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Tacitus, 25 September 275 - 12 April 276 A.D.

Obverse:
Laureate, draped and cuirassed bust right

AK K Λ TAKITOC CEB

AK: AVTOKRATOR is the equivalent of the Latin Imperator, 'emperor'.
K Λ is an abbreviation for K AV IOC, 'Claudius' transliterated into Greek.
TOK: TAKITOC= Tacitus
CEB: SEBASTOS (greek indication for augustus).

With the pellet between TOC . CEB

Reverse:
ETOVC A (year 1)

Dikaiosyne standing left holding scales in right hand and cornucopia in left. Diakaiosyne is the Greek equivalent of Aequitas ('Equity, Fair Dealing' to quote Sear).

Domination: Billon TETRAdrachm (4 drachms): size 21 mm

Mint: Alexandria, provincial.

Comment:
These Egyptian issues are not in RIC, but the old standard catalogue for these is Milne, where yours is no. 4492, with the pellet between TOC . CEB. They are also listed in the new Sear vol.III (though in not as much detail), where the nearest is 11831, which doesn't have the pellets in the obverse legend (Milne 4489). Other references : Curtis 1832, BMC 2403v ; Geissen 3115.
1 commentsPeter Wissing

Denarius - 111/110 B.C. Rome mint
APPIVS CL. PVLCHER, T. MALLIVS - Gens Mallia - Claudia.
Obv: Helmeted head of Roma right, quadrangular device behind
Rev.: Victory in triga right, T. MAL. (in monogr.) AP. CL. Q. VR. in ex.
Gs. 3,8 mm. 17,82
Crawf. 299/1b, Sear RCV 176, Grueber 1293

For Crawford, Q. VR would not mean Quaestores Urbani, but the name of a third moneyer, Q. Urbinius.Maxentius

Unattributed Roman Vota...Possibly ConstansDumanyu2

And. II / Michael IX, aEF. The coin is common, but is RARE uncliped.2 commentsAlexios

Denarius - 85 BC. - Rome mint
L. IVLIVS BVRSIO - Gens Iulia
Obv.: Winged male head right with the attributes of Neptune, Apollo and Mercury, control-mark & trident behind
Rev.: Victory in quadriga right holding reins and wreath, L IVLI BVRSIO in ex.
Gs. 3,9 mm 19,79
Crawf. 352/1a, Sear RCV 268, Grueber 2485

Maxentius

Maybe VERY RARE coin. Verifying attribution Coin #635cars100

Anonymous Class C Follis, attributed to Michael IV.
Obverse: +EMMANOVHA. Christ Antiphonetes,
nimbate, standing facing / IC-XC-NI-KA divided by
jewelled cross. Coin #412

cars100

An Anonymous Follis Class A 2 coin, type 21
Obverse: Christ facing, holding book of gospels IC to left XC to rightEmmanovha IC XC (God with us)
Reverse: +IhSYS XRISTYS bASILEY bASILE (Jesus Christ, King of Kings)
Sear attributes it to the joint reign of Basil II and Constantine VIII 1020-1028 AD
Grierson in DOC says Romanus III and into Michael IV's 1 comments

Exergue seems to be: (dot?) SM.... (this could possibly be cleaned a bit further to reveal more detail, but I am suspicious that the third letter in the exergue is H, so I am not sure that further cleaning would be worthwhile, at least not until my cleaning skills improve).4 commentsMatthew W2

The seller identified this as from Trier, but now that I see the mintmark a bit clearer, I am thinking maybe it's an official issue from Heraclea?Matthew W2

Obverse: DN MAVRC TIB PP AVG or similar, Helmeted sometimes crowned, and cuir. Bust facing, holding gl. cr., and shield.
Reverse: Large K ANNO to left, cross above, regnal yr 3 (III) to rt. but the mint mark sometimes reads TE, TH,TEC or backward S < E< and T, instead of TES.
Mint: Thessalonica
Date: 584/5 CE
Sear 509, DO 74-90
18mm, 5.90gwileyc

Manuel I, Comnenus. 1143-1180 AD. AE 1/2 Tetarteron, Greek Mint, 1.2 grams. AE14. (As SB1975 but much smaller). P-over-w GIOC to left of bust facing of St. George, unbearded, nimbate, wearing tunic, cuirass and cloak, holding spear and shield / MANVHL DECPOTH (or MANOVHL DEC), crowned, unbearded bust facing of Manuel, wearing loros, holding labarum and cross on globe. SB 1980, BMC 78.
1.0 gr. 11mm.Antonivs Protti

still could use improvement, but thought I'd share.

Heres a link to a better photo
http://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pos=-653365 commentsRandygeki(h2)

DN CONSTANTINVS PF AVG

New photo of one of my first coins. From an uncleaned lot.

I never did get around to attributing it!Jay GT4

Celtic, Bastarnae Tribe, Thrace, c. 220 - 160 B.C., Imitative of Macedonian Kingdom Type

The Bastarnae were an important ancient people of uncertain, but probably mixed Germanic-Celtic-Sarmatian, ethnic origin, who lived between the Danube and the Dnieper (Strabo, Geography, VII, 3,17) during the last centuries B.C. and early centuries A.D. The etymology of their name is uncertain, but may mean 'mixed-bloods' (compare 'bastard'), as opposed to their neighbours the East Germanic Scirii, the 'clean-' or 'pure-bloods.'

32899. Bronze AE 16, imitative of SNG Cop 1299 (Macedonian Kingdom, time of Philip V and Perseus, 221 - 168 B.C.), Fair/Fine, 2.168g, 16.3mm, obverse Celtic-style bust of river-god Strymon right; reverse TridentCastvlo

Sicily, Syracuse, Hieron II. 287-278BC. AE20mm. Obv. Head of Persephone left, with Wreath of grain ears. Rev.Bull butting left with dolphins above and below. Reference: Calciati II pg. 341, 190
Lee S

Macedonia, Pella AE21. 158-149 BC. Bust of Pan / Athena Alkidemos advancing right. Ref.Sear 1445

( I was given this coin as a bonus by an experienced collector / dealer, to attempt electrolysis on, he had been attempting to clean it with conventional methods for 1½ years, however it remained a nugget... I know some members will object, but 10 minuets in the bath of evil, and the crust just flaked off revealing a pretty and detailed coin!!! How I wish it was always so easy!!)Lee S

Tripura, Udaya Manikya, Tanka, 11.16g, Sk 1489, citing Queen Hira, as previous lot, but border of arches on the obverse points right rather than left, no bead in front of lion, none of the date behind lion's back leg; reverse legend arranged slightly differently: Śri Śri Yutoda/ya Manikya/ Deva Śri Hi/ra Maha Devyau (RB. 136; KM. 79)Quant.Geek

Tripura, Amara Manikya, Tanka, 10.61g, Sk 1499, citing Queen Amaravati, similar to previous lot, but standard type 'k', small pellet in front of lion, and Śake divided by lion's front foot (RB. 161; KM. 90)Quant.Geek

Tripura, Rajadhara Manikya, Tanka, 10.58g, Sk 1508, citing Queen Satyavati, similar to previous lot but different standard (type 'p'?), and no bead to the left of it (RB. 178; KM. 97)Quant.Geek

Abbasid Governors, anonymous, AE fals (21mm, 3.71gm, 11h), Halab, AH 136. O: Kalima; below, large pellet left and annulet right; in margin, mint and date formula. R: At center, Kalima continued; in margin, Qur'an 9:33. Ilisch (1996) Resafa IV, p. 117, 221 (dated xx6); cf. ibid. 220 (dated 135) and 222 (date illegible, either 135 or 136); see also Nützel (1898) Berlin 2074 (dated 135 but mint illegible) and Shamma p. 89, 3 (dated xx5). Very Fine and extremely rare, olive green patina with areas of red sand encrustation. Date full and clear. Mint missing but clearly style of Halab, AH 135 and 136.Quant.Geek

SIKH EMPIRE: AE ¼ anna (7.35g), Amritsar, VS(18)96, KM-5var, Herrli-01.31, small cross in obverse field, pa anna nanakshahi on reverse, lovely strike, gorgeous EF, R, ex Paul Stevens Collection. Herrli divided these into a paisa (=¼ anna) and half paisa (11-12g, and 5.5g, respectively), but all coins are inscribed "pa anna" for ¼ anna, and all weigh in the range of 7.0g to 8.5g; thus there is only one denomination for this type.
Quant.Geek

This "Otho" with "VÍCTORIA PR" reverse is an ingenious fabrication created by the famous forger "Tardani". He had obviously realized that there were a few VICTORIA OTHONIS dies recut from Galba's VICTORIA PR dies and created this fictitious but possible coin with copies of real dies. I used to have this coin and another with the same dies is in the Berlin coin cabinet. Both are overweight, around 3.9 gr. It took some time to find a Galba minted with this particular reverse die but finally I succeeded. The final proof is seen in this coin, there are a few regions were the die has broken, ie before the die ever could have been used for an Otho coin. The coin is quite convincing because of the dies, but the surfaces were a bit strange and the legends unusual in profile.jmuona

EDWARD IV
Edward IV was King of England from March 1461 to October 1470, and again from April 1471 until his sudden death in 1483. He was the first Yorkist King of England. The first half of his rule was marred by the violence associated with the Wars of the Roses, but he overcame the Lancastrian challenge to the throne at Tewkesbury in 1471 and there were no further rebellions in England during the rest of his reign.
In 1475, Edward declared war on France, landing at Calais in June. However, his ally Charles the Bold, Duke of Burgundy, failed to provide any significant military assistance leading Edward to undertake negotiations with the French, with whom he came to terms under the Treaty of Picquigny. France provided him with an immediate payment of 75,000 crowns and a yearly pension of 50,000 crowns, thus allowing him to "recoup his finances". Edward also backed an attempt by Alexander Stewart, 1st Duke of Albany and brother of King James III of Scotland, to take the Scottish throne in 1482. Edward's younger brother, the Duke of Gloucester (and future King Richard III) led an invasion of Scotland that resulted in the capture of Edinburgh and the Scottish king himself. Alexander Stewart, however, reneged on his agreement with Edward. The Duke of Gloucester then withdrew from his position in Edinburgh, though he did retain Berwick-upon-Tweed.
Edward became subject to an increasing number of ailments when his health began to fail and he fell fatally ill at Easter in 1483. He survived long enough though to add some codicils to his will, the most important being to name his brother Richard, Duke of Gloucester as Protector after his death. He died on 9th April 1483 and was buried in St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle. He was succeeded first by his twelve-year-old son Edward V of England, who was never crowned, and then by his brother who reigned as Richard III.
It is not known what actually caused Edward's death. Pneumonia, typhoid and poison have all been conjectured, but some have attributed his death to an unhealthy lifestyle because he had become stout and inactive in the years before his death.*Alex

JAMES IV OF SCOTLAND
James IV was the King of Scotland from June 1488 until his death in battle at the age of 40 on the 9th September, 1513.
James IV's mother, Margaret of Denmark, was more popular than his father, James III, and though somewhat estranged from her husband she raised their sons at Stirling Castle until she died in 1486. Two years later, a rebellion broke out, where the rebels set up the 15-year-old Prince James as their nominal leader. The rebels fought James III at the Battle of Sauchieburn where, on 11th June 1488, the king was killed. Prince James assumed the throne as James IV and was crowned at Scone on 24th of June. However he continued to bear an intense guilt for the indirect role which he had played in the death of his father.
James maintained Scotland's traditional good relations with France, and this occasionally created diplomatic problems with England, but James recognised nonetheless that peace between Scotland and England was in the interest of both countries, and established good diplomatic relations with England as well. First he ratified the Treaty of Ayton in 1497, then, in 1502 James signed the Treaty of Perpetual Peace with Henry VII which was sealed by his marriage to Henry's daughter Margaret Tudor the next year. Anglo-Scottish relations generally remained stable until the death of Henry VII in 1509.
James saw the importance of building a fleet that could provide Scotland with a strong maritime presence, he founded two new dockyards and acquired a total of 38 ships for the Royal Scots Navy. These including the "Great Michael" which, built at great expense, was launched in 1511 and was at that time the largest ship in the world.
When war broke out between England and France, James found himself in a difficult position as an ally by treaty to both countries. But relations with England had worsened since the accession of Henry VIII, and when Henry invaded France, James reacted by declaring war on England.
James sent the Scottish navy, including the "Great Michael", to join the ships of Louis XII of France and, hoping to take advantage of Henry's absence at the siege of Thérouanne, he himself led an invading army southward into Northumberland. However, on 9th September 1513 at the disastrous Battle of Flodden James IV was killed, he was the last monarch in Great Britain to be killed in battle. His death, along with many of his nobles including his son the archbishop of St Andrews, was one of the worst military defeats in Scotland's history and the loss of such a large portion of the political community was a major blow to the realm. James IV's corpse was identified after the battle and taken to Berwick, where it was embalmed and placed in a lead coffin before being transported to London. Catherine of Aragon, wife of Henry VIII, sent the dead king's slashed, blood-stained surcoat to Henry, who was fighting in France, with the recommendation that he use it as a war banner.
James IV's son, James V, was crowned three weeks after the disaster at Flodden, but he was not yet two years old, and his minority was to be fraught with political upheaval.*Alex

