Saturday Night Free For All

Yes Terence , Side imho.
Here's mine:

 

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@ominus1 : That's hands-down the coolest antique I've ever seen!

@Terence Cheesman : Safe travels and by all means, please post from the London Coin Fair! I'd love to see many pics and a complete report!

This is a fun thread which I haven't seen yet since I've been doing more dealing than collecting over the past few years.

I'll chime in with today's project, which was to photograph the recent acquisition of a Celtic tet, and to re-photograph a set of barbarous LRB's of the Constantinian Era.

The tet imitates the Paeonian types of Patraos, and has a nice pedigree going back to the 70's. It'll get it's own thread eventually. Curiously, I happen to have a companion piece to the tet in a barbarous imitation of a Magnentius issue - that shares the same reverse theme six centuries later!

The other barbs are random, previous acquisitions of imitative pieces - a branch of the hobby that's under-appreciated and under-represented in my opinion. I'm thinking it would be a fun collection to get high-quality originals of these types as companion pieces. Easily done for the LRB's, the Paeonian tet not so much. That series was beautifully engraved but haphazardly struck. None of the current offerings on the market please me...

 

Well it is Saturday and I am back home in the Great White North well not white yet but soon to be. Last Saturday I was in London and attended the London Coin Fair which was held at the Holiday Inn Bloomsbury. I enjoyed my time at the show except for one thing. NO CHAIRS for the customers. Hey I am getting old. I would like to be able to sit while examining coins that I might be interested in. However I really should not complain. It has been my experience that European shows do not have chairs for the customers. You got to be fit to collect in Europe. Oh well the show was great with a lot of great coins at all price points.
I did not buy this coin while I was there but, coming home I did run across it and thought I would place it in this thread
Faustina I as Divus Ae Dupondius 141-161 AD Obv. Bust right draped, hair bound with pearls. Rv Pietas standing left. RIC 1161 var 11.30 grms 25 mm Photo by W. Hansen It is noteworthy that Faustina I has perhaps the most extensive "Divo" coinage of any Roman ruler with the possible exception of Augustus.

 

That's lovely!

 

I just found an old provenance for a coin

I've had this quinarius for a few years - ROMA monogram Cr. 84/2:


I got it from Mike Vosper in January 2018 and had no previous sale information.

Tonight, I was browsing the RRDP pages and spotted it!


So - sold by Karl Kress in auction 102 on 6th December 1956.

It doesn't seem to have fallen apart any more since 1956

ATB,
Aidan.

 

Wow!! Fantastic provenance-hunting!

 

Thanks - sometimes I get lucky!

 

Hey all,
Not much new here. No new nice coins lately but that hasn't stopped me from budget shopping. Below are seller's photos from a "Buy it Now" lot on eBay. Anyway, I did buy the lot, the cost was $9.00 and $4.00 for shipping so.. about $15.00 total delivered. I do have the coins but no photos yet as they are soaking in distilled water to get the grunge off (the top two).

My question to you is... these are by far not perfect condition coins (and of a period that takes a person that appreciates ugly)... BUT!!! for $15 or so... do you pull the trigger? If you do, for what reason? If not and you leave them for another budget picker, why? Just curious about opinions, collecting decisions and other's ability to keep to a standard of quality even when faced with a deal (this isn't me). I'll share cleaned up photos later.

 

Hoo ha! If I'd seen that lot I would've tried to out-bid you!

Seriously, I love to buy material like this at prices like you paid. Unattributed, these usually are a lot of fun to figure out. Furthermore, the photos usually make the coins look worse than they are in hand - in the case of this lot, those top two look to be really nice, worth the price of the whole lot. I'll sometimes buy an entire lot for one nice-looking coin. The other two are probably not so wonderful in terms of condition, but if you are able to attribute them, there is a lot of fun in that process alone, even if the coin isn't so pretty.

So yep, I think you got a great deal there. I look forward to seeing attributions and better pics (especially of the top two).

