Your Very First Ancient

that's a cool tale

 

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neat-o.

It should probably be slabbed.

 

I purchased the Constantine in 2010 and posted it in this 2010 CT thread: http://www.cointalk.com/threads/purchased-my-first-two-ancient-coins.93081/#post-813673

 

The equivalent of slabbing a foil pressing is filling the back with Elmer's Glue and allowing them to dry before trimming and gluing to a card. I still have a card full of rare Septimius denarii in this format by a man with whom I have lost touch over the years (but he would be well over 100 now). He told great stories about how the coins were imported packed in rust preventative oil and a few machined parts on top. While this sounds like smuggling now, in the 50's it was a way of 'insuring' safe passage for several pounds of silver that might otherwise be stolen by the freight handlers. From him I learned the trick of using soft side coolers and diaper bags for camera cases. You would be surprised how many more camera cases are stolen than diaper bags.

 

I remember my first, still own it, but of course do not have a pic. It was a Larisssa bronze, about 18mm, pretty little black/green patina of the 3/4 facing bust/horse type. I simply could not believe you could own something so beautiful 2300 years old. It got me hooked, but weirdly ancient Greek is probably the least represented coins in my collection today, even though I admit they are the prettiest.

 

My very first one, purchased in Stratford-on-Avon in July 2005.

​

ROME. Constantine I. AD 307/310-337
Æ Follis (18mm, 3.46 g, 11 h)
Treveri (Trier) mint, 1st officina. Struck spring AD 317.
IMP CONSTANTINVS PF AVG
Laureate and cuirassed bust right
SOLI INVICTO COMITI
Sol standing left, extending arm and holding globe; T-F//BTR
RIC VII 97​

 

July of 1999...

Arcadius AD 383-408
AE 20.9mm x 5.89g
Struck.Between 15 May AD 392 and 17 January AD 395
Alexandira, Egypt; Roman Mint
Obv: rosette diademed, draped & cuirassed bust right-DN ARCADIVS P F AVG
Rev: Emperor standing facing, head right, holding labarum & globe-GLORIA ROMANORVM, ALEA in ex.

 

Fall of 1991, during a walk with my wife in a densely wooded and windy hill-top, I found this:
My first ever ancient coin. Denarius of Vitellius, 69 ad. Minted at Lugdunum or Tarraco. Mars walking left. Concensus Exercituum.

 

Eduard, you found your first ancient coin? Marvelous!

 

Thats crazy Very cool.

 

No. That's crazy cool.

 

And a Vitellius denarius no less, not just some common corroded LRB...

 

eduard wins the first ancient award.

 

That is a very cool story, Eduard ... you rock!!

=> huh, actually finding valuable coins is a very romantic and cool thought!!

Curious? ... what type of engineer are you? (I did a very cool thread at the CCF regarding occupation ... someone should check it out and hijack it over to this forum => I did all of the work ... anyway ... I found that there was a very high proportion of engineers that collected coins ... it was interesting)

Maybe we should start a similar mini-study in our tight ancient group?

 

Start something. It could be interesting. I think there are at least a couple of us ex-military types.

 

Hi guys, well thank you for your comments.
Yes, it was very exciting finding that coin - it came out bright out of the ground, but toned very quickly once exposed to the atmosphere. It was my first ancient, soon to be followed by many others (most of which I've had to buy, though.)

Steve, I'm a chemical engineer by profession, but no longer deal with designing chemical plants and other such exciting things - I formulate adhesives now. Yes, that is exciting as well, I know.
All in all, I prefer coins by far.

 

This was my first ancient.

Severus Alexander denarius
Obv:– IMP ALEXANDER PIVS AVG, Laureate head right
Rev:– MARS VLTOR, Mars advancing right, holding a spear and shield
Minted in Rome, A.D. 232
References:– RIC 246, RSC 161a

 

Martin => man, apparently you even started-off as a complete coin-rockstar, eh!!?

... you have fantastic coin-taste (great coin ... whenever I see that coin, I always think that the cape kinda looks like a horse's head, facing left)

 

I thought it was a horse's head too until I read this!

 

It's a bit like seeing shapes in the clouds ...

=> it is also a bit like this classic Devil's Face in Queen Liz II's hair (man, I love that portrait!!)