Toned Ancients...

Show your ancient purdy coins! Vespasian denarius 19mm 2.33gms

 

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nice patina omnius, but it looks its made out of copper, and with 2,3 gram its underweight for a denarius.

 

Cabinet toning:

 

ALGAE TONING


Thrace - Olbius AE Dolphin money round ver



Thrace - Olbius AE Dolphin money

 

I just noticed something on the Legionary denarius you posted. I have been collecting ancients for decades and own one of these myself, a lot more worn than yours. The magnification of your coin showed me something I had never noticed before, the presence on the galley of what appears to be the Roman "Corvus" raven or crow, a bridge like device for enabling marines to quickly board an opposing vessel. I know these were developed by the Romans early in the First Punic War but I never heard of their use afterwards and always wondered if their use in that war was a unique one and done or that Roman warships continued to use them in later wars. They did tend to upset the trim of a vessel. Your coin is so well struck and unworn that it seems to show a corvus attached to the deck near the bow. It's possible that the mint was unaware of their continued use at the time of Actium or added one out of a literary convention rather than actual naval use ca. First Century BC. Anyway, thanks for the posting of that coin. Accurate or not, it is impressive.

 

CRANBERRY TONING


RR Aes Grave Anon 280-276 BCE Triens 46mm 90.3g 9.3mm thick Tbolt-Dolphin Rome Crawford 14-3 T Vecchi 3

 

Common but colorful with Annona reverse. I was the only bidder in a Baltimore auction, and I think it went around 20 bucks or so.

 

Here are a few of mine.


Ptolemaic Kings of Egypt
Ptolemy I Soter, (305-282 BC)
AR Tetradrachm, Alexandria mint, struck ca. 300-285 BC
Dia.: 26 mm
Wt.: 14.13 g
Obv.: Diademed head of Ptolemy I right, wearing aegis around neck. Δ behind ear
Rev.: ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ ΠΟΛΕΜΑΙΟΥ eagle with closed wings standing on thunderbolt. P above monogram ΠΑΡ
Ref.: Noesje 41-42. SNG Copenhagen 70-71. Svoronos 255
Ex W.F. Stoecklin, Ex Karl Steiner (1940s), signed by Delta.

Dyrrachion Stater: A Frustrating Coin to Study

Greek Colonies in Illyria
Dyrrachion AR Stater, struck ca. 450-350 BC
Dia.: 21.5 mm
Wt.: 9.78 g
Obv.: Cow suckling calf
Rev.: ΔΥΡ around star pattern within linear square; club in field
Ref.: BMC 22, SNG Copenhagen 421
Ex NAC sale 641, 2012, lot 224

The Story of the Coin Struck to Fight Hannibal: The First Denarius and its Influence

Roman Republic
Second Punic War (218 – 201 BC)
Anonymous AR Denarius, Rome Mint, struck ca. 211 BC
Wt.: 4.2 g
Dia.: 20 mm
Obv.: Helmeted head of Roma right. X in left field
Rev.: Dioscuri galloping right. ROMA in exergue and partially incuse on raised tablet
Ref.: Crawford 44/5. Sydenham 167. RBW 169.


Roman Empire
Nerva (AD 96-98)
AR Denarius, Rome mint, struck October AD 97
Dia.: 17 mm
Wt.: 3.47 g
Obv.: IMP NERVA CAES AVG P M TR P II COS III PP; Laureate bust right
Rev.: SALVS PVBLICA; Salus, seated left, holding grain ears
Ref.: RIC II 20

A Surprise Saturnalia Gift – A Beauty from Rhodes

Islands off Caria
Rhodes
AR Hemidrachm, struck ca. 166-88 BC
Dia.: 13.5 mm
Wt.: 1.2 g
Obv.: Head of Helios right
Rev.: P-O to either side of rose, ϺΑΗΣ above, crown of Isis at lower right, all within incuse square
Ref.: BMC XVIII 268-270 (Var. Hemidrachm)

Hadrian: Benefactor of Africa

Roman Empire
Hadrian (AD 117 – 138)
AR Denarius, Rome mint, struck ca. AD 134 – 138
Dia.: 17 mm
Wt.: 2.98 g
Obv.: HADRIANVS AVG COS III PP; Laureate head right
Rev.: AFRICA; Africa with elephant headdress reclining left, holding scorpion and cornucopia, basket of grain at feet
Ex L. Rose Collection


Roman Empire
Antoninus Pius, AD 138-161
AR Denarius, Rome mint, Struck ca. AD 140-143
Wt.: 3.01 g
Dia.: 17 mm, 6h
Obv.: ANTONINVS AVG PIVS PP TR P COS III; Laureate head right
Rev.: AEQVITAS AVG; Aequitas standing left, holding scales and sceptre
Ref.: RIC III 61; RSC 14


