Hi Joe.
Two very attractive examples. I particularly like the
RIC V-II 253F,
Rome. It makes me appreciate the effect of age on some
ancient coins. On your wonderful example in spite of a little wear, it has made the
portrait more expressive and the details more prominent.
My collector friends who like modern proof coins miss out of this, although I'm sure they would recoil with horror at the thought of leaving a proof 5 pound Queen Elizabeth silver coin buried in the garden for a few years to attain some character!
A modern proof coin with all it accurate precision is to me rather like a press photograph.
Sharp and beautiful in its own way, but not as expressive as a painting can be. Which why I suppose in my country Australia, there is a
portrait gallery of paintings in Parliament House of former prime ministers, not photographs.
By way of example at what I'm getting at, I have taken the
liberty of placing an image of your expressive
Carinus ant next to a proof five pound Queen Elizabeth II. A beautiful
portrait of the young Queen soon after her coronation I'm sure you agree, but the very brightness of the pristine metal hides both depth and detail in comparison to the ancient characterful
portrait of
Carinus.
Regards,
Steve