HENRY VII
Henry VII was the King of England from 22 August 1485 until his death in 1509. He was the first monarch of the House of Tudor.
Henry's mother, Margaret Beaufort, was a descendant of the Lancastrian branch of the House of Plantagenet. Henry's father, Edmund Tudor, 1st Earl of Richmond, a half-brother of Henry VI of England, died three months before his son Henry was born. During Henry's early years, his uncle Henry VI fought against Edward IV, a member of the Yorkist Plantagenet branch. After Edward re-took the throne in 1471, Henry Tudor spent 14 years in exile in Brittany. Henry attained the throne when his forces, supported by France and Scotland, defeated Edward IV's brother Richard III at the Battle of Bosworth Field, the culmination of the Wars of the Roses. He cemented his claim to the throne by marrying Elizabeth of York, daughter of King Edward IV. Henry VII was the last king of England to win his throne on the field of battle.
Henry was successful in restoring power and stability to the English monarchy following the civil war and he is credited with a number of administrative, economic and diplomatic initiatives. His support of England's wool industry had long-lasting benefit to the whole English economy. He paid very close attention to detail, and instead of spending lavishly he concentrated on raising new revenues. Henry's new taxes stabilised the government's finances but, after his death, a commission found there had been widespread abuses in the tax collection process.
Henry VII reigned for nearly 24 years. He died of tuberculosis at Richmond Palace on 21 April 1509 and was buried in the chapel he commissioned in Westminster Abbey next to his wife, Elizabeth. His mother survived him, but she died two months later on 29 June 1509.
Henry VII was succeeded by his second son, Henry VIII.*Alex

HENRY VI
Henry VI was King of England from 1422 to 1461 and again from 1470 to 1471. The only child of Henry V, he succeeded to the English throne at the age of nine months when his father died.
This was during the period of the long-running Hundred Years' War (1337 - 1453) and Henry is the only English monarch to also have been crowned King of France (as Henri II), in 1431. During his early reign several people were ruling for him and by the time Henry was declared fit to rule in 1437 he found his realm in a difficult position, faced with setbacks in France and divisions among the nobility at home. Henry is described as timid, shy, passive, well intentioned, and averse to warfare and violence; he was also at times mentally unstable. Partially in the hope of achieving peace, Henry married the ambitious and strong-willed Margaret of Anjou in 1445. The peace policy failed and the war recommenced with France taking the upper hand such that by 1453 Calais was Henry's only remaining territory on the continent.
With Henry effectively unfit to rule, Queen Margaret took advantage of the situation to make herself an effective power behind the throne. Starting around 1453 Henry began suffering a series of mental breakdowns and tensions mounted between Margaret and Richard of York, not only over control of the incapacitated king's government, but over the question of succession to the throne. Civil war broke out in 1459, leading to a long period of dynastic conflict, now known as the Wars of the Roses. Henry was deposed on 29th March 1461 after a crushing defeat at the Battle of Towton by Richard of York's son, who took the throne as Edward IV. Margaret continuing to resist Edward, but Henry was captured by Edward's forces in 1465 and imprisoned in the Tower of London.
Queen Margaret, who was first exiled in Scotland and then in France, was still determined to win back the throne on behalf of her husband and son. So, when Edward IV fell out with two of his main supporters, Richard Neville the Earl of Warwick and George the Duke of Clarence, Margaret formed a secret alliance with them backed by Louis XI of France. Warwick returned with an army to England, forced Edward IV into exile, and restored Henry VI to the throne on 30th October 1470, though Henry's position was nominal as Warwick and Clarence effectively ruled in his name.
But Henry's return to the throne lasted less than six months. Warwick overreached himself by declaring war on Burgundy, whose ruler responded by giving Edward IV the assistance he needed to win back his throne by force. Edward retook power in 1471, killing Warwick at the Battle of Barnet and Henry's only son at the Battle of Tewkesbury. Henry was again imprisoned in the Tower where, during the night of 21st May he died, possibly killed on Edward's orders.*Alex

CARDINAL WOLSEY
When Henry VIII became King of England in 1509 he appointed Thomas Wolsey to the post of Almoner, a position that gave him a seat on the Privy Council and an opportunity for establishing a personal rapport with the King to such an extent that by 1514 Wolsey had become the controlling figure in virtually all matters of state. In 1515, he was awarded the title Archbishop of York and this, followed by his appointment that same year as Cardinal by Pope Leo X, gave him precedence over all other English clerics. His ecclesiastical power advanced even further in 1523 when the Bishop of Durham, a post with wide political powers, was added to his titles.
After Wolsey attained the position of Lord Chancellor, the King's chief adviser, he had achieved more power than any other Crown servant in English history and during his fourteen years of chancellorship Wolsey, who was often alluded to as an alter rex (other king), used his power to neutralise the influence of anyone who might threaten his position..
In spite of having made many enemies, Cardinal Wolsey retained Henry VIII's confidence until, in 1527, the King decided to seek an annulment of his marriage to Catherine of Aragon so that he could marry Anne Boleyn. Henry asked Wolsey to negotiate the annulment with the Pope and in 1528 the Pope decided to allow two papal legates, Wolsey himself and Cardinal Campeggio, to decide the outcome in England. Wolsey was confident of the outcome, but Campeggio took a long time to arrive, and then he delayed proceedings so much, that the case had to be suspended and the Pope decided that the official decision should therefore be made in Rome and not in England.
After his failure to negotiate the annulment, Wolsey fell out of favour with Henry and in 1529 he was stripped of his government office and property, including the magnificent Palace of Hampton Court, which Henry took as his own main London residence.
Wolsey was however permitted to retain the title of Archbishop of York and so he travelled to Yorkshire, for the first time in his career, to carry out those duties.
Now that he was no longer protected by Henry, Wolsey's enemies, including it is rumoured, Ann Boleyn, conspired against him and Henry had him arrested and recalled to London to answer to charges of treason, one of those being that with 'pompous and preposterous mind, he had enterprised to join and imprint the Cardinal's hat under the King's arms on the King's coin of groats made in the city of York'. But Wolsey, now in great distress, fell ill on the journey back to the capital and at Leicester, on 29 November 1530, aged about 57, he died from natural causes before he could be beheaded.*Alex

This was my most ambitious project so far. There are two separate cabinets, both for the same collector. The one on the left contains 5 drawers each capable of holding 60 slabs. The other is a 45 tray cabinet with a variety of tray configurations, and a total capacity of over 2,200 raw coins. They were shipped in four boxes weighing approximately 215 pounds, total. (The pictures were taken at different times and in slightly different lighting conditions, which tends to make them look different in color, but they actually matched quite well.)

www.CabinetsByCraig.net. 2 commentscmcdon0923

JAMES III
James III was crowned at Kelso Abbey in 1460 at the age of nine, he was the son of James II and Mary of Guelders. During his childhood, the government was led by successive factions until 1469 when he began to rule for himself. That same year he married Princess Margaret of Denmark. Margaret's father, King Christian I of Denmark and Norway was unable to raise the full amount of her dowry so pledged his lands and rights in Orkney and Shetland as security for the remainder. But Christian I was never able to redeem his pledge, and Orkney and Shetland have remained Scottish possessions ever since.
Soon after his marriage, James faced great difficulties in restoring a strong central government. His preference for the company of scholars, architects and artists coupled with his extravagance and partiality to favourites alienated him from the loyalty of his nobles. Even his own brothers, Alexander, Duke of Albany and John, Earl of Mar regarded him with jealousy verging on hatred. In 1479, James' brothers were arrested on suspicion of conspiring against the Crown. John Stewart, the Earl of Mar, died in suspicious circumstances, whilst Alexander Stewart, the Duke of Albany, escaped and fled to England.
The ever-present English threat had been temporarily solved by a truce with Edward IV in 1463 but James' estrangement from his brothers and a strong faction within the Scottish nobility led to the final loss of Berwick.
Although James had tried to settle his differences with Alexander, Duke of Albany, his brother again tried to take his throne in a coup after Edward IV recognised him as Alexander IV of Scotland in 1482. Some minor members of James III's household were hanged, including Robert Cochrane, the king's favourite. But James was removed to Edinburgh Castle where he survived and Alexander was exiled to France.
After his queen's death in 1486, James lived in increasing isolation amidst the growing resentment of the nobility. Finally, in 1488, the Scottish nobles seized James' eldest son, also called James, placed him at their head, and rose against the king. At the Battle of Sauchieburn, three miles from Stirling, James III, defeated, was thrown from his horse as he fled from the field. He was carried into a nearby cottage where he was set upon and stabbed to death.
James III was buried at Cambuskenneth Abbey near Stirling and his son, the figurehead of the revolt against him, was hailed as James IV.
*Alex

THOMAS ROTHERHAM, ARCHBISHOP OF YORK
Thomas Rotherham, also known as Thomas (Scot) de Rotherham, was an English cleric and statesman. He served as bishop of several dioceses, most notably as Archbishop of York and, on two occasions as Lord Chancellor. Rotherham was educated at King's College, Cambridge, he graduated as a Bachelor of Divinity and became a Fellow of his college where he lectured on Grammar, Theology, and Philosophy. After his ordination as a priest, he became a prebendary of Lincoln in 1462 and then of Salisbury in 1465. He moved on to powerful positions in the Church, being appointed as Bishop of Rochester in 1468, Bishop of Lincoln in 1472, and then Archbishop of York in 1480, a position he held until his death in 1500.
In 1467, King Edward IV appointed Rotherham as Keeper of the Privy Seal. He was sent as ambassador to France in 1468 and as joint ambassador to Burgundy in 1471, and in 1475 was entrusted with the office of Lord Chancellor. When Edward IV died in April 1483, Rotherham was one of the celebrants of the funeral mass on 20th April 1483 and immediately after Edward's death he sided with the dowager queen, Elizabeth Woodville, in her attempt to deprive Richard, Duke of Gloucester of his role as Lord Protector of her son, the new King Edward V. When Elizabeth sought sanctuary after Richard had taken charge of the king, Rotherham released the Great Seal to her (though he later recovered it and handed it over to Thomas Bourchier, the Archbishop of Canterbury).
Rotherham's mishandling of the seal was perceived as indicative of questionable loyalty and led to his dismissal as Lord Chancellor. He was replaced by John Russell, who earlier had also been his successor as Bishop of Lincoln. On 13th June 1483, Rotherham was charged with being involved in a conspiracy between Lord Hastings and the Woodvilles against Richard and imprisoned in the Tower of London, but he was released a few weeks later, around the middle of July, after Richard's coronation as King Richard III. Rotherham was re-instated as Chancellor in 1485, however he was dismissed shortly afterwards by Henry VII and retired from public work.
Rotherham died of the plague in Cawood near York on 29th May 1500. His remains were transferred to a magnificent marble tomb in York Minster in 1506.*Alex

EGYPT. Alexandria. Domitian, 81-96. Diobol
(25 mm, 7.42 g, 11 h),
Obv: RY 10 = 90/1. [ΑΥΤ] ΚΑΙϹΑΡ ΔΟΜΙΤ [ϹЄΒ ΓЄΡΜ] Laureate head of Domitian to right, with aegis on his left shoulder.
Rev: L I Agathodaemon serpent riding horse to right.
Dattari (Savio) 563. Emmett 276.10. K&G 24.110. RPC II 2584A.
Extremely rare. Somewhat porous and with light deposits, otherwise, good fine.
From a European collection, formed before 2005.
Leu Numismatic Web auction 17 Lot 2103 Sunday August 15, 2021

I was first made aware of this coin a few years ago. Ever since, I have trying to grab one when they come up at auctions. The problem is 2-fold. First, it is a rare type. If the attribution of RPC 2854A is correct, it is even rarer than RPC 2854 which is on its own a rare coin. RPC online has my coin as RPC 2854 but I am not sure they are correct. The presence or absence of Aegis on the bust seems to be the key factor in differentiating these types.

I have found that I am attracted to the Alexandrian bronzes struck for Domitian. So many of the Egyptian themed coins are interesting and are a real departure from the reverses of the imperial coinage from the same time period.

Rarity aside it is the reverse of this coin that really shines. A coin that depicts a snake riding a horse? Yes, I will take one of those please. The reverse is so interesting that there is more demand for this type than the current supply. I consider myself lucky to add this fascinating type to my collection.

From the auction description: “According to Emmett, the reverse of this interesting issue is connected to the grain harvest. The horse represents the continuous cycle of the seasons, while Agathodaemon ensures that the grain will sprout, thus ensuring Egypt's prosperity.”

