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Message:: [QUOTE="Curtisimo, post: 3198626, member: 83845"]Welcome to the semifinals of the 2018 Cointalk Coin Imperator Tournament.  We have only a few matches left to go so I hope everyone will vote, comment and enjoy these last few fun write ups and coins. [ATTACH=full]827313[/ATTACH] If you are unfamiliar with the tournament and want to get caught up on all the action you can feel free to reference the master thread below. <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/an...annual-coin-imperator-tournament-2018.320328/</a> The winner of this match will move on to challenge for the radiate crown of the 2018 Imperator!  Good luck to both participants and congratulations for making it this far! ............................................................ #10 [USER=4298]@Cucumbor[/USER] [ATTACH=full]827314[/ATTACH]O MARCO ANTONINO, Radiate head of Marcus Aurelius rightCONSECRATIO, Altar23 mm - 3.84 grRef : RIC IV # 92a, Cohen # 1058In qblays catalog : MA08-P114Same dies as the example in the Bibliotheque nationale de France Price: $233 Why It’s Cool (to me):Most of you CT friends already know how much I like the Divi series minted by the emperor Trajan Decius in 250-251 CE. Last year, on the occasion of the acquisition of the 21st out of 22 main existing types, I have extensively described the series in a featured thread that you can find <a href="https://www.cointalk.com/threads/ancients-trajan-decius-the-divi-series.296342/" class="internalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://www.cointalk.com/threads/ancients-trajan-decius-the-divi-series.296342/">here</a> Drumroll….. What you see today is the 22nd and last one: Yes, I have now the set completed!!! I started to collect them about 18 years ago, and even though I’ve been focused on other series and themes during this period of time, I’ve been chasing this particular one type for several years. The last one I missed at auction, although in much better condition, went for 1200 USD + fees. The series consists in 22 main types, featuring 11 different emperors, each one being associated with two different reverses, either funeral altar or eagle. One can specialize even more, as there are some minor variations in the busts and, for Nerva and Marcus Aurelius only, in the obverse legend. Those honoring Marcus Aurelius are among the rarest of the series, together with Nerva, Hadrian and Septimius Severus. A quick search on acsearch showed up three examples with the DIVO MARCO obverse legend, and two only with the DIVO MARCO ANTONINO legend as my specimen. Now, please, read what Harlan J. Berk wrote while selling a similar antoninianus in one of their Gemini auctions : “Joaquim Blay's online die catalogue of this coinage lists just five specimens of this particular type of Divus Marcus (RIC 92a), including our coin. It may therefore be considered to be the rarest regular type in the entire Divi series” [ATTACH=full]827315[/ATTACH] Why It’s Cool (numismatically speaking):The Divi series serves to enlighten us modern observers to the vision that the ancients had back then of which emperors were worthy of being honored with a consecration issue.  In other words, which emperors did the issuing authority of the time consider to be good emperors? We would certainly have the list revised today: not sure Commodus would fit the bill (see how naughty he is towards Russelus Maximus Crowus). [ATTACH=full]827316[/ATTACH] The Divi series is the only way to have an example of all these emperors in antoniniani. The whole series is limited enough in volume and number of different types, that one can consider completing it in a reasonable period of time. Because it was issued during a relatively short period of time, and with some unity in terms of style, the series allows us to better understand the minting process, the evolution of metal debasement during the Crisis of the Third Century and the connections between officinae and workshops. Here’s a quote of my own study of the series, in an attempt to analyze and summarize these considerations: “Consecration programs usually copied the original type while adding elements identifying the Emperor who had them issued. That is not the case with these coins, there is no mention of Trajan Decius, so how do we know which emperor issued them? For a long time, scholars, if they clearly situated these emissions in the middle of the third century, varied them in time, from the reign of Philip the Arab to that of Gallienus. The sumptuous celebrations of the Millennium of Rome in 248 CE under Philip, were the occasion of special monetary