Look at what came in the mail today from overseas, both purchased on vcoins. Only took 19 days for Augustus and 14 days for the Onkia. The Augustus is most definitely a denarius, and not a fouree. I know there were some questions about that here from some. The dark areas on the surface are corrosion. The edges look good, and from a few flan cracks on the edges I can tell there is crystallization within the coin (definitely silver). Not that I'm complaining about all the knocks, scratches, corrosion , or whatever...it is a heck of an amazing coin considering how little I paid for it (Just over $200), and considering i would have probably had to pay as much or more in an auction for a coin like this one (probably more), I feel good about it. Because of the delays in the international shipment due to bad weather where dealer is based at, dealer also gave me a substantial discount for my next purchase as a sweetener to make up for the time I had to wait to get it. I won't disclose the discount, but let's just say it's double digits...which makes the transaction all the sweeter. As for the Onkia, it is a deep dark brown color and has excellent details. Don't let my quick rough photo make you think otherwise. So anyway, what a great way to start to the week. here below are sellers' pics and atributions. AUGUSTUSAR silver denarius. Struck 2 BC - 14 AD. CAESAR AVGVSTVS DIVI F PATER PATRIAE, laureate head of Augustus right. Reverse - AVGVSTI F COS DESIG PRINC IVVENT, C L CAESARES in exergue, Caius and Lucius Caesars standing facing, shield and spears between them; simpulum and lituus above, X in middle field (Pd rather than the more usual b9). RSC 43. RCV 1597. 17mm, 3.6g. A scarcer variant with inverted lituus & simpulum, as well as the X in the field between the boys. Sicily, Syracuse, c. 425-415 BC. Æ Onkia (12mm, 1.47g, 6h). Head of Arethusa r. R/ Octopus; pellet below. CNS II, 9; SNG ANS 383; HGC 2, 1434. Dark green patina
Great coins Sallent, at a bargain price both with good detail congrats. I bought a similar denarius that looked like it could be a fouree but the dealer assured me it had at some stage corrosion on surface, pic below, anyway first thing I did when got it was the pin test, which is stick a steel pin into one of the pits carefully and poke around and out come dirt and you could see silver underneath, I was happy with that.
Nice start. So, if you strike all your targets off for 2017 within the next few weeks, you are NOT going to do ANY buying for the rest of the year? Sicily Syracuse AE Onkia 12-10mm 1.4g 425-415 BCE Arethusa - Octopus BMC 249 RI Augustus AR Denarius struck 2 BC-14 AD Caius and Lucius Caesars stdg shield spear Sear 1578 NGC4276216-007
No, it just means that I got all the coins/coin types I was specifically targeting. I suppose I'll still bid on JA's auctions whenever I see something interesting, and maybe try to go after a few coins at auction houses if I see bargain opportunities.
nice! i was torn between my recent coins and an augustus with the kids on the reverse that wasn't as nice as yours. that coin is pretty high on my list (i really need a descent augustus). the little octopus is pretty awesome also!
Both are nice and I wouldn't mind having either. But I really like that octopus! None here to show. Congrats. I did get a coin yesterday, but I will show it when I have time to photograph it.
That's a really excellent little octopus. I have a similar onkia I haven't had a chance to photograph, but nowhere near as nice. Here's a litra, however.
Nice pick ups Sallent, I especially like the denarius. Here are a few from my collection. 27 BC-AD 14. AR Denarius. Lugdunum mint. Struck 2 BC-AD 4. O: Laureate head right R: Caius and Lucius Caesars standing facing, holding shields and spears between them; simpulum and lituus above. - RIC I 207; Lyon 82; RSC 43 27 BC-AD 14. AR Denarius. Lugdunum mint. Struck 2 BC-AD 4. O: CAESAR AVGVSTVS DIVI F PATER PATRIAE Head, laureate, to right R: AVGVSTI F COS DESIG PRINC IVVENT; C L CAESARES in ex; Gaius and Lucius Caesar standing facing, each resting a hand on a shield. Crossed spears behind the shields. Simpulum on l. and lituus on r., X below. RIC 211; BMC 537; RSC 43a. The brothers, Caius and Lucius, were the sons of Agrippa and Julia, daughter of Augustus. They were due to succeed Augustus but predeceased him in 4 and 2 A.D. respectively. Gaius, the elder of the two brothers, has the more prestigious position on the left and the ladle above him marking him as Pontifex. He should have his shield placed in front of that of his younger brother Lucius, who has lituus above marking him as augur. The shield placement is likely just an engravers error. 27 BC-AD 14. AR Denarius. Lugdunum mint. Struck 2 BC-AD 4. O: CAESAR AVGVSTVS DIVI F PATER PATRIAE Head, laureate, to right R: AVGVSTI F COS DESIG PRINC IVVENT; C L CAESARES in ex; Gaius and Lucius Caesar standing facing, each resting a hand on a shield. Crossed spears behind the shields. Lituus on l. and Simpulum on r., X below. - RIC 212 (R) Gaius should have the more prestigious position on the left but this variety has him on the right. Here's the only explanation of the X I've ever found but I have no idea if it might be a bunch of bologna. "The reverse type commemorates, as Reinhard Wolters has demonstrated, the passage of the lex Valeria Cornelia, and it was struck in 5 AD either in Lugdunum, but with inhabitants of Rome as the intended audience, or possibly even by a mint in the capital city itself. That law provided that ten elective centuries should be designated to preliminarily select consuls and praetors. Those ten centuries were named after Gaius and Lucius Caesars, which explains the X in the coin type and the selection of the Gaius and Lucius reverse type even after the deaths of the two princes. For this interpretation, dating, and mint location, see Wolters, 'Gaius and Lucius Caesars as Designated Consuls and Princes of the Youth: the lex Valeria Cornelia and RIC I, 205 ff.', Chiron 32, 2002, pp. 297 ff."
Both very nice coins. Congrats. The Caesares denarius looks well toned in the sellers pictures, yet in hand it seems to be brighter. At your pictures more representative?