3 commentsorfew

Sicily, Syracuse. Agathokles. Æ 23 mm. Arethusa / Bull Butting
Reign: 317-289 B.C.
Denomination: Æ 17 mm.
Weight: 3.93 grams..
Date Struck: c. 317-310 B.C.
Obverse: Head of Arethusa left, wearing pendant earring and pearl necklace; behind, grain ear.
Reverse: Bull butting left; above, dolphin to left above Δ; below, H.
Reference: CNS II, 101 var. (Π below dolphin); HGC 2, 1489.paul1888

JAMES V OF SCOTLAND
James V was King of Scotland from 9th September 1513 until his death in 1542, following the Scottish defeat at the Battle of Solway Moss.
James was the third son of King James IV of Scotland and his wife Margaret Tudor, a daughter of Henry VII of England and sister of Henry VIII. He became king at just seventeen months old when his father was killed at the Battle of Flodden on 9th September 1513.
James was crowned at Stirling Castle on 21st September 1513, but during his childhood the country was ruled by regents. In 1517, James moved from Stirling to Holyrood in Edinburgh and in the autumn of 1524, at the age of 12, he dismissed his regents and was proclaimed an adult ruler by his mother. But in 1525 Archibald Douglas, 6th Earl of Angus, the young king's stepfather, took custody of James, exercising power on his behalf and it wasn't until 1528 that James finally assumed the reins of government himself.
The death of James' mother in 1541 removed any incentive for peace with England, and war soon broke out between the two countries. Initially, in August 1542, the Scots won a victory at the Battle of Haddon Rig. A conciliatory meeting between James V and Henry VIII in England was proposed, but not until after James' wife, Mary of Guise, had given birth to her child which was due a few months away. Henry would not accept this condition and mobilised his army against Scotland.
On 31st October 1542 James was with his army at Lauder but, although his plans were to invade England, he returned to Edinburgh, on the way writing a letter to his wife mentioning that he had had three days of illness. The next month James' army suffered a serious defeat at the Battle of Solway Moss and James fell ill shortly afterwards. Some accounts state this was brought on by the Scottish defeat, but other historians consider that it was probably just an ordinary fever. Whatever the cause of his illness, James was on his deathbed when his child, a girl, was born.
James died on the 14th of December at Falkland Palace and was succeeded by his infant daughter, Mary, Queen of Scots, who was just six days old. He was buried at Holyrood Abbey in January 1543 alongside his two sons and his first wife Madeleine. However his tomb was destroyed soon after, in 1544, by the English during the burning of Edinburgh.*Alex

RHODOS - AR Drachm - Magistrat EPMIAΣ CARIAN ISLANDS.
Pseudo-Rhodian (c.175-170 B.C.),
Silver Drachm, Imitation issue minted in Thessaly.
2.48 g / 14 x 15 mm

Head of Helios facing, slightly inclined to right.
R/ EPMIAΣ , rose, with a bud on right, Z-Ω either side of stem

(SNG Keckman 793-795 (att ributed to Thessaly); Price, Kra ay-Mørkholm Essays, pp. 241-2 (attributed to Northern Greece); SNG Copenhagen Su ppl. 358 (attributed to Rhodian Peraia)).

Lightly toned, good extremely fine. Great head facing

Although the attribution of this issue has been debated, it seems likely that it was struck by Perseus to pay Cretan mercenaries, who would have been familiar with Rhodian issues, in the Third Macedonian War against the Romans (see R. Ashton, NC 1988, pp. 29-30)
paul1888

Roman Empire, Tiberius AD 14-37, AR denarius 3.63 grams, Obverse: Tiberius head right, Reverse: Livia Seated right. RIC(I) - 26, RSC-16, SR(I)-1763paul1888

Kings of Macedon. Perseus (179-168 BC). Ermias, magistrate. Greek Mercenaries. Pseudo-Rhodian AR Drachm / Rose
Attribution: SNG Keckman 794
Date: 175-170 BC
Obverse: Head of Helios facing, hair parted in middle
Reverse: EPMIAΣ, rose, bud on tendril; Ξ-Ω across fields
Size: 14.75mm
Weight: 2.76 grams1 commentspaul1888

UR III CUNEIFORM TABLET FRAGMENT RELATING TO FOOD DISTRIBUTION
LATE 3RD MILLENNIUM B.C.
2 5/8 in. (82 grams, 67 mm).

A fragment of a pillow-shaped ceramic tablet with neatly impressed columns of cuneiform text, accounting of Ur III food distribution,
representing wages.

LITERATURE:
Cf. Liverani, M., Antico Oriente, Storia, societa' ed economia, Roma, 1988, pp.608-609, fig.111, for type.Quant.Geek

Otacilia Severa (AD 244-249) Æ AS / Column

Title: Otacilia Severa (AD 244-249) Æ AS / Column
Attribution: RIC IV 202b Rome
Date: AD 248-249
Obverse: MARCIA OTACIL SEVERA AVG, diademed, draped bust right
Reverse: SAECVLARES AVGG, column, S-C across fields
Size: 25.66mm
Weight: 9.53 grams
Description: VF. Part of the Ludi Saeculares (Secular Games) coinage which commemorated the 1000th anniversary of Rome (April 21, 248).paul1888

Persian Empire, Lydia, Anatolia, Xerxes I - Darius II, c. 485 - 420 B.C. Silver siglos, Carradice Type IIIa variety without pellets, Carradice NC 1998, pl. 8, 5 - 16; or underweight Carradice IIIb, Choice gVF, attractive surfaces, flow lines, bankers mark on edge, Sardes (Sart, Turkey) mint, weight 5.403g, maximum diameter 14.8mm, c. 485 - 420 B.C.; obverse kneeling-running figure of the Great King right, transverse spear downward in right hand, bow in extended left hand, bearded, crowned; reverse irregular rectangular punch; from the CEB Collection; ex Numismatic Fine Arts winter sale (Dec 1987), lot 371
Ex: Forum Ancient Coins.
Persian Lydia, Persian Empire, Lydia, Anatolia, Xerxes I - Darius II, c. 485 - 420 B.C., Carradice Type III was initially issued with the same weight standard as earlier sigloi, Type IIIa, c. 5.30 - 5.39 g. Carradice NC 1998 lists 12 examples of sigloi in the Type IIIa style but without pellets behind the beard. There may have been two mints, one issuing with the two pellets and one without. Or possibly all light weight examples without pellets are simply underweight examples of the Type IIIb, issued after c. 485 B.C. on a heavier standard, c. 5.55 - 5.60 g.1 commentspaul1888

Macedonian Kingdom. Perseus. 179-168 B.C. AR drachm. ca. 171/0 B.C. Aristokrates, magistrate.
Macedonian Kingdom. Perseus. 179-168 B.C. AR drachm (15 mm, 2.60 g, 12 h). ca. 171/0 B.C. Aristokrates, magistrate. Head of Helios facing slightly right / P-O, rose with bud to left; in left field, club; above, magistrate's name: [ΑΡΙ]ΣΤΟΚΡΑΤΗΣ. R. J. H. Ashton, ""Clubs, Thunderbolts, Torches, Stars and Caducei: more Pseudo-Rhodian Drachms from Mainland Greece and the Islands,"" NC 162 (2002), 17 (A6/P5; this coin). Toned. Very fine.
Ex: TRISKELES AUCTIONS 326 ON VAUCTIONS
LOT 48, 29 Sep 2017; Ex Naville V (18 June 1923), 2669. Ex: British Museum

The Pseudo-Rhodian drachms were struck, probably by the Macedonians under Perseus but possibly by the Romans, to pay for Mercenaries from Crete and Rhodes who would have been familiar with Rhodian coinage. The coins in the name of the magistrate Aristokrates with the club symbol in the field is the largest known individual issue of pseudo-Rhodian drachms from the Third Macedonian War, and used at least twenty-nine obverse dies.1 commentspaul1888

DIU: Maria I, 1788-1809, tin 20 bazarucos (16.01g), 1800, KM-47, Gomes-07.02, denomination called 10 bazarucos for KM-45 for which this is the plate specimen, but Gomes classifies it as 20 bazarucos because of the weight; superb example, EF, R. Quant.Geek

Roman Empire: Galerius as Augustus, Follis, 8.03 grams, Eastern half of Roman Empire, Praetorian Prefect of Diocletian. Obverse: Galerius facing right, IMP C GAL VAL MAXIMIANVS PF AVG; Reverse: Genius standing left, naked but for chlamys over left shoulder & modius on head, right holding patera, left cornucopiae; GENIO IMPERATORIS "To the genius of the emperor." ALE = Alexandria mint1 commentspaul1888

JUSTINIAN I, AR 120 Nummi, struck 552 - 565 at Rome or RavennaObverse: D N IVSTINIANVS P P AVG Diademed bust of Justinian I facing right, wearing robe ornamented with a row of pellets.
Reverse: Large P•K enclosed within wreath.
Diameter: 11mm | Weight: 0.67gms | Die Axis: 6
SBCV: 317 (Rome) | DOC: 336.3 (Ravenna) | MIB: 76 (Rome) | Ranieri: 355 (Ravenna)
Very Rare

In 552 the Byzantine general Narses crossed the Apennines with an army of around 25,000 men and marched on Rome only to find himself blocked by a Gothic force, under their king Totila, near Taginae in central Italy. However, Narses deployed his army in the form of a crescent in a narrow mountain valley with his dismounted cavalry mercenaries placed as a phalanx in the centre and his flanks protected by a mixed force of archers he had sent to seize the dominant heights. The Goths opened the battle with a determined cavalry charge but were halted by the enfilading fire from both sides and fell back in disarray on to the Byzantine infantry which had curved round behind them. The Byzantine cataphracts then swept into the confused Gothic mass and more than 6,000 Goths, including their leader Totila, were killed. The remnants of the Gothic army fled and Narses proceeded to Rome, capturing the city after a brief siege. The following year Narses ambushed a combined Gothic force under King Teia and his brother Aligern. The Gothic force was crushed in a hopeless last stand south of Naples, Teia was killed in the fighting and, though Aligern escaped the battle, he surrendered a few months later, so ending the Ostrogothic Kingdom in Italy after 60 years of rule.3 comments*Alex

JUSTINIAN I, AR Siliqua or Half-Siliqua, struck 537 - 552 at CarthageObverse: D N IVSTINIANVS P P AV. Diademed, draped and cuirassed bust of Justinian I facing right.
Reverse: Monogram, cross above, S below, within circle, all encircled by wreath. (SBCV Monogram 3)

Diameter: 13mm | Weight: 1.17gms | Die Axis: 6
SBCV: 254 (Siliqua) | Sommer 4.119
Scratched obverse. Not in DOC.
RARE

The monogram on the reverse of this coin was originally interpreted as being that of the Ostrogothic queen Mathasunta (cf. BMC 80, 1). However, a later re-interpretation by Wolfgang Hahn (MIB) attributed this issue as being a regular African Imperial issue of Justinian, and this is the attribution that was adopted by SBCV.

On September the 15th 533 Justinian's army, led by Belisarius, entered the city of Carthage and brought it back into the Roman Empire after 98 years of Vandal rule. In March 534 the Vandal king Gelimer surrendered to Belisarius ending the Vandal kingdom and returning the African provinces to the empire. Large numbers of captured Vandals were transported to Constantinople and in April Belisarius returned there too and was permitted by Justinian I to celebrate a triumph, the first non-imperial triumph for over 500 years.*Alex

JUSTINIAN I, AR Anonymous Half-Siliqua, struck c.530 at ConstantinopleObverse: No legend. Helmeted and draped bust of Constantinopolis facing right.
Reverse: Large K (Kappa) within pelleted circle.
Diameter: 15mm | Weight: 0.7gms | Die Axis: 12
Bendall, Anonymous, 8c. | Vagi 3051
Not in SBCV or DOC

The issue of this particular coin has been tentatively dated, based on style, to around 530 and struck in connection with the bicentennial of the founding of Constantinople.
According to the late Simon Bendall, type 8c is the commonest of all the anonymous types, the majority being quite crude, very light and obviously of sixth century date.
These issues are a copy of a type issued by Constantine I for the foundation of Constantinople in 330, but with the bust of Constantinopolis facing right rather than facing left as it did on Constantine's coin. There seems little doubt that the type was originally resuscitated by Justinian I on the anniversary of the 330 issue, presumably c.530. However, as the overall type is commoner than any sixth century silver coin bearing an imperial portrait, and is of varying degenerative styles and weights (the smallest specimens being the crudest) it would appear that some numbers of them must have continued to have been struck after 530, perhaps even as much as 50 or so years after. A number of theories have been put forward regarding the dating of these but, due to the scant archaeological, epigraphical and hoard evidence presently available, the exact date or dates of issue of individual coins of this type has so far proved to be inconclusive.
6 comments*Alex

JUSTINIAN I, AR Anonymous Third-Siliqua, struck after 530 at ConstantinopleObverse: No legend. Helmeted and draped bust of Roma, seen from front, facing right.
Reverse: Large P (Rho) within pelleted circle.
Diameter: 10mm | Weight: 0.63gms | Die Axis: 2
Cf. Bendall, Anonymous, 7,15.
Not in SBCV or DOC
Very Rare