Roman Empire
Julian II, AD 360-363
AR Siliqua, Lugdunum mint, struck ca. AD 360-361
Wt.: 2.23 g
Dia.: 18 mm
Obv.: FL CL IVLIA NVS P P AVG, pearl-diademed, draped, and cuirassed bust right
Rev.: VICTORIA DD NN AVG, Victory advancing left, holding wreath and palm frond
Ref.: LVG. RIC VIII 212; Lyon 259; RSC 58†c, IRBCH 1424
Ex Harptree Hoard (1887)


Roman Empire
Commodus (AD 177-192)
AR Denarius, Rome mint, struck ca. AD 192
Dia.: 17 mm
Wt.: 2.66 g
Obv.: L AEL AVREL COMMA VG P FEL; Commodus bust right wearing lion skin on head.
Rev.: HER-CVL RO-MAN AV-GV; Club in wreath
Ref.: RIC III 251, Scarce
Ex W.F. Stoeckin Collection. Acquired in the 1960s from Prof. L. De Nicola in Rome


Croatia
Republic of Ragusa
Anonymous AR Dinar, Dubrovnik mint, struck ca. AD 1337-1438
Dia.: 18 mm
Wt.: 1.11 g
Obv.: St. Blaise standing facing, holding cozier and raising hand in benediction
Rev.: IC – XC; Christ Pantokrator standing facing with mandorla
Ref.: D&D 6.4.1


Roman Empire
Diocletian (AD 284-305)
AR Argenteus, Ticinum mint, struck ca. AD 294
Dia.: 20 mm
Wt.: 2.92 g
Obv.: DIOCLETI-ANVS AVG; Laureate bust right
Rev.: VIRTVS MILITVM; Tetrarchs sacrificing in front of fort with 6 turrents
Ref.: RIC VI 14a, R3

 

Toning may be impermanent-- although very slow to change if stored properly-- but I still love a toned coin, especially one with iridescence .


SICILY, Selinos
Circa 410 BCE
AR litra, 11mm, 0.76 g, 1h
Obv: nymph seated left on rock, right hand raised above her head, extending her left hand to touch coiled serpent before her; selinon leaf above
Rev: man-faced bull standing right; ΣEΛINONTIOΣ above; in exergue, fish right
Ref: Potamikon, p. 116 figure 152 (this coin); HGC 2, 1229; SNG ANS 711–2 var. (ethnic); SNG Ashmolean 1904–5; SNG Lloyd 1270 var. (same); Basel –; Dewing –; Rizzo pl. XXXIII, 6. Good VF, dark iridescent tone, some porosity. Rare.
ex MoneyMuseum, Zurich;
ex Leu 79 (31 October 2000), lot 404;
ex Athos Moretti collection, #482, unpublished manuscript


KINGS OF MACEDON, Philip II. 356-336 BCE
AR tetradrachm. 24mm, 14.20 gm, 12h
Pella, 342-336 BCE
Obv: Laureate head of Zeus right
Rev: ΦIΛIΠ-ΠOY, youth, holding palm and reins, on horseback right, thunderbolt below, N in exergue
Ref: Le Rider 222-306. SNG ANS 385-95
ex Colosseo Collection


KINGS OF MACEDON, Alexander III
AR tetradrachm, 17.14 gm
late lifetime issue, struck in Aradus c. 324/3 BCE
Obv: Head of Herakles right, wearing lion skin headdress.
Rev: BAΣIΛEΩΣ AΛΕΞΑΝΔΡΟΥ; Zeus seated left, holding eagle and scepter; I in left field; AP monogram below throne
Ref: Price 3325
ex Colosseo Collection


CORINTHIA, Corinth
circa 375-300 BCE
AR stater, 22 mm, 8.55 g, 1h
Obv: Pegasus flying left; qoppa below
Rev: helmeted head of Athena left; A-P flanking neck truncation; to right, chimaera rampant left
Ref: Ravel 1010; Pegasi 428; BCD Corinth 102; HGC 4, 1848
ex CNG Inventory 828126 (November, 2008)
ex Gorny & Mosch 170 (13 October 2008), lot 1381
ex Giessener Münzhandlung 21 (22 March 1982), lot 37


Roman Republic
moneyer L. Julius L. f. Caesar, 103 BC
AR denarius, 17mm, 3.9 gm
Obv: Helmeted head of Mars left; CAESAR; ・C (retrograde)
Rev: Venus Genetrix in chariot left, drawn by two Cupids; lyre to left; ・C (retrograde) above
Ref: Crawford 320/1
ex RBW Collection


Roman Republic, the Pompeians
L. Cornelius Lentulus and C. Claudius Marcellus
Military mint in the East (Apollonia and Asia), 49 BC
AR denarius, 19 mm, 3.8 gm
Obv: Triskeles, with winged head of Medusa facing at center; stalk of grain between each leg
Rev: Jupiter standing facing, head right, holding thunderbolt in right hand and eagle on left; LE(NT) (MAR) upward to left, COS upward to right
Ref: Crawford 445/1b; Sydenham 1029a


