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Author Topic: Forum purchase o' the day  (Read 143764 times)

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Offline cliff_marsland

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Forum purchase o' the day
« Reply #125 on: August 08, 2009, 10:04:50 pm »
Thanks for the kind comments.  I usually try to go for F+ or better, but with the early Sestertii that can get pretty pricey, although I did get a pretty good deal on a VF CA Augustus Sestertius, another long-time want,  earlier this year.

I like Nero's Lugdunum Sestertii the best, but for the price the coin was offered, I snapped it up.

I'm lousy at photographing coins, so I recycled the original photos.

I bought a Constantine billon argenteus.  That'll be a regular coin of the day once it arrives.

I collected the Perinthus mint of Caligula-Nero a few years ago.  Perhaps I should start that up again.  I have a Caligula as of that mint, with the Neptune reverse, so presumably that mint started up during Caligula's reign..  I saw a Nero lately, I think it was on Forum with that reverse also (taken from the Agrippa series).

I was pleased with my Forum buying experience and will add the friendly folks of Forum to my repeat buy list.  That 9 coin box at the bottom of the screen is effective.  That's where I noticed these two buys...

Offline maridvnvm

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« Reply #126 on: August 09, 2009, 06:42:40 pm »
I would like to thank Joe for another perfect transaction. The following coin arrived recently and is my third Calabria coin.

Silver Nomos
Obv:– Naked boy-horseman prancing right, crowning horse with right, AGAQA/RCOX below.
Rev:– Taras naked seated on dolphin left, extending kantharos in right, cornucopia in left, TARAS below, race torch behind
Minted in Calabria, Taras from .c. 270 - 240 B.C.
Reference:– HN Italy 1028, Vlasto 853, SGCV I 375 var

Now all I have to do is decide whether to liberate it from the ICG tomb (slab) within which it is currently trapped.

The image is taken through the thick perspex so please excuse it.

Regards,
Martin

Offline cliff_marsland

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« Reply #127 on: August 09, 2009, 07:13:02 pm »
Very nice piece!  I'd liberate it from the slab.  You did a great job of photographing it, even with the slab.

Offline Noah

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« Reply #128 on: August 10, 2009, 06:08:10 pm »
Excellent coin Martin!  It has nice high relief with a wonderful softness to it from the great toning and perfect amount of wear around the figures.

Best, Noah

Offline Enodia

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« Reply #129 on: August 11, 2009, 03:39:38 pm »
Free The Dolphin!

Offline slokind

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« Reply #130 on: August 11, 2009, 09:58:36 pm »
In the Mediterranean, dolphins like boys to ride them.
Pat L.

(I didn't mean...  )

Offline maridvnvm

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« Reply #131 on: August 14, 2009, 12:27:13 pm »
I still haven't freed the dolphin and am still thinking about it. I have had a good look at how to do it though.

I was just looking at the coin again and there appears to be something at the foreleg of the horse. Is it another dolphin?

Regards,
Martin

Offline cliff_marsland

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« Reply #132 on: August 26, 2009, 11:27:15 pm »
Those are pretty nice, John.  Cool coins.

I made another purchase from the friendly folks of Forum, a very nice Hadrian Alexandria Drachm.  At the time I purchased it, I had a hard time deciding whether to buy it or a late Sestertius from Forum.  The Drachm was too nice to pass up, and it won.

I've always wanted to collect Alexandria Drachms, but never got around to it before.

It has a very nice glossy dark green patina, and while not XF, it's certainly better than the average Drachm one normally encounters.  There isn't much shame in G, VG, or F in the Alexandria Drachm series.  They always seem to be pretty circulated.



81637. Bronze drachm, Dattari 1632, Geissen 1009, Choice VF, Alexandria mint, 26.146g, 35.2mm, 0o, 129 - 130 A.D.; obverse AVT KAI TPAINOC A∆PI[...], laureate and draped bust right; reverse Athena standing left, Nike in extended right, resting left on shield, date LI∆ across field;

Recycled photo.

Offline moonmoth

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« Reply #133 on: September 08, 2009, 02:45:50 pm »
This coin of Asklepios the Saviour arrived today from Forum.  I am pleased with it; it looks quite impressive in the hand. You can see the netting on the Omphalos quite clearly.  There are plenty of examples of this coin around on which you can hardly even make out the outline of the Omphalos.  On this one, it stands out in relief.

The only one of these references I can attest to in person is Sear; the others come from Forum and various examples on acsearch.info.

Bronze AE20 of Pergamon in Mysia, c. 133-16 BCE.  19mm x 20mm, 7.02g
Obverse: Laureate head of Asklepios right.
Reverse: AΣKLHΠIOY ΣΩTHPOΣ. Snake coiled around the Omphalos.
Provenance: Forum Ancient Coins, August 2009
Ref: GCV 3967; BMC Mysia p.129, 158; SNG France 1803; SNG von Aulock 1372.
"... A form of twisted symbolical bedsock ... the true purpose of which, as they realised at first glance, would never (alas) be revealed to mankind."

Offline cliff_marsland

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« Reply #134 on: September 08, 2009, 11:51:36 pm »
Cool coin, moonmoth - I like the reverse.

My latest purchase from forum arrived today - that was FAST.

It's a small Sestertius of Gallienus.  I wonder if RIC wasn't mistaken about it being from 254?  The portrait looks more like an early sole reign, and the coin is MUCh smaller and lighter than the other Gallienus/Valerian Sestertii I have, which are about the size of Trebonianus Gallus'.

The patina is a middle green (lighter on the reverse) with earthen highlights.  I wonder if it was found in Italy?

My collecting niche seems to be a pretty obscure and unpopular one.  Oh well, that means the coins might be a bit cheaper than they would be otherwise.