Bendall observed that the issue which he designated as Type 7 could hardly be an issue of 330 as it is stylistically quite unlike his Type 2 issue, but it is far superior to Type 9 (and with a different reverse). Thus he thought it might possibly have been a rare commemorative issue which, along with Type 8a, was struck for the centennial of the foundation of Constantinople in c.430. However, the style and lower weight of this particular coin suggests it was probably struck at a later date than 430. This could be in accordance with the similar example of Bendall's type 8, which he breaks into two subtypes, 8a and 8b, struck circa 430 and 530, respectively. It is possible that this coin may represent a hitherto unrecorded reissue of Bendall's type 7, struck around the same time as the revival of his type 8, arguably to celebrate Justinian’s re-conquest of Rome from Ostrogothic occupation in December 536. The rarity of this enigmatic coin would seem to suggest that this issue was likely struck on only one occasion, possibly in late 536 to 537.
*Alex

Time of Alexander I, AR Hemiobol, struck 470 - 460 BC at Argilos in MacedoniaObverse: No legend. Forepart of Pegasos facing left.
Reverse: No legend. Quadripartite granulated incuse square.
Diameter: 8.78mm | Weight: 0.20gms | Die Axis: Uncertain
Liampi 118 | SNG - | GCV -
Rare

Argilos was a city of ancient Macedonia founded by a colony of Greeks from Andros. Although little information is known about the city until about 480 BC, the literary tradition dates the foundation to around 655/654 BC which makes Argilos the earliest Greek colony on the Thracian coast. It appears from Herodotus to have been a little to the right of the route the army of Xerxes I took during its invasion of Greece in 480 BC in the Greco-Persian Wars. Its territory must have extended as far as the right bank of the Strymona, since the mountain of Kerdylion belonged to the city.
Argilos benefited from the trading activities along the Strymona and probably also from the gold mines of the Pangeion. Ancient authors rarely mention the site, but nevertheless shed some light on the important periods of its history. In the last quarter of the 6th century BC, Argilos founded two colonies, Tragilos, in the Thracian heartland, and Kerdilion, a few kilometers to the east of the city.
Alexander I was the ruler of the ancient kingdom of Macedonia from c.498 BC until his death in 454 BC. Alexander came to the throne during the era of the kingdom's vassalage to Persia, dating back to the time of his father, Amyntas I. Although Macedonia retained a broad scope of autonomy, in 492 BC it was made a fully subordinate part of the Persian Empire. Alexander I acted as a representative of the Persian governor Mardonius during peace negotiations after the Persian defeat at the Battle of Salamis in 480 BC. From the time of Mardonius' conquest of Macedonia, Herodotus disparagingly refers to Alexander I as “hyparchos”, meaning viceroy. However, despite his cooperation with Persia, Alexander frequently gave supplies and advice to the Greek city states, and warned them of the Persian plans before the Battle of Plataea in 479 BC. After their defeat at Plataea, when the Persian army under the command of Artabazus tried to retreat all the way back to Asia Minor, most of the 43,000 survivors of the battle were attacked and killed by the forces of Alexander at the estuary of the Strymona river.
Alexander regained Macedonian independence after the end of the Persian Wars and was given the title "philhellene" by the Athenians, a title used for Greek patriots.
After the Persian defeat, Argilos became a member of the first Athenian confederation but the foundation of Amphipolis in 437 BC, which took control of the trade along the Strymona, brought an end to this. Thucydides tells us that some Argilians took part in this foundation but that the relations between the two cities quickly deteriorated and, during the Peloponnesian war, the Argilians joined with the Spartan general Brasidas to attack Amphipolis. An inscription from the temple of Asklepios in Epidauros attests that Argilos was an independent city during the 4th century.
Like other colonies in the area, Argilos was conquered by the Macedonian king Philip II in 357 B.C. Historians believe that the city was then abandoned and, though excavations have brought to light an important agricultural settlement on the acropolis dated to the years 350-200 BC, no Roman or Byzantine ruins have been uncovered there.1 comments*Alex

2nd - 1st Century BC, IRON AGE BRITAIN, Tribe: Cantii, AE Potin, Minted between 100 and 30 BCObverse: No legend. Crude outline of head facing right; pellet within circle in centre.
Reverse: No legend. Crude lines representing a bull facing left, crescents above.
Flat Linear type, Class 1
Found, Thames Valley region, England
Diameter: 17mm | Weight: 1.9gms | Axis: 3h
BMC: 667-714 | SPINK: 63

The Cantii produced the first coins to be actually made in Britain.
These coins were cast in strips which were then cut into separate coins and as a result often retain characteristic cut edges from the runlets which joined them together.

THE CANTII (or Cantiaci)
The Cantii (after whom Kent and Canterbury are named) were the major tribal group in the South East region of England, bordered by the Atrebates, Regni and Catuvellauni.
This region was heavily influenced by continental cultures on the periphery of the early Roman world and this resulted in the Cantii producing the first coins actually made in Britain. These are known as “potins” and they were produced between the mid 2nd to the mid 1st century BC. The earliest versions are known as Kentish Primary, or Thurrock, types. Comparatively the later types, like those from the recently discovered Hillingdon Hoard, are of the “flat linear” type, which uses simplified and abstracted images. Similar coins from the late Iron Age have been found, but in much smaller quantities.
The word “potin” is of French origin and is used to describe these early coins which were cast in clay moulds from a copper alloy with a high tin content. They would have been shiny and silver-coloured when new, and though occasionally examples have turned up which retain this colouration, most coins by the time they get dug up have a characteristic black patina from tin oxidation. These were cast in strips which were then cut into separate coins and as a result often retain characteristic cut edges from the runlets which joined them together. The moulds themselves were made using “master” matrices of copper alloy which were cast with the design for one side of a coin in high relief and pressed into the clay. A rare example of a mould of this type was found a few miles west of the Surrey border in Hampshire.
The designs of the majority of potins found in England derive ultimately from coins produced in the Greek colonial Mediterranean city of Massalia (modern Marseilles) in southern Gaul in the late 4th century BC. These coins featured a head of Apollo on the obverse and a charging bull on the reverse. They were originally imported from the continent and later locally copied in the mid 2nd century BC, in the form of what are known as “Thurrock” types, which adhere closely to the original design. Later forms, known as “flat linear” types, greatly simplified this design into deep abstraction, ultimately reducing the head of Apollo to an outline and the bull to a trapezoidal arrangement of lines
We don’t know what these coins were called by the people who made them, or what they were worth in fiscal terms, but they are generally only found in south east England, which probably reflects the limits of the political and economic influence of the Cantii themselves. It isn't even clear what the role of these Iron Age coins actually was, though it is likely that they assisted in the maintenance of some kind of social power structure. Coins were not generally used as day to day currency by the people of Britain in the 1st and 2nd centuries BC, so apart from any monetary transactions, their range of uses probably included the storage of wealth, use as political tribute, and / or votive objects used as offerings to the gods.

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4 comments*Alex

Perdikkas II, 451 - 413 BC. AR Heavy Tetrobol, struck 437 - 431 BC at Aigai in MacedoniaObverse: No legend. Rider, wearing chlamys and kausia (an ancient Macedonian flat hat, also called a petasos), holding two spears on horse prancing right.
Reverse: No legend. Forepart of lion with straight lined truncation facing right, both paws visible; kerykeion (caduceus), placed horizontally, in left field above, all within incuse square.
Diameter: 15mm | Weight: 2.1gms | Die Axis: 6h
Sear GCV: 1491
Grainy surfaces | Rare (R2)

Perdikkas II features prominently in Thucydides' History of the Peloponnesian War, in which he is described as switching sides between the Peloponnesians and the Athenians several times.
The lion on the reverse of this coin alludes to the Nemean lion killed by Herakles who was claimed to be the ancestor of Perdikkas.

Perdikkas II was a member of the Argead dynasty which would rule Macedonia for almost 400 years.
The founder of the dynasty, Perdikkas I, had led the people who called themselves Macedonians eastward from their home on the Haliacmon River around 700 BC. Aegae (Edessa) became their capital, and by the reign of Amyntas I in the 6th century BC, Macedonian power dominated the neighbouring Thracian tribes and when Amyntas’ successor, Alexander I advanced the Macedonian frontiers eastward to the Strymon River their power was further increased.
After the death of Alexander I in 454, Macedonia began to fall apart, but around 450 BC Perdikkas II, who was Alexander I's son, came to the throne after having asserted his succession against his brothers. Perdikkas had four brothers, Alcetas II, Philip, Menelaus and Amyntas, he also had a sister, Stratonice. Alcetas II preceded him on the throne until he was murdered by Perdikkas' son Archelaus I resulting in Perdikkas' elevation to the throne. During his reign Perdikkas united the Greek cities of Chalcidice in a federation centred on the city of Olynthus.
Perdikkas II died in 413 BC leaving his son Archelaus as heir to the throne. Archelaus adopted a strongly philhellenic policy and introduced Greek artists to his new capital at Pella. He strengthened Macedonia by building roads and fortresses, improved army equipment, and encouraged city life. However, following his assassination in 399 BC, there was seven years of murder and anarchy until finally, around 393 BC, Amyntas III, a great-grandson of Alexander I, took the throne and, although his reign was filled with anarchy and intrigue, he successfully brought unity to Macedonia.

Aigai (also Aegae, Aegeae or Aigeai) was the original capital of the Macedonians and it was also the burial-place of the Macedonian kings. It was built on a site near the modern town of Vergina.1 comments*Alex

1st Century BC - 1st Century CE, IRON AGE BRITAIN, Tribe: Catuvellauni, AE Unit, Struck c.25BC – 10CE at Verlamion (St. Albans) under TasciovanusObverse: Bearded head facing right; VER anti-clockwise in front.
Reverse: Horse with sea horse tail facing left; pellet in ring, and trefoil motif above; VER below.
Diameter: 15.2mm | Weight: 1.97gms | Axis: 3h
SPINK: 243 | BMC 1714-21 | ABC 2658
RARE

CATUVELLAUNI
The Catuvellauni were an Iron Age Celtic tribe in Britain before the Roman conquest, attested by inscriptions into the 4th century. They are mentioned by Cassius Dio, who implies that they led the resistance against the conquest in 43CE. They appear as one of the “Civitates” of Roman Britain in Ptolemy's “Geography” in the 2nd century, occupying the town of Verlamion (Roman Verulamium, modern St.Albans) and the surrounding areas of Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire and southern Cambridgeshire. Their territory was bordered to the north by the Iceni and Corieltauvi, to the east by the Trinovantes, to the west by the Dobunni and to the south by the Atrebates, Regni and Cantii.

TASCIOVANUS
Tasciovanus appears to have become king of the Catuvellauni around 20 BC, before the Roman conquest of Britain. Ruling from Verlamion (St.Albans), for a brief period around 15–10 BC, he issued coins from Camulodunum (Colchester), apparently supplanting Addedomarus of the Trinovantes, but it appears that following the arrival of Augustus in Gaul he withdrew and again issued his coins from Verlamion.
Tasciovanus was the first Catuvellaunian king to issue inscribed coins, bearing “VER”, mint marks for Verlamion. He was also the first to renew hostilities towards the Trinovantes, flouting the long-standing agreement between Caesar and his own grandfather Cassivellaunus.
Tasciovanus died around AD 9 and was succeeded by his son Cunobelinus, who ruled primarily from Camulodunum.

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*Alex

1st Century BC - 1st Century CE, IRON AGE BRITAIN, Tribe: Trinovantes, AE Unit, Struck c.10 BC – 10 CE in Camulodunum(?) in Essex under DubnovellaunusObverse: Head facing right, hair(?) lines on head divided by clear centre parting.
Reverse: Horse prancing left; complex pellets and circles above and below.
Diameter: 13.5mm | Weight: 1.61gms | Axis: 3h
SPINK: -- | BMC -- | ABC 2413
VERY RARE

Very rare uninscribed bronze unit of Dubnovellaunus found in Essex. The type is designated as a “Dubnovellaunus Centre Parting” bronze unit in ABC (Ancient British Coins), and to date (January, 2023) it is unlisted in any other major reference works.

DUBNOVELLAUNUS
It is generally thought that Dubnovellaunus succeeded his father Addedomarus as king of the Trinovantes somewhere around 10-5 BC and ruled for several years before being supplanted by Cunobelinus of the Catuvellauni.
In the Res Gestae Divi Augusti, a British king called Dumnovellaunus appears, alongside Tincomarus of the Atrebates, as a supplicant to Augustus in around AD 7 and, given the chronology, it is indeed possible that Dubnovellaunus of the Trinovantes is the same person as the Dumnovellaunus who presented himself to Augustus. The spelling variation is due to a Celtic, rather than a Latin, interpretation of the ruler's name.
It is worth mentioning that the authors of ABC (Ancient British Coins) also think that Dubnovellaunus of the Trinovantes could possibly be the same individual as the Dumnovellaunus who ruled in Kent in the 30s - 20s BC, they suggest that he could have been a Cantian king who later gained control over the southern part of the Trinovantes and that therefore he might have ruled both territories north and south of the Thames estuary for a few years. It should be noted however, that Van Arsdell, an authority on the Celtic Coinage of Britain, emphatically disputes this.