ROMAN REPUBLIC, M. Piso M.f. Frugi
58 BCE (redated from Crawford's 61 BCE by Hersh and Walker, 1984)
AR denarius, 20 mm, 3.94 gm
Obv: terminal bust of Mercury right, wearing winged diadem; calix below chin; to left, star above wreath; dotted border
Rev: M·PISO·M·F / FRVGI above secespita (sacrificial knife) and patera; all within laurel wreath
Ref: Crawford 418/2b; Sydenham 825; Calpurnia 23
formerly slabbed, NGC
https://www.cointalk.com/threads/a-different-frugi.279241/


Lucilla
Empress CE 163-169, wife of Lucius Verus
AR denarius, 19 mm, 3.25 gm
Obv: LVCILLA AVGVSTA; draped bust right
Rev: PVDICITIA; Pudicitia, veiled, standing left, with right hand preparing to draw a veil across her face (or had she just drawn the veil off her face?), left hand at side
Ref: RIC III 780


Septimius Severus
Rome, CE 206
AR denarius, 3.41 gm, 20 mm, 12h
Obv: SEVERVS PIVS AVG, laureate head right
Rev: LAETITIA TEMPORVM, the spina of the Circus Maximus decorated as a ship facing left, with the turning posts at its prow and stern, a sail mounted on the central obelisk, and the spina's other monuments visible in between; above the ship, four quadrigas racing left; below, seven animals: an ostrich at left and a bear at right; between them a lion and a lioness chasing a wild ass and a panther attacking a bison
Ref: RIC 274; BMC 343.
ex Colosseo Collection

 

RIC 215, Antoninianus
OBV.: PROBVS P F AVG
Radiate, and cuirassed bust right.
REV.: VICTORIA AVG
Victory advancing left, holding wreath and trophy.
R (thunderbolt) S in exergue (if that is an "s" .. also see "stigma" (6) ?)
22mm, 4.5 g.

 

I agree with TIF, iridescent or multi-colored toning on silver coins are the most attractive. Below is a favorite of mine recently acquired.

 

Yes, this Caracalla AR drachm of Caesarea is the end which many will not see in our time remaining.

 

My toned coin pickup of the year. I just tilted the lamp a little when I was photographing it, and BAM!...

ROMAN REPUBLIC
AR Denarius. 3.94g, 19.5mm. Rome mint, 63 BC. Crawford 413/1; Sydenham 935. O: Veiled and draped bust of Vesta left, C before, kylix behind. R: Togate voter standing left, dropping tablet inscribed V (for VTI ROGAS, "I approve") into cista, LONGIN.III.V downwards to right.
Ex Rauch Auction 36 (1986), lot 114

 

This Denarius of M IVNI(perhaps a Marcus Junius Silanus) is one of my favorite toned coins. This was from a wonderful collection sold on eBay over several months a year or two ago that went largely unnoticed but was made up of coins collected by the seller's father 70+ years ago. I and a few friends purchased several of the coins and many had similarly wonderful old collection toning. I wish I'd purchased more of them.


Another old collection coin ex RBW collection and ex Frederick Hastings Rindge collection. Rindge was a wealthy businessman and philanthropist and one of the founders of what is now Malibu, California. After his death in 1905 his house became a historical site and from what I understand some of these coins were exhibited there and at other places in the decades between his death and the sale of his collection. Once again all the coins I've seen from this collection had some really wonderful old collection toning:

 

Here's a toned Phillip the Arab.

 

Quiet a few of my favourite CT coins are posted in this thread.

The term "toning" tends to be used for silver coins, but it's also a standard term for gold, though more rarely encountered since gold is so unreactive. This suggests to me that the term refers to a microscopically thin though visible layer of metal that has reacted with the air. So can AE coins exhibit toning too? Why not!

I think many ex Dattari folles are toned. Either he had a large source for unpatinated folles or (more likely IMO) their scanty patinas were stripped a hundred years ago, and his storage method toned them. Quite a few even show irridescence. Here's an example:



I call this "Dattari toning," though I haven't noticed anyone else taking up this term. Yet.

And some silvers if you don't think that one counts!

 

I don't know if the corvus was used at Actium, but I'm pretty sure I read somewhere that Agrippa used the corvus on his campaigns against the Pompeians in Sicily. Therefore I think it's pretty safe to assume the corvus was still being used as late as the last few years of the Republic.

UPDATE:

Found this on Wikipedia, though I originally read it in some ancient work.... I just can't remember the title and who the historian was right now.



So based on that I think it's pretty safe to say that mint workers, and the general Roman public, would have been familiar with the corvus at the time Mark Antony struck these denarii

 

I think this coin of Constantine is ever-green. It was struck at Arles.