issues such as the "Saeculares" series and great was the temptation to associate there the tribute paid to the previous "good" emperors. A more technical approach consisted, for a certain period of time, in comparing the weight of specimens from these emissions with that of different emperors of that time productions. Joaquim Blay, in his corpus dedicated to the subject, studied more than 1000 examples of the Divi series, the weight of 600 of them being known. The average weight is 3.78 grams and has not changed after the 400th, assuming it’s the actual average weight of the entire series. It is also known that weight and fineness of the antoninian went on decreasing throughout the third century, especially around 250 CE. Kenneth Harl works, quoted by Richard Beale, report an average weight of 4.12 grams for the antoninian under Philip the Arab with a silver content of 47.07%, 3.97 grams and 41.12% under Trajan Decius, 3.46 grams and 35.94% under Trebonian Gallus. Admitting a certain continuity in the lowering of weight and silver content in these emissions, these elements will encourage us to situate the minting of the series during the reign of Trajan Decius. But we must be careful not to conclude too hastily, for if we consider that in the preceding periods restoration coins were made via massive restrikes (see Titus programs in homage to Galba or those of Trajan for the Roman republic, for example), it’s necessary to take into account the presence of old specimens, at different weights and fineness, overstruck as antoninians in these emissions. These facts are attested by the presence in the Dorchester hoard of an antoninian honoring Augustus (DIVO AVGVSTO), still showing parts of the legend of a Caracalla denarius. Curtis Clay, for his part, reports in his own collection a specimen for Nerva, which also contains fragments of legend on the obverse as well as on the reverse that allow to attribute the undertype to Caracalla. Moreover, the massive restrikes of 251 CE evidently began during the life of Trajan Decius. They were motivated by the urgent need for cash to meet the considerable expenses incurred by the war against the Goths on the Danube. Still in the Dorchester hoard are 24 coins showing identifiable traces of overstrike, among which 20 are coins of Decius, Etruscilla or their children as Caesars. The study of treasures can help us to date more accurately this coinage. The Plevna hoard, in particular, contains no coin of the late Decius’ rule, nor of the other members of his family, causing to estimate the date of its burying at the beginning of 251 CE, probably in January (Curtis Clay). This treasure contains two coins of the DIVI series. On the other hand, the British Museum houses a DIVO VESPASIANO / VICTORIA AVG hybrid, the reverse type of which with Victory walking left can only be attributed to the beginning of Trajan Decius’ reign, the legend ending in AVG, excluding a joint reign, which would have imposed the "plural" AVGG (Curtis Clay). However, the study of later treasures (Dorchester, Clamerey, Smederevo, Gibraltar) finds a somewhat larger proportion of these coins, leading to the conclusion of strikes being continued after the death of Trajan Decius, spilling over the reigns of Trebonian Gallus and his son Volusian. The presence of Divi / Trebonian or Divi / Volusian hybrids featuring a IVNONI MARTIALI reverse is further evidence of this if needed. The place of issue of the DIVI series has long been attributed to the Milan mint. Nowadays, thanks to the die links study, which connect them with coins undoubtedly struck at Rome, everybody agrees to have them coming from this last mint. So many die links between antoniniani struck for different emperors reinforce the idea of a unique place of striking : the same reverse die is frequently associated with the obverse die of two emperors at least (sometimes up to four), a given obverse die may be associated with both an eagle or an altar. Jérôme Mairat pleads for a distribution in six workshops, the first being supposed to strike in the name of Trajan and the other five spreading out the rest of the emperors honored two by two. However, the comprehensive study of the die links tree established by Joaquim Blay reveals so many reverse dies associated with two or more different emperor obverses that more likely a single striking place was used.” ............................................................ #27 [USER=84744]@Severus Alexander[/USER] [ATTACH=full]827317[/ATTACH]Ptolemy III Euergetes (246-222 BCE) AE octobol, Alexandria mintObv: Diademed head of Zeus-Ammon rightRev: Eagle with open wings standing left on thunderbolt, head right; E between legsReference: Svoronos 446; SNG Copenhagen 142 (Ptolemy II); ptolemybronze.com (Dan Wolf) Ptolemy III Epsilon/lambda/plain series 4Ex Dattari collection93.27g, 46mm Price: $325 Why It's Cool:You know you have a doozie when <a href="https://www.cointalk.com/threads/my-5-year-cointalk-anniversary.322490/#post-3173720" class="internalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://www.cointalk.com/threads/my-5-year-cointalk-anniversary.322490/#post-3173720">it makes TIF cry</a>. You know you got a bargain when <a href="https://www.cointalk.com/threads/ptolemy-iv-ae40-hockey-puck.292552/page-3#post-2676313" class="internalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://www.cointalk.com/threads/ptolemy-iv-ae40-hockey-puck.292552/page-3#post-2676313">even Doug would pay that price</a>. And you know your competition has his work cut out for him when your coin could flatten his into a wee splotch of unrecognizable French foil without even breaking a sweat. Please put your hands together for the heavyweight champ of CoinTalk, Mr. Ptolemy III Octobol!* (Although for this coin, perhaps <a href="https://www.ucl.ac.uk/museums-static/digitalegypt/chronology/ptolemyiii.html" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://www.ucl.ac.uk/museums-static/digitalegypt/chronology/ptolemyiii.html" rel="nofollow">his Egyptian name</a> is more appropriate: Hekennetjeruremetjetheref Qenunedjtinetjeruinebmenkhentameri Werpehtiiriahet Nebhebused-mi-ptahtatjenen Iuaennetjeruisnui Setepenre Sekhemankhenamun ankh-djet mery-Ptah. <img src="styles/default/xenforo/clear.png" class="mceSmilieSprite mceSmilie100" alt=":wideyed:" unselectable="on" unselectable="on" /> Or “Hek” to his friends.) [ATTACH=full]827318[/ATTACH] Numismatic interestIn technical numismatic terminology, THIS COIN IS HUUUUGE!!! Why was such an enormous coin issued, when it surely must have been stunningly impractical? The reason is the scarcity of silver in Egypt (the early Pharaohs valued it even more than gold!), plus its closed economy whereby foreign silver was subject to mandatory exchange, normally for bronze. The result was that the common people were stuck with paying for a tetradrachm’s worth of goods with bronze weighing as much as a soup can (3 octobols). And I’ve heard Canadians complain about the weight of a $2 “toonie”: 7.3g. <img src="styles/default/xenforo/clear.png" class="mceSmilieSprite mceSmilie11" alt=":rolleyes:" unselectable="on" unselectable="on" /> Ptolemaic bronze coinage is also interesting for its method of manufacture; on this coin you can see remains of the flan’s casting sprue, central dimple, and other evidence of flan preparation. For more information see this page at <a href="http://www.classicalcoins.com/flans1.html" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="http://www.classicalcoins.com/flans1.html" rel="nofollow">Classical Coins</a>. In addition, the coin is notable for having belonged to the towering figure of Egyptian numismatics, <a href="https://www.academia.edu/37026327/Giovanni_Dattari_and_His_Fabled_Collection_of_Alexandrian_Coins" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://www.academia.edu/37026327/Giovanni_Dattari_and_His_Fabled_Collection_of_Alexandrian_Coins" rel="nofollow">Giovanni Dattari</a>. I’m willing to bet it was one of his favourites. (Did I mention that this coin is HUUUUGE!!? BTW, that’s with an “h”, not a “y.” <img src="styles/default/xenforo/clear.png" class="mceSmilieSprite mceSmilie81" alt=":shifty:" unselectable="on" unselectable="on" />) [ATTACH=full]827319[/ATTACH] Historical interestPtolemy III was the grandson of two of Alexander’s greatest generals, Ptolemy I and Lysimachus, and he really lived up to his family heritage. According to historian <a href="http://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Gazetteer/Places/Africa/Egypt/_Texts/BEVHOP/6*.html" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="http://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Gazetteer/Places/Africa/Egypt/_Texts/BEVHOP/6*.html" rel="nofollow">E. R. Bevan</a>, his land and sea invasion of the Seleucid Empire to avenge the imprisonment and eventual murder of his sister Berenice & her young son “was the greatest military triumph ever achieved by the house of Ptolemy.” (It is even described in the Book of Daniel; we also have part of Ptolemy’s own account, in the decree of Canopus.) It is uncertain how far Ptolemy’s armies penetrated into Asia, but he took much of Syria and certainly got as far as Babylon, and perhaps Persia. According to some admittedly doubtful accounts he even made it to