TRINOVANTES
The Trinovantes were one of the Iron Age Celtic tribes of Pre-Roman Britain. Their territory was on the north side of the Thames estuary in the present day counties of Essex, Hertfordshire and Suffolk, and also included lands now located in Greater London. They were bordered to the north by the Iceni, and to the west by the Catuvellauni. Their capital was Camulodunum (modern Colchester).
Shortly before Julius Caesar's invasion of Britain in 55 and 54 BC, the Trinovantes were considered the most powerful tribe in Britain. At this time their capital was probably at Braughing (in modern-day Hertfordshire). In some copies of Caesar's Gallic War their king is referred to as Imanuentius, although no name is given in other copies which have come down to us. That said however, it seems that this king was overthrown by Cassivellaunus, king of the Catuvellauni, some time before Caesar's second expedition and that Imanuentius' son, Mandubracius, fled to the protection of Caesar in Gaul. During his second expedition Caesar defeated Cassivellaunus and restored Mandubracius to the kingship. Cassivellaunus agreed to pay tribute and also undertook not to attack him again.
The next identifiable king of the Trinovantes, known from numismatic evidence, was Addedomarus, who took power around 20 – 15 BCE, and moved the tribe's capital to Camulodunum. For a brief period, around 10 BCE, Tasciovanus of the Catuvellauni issued coins from Camulodunum, suggesting that he must have conquered the Trinovantes, but he was soon forced to withdraw, perhaps as a result of pressure from the Romans. Addedomarus was restored and Tasciovanus' later coins no longer bear the mark “REX”. Addedomarus was briefly succeeded by his son Dubnovellaunus, around 10 to 5 BCE, but a few years later the tribe was conquered by either Tasciovanus or his son Cunobelinus.
The Trinovantes do not appear in history again until their participation in Boudica's revolt against the Romans in 60 CE. After that though they seem to have embraced the Romanisation of Britain and their name was later given to one of the “civitates” of Roman Britain, whose chief town was Caesaromagus (modern Chelmsford in Essex).

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1st Century CE, IRON AGE BRITAIN, Tribes: Catuvellauni and Trinovantes, AE Unit, Struck c.10 - 40 at Verlamion under CunobelinusObverse: CVNO - BELIN. Bare head facing left.
Reverse: TASCIO. Metal worker, wielding hammer, seated facing right.
Diameter: 15mm | Weight: 2.24gms | Axis: 3h
Spink: 342 | ABC: 2969 | Van Arsdell 2097

CUNOBELINUS
Cunobelinus was a king in Iron Age Britain from about 9 CE until about 40 CE. He is mentioned by the Roman historians Suetonius and Dio Cassius, and many coins bearing his inscription have been found. Cunobelinus controlled a substantial portion of south-eastern Britain, including the territories of the Catuvellauni and the Trinovantes, and is called “Britannorum rex" (King of the Britons) by Suetonius. He appears to have been recognized by the Roman emperor Augustus as a client king, shown by the use of the Latin title Rex on some of his coins.
Numismatic evidence appears to indicate that Cunobelinus took power around AD 9 after the death of his father Tasciovanus, minting coins from both Camulodunum, capital of the Trinovantes and Verlamion (Roman Verulamium), capital of the Catuvellauni. Some of the Verulamium coins name him as the son of Tasciovanus, a previous king of the Catuvellauni. Cunobelinus' earliest issues are, however, from Camulodunum, indicating that he took power there first, and some have a palm or laurel wreath design, a motif borrowed from the Romans indicating a military victory. It is possible that he was emboldened to act against the Trinovantes, whose independence was protected by a treaty they made with Julius Caesar in 54 BC, because problems in Germania severely affected Augustus' ability to defend allies in Britain.
Cunobelinus, however, appears to have maintained quite good relations with the Roman Empire, he used classical motifs on his coins and his reign also saw an increase in trade with the continent. Archaeological evidence shows an increase in imported luxury goods, including wine and drinking vessels from Italy, olive oil and “garum” (fish sauce) from Spain, as well as glassware, jewellery, and tableware from the wider continent, all of which, from their distribution, appear to have entered Britain via the port of Camulodunum. Rome's lucrative trade with Britain was also reported by Strabo, according to him the island's exports included grain, gold, silver, iron, hides, slaves and hunting dogs. It seems likely that Cunobelinus was one of the British kings, mentioned by Strabo, who sent embassies to Augustus.
Cunobelinus died about 40, probably within a year of that date, as he was certainly dead by 43.
Traditionally it has been suggested that the “Lexden Tumulus” on the outskirts of Colchester was Cunobelinus' tomb, but without evidence confirming that, it is also possible that the tomb was built for the earlier Trinovantian king, Addedomarus. Interestingly there is a second tumulus, though this one is not so well known, 665m to the northwest of the Lexden burial mound, on a grassy area in the middle of a modern housing estate. This tumulus, known as ‘The Mount’, probably dates from around the same time as the well-known one at Fitzwalter Road, Lexden.

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Amyntas III, 393 - 370/369 BC. AE17 Dichalkon. Struck at an uncertain mint in MacedoniaObverse: No legend. Head of Herakles, wearing lion's skin, facing right.
Reverse: AMYNTA above Eagle standing facing right, grasping snake in it's talons and attacking it with it's beak.
Diameter: 16.92mm | Weight: 3.17gms | Die Axis: 6
SNG ANS 100 - 109 | SNG Munchen 49-52 | AMNG 160, 7

Amyntas III was king of Macedonia from about 393 to 370/369 BC, he was the father of Philip II and the grandfather of Alexander the Great. His skillful diplomacy in Greek affairs prepared the way for Macedonia's emergence as a great power under his son Philip II.
Amyntas came to the throne during a period of some confusion after the sudden death of king Archelaus who was killed while out hunting in 399 BC. Archelaus was succeeded by his young son Orestes, who ruled with his guardian Aeropus for four years until his death, possibly at the hands of Aeropus. Aeropus then ruled alone as Aeropus II, until he died of an illness two years later and was succeeded by his son Pausanius.
Diodorus gives two versions of the start of Amyntas' reign but both versions agree that Amyntas came to the throne after assassinating Pausanias but was then driven out by the Illyrians. Amyntas recovered his kingdom in the following year however, with the aid of the Spartans and the Thessalians. He continued to maintain his position by the expedient of siding with the powers ascendant in Greece, securing his alliance with Athens by supporting their claim to Amphipolis, and by adopting the Athenian general Iphicrates as his son. Iphicrates later helped Amyntas' son, Perdikkas III, to secure his claim to the throne.
Several significant figures worked in Macedonia during Amyntas' reign, including Nicomachus, the father of Aristotle, who served as court physician to Amyntas, and Aristotle himself who served as the tutor to Amyntas' grandson, Alexander the Great.
Amyntas died at an advanced age in 370-369 BC, leaving his throne to the eldest of his three sons, Alexander II, who ruled from 369 to 366 BC. Amyntas' other two sons also ended up ruling Macedon, Perdikkas III from 365 to 359 BC and Philip II, the father of Alexander the Great, from 359 to 336 BC.2 comments*Alex

Philip II, 359 - 336 BC. AE18. Struck after 356 BC at an uncertain mint in MacedoniaObverse: No legend. Young male head, usually identified as Apollo, with hair bound in a taenia, facing left.
Reverse: ΦIΛIΠΠOY, Naked rider on horse prancing left, uncertain control mark, often described as the head of a lion, beneath the horse. The control mark looks a bit like the ram on the prow of a galley to me, but that is just my personal opinion.
Diameter: 17.4mm | Weight: 6.9gms | Die Axis: 12
SNG ANS 872 - 874

The bronze series of this type is extensive and differentiated principally by the different control marks. These control marks are symbols and letters which generally appear on the reverse, very occasionally the obverse, of the coin, and they were used to identify the officials responsible for a particular issue of coinage.
Philip II won the horseback race at the 106th Olympics in 356 BC, and it is thought that the horseman on the reverse of this coin commemorates that event.

Philip II of Macedon was King of Macedon from 359 until his death in 336 BC. He was the father of Alexander the Great and Philip III Arrhidaeus. In 357 BC, Philip married Olympias, who was the daughter of the king of the Molossians. Alexander was born in 356 BC, the same year as Philip's horse won at the Olympic Games.
Only Greeks were allowed to participate in the Olympic Games, and Philip was determined to convince his Athenian opposition that he was indeed worthy to be considered Greek. And, after successfully uniting Macedonia and Thessaly, Philip could legitimately participate in the Olympics. In 365 BC Philip entered his horse into the keles, a horseback race in the 106th Olympics, and won. He proceeded to win two more times, winning the four horse chariot race in the 352 BC 107th Olympics and the two horse chariot race in the 348 BC 108th Olympics. These were great victories for Philip because not only had he been admitted officially into the Olympic Games but he had also won, solidifying his standing as a true Greek.
The conquest and political consolidation of most of Greece during Philip's reign was achieved in part by the creation of the Macedonian phalanx which gave him an enormous advantage on the battlefield. After defeating Athens and Thebes at the Battle of Chaeronea in 338 BC Philip II established the League of Corinth, a federation of Greek states, with him at it's head, with the intention of invading the Persian empire. In 336 BC he sent an army of 10,000 men into Asia Minor to make preparations for the invasion by freeing the Greeks living on the western coast and islands from Persian rule. All went well until the news arrived that Philip had been assassinated. The Macedonians were demoralized by Philip's death and were subsequently defeated by Persian forces near Magnesia.
Philip II was murdered in October 336 BC, at Aegae, the ancient capital of the Macedonian kingdom, while he was entering into the town's theatre. He was assassinated by Pausanius, one of his own bodyguards, who was himself slain by three of Philip's other bodyguards. The reasons for Philip's assassination are not now fully known, with many modern historians saying that, on the face of it, none of the ancient accounts which have come down to us appear to be credible.5 comments*Alex

Philip II, 359 - 336 BC. AE18. Struck after 356 BC at an uncertain mint in MacedoniaObverse: No legend. Young male head, usually identified as Apollo, with hair bound in a taenia, facing left.
Reverse: ΦIΛIΠΠOY, Naked rider on horse prancing right, forepart of bull butting right control mark (helmet?) beneath the horse.
Diameter: 19mm | Weight: 6.95gms | Die Axis: 9
GCV: 6699 | Forrer/Weber: 2068

The bronze series of this type is extensive and differentiated principally by the different control marks. These control marks are symbols and letters which generally appear on the reverse, very occasionally the obverse, of the coin, and they were used to identify the officials responsible for a particular issue of coinage.
Philip II won the horseback race at the 106th Olympics in 356 BC, and it is thought that the horseman on the reverse of this coin commemorates this event.

Philip II of Macedon was King of Macedon from 359 until his death in 336 BC. He was the father of Alexander the Great and Philip III Arrhidaeus. In 357 BC, Philip married Olympias, who was the daughter of the king of the Molossians. Alexander was born in 356 BC, the same year as Philip's horse won at the Olympic Games.
The conquest and political consolidation of most of Greece during Philip's reign was achieved in part by the creation of the Macedonian phalanx which gave him an enormous advantage on the battlefield. After defeating Athens and Thebes at the Battle of Chaeronea in 338 BC Philip II established the League of Corinth, a federation of Greek states, with him at it's head, with the intention of invading the Persian empire. In 336 BC, Philip II sent an army of 10,000 men into Asia Minor to make preparations for the invasion by freeing the Greeks living on the western coast and islands from Persian rule. All went well until the news arrived that Philip had been assassinated. The Macedonians were demoralized by Philip's death and were subsequently defeated by Persian forces near Magnesia.
Philip II was murdered in October 336 BC, at Aegae, the ancient capital of the Macedonian kingdom, while he was entering into the town's theatre. He was assassinated by Pausanius, one of his own bodyguards, who was himself slain by three of Philip's other bodyguards. The reasons for Philip's assassination are not now fully known, with many modern historians saying that, on the face of it, none of the ancient accounts which have come down to us appear to be credible.*Alex

1st Century CE, IRON AGE BRITAIN, Tribe: Atrebates, AR Unit, Struck c.25 -35 under EpaticcusObverse: EPATI. Head of Hercules, wearing lionskin headdress with paws tied before neck, facing right; pellet in ring behind.
Reverse: No legend. Eagle standing facing, head left, on serpent; dot in circle at upper right.
Diameter: 12mm | Weight: 1.1gms | Axis: 10 |
Spink: 356
Coin found in Hampshire, England. Old repair

EPATICCUS
Epaticcus was a son of Tasciovanus, and probably the younger brother of Cunobelin, he was also apparently a favoured uncle of Caratacus. It is from his coinage issues that we know his name and his family relationship.
The distribution of his coinage would indicate that Epaticcus expanded the territory of his tribe at the expense of the Atrebatean king Verica, and installed himself at the latter's capital, Calleva around 25 CE.
It is likely that Epaticcus was permitted to govern the area by his brother as part of the Catuvellaunian hegemony that was expanding across south eastern Britain at the time. Epaticcus continued to take Verica’s lands to west and south until his death, probably on campaign, around 35 CE. After this his expansionist policies were continued by his nephews, Caratacus and Togodumnus, into the late 30’s CE.

