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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;Blake Davis, post: 25712785, member: 91820&quot;]Just before taking some time off I thought I would post some new additions to my favorite emperor (thanks to Doug Smith and Curtis Clay for the leading me to this fascinating period).&nbsp; To those who think that ebay is a wasteland filled with fakes, these show that it is still a place where bargains can be found.[ATTACH=full]1643426[/ATTACH] [ATTACH=full]1643427[/ATTACH]</p><p><br /></p><p>This coin weighs in at almost 27 grams.&nbsp; The portrait is suburb but what is most interesting is its incredible resemblance to Clodius Albinus.&nbsp; If the inscription was Albinus than I would not bat an eye - it is clearly the work of the same celator that did the sestertii of Albinus - I am going to post a coin side by side with this and you can decide for yourself.&nbsp; It is a rare type without an aegis (??) on the portrait.&nbsp; The coin was purchased on ebay for under $300.&nbsp; It can probably be conserved and look spectacular. a[ATTACH=full]1643428[/ATTACH] [ATTACH=full]1643429[/ATTACH]</p><p><br /></p><p>This is an As of Septimius Severus, slightly over 10 grams, cost $150.00 on ebay.&nbsp; I had thought that it was struck in the period 199AD to 209AD when the Rome mint struck few bronzes but the beard indicates it may have been struck later - this is the same beard that is on the later coins of Septimius.&nbsp; Still quite rare - less than 10 on acsearch.info.</p><p><br /></p><p>Although the Africa sestertius above is usually considered rare it is relatively common - if you could call over 50 sold on acsearch.info common.&nbsp; The rest of my thoughts on this I will save for the forthcoming article on rarity and the sestertii of Septimius Severus.[ATTACH=full]1643430[/ATTACH] [ATTACH=full]1643431[/ATTACH]</p><p><br /></p><p>Lately I lve large bronzes, have been studying the drachms of Alexandria and could not resist picking up a few.&nbsp; I bid this at the initial price in a[ATTACH=full]1643432[/ATTACH] [ATTACH=full]1643433[/ATTACH] euro auction, and much to my surprise and shock won it for about $350.&nbsp; I love the portrait which is in high relief - I suspect I will never be able to find an affordable example in this condition ever again - the photograph does not being to show how nice it is.&nbsp; The reverse may be relatively common, but it is fascinating.</p><p><br /></p><p>The next one is an Alexandrian drachm [ATTACH=full]1643435[/ATTACH] [ATTACH=full]1643436[/ATTACH] shows Alexandria kissing the hand of Hadrian.&nbsp; It is quite a composition and well worth the $76 it was going for on ebay.</p><p><br /></p><p>The last coin (I had one more - a drachm of Trajan - but that is for another thread) is Postumus &quot;double sestertius&quot; - weighs about 20 grams, and is listed as extremely rare with about five known.&nbsp; I think there are more than that, but the rarity and the portrait are what attracted me.&nbsp; This one was purchased in a euro auction - I do not recall the price, but can post it later.&nbsp; It was affordable, very nice and rare.&nbsp; I really like the portrait and the style of the inscription.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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