I was hoping that another shipment would arrive this month, but that is clearly not to be. The volume of packages flooding the postal system has created additional delays, this at a time when the capacity to process mail has been diminished in the midst of a worsening pandemic. So, here are a few Roman coins that I picked up over the course of the year. You've seen some before, but there are a couple new coins as well. 1) Livia, dupondius, 21-22 AD, RIC 47. 13.4 grams. Why include Livia in this list? Well...because it's Livia, of course. That aside, the acquisition of this coin was spurred by "I, Claudius" plus my efforts to diversify the collection by expanding the Roman section. 2) Trajan, AR tridrachm, 98-99 AD, Cappadocia-Caesarea. 9.9 grams. Another area of Roman coinage that I find fascinating, both in terms of variety and historical interest, is the provincial coinage. Due to the immense size of the Roman Empire, the provinces had a great amount of autonomy with the coins they issued, as long as the emperor's or empress's image appeared on the obverse. Here we have a wonderful fusion of Roman and Phoenician elements. The coin's reverse, of Zeus/Baal, holding a lion topped scepter in one hand, and a thunder bolt in the other is particularly interesting. His turreted crown (over what appears to be a turban), too, resembles that often depicted on coins featuring Tyche. 3) Faustina II, AE drachm, Alexandria, 175-176 AD. 25.84 grams. This isn't the prettiest coin to view, but it does have a nice portrait of Faustina II, as well as a nice reverse of Tyche reclining on an ornate couch. I like the couch so much I am tempted to go to my local furniture store to see they stock something like it. I doubt that Ikea would have something like this, but you never know. This year I have discovered, or actually rediscovered the rich variety of the Roman Alexandrian coins. This is an area that I hope to focus on more in the future. 4) Sabina, sestertius, 128-136 AD, RIC 1029. 27.0 grams. This coin has a nice obverse portrait of Sabina and Pietas seated on the reverse. Overall a nice coin, despite some smoothing. I used to have quite a few Roman sestertii, years ago, but many were sold, so the acquisition of this coin is part of long-term effort to rebuild that part of the collection. 5) Sabina, denarius, 128-129 AD, RIC II Hadrian 414. This is one of a few denarii acquired this year. I was drawn to the is coin, not for grade (VF), but for the interesting anepigraphic reverse depicting Concordia seated. The portrait of Sabina wearing a bejeweled headdress is also nicely executed. 6) Gordian III, tetradrachm, Antioch, circa 240 AD, Prieur unlisted. 15.11 grams During this year, I have acquired some coins of Gordian III. I find his coinage accessible and quite affordable, generally speaking. This is one of the more unusual examples, featuring a left facing portrait. 7) Julian II, The Apostate, double maiorina, Antioch, circa 361-363 AD. 9.2 grams This was my only foray into late Roman bronzes. I've been looking, on and off, for a Julian II type coin, and this one seems to fit the bill. I have done some research online to find a match for this coin, with SMANTA in the exergue, but have not found one yet. 7) Septimius Severus, tetradrachm, Laodicea ad Mare, Seleucis & Pieria, 209-11 AD. Prieur 1140. 15.42 grams. Finally, this was an auction purchase. I am working on a type set, of sorts, of tetradrachms from the Levant of the Roman emperors. Since I am working on other areas, plus the fact that I am a terrible organizer, I doubt that I will ever accomplish this task, but, at least, there's fun to be had in this endeavor. This coin does have a well centered strike, especially on the obverse, and is quite pleasing overall. Happy holidays and a great 2021 to all CT members!
Thank you, Bing. As a new member and an old timer collector at the same time, I really enjoy the forum and sharing coins and information with other members. I look forward to ever expanding horizons in 2021.
..nice coins...i too am drawn to the Sabina with the bejeweled headress.. but for now i have her with the 'regular do will do do" denarius...
All fantastic acquisitions for your collection! My favorites are the two Sabina coins and the Alexandrian Faustina II.
I like 'em all. The Trajan tridrachm is probably my favorite. I like your grey gradient background, too. I've started doing that with my coin pix as well: The old "shadowbox" format (below) looked great (@AncientJoe and @TIF use it), but I had to rely on other people to do the editing for me for that, due to the limitations of my software and skills. So that was too complex. The simpler gradient (above, first pic) is something I can do myself, with remove.bg. Big thanks to the person who first mentioned that site here- I can't remember who it was. I think the grey gradients lend some illusion of depth without being overly fussy or distracting.
These are wonderful, @robinjojo. My favorites are the beautiful Septimius Severus tetradrachm, and the Trajan tridrachm with the Zeus/Baal reverse. Fascinating. I'd never seen anything like that before. And you're right, it looks like he's wearing a turban under the crown. Separately, I had no idea that you joined Coin Talk only five days before I did, back in January of this year. I assumed that you were an old-timer, because you always sounded so knowledgeable!
Wonderful examples. Yes, I'm finding that the gradient background is better than solid black. Your photos are excellent and light years ahead of my efforts.
I'm good at bluffing. But, really, I enjoy your threads and admire your dedication and passion, to say nothing of your comprehensive documentation, something that I would never have the fortitude to undertake, absolutely awesome. I've never been much of a joiner of anything, so CT is a break from the norm. I look forward to many pleasurable and informative exchanges in future threads and discussions.
I think all the coins here would make great additions to a collection of Roman coins Personally, I like the Sep Sev tetradrachm and really like the Trajan tridrachm, especially the reverse. It's now on my want list!
2 wins hands down for me - I have quite a few Trajans but have never come across this interesting reverse
robinjojo, You scored some beautiful ancient coins this year , but your most important acquisition this year may be the Grace Kelly presentation medal. https://www.cointalk.com/threads/us-treasury-medal-engraved-grace-kelly-1956-a-mystery.372230/ My favorite is the Trajan tridrachm . I love the exotic appearance of this coin & its lovely toning. Both of us have a strong affinity for Roman provincial Tets . After making a close visual comparison of your Severus Tet & my example of Prieur 1140, I think we may have a reverse die match & possibly an obverse die match too ! What do you think ?
