Message:

<p>[QUOTE=&quot;John Anthony, post: 2137300, member: 42773&quot;]Learning to read RIC is a discipline, compounded by the fact that different volumes have different layouts. Your coin is found in Volume VI, on page 663. This volume is organized by mints, West to East, ending with Alexandria.</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]407931[/ATTACH]</p><p><br /></p><p>Under the number column is 18a. Under the obverse column is 1a, which refers to the legend IMP C DIOCLETIANVS P F AVG. (A) refers to the bust type, which is laureate right. The key to these symbols can be found on the previous page. It may seem overly-complicated to have keys with symbols, but the Romans minted so many different types and variations over so many centuries, that if you were to write out a full description of every coin, a 10-volume set would probably turn into a 30-volume set.</p><p><br /></p><p>Your coin is not 18b, as obverse legend 2a belongs to Maximianus. An identical series was being minted with his name and bust at the same time.</p><p><br /></p><p>Under the mint-mark column, you&#039;ll notice the coins are recorded from three workshops, alpha, beta, and gamma. Any coins of this type get the same catalog number, regardless which officina they came from.</p><p><br /></p><p>The rarity is C, for common, and under the notes column, all three officinas are recorded in the Oxford collection.</p><p><br /></p><p>Directly above the catalog line, you&#039;ll see a description of the reverse type. Yours clearly has liquor flowing from the patera. And you have the reverse legend with common breaks. Evidently some legends are broken up as GENIO POPV-LI ROMANI. (Now you can go cherry-picking for one.)</p><p><br /></p><p>Directly above that you&#039;ll see the layout of the mint and field marks: ALE in exergue, officina in right field, nothing in left field.</p><p><br /></p><p>This seems quite complicated, but Roman issues ARE complicated. I certainly can&#039;t think of a better way.[/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