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Home ▸ Catalog ▸ |Themes & Provenance| ▸ |Quality| ▸ |Eye Appeal||View Options:   | | | The most important factor in determining the |price| of a coin is eye appeal. One coin of the exact same type as another can be priced ten times higher or more. So, what is this eye appeal? |
In 409 B.C., Carthage attacked Himera. The city was unprepared; its fortifications weak. At first they were supported about 4000 auxiliaries from Syracuse, but their general, Diocles, seized with panic for the safety of Syracuse itself, abandoned Himera. The city was utterly destroyed, its buildings, even its temples, were razed to the ground. More than 3000 prisoners were put to death by General Hannibal Mago as a human sacrifice to the memory of his grandfather General Hamilcar who had been defeated at the Battle of Himera in 480 B.C.GB86306. Bronze hemilitron, Calciati I p. 41, 27; SNG Cop 318, SNG Munchen 365; SNG ANS 184 var. (grasshopper control), gVF, dark patina, bumps and scratches, areas of light corrosion, earthen deposits, a little off center, weight 6.039 g, maximum diameter 19.9 mm, die axis 90o, Himera (Termini, Sicily, Italy) mint, 420 - 409 B.C.; obverse Pan on a goat prancing right, nude but for chlamys fluttering in the wind behind, preparing to blow on conch in right, thyrsus in left over shoulder, Corinthian helmet (control symbol) below; reverse HIMEPAION, Nike flying left, apluster with dangling fillets in extended right hand, fold of long chiton in left, six pellets (mark of value) left below arm; SOLD
Julia Paula, Augusta July or August 219 - about September 220 A.D., First Wife of Elagabalus
In 219, Julia Maesa arranged for her grandson Elagabalus to marry Julia Paula. The wedding was a lavish ceremony and Paula was given the honorific title of Augusta. In 220, he divorced her and married Aquilia Severa, a Vestal Virgin.RS86670. Silver denarius, BMCRE V 172, RSC III 6a, RIC IV 211, Hunter III 1, Eauze Hoard 376 (29 spec.), SRCV II 7655, EF, attractive portrait, choice sharp reverse, light toning edge split, obverse slightly off center, weight 2.892 g, maximum diameter 19.6 mm, die axis 0o, Rome mint, 220 A.D.; obverse IVLIA PAVLA AVG, bare-headed, draped bust right, hair in horizontal ridges, small looped plait bun at back; reverse CONCORDIA (harmony), Concordia seated left, patera in right hand, left elbow resting on arm of throne, star in left field; from the Jyrki Muona Collection, ex Harlan J. Berk; scarce; SOLD
Phokis, Greece, Federal Coinage, c. 457 - 446 B.C.
Phocis was mainly pastoral. The twenty-two confederate Phocian towns held their periodic synedrion (assembly) in a building called Phokikon, near Daulis, and here, perhaps, rather than at any one of the Phocian towns, the federal mint may have been established. Money would be issued at this mint only on the occasions of the meetings of the synedrion, when it may be supposed that a concourse of people from all parts of the Phocian territory was gathered together, and that a fair or market was held for the exchange and purchase of commodities, as at Delphi during the Pythian festivals. This coin type likely commemorates the sacrifice of a bull for the community on one of these occasions. Part was burned for the god, but eating the meat was a mandatory religious duty.GS89078. Silver triobol, Williams Phokians 194 (O141/R115), BCD Lokris 253.1, SNG Cop 99, HGC 4 1039 (R2), VF, high relief, attractive style, tight flan, porous, tiny edge cracks, weight 2.974 g, maximum diameter 14.1 mm, die axis 90o, Delphi mint, c. 457 - 446 B.C.; obverse bull head facing; reverse head of Artemis right, ΦOKI in the corners starting upper right, the K reversed, the I sideways, all within incuse square; ex CNG e-auction 232 (28 Apr 2010), lot 63; rare; SOLD
City of Rome Commemorative, 330 - 331 A.D.
On some high grade examples of the VRBS ROMA series, a certain symbol can be seen or guessed on the shoulder of the wolf. It might look like the letter Θ (at Thessalonica and Alexandria) or a flock of hair, but on this well struck and preserved wolf there is an obvious star with rounded tips, different from the two above. There are no such symbols on earlier depictions (Republic and early empire) of the she-wolf as far as we know.RL29336. Billon reduced centenionalis, RIC VII Rome 338, LRBC I 540, SRCV IV 16507, Cohen VII 17, Hunter V -, gVF, weight 2.622 g, maximum diameter 18.1 mm, die axis 180o, 4th officina, Rome mint, 330 - 331 A.D.; obverse VRBS ROMA, helmeted bust of Roma left wearing imperial mantle; reverse she-wolf standing left, head turned back right, suckling the infant twins Romulus and Remus, two stars above, RBQ in exergue; rare; SOLD
Numerian, February or March 283 - October or November 284 A.D.
Annona was worshiped in Rome as the goddess who prospered the year's supply of grain. She was represented on an altar in the capital. The three principal granaries of Rome were Sicily, Egypt, and the African provinces. Annona civilis was the grain which purchased each year by the Roman state, then imported and put into storage, reserved and distributed for the subsistence of the people. Annona militaris was grain appropriated to the use of an army during a campaign.RA71586. Billon antoninianus, Hunter IV 37; La Venèra IV 1400; RIC V-2 447; SRCV III 12253; Pink VI-2, p. 29; Cohen VI 83, Choice EF, superb bust, unusual style, excellent centering, much silvering, porosity, weight 3.570 g, maximum diameter 22.1 mm, die axis 180o, 6th officina, Ticinum (Pavia, Italy) mint, Feb/Mar 283 - Oct/Nov 284 A.D.; obverse IMP NVMERIANVS P F AVG, radiate, draped, and cuirassed bust right, seen from behind; reverse PROVIDENT AVGG (the foresight of the two emperors), Providentia (Annona?) standing slightly right, head left, stalks of grain downward in right hand, cornucopia in left hand, modius at feet on left, VIXXI in exergue; SOLD
Tacitus, 25 September 275 - June 276 A.D.
