Recent Posts

Many thanks for the answers. Apparently this is the first time that a tooled coin falls into my hands. I  tried to stay away from tooled pieces generally. It's just the coin is very attractive by rarity
I will send a photo in RPC topics soon

Thanks Jay!

These two links are very good,  and up and running... for now ,  for Spanish medieval and post medieval coins

http://maravedis.net/

https://www.catalogodemonedas.es/?q=catalogo

Great additions!

I just added a few new purchases.  Here they are from smallest, 12mm, .7 g., to largest, 24mm, 12.59 g.

Mazaios Obol:
http://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pos=-149280

Vespasian denarius from Ephesus:
http://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pos=-149299

Rare (I can't find another one) Q. Metellus Pius Scipio denarius with Vespasian c/m.
http://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pos=-149500

Interesting Tetradrachm minted in Antioch for circulation in Cyprus, countermarked under Marcus Aurelius
http://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pos=-149499

Hope you enjoy them.  I always appreciate the comments or corrections.


Nemo

That is a superb coin. Congrats on a great pickup.

19mm and 6 grams

Thanks for any help

Marsha

P.S. Just to note that some of the pages at that site are "not found",  but it does hold a very large accessible collection  aside from those. The ayout takes a bit of practice .

Hello Joe.

No need to post this reply to you, it is just to drop you a resource  link you might not know of

http://islamiccoins.ancients.info/

Best regards,  Iber. 

Hello all.

This coin,  token or seal was found in southern Iberia,  west of Huelva,  but completely outside of any archaeological context. It is known authentic, though could be a contemporary replica. I started with the assumption that it was a coin,  due to its thickness and style.  Unfortunately there is no obvious detail in the impression to even start to place it,  not even a clear letter, but the impression is there all the same,  from rows of dots, a zone that appears like larger writing,  and so on.  How it looks depends on how it is held,  as usual for unreadable surfaces. After looking for all lead emmissions of the area,  for example Ossonuba and Balsa,  none seem to fit the design or size. Lead replicas of larger Roman coins seem absent also.

So maybe it is not a coin, or token even.  There are some peculiarities that point to it being a seal... it is a peculiar item.  Though maybe thick for a seal,  there is a visible join or delamination around the edge.  This could even just feasibly be two coins kept together.  I do not mind what the object turns out to be.  What is more unusual is that the interior is fully crystalised,  I "know" it is lead based  ,  or heavily leaded,  as the outside feel,  the nature of marks,  point to this,  as well as the weight. So maybe it was high arsenic,  antimony, tin,  silver content?  I don't know,  but it does not rub off lead on paper,  and it gives a  slight ring when tapped... I have not seen lead like this. There is nowhere to test it for now,  I suppose a specific gravity test might help, maybe not.

So I am just looking for ideas, or that someone somehow recognises the overall shape of the design. It could be pre-roman up to medieval, or later even, I am thinking roman period,  including republican, only because of the state of the metal,  and the catalogue of trade and tax seals in use since 1500 for the area,  including imports, does not seem to present any similar,  I might be completely wrong on that guess. Note that what looks like a V in one picture actually seems to extend into a phoenician boat symbol,  but they did not draw them quite like that.

Anyway, I leave it to anyone who enjoys helping on these questions,  will stop me going nuts from trying to figure it out at least.  Even just knowing that lead crystalises this much sometimes, or over what period of time, would be a pointer.

Thanks for looking. 

Dia.  34 mm  at max.
Thickness @ 3 mm
Weight 21.98 gr. ( metric weights only started mid 19th in region if I remember properly,  so if as recent trade weight..
 possible...not really though)

Middle picture shows delamination/two halves,  dark grey crystal interior structure from recent chipping.