ATREBATES
The Atrebates were a Belgic Iron Age tribe originally dwelling in the Artois region of Northern France.
After the tribes of Gallia Belgic were defeated by Caesar in 57 BC, 4,000 Atrebates participated in the Battle of Alesia in 53, led by their chief Commius.
Before 54 BC, an offshoot of the Gallic tribe probably settled in Britain where it was successively ruled by kings Commius, Tincommius, Eppillus and Verica. Their territory comprised modern Hampshire, West Sussex and Berkshire, centred on the capital Calleva Atrebatum (modern Silchester). They were bordered to the north by the Dobunni and Catuvellauni; to the east by the Regni; and to the south by the Belgae.
The settlement of the Atrebates in Britain does not seem to have been a mass population movement and it is possible that the name "Atrebates", as with many "tribal" names in this period, referred only to the ruling house or dynasty and not to an ethnic group.
After the Roman conquest the Atrebates' lands were organized into the civitates of the Atrebates, Regni and possibly, the Belgae.

CLICK ON MAP BELOW TO ENLARGE IT

1 comments*Alex

1st Century CE, IRON AGE BRITAIN, Tribe: Iceni, AR Unit, Struck c.60 - 61 under Boudica (Boadicea)Obverse: No legend. Abstract Celtic style head with slit for eye and no ear facing right. Three pellets below head, branch emblem behind neck.
Reverse: No legend. Celtic style horse facing right, lozenge-shaped box with pellets on outer corners below horse. Section of large elaborate wheel-like object above horse, pellet below horse's tail.
Class: Icenian O
Diameter: 14mm | Weight: 0.9gms | Axis: 10
Spink: 434

The first known recorded example of this coin was made by William Stukely, an English antiquarian whose ideas influenced various antiquaries throughout the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. Stukeley published over twenty books on archaeology and other subjects during his lifetime and he is regarded as an important forerunner of archaeology for his emphasis on methodically measuring and documenting ancient sites. He died of a stroke in early 1765.
The theory that this coinage was connected with Boudica was originally reported in 1987 and this was endorsed by R D Van Arsdell, an authority on the Celtic coinage of Britain, as Boudican in the 1990's. At the time though this was disputed by many in the numismatic community, some of whom continued to rely on older studies that lumped all "Face-Horse" coins together in a group dating before 20 CE.
However, John Talbot of the University of Oxford carried out research on these issues and, as his die-link and hoard work gradually progressed through the 1990's into the early twenty-first century, these coins were confirmed to be the final coinage of the Iceni. As Talbot's findings were only gradually revealed over a period of time, the accepted dating used in some dealer catalogues did not always keep up with the latest information. During his studies, Talbot discovered that coins from several die sets are only found in the Boudican Rebellion hoards. He also confirmed that these coins were struck in abnormally great numbers for any Icenian issue. But, because he was not certain that this was enough evidence to date the coins to 61 CE. he suggested only that they could have been struck any time after the Claudian Invasion of 43 CE.
Considering though that some die sets are known only from the Boudican Rebellion hoards, that it is still the case that these coins appear in uncirculated condition in the hoards, and that to date none of these coins have been found from secure contexts earlier than the time of the Boudican rebellion, it would appear that the 1987 report was essentially correct and these coins must have been struck nearer to the date of the Boudican Rebellion than earlier, possibly in connection with the financing of that rebellion. The conclusion now is that these coins can, with some confidence, be attributed to Boudica.

THE ICENI
The Iceni were a tribe located in eastern Britain during the Iron Age and the early Roman era. Their territory was bordered by the Corieltauvi to the west, and the Catuvellauni and Trinovantes to the south. In the Roman period, their capital was Venta Icenorum at modern-day Caistor St Edmund.
Julius Caesar did not mention the Iceni in his account of his invasions of Britain in 55 and 54 BC, though they may have been related to the Cenimagni, whom Caesar notes as living north of the River Thames at that time. The Iceni were a significant power in eastern Britain during Claudius I's conquest of Britain in AD 43, in which they allied with Rome. Increasing Roman influence on their affairs led to a revolt in AD 47, though they remained nominally independent under king Prasutagus up until his death around AD 60. Roman encroachment after Prasutagus' death led his wife Boudica to launch a major revolt from 60–61. Boudica's uprising seriously endangered Roman rule in Britain and resulted in the burning of Londinium and other cities. The Romans finally crushed the rebellion, and the Iceni were eventually incorporated into the Roman province.
Archaeological evidence of the Iceni includes torcs, which are heavy rings of gold, silver or electrum worn around the neck and shoulders. The Iceni began producing coins around 10 BC. Their coins were a distinctive adaptation of the Gallo-Belgic "face/horse" design, and in some early issues, most numerous near Norwich, the horse was replaced with a boar. Some coins are inscribed ECENI, making them the only coin-producing group to use their tribal name on coins. The earliest personal name to appear on coins is Antedios (about 10 BC), and other abbreviated names like AESU and SAEMU followed. The name of Prasutagus also appears on some coins as PRASTO.

QUEEN BOUDICA
Queen Boudica was married to Prasutagus, ruler of the Iceni people of East Anglia. When the Romans conquered southern England in AD 43, they allowed Prasutagus to continue to rule. However, when Prasutagus died he left a will dividing his lands between the Roman emperor and his family. The Romans decided to rule the Iceni directly and confiscated all the king's property. When this was contested they are said to have stripped and flogged Boudica and raped her daughters. These actions exacerbated the widespread resentment at Roman rule.
In 60 or 61 AD, while the Roman governor Gaius Suetonius Paullinus was leading a campaign in North Wales, the Iceni rebelled, other tribes joined them, and Boudica led a major uprising against the occupying Roman forces.
Boudica's warriors defeated the Roman Ninth Legion and destroyed the then capital of Roman Britain, Camulodunum (Colchester). They then went on to destroy Londinium (London) and Verulamium (St Albans) killing thousands in the process. Finally, Boudica was defeated by a Roman army led by Paulinus. A great number of her army were killed and, though Boudica's fate is unknown, she is alleged to have either died in battle or poisoned herself to avoid capture. The site of the battle which brought an end to her uprising is also unknown.
The photograph below is of the Victorian statue of Boudica (Boadicea) situated on the Thames embankment in London.

CLICK ON THE IMAGES BELOW TO ENLARGE THEM

3 comments*Alex

4 Caligula AE16 of CassandreaCassandrea, Macedonia
AE16, Time of Caligula

Standard/Vexilla with crescents above // CAS/SAN/DR within wreath

Thanks to FORVM member Quisquam for helping me attribute this little coin.
RI0017Sosius

41 - 54, Claudius I, AE Dupondius, Irregular (barbarous) issue struck after 43AD in BritanniaObverse: Blundered legend. Bare head of Claudius I facing left.
Reverse: Blundered legend. Ceres, veiled, seated facing left, holding grain ears and long torch.
Diameter: 26mm | Weight: 9.5gms | Die Axis: 11h
SPINK: 745
Green Patina. Scarce. Found near Sleaford, Lincolnshire, UK

These irregular coins are associated with the Claudian invasion of Britain in 43AD. It appears likely that the authorities allowed them to be struck to augment the scanty supply of bronze from the central mint of Rome and the evidence available from museums and recorded in numismatic literature would seem to bear this out.
Although it is difficult to work out the proportion that these copies bear to the official issues on a national scale, it is quite evident that it is of a considerable size, about 20% on an average over the whole area in which Claudian coins are found, and in some localities well over 50%. When you consider that the actual area over which these coins are found exactly covers the areas of the first conquests, and there are no credible reasons for supposing them to be Gallic importations, the likelihood is that they were struck in Britain itself. Those barbarous examples found beyond the Fosse Way bear witness to the spread of the new coinage, and also to its continuance during the subsequent years of conquest..
The actual types found are equally strong evidence for the connection of these copies with the Claudian legions. Copies of Sestertii are rare, Dupondii less so, but the majority, about 70% of the Claudian copies found in England, are Asses.
Irregular issues of all the foregoing types are found in varying stages of degradation, ranging from coins which show all the detail, and much of the excellence of the official prototypes, down to rough unskilful productions of crude and barbarous style.
The majority of copies, particularly the good ones, have been found in or near the towns which were either administrative and/or military centres, such as Lincoln and Gloucester. This seems to indicate that the coining of irregular issues were, if not official, an acceptable method of supplementing the military funds to pay the troops during the conquest. The first generation copies, since they were intended for paying the soldiers, were fairly accurate in style and weight. In time though, once they had circulated through the tribal centres and the lands that lay between and behind the chief Roman military posts and been absorbed into currency, the copies would themselves be copied. These second-degree copies became proportionately less faithful to the originals and are extremely numerous at such tribal centres as Cirencester, Silchester, Winchester and Dorchester, which were civil, but not military, towns.*Alex

6 Nero AE AsNERO
AE As
Moesia or Balkan mint (Perinthus, Thrace?)

O: NERO CLAVDIVS CAESAR AVG GERM P M, Laureate head right

R: S-C, Neptune standing left, holding dolphin and trident.

RPC I 1760; BMCRE 391 note, pl. 48, 11; WCN pg. 245, 1 var. (obverse legend); RIC: not listed but mentioned on pp. 186-187.

Fine/Good
RI0044Sosius

6.75 Revolt of VindexRevolt Against Nero, Gaius Iulius Vindex, Governor of Gallia Lugdunensis, c. Late 67 - May 68 A.D.

Struck by Gaius Iulius Vindex, the Roman governor of Gallia Lugdunensis, who rebelled against Nero's tax policy and declared allegiance to Galba, the governor of Hispania Tarraconensis, as the new emperor. Vindex was defeated and killed in battle near Vesontio (modern Besançon), but the military continued to support Galba. On 9 June 68, deserted by the Praetorian Guard, Nero stabbed himself in the throat.

Silver denarius, Unpublished, civil war restitution of Augustus, gF, porosity, marks, uncertain (Lugdunum?) mint, weight 3.167g, maximum diameter 19.0mm, die axis 180o, c. late 67 - May 68 A.D.; obverse CAESAR, bare head of Augustus right; reverse AVGVSTVS, young bull walking right, head turned facing; ex Roma Numismatics e-auction 6, lot 321; only two examples known to Forum

Purchased from FORVM2 commentsSosius

98cfCarausius 287-93AD
Antoninianus
Obv "IMP CARAVSIVS PF AVG"
Radiate, draped & cuirassed bust right
Rev "PAX AVG"
Pax-Laetitia/Fortuna standing left holding branch and resting on short baton or rudder
London or irregular(?) mint
F/O//[ML]
RIC - (cf 98ff)

A curious depiction of Pax on the reverse with a mixture of attributes. A coin of otherwise good style.mauseus

Alexander the Great, 336 - 323 BC. AE Hemiobol (4 Chalkoi). Struck 336 - 320 BC, possibly under Philip III at Miletus in Macedonia.Obverse: No legend. Head of Alexander the Great as Herakles, wearing lion-skin knotted at base of neck, facing right.
Reverse: AΛEΞANΔ•POY. Bow in Gorytos (a case for bow and quiver) above, club below. ΠΥΡ monogram control mark below club
Diameter: 18mm | Weight: 5.79gms | Die Axis: 3
Price: 0335

Alexander the Great reigned from 336 to 323 BC. Price supposes this coin to be a lifetime issue and Sear concurs stating that the issues that are more likely to be posthumous are the ones bearing the title BAΣIΛEOΣ. Thompson however, has proposed a posthumous date of 321 - 320 BC (Thompson series IV) based on the compound ΠΥΡ monogram used as a control mark.

It is difficult to interpret the die orientation in these issues because not only is it unclear what the Ancient Greeks would have considered "up" with respect to the reverse design but modern scholars are ambiguous on the subject as well. I have, however, assumed that the modern conventional orientation is with the name reading horizontally, and therefore have described my example as having a 3 o'clock orientation, the "top" of the reverse being aligned with the back of Herakles' head on the obverse.
1 comments*Alex

Alexander the Great, 336 - 323 BC. AE Hemiobol (4 Chalkoi). Struck 325 - 310 BC at an uncertain mint in Macedonia.Obverse: No legend. Head of Herakles facing right, wearing lion-skin knotted at base of neck.
Reverse: A quiver (arrow case) placed on top of a bow and below it a club, large B A between; laurel branch control mark below the club.
Diameter: 17mm | Weight: 5.1gms | Die Axis: 7
Price: 385 | Sear: 6742

This coin is a subtype of the quiver type (Type 1B), with the inscription now reading B A (for BAΣIΛEOΣ AΛEΞANΔPOY = KING ALEXANDER). Price believed this coin type was minted both during and after Alexander's lifetime but Sear says that the issues bearing the title BAΣIΛEOΣ or the abbreviation "B" are more likely to be posthumous and struck under Antipater, Polyperchon, or Kassander after Alexander's death.
1 comments*Alex

JUSTINIAN I, AE Decanummium (10 Nummi), struck 558/559 at NicomediaObverse: D N IVSTINIANVS P P AVG. Diademed, draped and cuirassed bust of Justinian I facing right.
Reverse: Large I surmounted by cross, A/N/N/O in field to left and regnal year X/X/X/II in field to right; in exergue, NIK.
Diameter: 17mm | Weight: 3.8gms | Die Axis: 12
SBCV: 205 | DOC: 138a.3

Justinian I introduced the system of dating on the Byzantine bronze coinage in the 12th year of his reign (Regnal year 538/39).