Here are a couple of recent lots, with my effort to "justify the junk":

Since there is not a one of these that is decent, I was hesitant to pull the trigger on this lot - $11.00 ($3.50 shipping). However, I figured that the attribution process would be enjoyable (and in a fun-per-hour sense, a "bargain"). As it turns out, two of them, if ugly, were kind of interesting (attributions below - bottom row last 2):


Lucius Verus Æ Sestertius
(163-164 A.D.)
Rome Mint
[L AVREL] VERVS AVG [ARMENIACVS], laureate head right / TR P IIII [IMP II COS II] S-C, Hercules, nude, wearing lion-skin, standing front, holding laurel-branch and club
RIC 1391 (var. - see notes).
(22.31 grams / 30 mm)
eBay Sep. 2021 Lot @ $2.20
Attribution Notes: This example lacks drapery and cuirass; I could find only one auction example:
Numismatik Lanz München
Auct. 128; Lot 499; 22.05.2006
RIC - (vgl. 1391: mit Paludament und Panzer); C. - (vgl. 239); BMC 1107; MIR 77-16/13 (Büstenvariante unbelegt).

Severus Alexander Æ 23
(c. 222-235 A.D.)
Bithynia, Nicomedia
[Μ ΑΥΡ] ϹƐΥ ΑΛƐΞΑΝΔΡ[ΟϹ ΑΥΓ], radiate, draped and cuir. bust r. / [(ΤΡΙϹ?) ΝƐΩΚΟΡΩΝ] ΝΙΚΟΜΗΔƐΩΝ, Tyche standing facing, looking left, holding rudder and cornucopia
RPC VI 3363 (temporary).
(7.90 grams / 23 mm)
eBay Sep. 2021 Lot @ $2.20
Countermark: Δ in 7 mm circle. Howgego 788 (?). he delta countermark is somewhat common, but I could not find an example on a Nicomedia host.
Host: NIKO... to right of legend rarely used for Nicomedia; RPC VI 3363 was the only one with standing Tyche I found.

I had no hesitations buying this lot - $10.49 ($3.50 shipping) - the seller's photos were a bit dark, and nothing was attributed, so the bidding was tepid - my photos aren't great either, but that Maurice Tiberius follis from Antioch is a beauty:



This lot I had to fight for - $26 ($3 shipping) but the Nerva and Hadrian middle bronzes I thought might look better in hand, and well worth the price. The other coin (first in the row) eludes me - I think it might be Antioch or Pontus? The reverse is blank, and the obverse bust is wildly double-struck. The Hadrian in particular looked much better in hand - it has an attractive black-green patina with brassy-bronze highlights. The Nerva is by far the best Nerva in my collection:



For sure this kind of material does not add up to a high-quality collection, but it is a lot of fun for me, and although I don't look at coins as an investment, I do like to think that I could probably get my money back at some point.

 

A greek snack from JA Auctions.


BRUTTIUM. Rhegion (260 - 215 B.C.)
Æ23
O: Helmeted head of Athena left.
R: Athena Nikephoros standing left.
5.7g
Reference: SNG ANS 756-760; Rutter, HN 2554

 

Alexandrian snack from @John Anthony.


Hadrian, AD 117-138.
Roman provincial billon tetradrachm, 12.76 g, 24.8 mm, 11 h.
Egypt, Alexandria, year 21=AD 136/7.
Obv: ΑVΤ ΚΑΙϹ ΤΡΑ ΑΔΡΙΑΝΟϹ ϹЄΒ; laureate head of Hadrian, right, drapery on l. shoulder.
Rev: L ΚΑ; Demeter standing facing, head l., wearing crescent, holding ears of corn and torch.
Refs: RPC III, 6131; BMC 16.71,579; Köln 1209; Dattari 1335; Milne 1519; Emmett 832.

 

I just bought this one from @maridvnvm



Obv:– IMP CONSTANTINVS AVG, High crested helmeted, cuirassed bust left, holding shield and spear
Rev:– VICTORIAE LAETAE PRINC PERP, Two Victories holding shield inscribed VOT / P R above altar (Type 7m)
Minted in Siscia (// ESIS*). A.D. 318-319
Reference(s) – RIC VII Siscia 50 (R2)

Weight - 2.43 gms,
Largest diameter - 20.23 mm.
Die orientation - 180 degrees

 

I have been rather busy of late. I started a couple of projects however while working on one I came across this coin.
Vespasian Ar Denarius Ephesus 70-7 4 AD Obv Head right laureate Rv Victory advancing right RIC1431 RPC 833 3.13 grms 18 mm Photo by W. Hansen

 

I've not been very active in 'coining' these last weeks. The high auction prices are demotivating for one. And I've been busy with work and my education on the side. I however was able to add two lovely coins recently. One of these is posted here. I will save the other one for my post with my top 10, somewhere in the next weeks.