Although Ares was viewed by the Greeks primarily as destructive and destabilizing, worthy of contempt and revulsion, for the Romans, Mars represented military power as a way to secure peace, and was a father (pater) of the Roman people. In early Rome, he was second in importance only to Jupiter, and the most prominent of the military gods in the religion of the Roman army.RL98426. Silvered aurelianus, MER-RIC T3879 (1 spec., this coin); BnF XII p. 404 & pl. 95, 452 (also this coin); RIC V-1 -; Cohen VI -; Hunter IV -, Choice EF, well centered, near full silvering, toned, weight 3.49 g, maximum diameter 22.7 mm, die axis 0o, 2nd officina, Serdica (Sophia, Bulgaria) mint, 1st issue, Nov - Dec 275 A.D.; obverse M CL TACITVS AVG, radiate, draped, and cuirassed bust right; reverse CLEMENTIA TEMP (time of peace and calm), Mars standing left, wearing crested helmet and military garb, branch in extended right hand, vertical spear point up resting in crook of left arm, resting left hand on grounded oval shield behind, S in exergue; this coin is the only known specimen and plate coin for MER-RIC and BnF XII, otherwise unpublished in print or online; ex G.J.R. Ankoné collection; of greatest rarity; SOLD
Herennius Etruscus, Early 251 - First Half of June 251 A.D.
Pietas in traditional Latin usage expressed a complex, highly valued Roman virtue; a man or woman with pietas respected his or her responsibilities to the gods, family, other people and entities (such as the state), and understood his or her place in society with respect to others.SL89806. Silver antoninianus, RIC IV Decius 143, RSC IV 14, Hunter III 7, SRCV III 9521, NGC Ch XF, strike 4/5, surface 5/5 (2412821-154), weight 3.83 g, maximum diameter 20.9 mm, die axis 180o, Rome mint, as caesar, 250 - early 251 A.D.; obverse Q HER ETR MES DECIVS NOB C, radiate, draped, and cuirassed bust right; reverse PIETAS AVGVSTORVM (to the piety of the Emperor), implements of the pontificate and augurate: aspergillum (sprinkler), culullus (cup) or simpulum (ladle), ewer (jug), patera (libation bowl), and lituus (augural wand); from the Martineit Collection of Ancient and World Coins; NGC| Lookup; SOLD
Macrinus and Diadumenian, 11 April 217 - 8 June 218 A.D., Marcianopolis, Moesia Inferior
Renamed by Trajan after his sister, Ulpia Marciana, Marcianopolis was an important strategic center for centuries. The city was repeatedly destroyed by barbarian raids (Goths, Huns, Avars and others) but also was repeatedly rebuilt and prospered. During Valens' conflict with the Goths, Marcianopolis was a temporary capital of the empire and the largest city in Thrace. An Avar raid destroyed the city in 614 or 615.RP70334. Bronze pentassarion, H-J Marcianopolis 6.24.34.2, AMNG I/I 778, Varbanov I 1290, SNG Cop -, BMC Thrace -, VF, attractive green patina, a few minor scratches, flan crack, central cavities, weight 10.894 g, maximum diameter 27.4 mm, die axis 0o, Markianopolis (Devnya, Bulgaria) mint, consular legate Pontianus, 217 - 218 A.D.; obverse AYT K OΠEΛ CEYH MAKPKEINOC K M OΠEΛ ANTΩNEINOC, laureate head of Macrinus right confronted with bare-head of Diadumenian left; reverse YΠ ΠONTIANOY MAPKIANOΠOΛEITΩN, Macrinus standing left, laureate, wearing military garb, right foot on helmet, Victory on globe offering wreath in his right hand, reversed spear vertical in left hand, two oval shields at feet on left, E in left field; ex CNG e-auction 278, lot 179; SOLD
Carus, Early September 282 - c. July or August 283 A.D., Posthumous Consecration Issue
The consecratio altar type is not listed for Tripolis mint in references held by Forum. A similar type is listed for Antioch.SH08800. Billon antoninianus, RIC V-2 -, SRCV -, ANS -, Choice aEF, weight 3.06 g, maximum diameter 22.7 mm, die axis 180o, Tripolis (Tripoli, Lebanon) mint, obverse DIVO CARO AVG, radiate bust right; reverse CONSECRATIO•, flaming altar, T - R across fields, XXI in exergue; dark toning; SOLD
Constans, 9 September 337 - 19 January 350 A.D.
The reverse legend translates, "Happy Times Restored." Happy times would not last for Constans. This coinage was among his last issues before his general Magnentius rebelled and had him killed.RL90437. Billon heavy maiorina, RIC VIII Siscia 244, LRBC II 1136, Voetter 31, SRCV V 18730, Cohen VII 10, Choice gVF, light encrustations, weight 4.945 g, maximum diameter 22.8 mm, die axis 45o, 2nd officina, Aquileia mint, 348 - 350 A.D.; obverse D N CONSTA-NS P F AVG, pearl-diademed, draped, and cuirassed bust right; reverse FEL TEMP REPARATIO (happy times restored), Constans standing left in Galley left, labarum (legionary vexillum standard with monogram of Christ) in left hand, Phoenix on globe in right hand, Victory steering at stern, AQS• in exergue; SOLD
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