India. (!) As a result of the invasion, the Seleucid empire suffered civil war, the loss of Parthia and Bactria in the east, and losses in the west not only to Egypt but also to the Attalids of Pergamum among others. Despite a brief rebound under Antiochus III, the Seleucids would never recover from this blow. Meanwhile, Ptolemy III had brought his kingdom to the height of its power. My coin represents this hinge of history, known as the Third Syrian War, rather well: it was both issued at that time (the beginning of his reign, according to Ptolemaic expert Catherine Lorber), and is itself suitably monumental. (It’s HUUUGE, remember?!?) Ptolemy III’s invasion of Asia allowed him to repatriate many Egyptian relics and works of art previously looted by the Persians, earning him the epithet “Euergetes”, or “Benefactor.” He also vastly increased the Library of Alexandria’s holdings through the rather drastic means of confiscating literature arriving at the port and returning a mere copy to the deprived owner. (Maybe the next step for coin import restrictions?) Despite his enthusiasm for the library, he is in fact vilified by librarians everywhere for incurring the largest overdue fines in history. He borrowed the originals of Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides from Athens… but never returned them! (Thus forfeiting an enormous deposit.) As you know, and to our eternal regret, they all eventually went up in smoke. <img src="styles/default/xenforo/clear.png" class="mceSmilieSprite mceSmilie15" alt=":arghh:" unselectable="on" unselectable="on" /> Ptolemy III’s patronage was not limited to the library. He built the famous Serapeum in Alexandria, furthering the Ptolemaic attempt to unify Greek and Egyptian subjects in the worship of a deity both could accept. Zeus Ammon (= Zeus + Amun) on the obverse of my coin is another example of this unifying attempt, one which Alexander himself may have initiated. (Allegedly, the desert oracle at Siwa told Alexander that he was in fact the son of Zeus Ammon; see image below.) [ATTACH=full]827320[/ATTACH] BargainOctobols are quite rare (they are also HUUUGE!!), but a few have come up for auction in the last ten years (see image below). Coins a, c, e, and f are fairly typical: at something like the price I paid, you get a highly flawed example, while coins roughly comparable to mine went for around $1000. The two best deals other than mine are coins b and d, both inferior to my example, for slightly less and slightly more than double what I paid, respectively (factoring in the fees). None of these examples can boast such a stellar provenance, and the only one significantly heavier is rather ugly. Searching even further back, the only nicer looking example I’ve found (97.7g, no provenance) was sold seventeen years ago for $850 (= $1200 today). So you can see why Doug agreed I got a great bargain! <img src="styles/default/xenforo/clear.png" class="mceSmilieSprite mceSmilie8" alt=":D" unselectable="on" unselectable="on" /> Eye appealIn my opinion this coin has fantastic eye appeal, but I suppose I could be a little biased. <img src="styles/default/xenforo/clear.png" class="mceSmilieSprite mceSmilie14" alt=":angelic:" unselectable="on" unselectable="on" /> I do want to call your attention to one important point, however: implicit in the eye appeal category is more general aesthetic appeal, including “in-hand” appeal. As you might imagine, the “in-hand” appeal of this coin is pretty hard to beat! It has that very satisfying HUUUUGE “pond-skipper” feel to it.** In conclusion: did I remember to tell you that this coin is HUUUUUGE!!!!? In fact it is so huge I may need a volunteer to help me store it. Anyone? No hurricane-prone locations though, please. (Oops, dagnabbit, I’m so sorry TIF! I just made you cry again, didn’t I? <img src="styles/default/xenforo/clear.png" class="mceSmilieSprite mceSmilie93" alt=":troll:" unselectable="on" unselectable="on" />) ------* Yes, I know there are some ridiculous aes grave, 15-shekels, and Olbian monsters floating around but we all know they weren’t actually coins but were instead used for the discus. For Ptolemies, at any rate, the four runners-up in the current CoinTalk heavyweight standings are: [USER=74834]@Pellinore[/USER] 92.3g, [USER=56859]@TIF[/USER] 91.8g, [USER=19463]@dougsmit[/USER] 90.1g, and [USER=8360]@ziggy9[/USER] 84.3g. ** Some say this coin is too heavy to make a good pond skipper. I challenge any of you to take any of your coins out to the pond with me for a skipping contest. You go first. [ATTACH=full]827321[/ATTACH][/QUOTE]

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