I wanted to add a Syracuse tetradrachm to my collection ever since I've visited the fountain of Arethusa in Syracuse, Sicily. Even in modern times, there's something magical about that place. It's not in best condition (understatement), but I think the most important elements of the coin's imagery is present. And it's poor condition allowed me to snatch it up for a fair price, especially considering the current market condition. This is my second Greek coin. I have trouble attributing it, since I lack online and offline resources as I'm mainly Roman orientated. I'll continue working on the attribution.

 

Last Saturday was a busy day for me as I was busy putting up my top ten for 2021. After some adventures I managed to get all my coins up. Today I have been working on some of my coins and this one crossed my path.
Ae Trichalkos of Phalanna 250- 200 BC Obv. Head of Ares right bare, Rv Head of nymph Phalanna right wearing sakkos. HGC 171 5.91 grms 19 mm Ex BCD Collection Photo by W. Hansen This coin was part of the massive collection of the coins of ancient Thessaly accumulated by BCD The aes coins from the mint of Phalanna appear to have been minted in very large numbers.

 

Indeed, some years ago at NYINC I came across a dealer that had a bagful of these types - easily several hundred. I had a chance to look at them all and pick out a few choice examples. I believe I sold one to @ancientcoinguru Perhaps she would be willing to post it...

 

Pretty much my last purchase of the year. A recent buy from @John Anthony auctions.


Shapur III (383 - 388 A.D.)
AR drachm
O: Bust right, wearing flat-topped crown with korymbos.
R:Fire altar with ribbons and bust right in flames; flanked by two attendants, each wearing flat-topped crown with korymbos, reverse on the right side, word "Attash-e" left side "Shpr" meaning "the sacred fire of Shapur", monograms on altar shaft.
4.2g
25mm
SNS type Ic/1b (pl. 25, A3); Göbl type I/1; Sunrise 875.

 

I’m sitting here admiring my collection.. not much else to do as it’s 1:30am here.
I’m starting to feel that coins are like clothes.. no matter how many you own you end up going back to the same old favourites over and over again.

My collection is already lean by most standards at barely 100 coins but still.. maybe it’s time to thin the herd and free up some cash + space and go for some real stunners

Other than that I’ve got a couple of bids on the go for today’s Leu session, one of which I’m going after aggressively. It’s a common type but attractive and I imagine the price will get run up a long way from where it is now..

So who is up?

 

Happy New Year and it is Saturday. I certainly hope that this year will b better than the last (Didn't we hope for the same thing last year) Well lets try to forget that. On my part we are a little bit early. However for most of the planet it is Saturday and a brand new year. One thing that I can say is that barring any disaster I will be at the NYINC and I am looking forward to that. I happen to be working on an article and ran into this coin.
Florian Billon Aurelianus Lugdunum 276 AD Obv. Bust right radiate draped and cuirassed. Rv. Felicitas standing right. RIC 11 4.03 grams 22 mm photo by W. Hansen The obverse is interesting in that Florian is depicted in a beard rather reminiscent of his predecessor Tacitus. This is unusual as in most other portraits he is seen with the standard close cropped military style beard so prevalent at this time. The reverse legend reads TEMPORVM FELICITAS Essentially this means happy times and given that this coin is minted at the beginning of the reign one is tempted to read Happy times are here again. Something that today we could certainly make use of. Hopefully on this thread for today lets see some happy coins.

 

Well it is Saturday and tomorrow I take flight to New York City. About a year ago on this thread @dougsmit asked a question. This question was in effect when looking back on my January 2021 bids would I feel remorse about bidding more. The answer is in most part no. In most instances I was not even the under bidder. I looked through Triton XXIV and really did not see any coins save two that I was interested in but did not bid more. One coin was a Gela tetradrachm. looking at it now it was a reasonable price for the coin but at the time I had others which I was looking at. The other was this coin.
Kingdom of Macedon Archelaos Minted at Aigai 413-399 BC. Obv Diademed head of Apollo right Rv Horse walking right HGC 795 10.54 grms 25 mm Photo by W. Hansen I was interested in this coin but there was another coin that was coming up later in the auction that I was actually more interested in. I did not get it. Later in the fall it showed up in Roma Auction XXII and I decided to bid on it. According to AC Search I paid $175 more in October. I would have had to pay more in January as the next bid increment was more than the $175 that is of course assuming I would have got it in the next increment. I think when looking back at my bidding last year I would have to say " I have no regrets"