting (envelope, center) and one in Salton's (label, left).


3 of the Lincoln Higgie Hoard Constantines:

As I see it, $16-17 each is a very good price for large Imperial AE, especially since they were from the very interesting collection of an important numismatist -- Ken Bressett.

 

Yes, but they make it easy to opt out of that. That's what I've always done.

 

Cool. Signature is what I wanted.

 

Here is a classic I bought from a recent CNG auction. This will probably remain my collection's Athena/owl tetradrachm. Nicer ones are just a little too expensive for my budget.
I like this one though. The obverse is centered enough to see at least most of Athena's helmet crest, with good detail, and the reverse is well-struck also. I also like the faint silver toning.




Also, I received this in the mail yesterday:


Signed by the author. Not an ancient coin but definitely related, and my first book on the subject. I have been enjoying it and learning a lot.

 

I like do dabble in coin cleaning while I watch tv in the evening. Today I bought some Sicilian projects that I hope will turn out good:

 

Is the middle reddish one due to some type of acid cleaning?

 

I don’t think so. My guess is that it has been laying in iron rich soil or clay.
I try only to use distilled water and a soft brush when I clean coins. Layers like that red can often come off in distilled water.

 

Interesting! I hope they all come out well.

 

I had been waiting patiently for two auctions this weekend: Naville and Savoca, as I’ve been watching several lots in both. Earlier this week, I sent off 60 ho-hum coins that won’t be missed to a dealer, so I had some funds to spend on coins. And lo and behold I did.




The tetradrachm from Abydos was important to me. And the 3 republican denarii have been coins I have been wanting to add for a long time too. So very happy with the outcome.

 

I picked up a few coins in the last Savoca auction that I had my eye on. A Bulgarian coin that I was looking at went up and away at 150 EUR, but I wasn't upset. I wasn't that thrilled about it as I have a good specimen already with clearer portraits of the emperor. I did pick up another Justinian pentanummium from Antioch. The flan as well as the strike was out-of-this world. I already have another good specimen, but this one called out...

I did pick up several trachea, including a scarce Andronicus III Palaeologus, but I'll post that later...

Byzantine Empire: Justinian I (527-565) Æ Pentanummium, Antioch (Sear 245; DOC I 272; MIB 163)
Obv: ΛNRTCSΛINΛΓAPC or similar; Diademed, draped and cuirassed bust of Justinian to right
Rev: Large C containing Sear monogram 2
Dim: 22 mm, 3.60 g

Sear Monogram 2

 

As you should be. This lot seems to have been made of coins usually too interesting to see grouped together for sale. Those are not just any Republicans but voting, pig swearing and severed head 'specials'. There are two wolf and twins with both being very nice types with potential for greatness if cleaning goes well. Keep us posted.

 

I made the group photo, Doug. Too many pics of single lots for one post. But I was hoping this was a batch closer to your heart than common solidii I think the 3 Alexandria tets were nice. The Claudius/Antonia tet only has 2 specimen in RPC. Plus this one, so probably a rare coin.

 

Aegina Stater 2 by Mrktstrtmyhm posted Mar 28, 2022 at 11:07 AM

Aegina Stater 1 by Mrktstrtmyhm posted Mar 28, 2022 at 11:07 AM

Picked up from Davissons Ltd a week or so ago. Been a fan of the oldest coins ever made since I got into the hobby and feel like snagging this one for under $1.6k was a bargain. I wonder when that test strike happened? Maybe when this turtle traveled to Crimea or Sicily where it was used to buy repairs for a ship or some new fabrics to take back to Aegina? Love the speculation part of this hobby more than anything else I'd say..

 

Here's a little coin I bought because I thought the young head of Nero was quite well-done, and the reverse design was interesting:

Nero AR Drachm, AD 56/57 (Year 3), Syria, Seleucis & Pieria, Antioch Mint. Obv. Laureate head of young Nero right, ΝΕΡΩΝΟΣ ΚΑΙΣΑΡΟΣ ΣΕΒΑ (beginning at upper right) / Rev. Tripod altar (supporting cauldron) with serpent entwined around center leg; ΔΡΑ-ΧΜΗ to sides (ΔΡΑ upwards on left; ΧΜΗ downwards on right), forming single word ΔΡΑΧΜΗ (“drachma”); above cauldron, EP [for Year 105 of Caesarean Era) and Γ [for Nero’s Regnal Year 3]. McAlee 278(a) at p. 140 & n. 214 (ill. p. 141); Prieur 78; RPC [Roman Provincial Coinage] Vol. I 4179 (1992); RPC Online at https://rpc.ashmus.ox.ac.uk/coins/1/4179. 18 mm., 3.65 g., 1 h. Purchased at CNG [Classical Numismatic Group, LLC] E-Auction 512, 23 March 2022, Lot 399.



Does anyone know if the serpent entwined around the central leg of the tripod has any particular meaning? I've certainly seen other tripod altars with dolphins and ravens, etc. (as on coins of Vitellius), but I don't remember seeing any with serpents.