558: In this year the dome of the Hagia Sophia in Constantinople collapsed due to an earthquake and Justinian I ordered it to be rebuilt.
559: A combined force of Kutrigurs and Huns crossed the frozen Danube River and invaded the Balkans in this year. But, after they had raided Thracia and Macedonia, the Byzantine general Belisarius, with a force consisting of a few thousand hastily raised levies and his veteran cavalry, defeated them at the Battle of Melantias, near Constantinople.
*Alex

Louis XIII and Anne d'Autriche. AE (Brass) Jeton struck c.1615 - 1616Obverse: LVDO•XIII D G FR•ET•NA•ANNA•AVSTR•HISPAN. Crowned jugate busts of Louis XIII and Anne facing right, both wearing ruffs.
Reverse: Crown and two branches above two hearts, between which are the scrolled words CARITAS / *SPES* / *FIDES* in three lines above * L * - * A * (for Louis and Anne) either side of facing eagle. Below, scroll bearing the words •HANS•LAVFER•; in exergue H – L (for Hans Laufer) either side of floral device.

Struck at Nuremburg, Germany
Die engraver: Hans Laufer
Dimensions: 27.1mm | Weight: 3.87gms | Die Axis: 12
Ref. M: 3714 | Feuardent: 12329

Hans Laufer became Guild master at Nuremburg in 1611, though he had been responsible for issuing jetons from 1607. He died in 1632.

Louis XIII became king of France and Navarre in 1610, shortly before his ninth birthday, after his father Henry IV was assassinated. He ruled France until he died of Tuberculosis in 1643. Anne was betrothed to him at the age of eleven and, on 24th November 1615, they were married by proxy in Burgos. The marriage following the tradition of cementing military and political alliances between France and Spain that had begun with the marriage of Philip II of Spain to Elisabeth of Valois in 1559 as part of the Peace of Cateau-Cambrésis. Anne and Louis, both fourteen years old, were pressured to consummate their marriage in order to forestall any possibility of future annulment, but this was ignored and Louis' mother, Marie de Medici, continued to conduct herself as Queen of France, without showing any deference to her daughter-in-law. However, in 1617, Louis conspired with Charles d'Albert, Duke of Luynes, to dispense with his mother's influence and she was ousted in a palace coup d'état which also saw her favourite, Concino Concini, assassinated. Louis turned now to Cardinal Richelieu as his advisor but Anne was opposed to Richelieu and became embroiled in several intrigues against him. This inevitably created tension between Louis and Anne. But despite this, and after having endured several stillbirths, in 1638 Anne finally gave birth to a son, the future Louis XIV, and the Bourbon line was further secured when in 1640 she gave birth to a second son, Philippe. *Alex

Maximinus II RIC 207c Siscia
Maximinus II follis, 311 CE
Obverse: IMP MAXIMINVS P F AVG, laureate bust right.
Reverse: GENIO AV-GVSTI, Genius standing left, modius on headn naked but for chlamys over shoulder, holding patera and cornucopia.
SIS in ex. Siscia mint. 25.3 mm., 6.9 g.NORMAN K

Philip III Arrhidaios, 323 - 317 BC. AR Drachm struck in the name and types of Alexander III at Lampsakos, Mysia.Obverse: No legend. Head of Herakles, wearing lion-skin knotted at base of neck, facing right.
Reverse: AΛEΞANΔPOY. Zeus Aëtophoros seated facing left, right leg drawn back, feet on stool, eagle in right hand, sceptre in left; buckle in left field; Λ above Ω below throne.
Diameter: 18mm | Weight: 4.16gms | Die Axis: 7 | Cut mark above eyebrow on obverse.
Price: 1376

Alexander the Great reigned from 336 to 323 BC but this coin was struck shortly after his death, in around 323 to 317 BC under Philip III Arrhidaios.

Philip III Arrhidaios was the king of Macedonia after the death of Alexander the Great, from 323 BC until his own death in 317 BC. He was a son of King Philip II of Macedonia and a half-brother of Alexander. Named Arrhidaios at birth, he assumed the name Philip when he ascended the throne.
As Arrhidaios grew older it became apparent that he had mild learning difficulties. Alexander was very fond of him, and took him on his campaigns, both to protect his life and to ensure he would not be used as a pawn in a challenge for the throne. After Alexander's death in Babylon, Arrhidaios was proclaimed king by the Macedonian army in Asia, but he was a mere figurehead, and a pawn of the powerful generals, one after the other.
2 comments*Alex

1 DiocletianDiocletian
AE1 Follis.
IMP C DIOCLETIANVS P F AVG, laureate head right / GENIO POPV-LI ROMANI, Genius standing left, modius on head, naked but for chlamys over left shoulder, with patera & cornucopiae, mintmark PT in ex.
Ticinum RIC 29a Sosius

1 Diocletian Pre-Reform RadiateDiocletian
AE Antoninianus, 293-295, Antioch, Officina 9
IMP C C VAL DIOCLETIANVS P F AVG, Radiate, draped, cuirassed bust right / CONCORDIA MIL_ITVM, Emperor standing right, short scepter in left hand, receiving Victory on globe from Jupiter standing left, scepter in left, ED in lower middle field, XXI in exergue
RIC V, Part II, 322
Ex Max Mehl Coins
Ex Andreas Reich

Thanks to FORVM members stinats and Genio Popvli Romani for helping to attribute this coin!Sosius

1 Gordian IIIGordian III
AR Antoninianus, Antioch Mint

O: Radiate bust r.

R: FORTVNA REDVX. Fortuna seated left, holding rudder and cornucopiae

Very similar to RIC 210, but bust on this coin is not draped.Sosius

101cfCarausius 287-93 AD
Antoninianus
Obv "[IMP CA]RAVSIVS PF AVG"
Radiate, draped and cuirassed bust right
Rev "PAX AVG"
Pax standing left holding vertical sceptre
London mint
L/-//ML
RIC - (cf 101)
ML not visible on this coin but reverse die duplicate CNG eAuction 424, lot 527mauseus

101cfCarausius 287-93AD
Antoninianus
Obv “IMP CARAVSIVS PF AVG”
Radiate, draped and cuirassed bust right
Rev “PAX AVG”
Pax standing left holding vertical sceptre
Early London or, more likely, irregular mint
-/-//WL
RIC - (cf101)
The mintmark is not in the exergue but at the start of the reverse legend. The "M" is inverted so it appears as "W" if one reads the mark correctly. 1 commentsmauseus

138 - 161, ANTONINUS PIUS, AE As, Struck 154 - 155Obverse: ANTONINVS AVG PIVS P P TR P XVIII, laureate and draped bust of Antoninus Pius facing right.
Reverse: BRITANNIA COS IIII, Britannia seated facing left on rock, shield and vexillum in background; S C in exergue.
Diameter: 26mm | Weight: 9.4gms | Die Axis: 7h
RIC III: 934 | SRCV: 4296 | Cohen: 117
SCARCE

The bronze coins of Antoninus Pius bearing the "Britannia" reverse type have been found in considerable quantities in Britain, but are not generally recorded from Roman sites in France and Germany. The many "Britannia" issues of Antoninus Pius found in Coventina's Well, Carrawburgh, seem to have come from only a few dies, suggesting that the place of mintage for them was not far distant, though it is possible that the issue was both issued at Rome and produced locally in Britannia.
The reverse type of Britannia seated on a rock, eventually adorned Great Britain's coinage many centuries later when the design was reintroduced by Charles II in 1672.

COVENTINA'S WELL
Dedications to Coventina and votive deposits were found in a walled area, now called "Coventina's Well", which had been built to contain the outflow from a spring near the site of a Roman fort and settlement, on Hadrian's Wall. Now called Carrawburgh, the site is named as Procolita in the 5th century "Notitia Dignitatum". The remains of a Roman Mithraeum and Nymphaeum were also found near the site.
*Alex

138 - 161, ANTONINUS PIUS, AE As, Struck 154 - 155 alluding to BritanniaObverse: ANTONINVS AVG PIVS P P TR P XVIII. Laureate and draped bust of Antoninus Pius facing right.
Reverse: BRITANNIA COS IIII. Britannia seated facing left on rock, shield and vexillum in background; S C in exergue.
Diameter: 26mm | Weight: 12.7gms | Die Axis: 6h
RIC III: 934 | SRCV: 4296 | Cohen: 117 | BMC: 1971 | SPINK: 666
SCARCE

The bronze coins of Antoninus Pius bearing the "Britannia" reverse type have been found in considerable quantities in Britain, but are not generally recorded from Roman sites in France and Germany. The many "Britannia" issues of Antoninus Pius found in Coventina's Well, Carrawburgh, seem to have come from only a few dies, suggesting that the place of mintage for them was not far distant, though it is possible that the issue was both issued at Rome and produced locally in Britannia.
The reverse type of Britannia seated on a rock, eventually adorned Great Britain's coinage many centuries later when the design was reintroduced by Charles II in 1672.

COVENTINA'S WELL
Dedications to Coventina and votive deposits were found in a walled area, now called "Coventina's Well", which had been built to contain the outflow from a spring near the site of a Roman fort and settlement, on Hadrian's Wall. Now called Carrawburgh, the site is named as Procolita in the 5th century "Notitia Dignitatum". The remains of a Roman Mithraeum and Nymphaeum were also found near the site.

CLICK ON ENGRAVING OF COVANTINA'S WELL BELOW TO ENLARGE IT

1 comments*Alex

14 Trajan AR Drachm of CaesareaTRAJAN
AR Drachm of Bostra, Arabia
AVTOK P KAIC NEP TRAIAN CEB ΓEPM ΔAK, Laureate bust right, drapery over left shoulder (die crack on chin) / ΔHMAPX EΞΥΠATOC, Arabia standing facing, looking left, holding branch and bundle of cinnamon sticks, to left a camel
SNG ANS 1155
Thanks you FORVM member Benito for helping attribute this coin.
RI0114Sosius

15 Hadrian Denarius - Travel SeriesHADRIAN
AR “Travel Series” Denarius (2.8g); 136 AD.
HADRIANVS AVG COS III P P, Laureate head right / AFRICA, Africa reclining left holding scorpion & cornucopiae, basket of grain at feet
Sear 3459 vars, RIC 299, RSC 138
Note: underweight, but appears genuine
RI00931 commentsSosius

17 Antoninus PiusANTONINUS PIUS
AE Sestertius, 152-153 AD
ANTONINVS AVG PIVS P P TR P XVI, laureate head right / SALVS AVG COS IIII S-C, Salus standing feeding snake arising from altar.
RIC 906, Cohen 732, BMC 1925
This coin looks like someone hit it with brass polish (not me!) but I like how you can see the true color of the metal. It's also a hefty coin that's fun to hold.
RI0081Sosius

17 Antoninus Pius AE22 of N&IANTONINUS PIUS
AE22 Nicopolis ad Istrum
Bare head r, AV T AI ADRIA ANTONEINOS / Artemis alone, moving slightly and facing r., pulling arrow from quiver with her r. and holding bow in her l. hand, NEIKOPO LEITON. No magistrate's name.
Pick AMNG I, 1, no. 1222; HrHJ (2012) 8.6.13.3
Thanks to FORVM Members slokind and Jochen for their help attributing this coin
RI00801 commentsSosius

189bisCarausius 287-93
Antoninianus
Obv"IMP CARAVSIVS PF AVG"
Radiate, draped and cuirassed bust right
Rev "PM TRP III CO[S PP]"
Lion walking left
Camulodunum mint?
-/-//XXI [?]
RIC - (189 bis)
Mint attribution made on the basis of the other (few) known dated coins. It may be that the mark on this coin is a variation of the MCXXI mark, recorded on a SAECVLARES AVG (lion walking right) coin of Carausius in the Vogelaar collection. mauseus

18bisAllectus 293-6
Antoninianus
IMP C ALLECTVS PF AVG
Radiate, draped & cuirassed bust right viewed from rear
FELICITAS AVG
Felicitas standing left holding caduceus and cornucopia
RIC lists FELICITAS SEC as a reverse, however this looks to read AVG. Similarly Burnett only lists FELICITAS SEC but then only with a cuirassed bust on the obverse
London mint
S/A//ML
RIC - (cf 18)mauseus

19 Lucius VerusLucius Verus
AE As, 161 AD
IMP CAES L AVREL VERVS AVG, laureate cuirassed bust right / CONCORDIA AVGVSTOR TR P COS II S-C, Verus and Marcus Aurelius clasping hands
RIC 1290, Sear5 #5408; aFine
One of my first "big" roman coins. Not pretty, but it was exciting to get and to attribute. I didn't even know who Lucius Verus was before I got the coin!
RI0099Sosius

195 - 211, SEPTIMIUS SEVERUS, AR Denarius, Struck 210 at Rome, alluding to BritanniaObverse: SEVERVS PIVS AVG BRIT. Laureate head of Septimius Severus facing right.
Reverse: VICTORIAE BRIT. Victory standing right, holding palm branch in her right hand and placing uninscribed shield on palm tree with her left.
Diameter: 20mm | Weight: 2.83gms | Die Axis: 7h
RIC IV: 336 | RSC: 730 | SRCV: 6384 | SPINK: 651A
SCARCE

This coin commemorates the success of the Roman campaigns in Scotland during 209 and 210 culminating in the death of Severus at York, England, in February 211.

