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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;TIF, post: 2216679, member: 56859&quot;]I have a few coins of indisputably fine style (<a href="http://www.tifcollection.com/#!sicily-syracuse--ar-tetradrachm/c1qrz" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="http://www.tifcollection.com/#!sicily-syracuse--ar-tetradrachm/c1qrz" rel="nofollow">Syracuse tetradrachm</a>, for instance) but there are some which are far less assuming yet very artistic, at least to me.</p><p><br /></p><p><img src="http://static.wixstatic.com/media/ae43f8_b951978245b64425a71013018a99516d.jpg_srb_p_850_436_75_22_0.50_1.20_0.00_jpg_srb" class="bbCodeImage wysiwygImage" alt="" unselectable="on" /></p><p><a href="http://www.tifcollection.com/#!sicily-syracuse--ae-tetras/c3x7" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="http://www.tifcollection.com/#!sicily-syracuse--ae-tetras/c3x7" rel="nofollow">AE tetras of Syracuse, Sicily</a>, ~390 BCE.&nbsp; Sure, it&#039;s just a tiny bronze coin with a funky patina, but the facing portrait is very nicely rendered.</p><p><br /></p><p><img src="http://static.wixstatic.com/media/ae43f8_a1930039261b4671aed52bf5fd76e817.jpg_srb_p_850_428_75_22_0.50_1.20_0.00_jpg_srb" class="bbCodeImage wysiwygImage" alt="" unselectable="on" /></p><p><a href="http://www.tifcollection.com/#!nero-sestertius/c1yv0" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="http://www.tifcollection.com/#!nero-sestertius/c1yv0" rel="nofollow">Sestertius of Nero</a>.&nbsp; The reverse details are amazing.&nbsp; The figures are well-proportioned and there is even a sense of added dimensionality due to the lower relief of the ship&#039;s prow.&nbsp; Nero issued a plethora of interesting and artistic coins.&nbsp; This particular type is usually very nicely rendered, although not all dies are as artistic.</p><p><br /></p><p>Even usually lowly Roman Egyptian tetradrachms occasionally have artistic engraving.&nbsp; Claudius II&#039;s engravers seemed more talented than others of that time and place:</p><p><br /></p><p><a href="http://www.tifcollection.com/#!egypt-alexandria-claudiusii-ty/c152x" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="http://www.tifcollection.com/#!egypt-alexandria-claudiusii-ty/c152x" rel="nofollow">with Tyche reverse</a>:</p><p><img src="http://static.wixstatic.com/media/ae43f8_6d59d7ab8c544e2f974aeba958e2516b.jpg_srb_p_850_428_75_22_0.50_1.20_0.00_jpg_srb" class="bbCodeImage wysiwygImage" alt="" unselectable="on" /></p><p><br /></p><p>with <a href="http://www.tifcollection.com/#!claudius-ii-eagle/cbqw" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="http://www.tifcollection.com/#!claudius-ii-eagle/cbqw" rel="nofollow">eagle reverse</a>:</p><p><img src="http://static.wixstatic.com/media/ae43f8_ff6055d603b844998942ed2bc3a1859e.jpg_srb_p_1000_513_75_22_0.50_1.20_0.00_jpg_srb" class="bbCodeImage wysiwygImage" alt="" unselectable="on" /></p><p><br /></p><p>...</p><p><br /></p><p>I&#039;m going to steal a picture from [USER=44357]@AncientJoe[/USER] to illustrate the profound artistic difference which sometimes occurs for a given type.&nbsp; <a href="http://www.colosseocollection.com/p444364358/h47015f2#h47015f2" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="http://www.colosseocollection.com/p444364358/h47015f2#h47015f2" rel="nofollow">His Agathokles tetradrachm</a>, one of my favorites of his extraordinary collection, is most often found with a rather hideous portrait of Kore.&nbsp; In the case of this particular tetradrachm, artistic dies are the exception rather than the rule.</p><p><br /></p><p>AJ&#039;s:</p><p><img src="https://www.cointalk.com/proxy.php?image=http%3A%2F%2Fi1028.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fy342%2FAncientJoe%2FAgathokles_zpsc217bb4c.jpg&amp;hash=aa260bb5ada0b4b5a746e44117bc466b" class="bbCodeImage wysiwygImage" alt="" unselectable="on" /></p><p><br /></p><p>The &quot;typical&quot; version <img src="styles/default/xenforo/clear.png" class="mceSmilieSprite mceSmilie9" alt=":eek:" unselectable="on" unselectable="on" />:</p><p><img src="http://cngcoins.com/photos/enlarged/967653.jpg" class="bbCodeImage wysiwygImage" alt="" unselectable="on" /></p><p><font size="3">(image from <a href="http://cngcoins.com/Coin.aspx?CoinID=245512" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="http://cngcoins.com/Coin.aspx?CoinID=245512" rel="nofollow">CNG&#039;s archive</a>s)</font>[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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