Message:

<p>[QUOTE=&quot;Al Kowsky, post: 3694746, member: 97383&quot;]Doug Smith, the coin you illustrate &amp; the point made about well worn coins is valid. Most of the early coins of Caracalla &amp; the other members of the Septimius Severus family were struck in high relief, so strikes showing complete detail aren&#039;t that common. Succeeding emperors like Gordian III, Philip I, &amp; Trajan Decius had coins struck in much lower relief where complete detail is more common. If you meant by the phrase &quot;bank vaults&quot; being holes in the ground where hoards have been found I agree. Lets not forget that almost continuous warfare has gone on &amp; on for the last 40 years in countries like Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, Israel, &amp; Egypt where most of these coins were destined. Coin hunters with metal detectors haven&#039;t had the freedom to search for coins in these areas, so I&#039;m sure many important hoards are yet to be discovered. Richard McAlee came up with educated estimates on the quantities of ancient coins struck by different emperors at the Antioch Mint, calculating quantities by the number of obverse dies that are known. The numbers are startling <img src="styles/default/xenforo/clear.png" class="mceSmilieSprite mceSmilie57" alt=":jawdrop:" unselectable="on" unselectable="on" />. He estimates that about 500,000 Tets were struck by Aulus Gabinius (57-55 B.C.). Nero Tets with the eagle reverse 1,500,000 coins. Roger Bland estimated that Gordian III Tets over a period of 4 years amounted to 9,500,000 coins <img src="styles/default/xenforo/clear.png" class="mceSmilieSprite mceSmilie9" alt=":eek:" unselectable="on" unselectable="on" />, &amp; Gordian III double denarii struck at the Antioch Mint amounted to 88,500,000 coins <img src="styles/default/xenforo/clear.png" class="mceSmilieSprite mceSmilie101" alt=":woot:" unselectable="on" unselectable="on" />! So where are all these coins <img src="styles/default/xenforo/clear.png" class="mceSmilieSprite mceSmilie12" alt="o_O" unselectable="on" unselectable="on" />? Certainly many were melted down &amp; reused by other emperors, however, I&#039;m sure thousands more are still buried in the ground <img src="styles/default/xenforo/clear.png" class="mceSmilieSprite mceSmilie2" alt=";)" unselectable="on" unselectable="on" />.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

Your name or email address:

Do you already have an account?

• No, create an account now.
• Yes, my password is:
• Forgot your password?

Stay logged in