SEPTIMIUS SEVERUS
Lucius Septimius Severus was Roman emperor from 193 to 211. He was born in Leptis Magna in the Roman province of Africa.
Severus seized power after the death of the emperor Pertinax in 193 (the Year of the Five Emperors).
After consolidating his rule over the western provinces, Severus waged a brief, successful war in the east against the Parthian Empire, sacked their capital Ctesiphon, expanded the eastern frontier to the Tigris and enlarged and fortified the Limes Arabicus in Arabia Petraea. In 202, he campaigned in Africa and Mauretania against the Garamantes, captured their capital Garama and expanded the Limes Tripolitanus along the southern desert frontier of the empire. In 198 he raised his elder son Caracalla to Augustus and in 209 did the same to his younger son, Geta.
In AD 209 Severus invaded Caledonia (modern Scotland) with an army of 50,000 men, but he fell fatally ill of an infectious disease in late 210 and died at Eboracum (York, England) early in 211.

SEVERUS' CAMPAIGNS IN BRITAIN
In 208 Septimius Severus travelled to Britain with the intention of conquering Caledonia (Scotland). Modern archaeological discoveries have helped to throw some light on the scope and direction of this northern campaign.
Severus began by occupying the territory up to the Antonine Wall, this is evidenced by extensive Severan era fortifications and the likely reoccupation of some of the forts on that wall. Over the previous years Hadrian's Wall had fallen into disrepair and Severus strengthened and repaired much of it, he did this to such an extent that many early Antiquarians thought that he was the emperor who had actually built it. Severus constructed a 165-acre (67 ha) camp south of the Antonine Wall at Trimontium, probably assembling the main body of his forces there. Severus then thrust north across the Antonine Wall into Caledonian territory, supported and supplied by a strong naval force. He retraced the steps of Agricola of over a century before, rebuilding many abandoned Roman forts along the east coast, and he re-garrisoned the naval base at Carpow, likely built by Commodus in 185, and possibly the place named as "Horrea Classis" or "Poreo Classis" in the Ravenna Cosmography.
By 210 Severus' campaigning had made significant gains, despite Caledonian guerrilla tactics and purportedly heavy Roman casualties.
According to Cassius Dio: “Severus did not desist until he approached the extremity of the island. Here he observed most accurately the variation of the sun's motion and the length of the days and the nights in summer and winter respectively. Having thus been conveyed through practically the whole of the hostile country (for he actually was conveyed in a covered litter most of the way, on account of his infirmity), he returned to the friendly portion, after he had forced the Britons to come to terms, on the condition that they should abandon a large part of their territory.”
The Caledonians had sued for peace, which Severus had granted on the condition that they relinquished control of the Central Lowlands of Scotland, but later that year (210), they, along with the Maeatae, revolted. Severus prepared for another campaign, now intent on exterminating the Caledonians. However the campaign was cut short when Severus fell ill and withdrew south to Eboracum (York) where he died on 4 February 211. Severus was succeeded by his sons, Caracalla and Geta. Caracalla continued campaigning in Caledonia during 212 but soon settled for peace, and shortly after that the frontier was withdrawn south to Hadrian's Wall.
On his death, Severus was deified by the Senate and his remains were buried in the Mausoleum of Hadrian in Rome.

CLICK ON IMAGES BELOW TO ENLARGE THEM

*Alex

195 - 211, SEPTIMIUS SEVERUS, AR Denarius, Struck 210 at Rome, alluding to BritanniaObverse: SEVERVS PIVS AVG BRIT. Laureate head of Septimius Severus facing right.
Reverse: VICTORIAE BRIT. Victory seated on shield facing left, holding another shield resting on her knee in her right hand and palm branch in her left.
Diameter: 19mm | Weight: 2.35gms | Die Axis: 12h
RIC IV: 335 | RSC: 731 | SRCV: 6385 | SPINK: 651C
SCARCE

This coin commemorates the success of the Roman campaigns in Scotland during 209 and 210 culminating in the death of Severus at York, England, in February 211.

SEPTIMIUS SEVERUS
Lucius Septimius Severus was Roman emperor from 193 to 211. He was born in Leptis Magna in the Roman province of Africa.
Severus seized power after the death of the emperor Pertinax in 193 (the Year of the Five Emperors).
After consolidating his rule over the western provinces, Severus waged a brief, successful war in the east against the Parthian Empire, sacked their capital Ctesiphon, expanded the eastern frontier to the Tigris and enlarged and fortified the Limes Arabicus in Arabia Petraea. In 202, he campaigned in Africa and Mauretania against the Garamantes, captured their capital Garama and expanded the Limes Tripolitanus along the southern desert frontier of the empire. In 198 he raised his elder son Caracalla to Augustus and in 209 did the same to his younger son, Geta.
In AD 209 Severus invaded Caledonia (modern Scotland) with an army of 50,000 men, but he fell fatally ill of an infectious disease in late 210 and died at Eboracum (York, England) early in 211.

SEVERUS' CAMPAIGNS IN BRITAIN
In 208 Septimius Severus travelled to Britain with the intention of conquering Caledonia (Scotland). Modern archaeological discoveries have helped to throw some light on the scope and direction of this northern campaign.
Severus began by occupying the territory up to the Antonine Wall, this is evidenced by extensive Severan era fortifications and the likely reoccupation of some of the forts on that wall. Over the previous years Hadrian's Wall had fallen into disrepair and Severus strengthened and repaired much of it, he did this to such an extent that many early Antiquarians thought that he was the emperor who had actually built it. Severus constructed a 165-acre (67 ha) camp south of the Antonine Wall at Trimontium, probably assembling the main body of his forces there. Severus then thrust north across the Antonine Wall into Caledonian territory, supported and supplied by a strong naval force. He retraced the steps of Agricola of over a century before, rebuilding many abandoned Roman forts along the east coast, and he re-garrisoned the naval base at Carpow, likely built by Commodus in 185, and possibly the place named as "Horrea Classis" or "Poreo Classis" in the Ravenna Cosmography.
By 210 Severus' campaigning had made significant gains, despite Caledonian guerrilla tactics and purportedly heavy Roman casualties.
According to Cassius Dio: “Severus did not desist until he approached the extremity of the island. Here he observed most accurately the variation of the sun's motion and the length of the days and the nights in summer and winter respectively. Having thus been conveyed through practically the whole of the hostile country (for he actually was conveyed in a covered litter most of the way, on account of his infirmity), he returned to the friendly portion, after he had forced the Britons to come to terms, on the condition that they should abandon a large part of their territory.”
The Caledonians had sued for peace, which Severus had granted on the condition that they relinquished control of the Central Lowlands of Scotland, but later that year (210), they, along with the Maeatae, revolted. Severus prepared for another campaign, now intent on exterminating the Caledonians. However the campaign was cut short when Severus fell ill and withdrew south to Eboracum (York) where he died on 4 February 211. Severus was succeeded by his sons, Caracalla and Geta. Caracalla continued campaigning in Caledonia during 212 but soon settled for peace, and shortly after that the frontier was withdrawn south to Hadrian's Wall.
On his death, Severus was deified by the Senate and his remains were buried in the Mausoleum of Hadrian in Rome.

CLICK ON IMAGES BELOW TO ENLARGE THEM

5 comments*Alex

195 - 211, SEPTIMIUS SEVERUS, AR Denarius, Struck 210 at Rome, alluding to BritanniaObverse: SEVERVS PIVS AVG BRIT. Laureate head of Septimius Severus facing right.
Reverse: VICTORIAE BRIT. Victory advancing right, holding wreath in her outstretched right hand and palm branch in her left.
Diameter: 19mm | Weight: 3.5gms | Die Axis: 6h
RIC IV: 332 | RSC: 727 | SRCV: 6382 | SPINK: 650
SCARCE

This coin commemorates the success of the Roman campaigns in Scotland during 209 and 210 culminating in the death of Severus at York, England, in February 211.

SEPTIMIUS SEVERUS
Lucius Septimius Severus was Roman emperor from 193 to 211. He was born in Leptis Magna in the Roman province of Africa.
Severus seized power after the death of the emperor Pertinax in 193 (the Year of the Five Emperors).
After consolidating his rule over the western provinces, Severus waged a brief, successful war in the east against the Parthian Empire, sacked their capital Ctesiphon, expanded the eastern frontier to the Tigris and enlarged and fortified the Limes Arabicus in Arabia Petraea. In 202, he campaigned in Africa and Mauretania against the Garamantes, captured their capital Garama and expanded the Limes Tripolitanus along the southern desert frontier of the empire. In 198 he raised his elder son Caracalla to Augustus and in 209 did the same to his younger son, Geta.
In AD 209 Severus invaded Caledonia (modern Scotland) with an army of 50,000 men, but he fell fatally ill of an infectious disease in late 210 and died at Eboracum (York, England) early in 211.

SEVERUS' CAMPAIGNS IN BRITAIN
In 208 Septimius Severus travelled to Britain with the intention of conquering Caledonia (Scotland). Modern archaeological discoveries have helped to throw some light on the scope and direction of this northern campaign.
Severus began by occupying the territory up to the Antonine Wall, this is evidenced by extensive Severan era fortifications and the likely reoccupation of some of the forts on that wall. Over the previous years Hadrian's Wall had fallen into disrepair and Severus strengthened and repaired much of it, he did this to such an extent that many early Antiquarians thought that he was the emperor who had actually built it. Severus constructed a 165-acre (67 ha) camp south of the Antonine Wall at Trimontium, probably assembling the main body of his forces there. Severus then thrust north across the Antonine Wall into Caledonian territory, supported and supplied by a strong naval force. He retraced the steps of Agricola of over a century before, rebuilding many abandoned Roman forts along the east coast, and he re-garrisoned the naval base at Carpow, likely built by Commodus in 185, and possibly the place named as "Horrea Classis" or "Poreo Classis" in the Ravenna Cosmography.
By 210 Severus' campaigning had made significant gains, despite Caledonian guerrilla tactics and purportedly heavy Roman casualties.
According to Cassius Dio: “Severus did not desist until he approached the extremity of the island. Here he observed most accurately the variation of the sun's motion and the length of the days and the nights in summer and winter respectively. Having thus been conveyed through practically the whole of the hostile country (for he actually was conveyed in a covered litter most of the way, on account of his infirmity), he returned to the friendly portion, after he had forced the Britons to come to terms, on the condition that they should abandon a large part of their territory.”
The Caledonians had sued for peace, which Severus had granted on the condition that they relinquished control of the Central Lowlands of Scotland, but later that year (210), they, along with the Maeatae, revolted. Severus prepared for another campaign, now intent on exterminating the Caledonians. However the campaign was cut short when Severus fell ill and withdrew south to Eboracum (York) where he died on 4 February 211. Severus was succeeded by his sons, Caracalla and Geta. Caracalla continued campaigning in Caledonia during 212 but soon settled for peace, and shortly after that the frontier was withdrawn south to Hadrian's Wall.
On his death, Severus was deified by the Senate and his remains were buried in the Mausoleum of Hadrian in Rome.

CLICK ON IMAGES BELOW TO ENLARGE THEM

1 comments*Alex

20 Commodus ProvincialNot attributed yet
RI0083Sosius

24 Septimius Severus Æ 18mm of Nikpolis ad IstrumSeptimius Severus
Æ 15.2mm of Nikpolis ad Istrum, 3.5g

AV KAI - CEVHROC, bust r. / NIKOPOLI - PROC ICT, Hermes standing left, wearing petasos, holding purse & caduceus.

AMNG I/1, 1373, rare

Thanks to FORVM members Steve Minnoch and Jochen for their help attributing this coin!Sosius

25 CaracallaCARACALLA
AE 31, Mopsus, Cilicia
Year 265=198 AD

Youthful Caracalla as Augustus, bust r. / Mule standing l., wreath and quiver on his back

SNG Levante 1344 (according to Curtis Clay: could be same obv. die, but different rev. die)

Thanks to FORVM member Curtis Clay for his assistance attributing this coin.Sosius

26 GetaGeta
AE of Mysia, Parium
198-209 A.D.

SEP GETAS CAI, bust r. / C G I H, PA in ex., colonist plowing

SNG AUL 1341(1), BMC 12 S106,110

This was my first Geta. Not pretty, but I sure did think it was at the time!Sosius

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