Don't get me wrong, I like collecting the 12 Caesars too, as well as all kinds of other ancients, but I especially enjoy this under-appreciated period as well.  Ironically, I don't collect the Ants. in any great number.

I don't know if there's a correlation in rarity, but do a search - way more Marius Ants pop up than Valerian and Gallienus Sestertii combined.



recycled photo.

81642. Orichalcum sestertius, RIC V 216, C -, aVF/F, 12.464g, 25.2mm, 180o, Rome mint, [IMP C P LIC GALLI]ENVS AVG, laureate and draped bust right; reverse [IOV]I CONSERVATORI S C, Jupiter standing left, thunderbolt in right, scepter in left; exceptional portrait, typical tight chunky flan;


Offline slokind

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« Reply #135 on: September 09, 2009, 12:25:56 am »
For interest, I think your late sestertii are wonderful.  Who cares if they aren't round?  Gallienus comes off much better here than on the antoniniani.
As for that omphalos with the curves of the snake played off against it, that is superb.
Pat L.

Offline cliff_marsland

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« Reply #136 on: September 09, 2009, 01:17:03 am »
Thanks Pat 

I wish I had the budget for the super-late Sestertii, after Aurelian, but even Bill Gates can't buy them if they don't come up for sale.  I've never seen one of those in person.

I was flipping through Sear - according to him, the issue is  258-261.  That makes a lot more sense than 254.

Offline Pscipio

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« Reply #137 on: September 09, 2009, 05:45:54 am »
Why do you think 258-261 makes more sense? Göbl 23dd, dating it to 253-254 AD, which sounds convincing to me. I don't think there were any Sestertii at 258-261.

Lars
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Offline curtislclay

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« Reply #138 on: September 09, 2009, 10:23:08 am »
But the portrait doesn't fit early in the joint reign, in my opinion!

I think the coin is from early in the sole reign, c. 260, obv. legend IMP GALLIENVS AVG, rev. IOVI CONSERVATORI S - C, an unpublished variant.

For the obv., see Göbl pl. 37-38, 424v (same obv. die?), 425v, 426v, 427v, 428v, 429v.

Göbl 438h, pl. 39, knows the IOVI CONSERVATORI rev. type on a sestertius of the same issue with the variant obv. legend IMP GALLIENVS P F AVG.

I too like sestertii of Valerian and Gallienus, when the denomination was in its death throes!
Curtis Clay

Offline cliff_marsland

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« Reply #139 on: September 09, 2009, 12:31:28 pm »
I'm a rank amateur compared to Dr. Clay, but it was kind of a connect-the-dots type thing.  This particular Sestertius had an early sole reign portrait, which is radically different than the joint reign, and the coin is so much smaller and lighter than any joint reign Gallienus or Valerian Sestertius I have.

The portrait looks a lot like the Gallienus Ant. I recently featured in Coin of the Day.

Offline moonmoth

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« Reply #140 on: September 19, 2009, 05:27:56 pm »
Another beauty from Forum for my ancient monsters page.  This horned river-god makes a striking image!  (So someone struck it.)



Bronze AE15 of Istros in Thrace. 3rd-2nd Century BCE. 14mm x 15mm, 3.17g.
Obverse: Horned and bearded head of the river-god Istros, facing 3/4 right.
Reverse: IΣTPI. Sea-eagle left grasping a dolphin (left) in its talons.
Ref: GCV 1672; BMC Thrace p.26, 15; SNG BM Black Sea 260.

Bill
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Offline cliff_marsland

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« Reply #141 on: September 20, 2009, 12:11:54 am »
It's a really nice little AE.  The personification of Istros is of very nice style.

nikos k

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Forum purchase o' the day
« Reply #142 on: October 03, 2009, 05:47:50 am »
I would like to share with all of you my first Forum purchase

Is a Bithynia Kios AR Hemidrachm 350-300
Obverse-Laurated of Apollo r, K(IA)
Reverse- Prow of galley l,ornamented with star,magistrate BAKHEYS

I wanted a silver Apollo,but i cant afford Chalkidian League or something so  pricey,
and the Lycian drachms seems a little cartoonish to my eyes,so i am happy with this small silver
hemidrachm

Thank you Joe,many more will come in the future

Offline mix_val

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« Reply #143 on: October 06, 2009, 02:45:40 pm »
I've been looking for a Decentius for some time.  Lots of good ones available but nothing to really grab me until this one.  As Joe said "a few small areas not fully struck but overall a fantastic coin."  I heartly agree!

Bronze AE 2, RIC VIII 146, EF, 4.316g, 22.2mm, 180 o, Lugdunum mint, ; obverse D N DECENTIVS NOB CAES, bare-headed and cuirassed bust right; reverse dd nn avg et cae' target='_blank'>VICTORIAE DD NN AVG ET CAE, two Victories holding shield inscribed VOT X MVLT X, SP below, RSLG in ex
Bob Crutchley
My gallery of the coins of Severus Alexander and his family
https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/index.php?cat=16147

Offline Philoromaos

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« Reply #144 on: October 07, 2009, 04:29:14 pm »
Thought I'd add this Stater of Corinth I bought a couple of month ago. I don't really like coins with pitting or corrosion and usually avoid them but this was one I couldn't pass up. The portrait of athena is imho one of the best I've seen, I like the way she seems to be smiling slightly!

Corinth, Corinthia, Greece, c. 350 - 338 B.C. 
Silver stater, BMC Corinth p. 22, 219, VF, pitting, Greece, Corinth mint, 8.224g, 22.1mm, 270o, obverse Pegasos flying left, koppa below; reverse head of Athena (or Aphrodite) left wearing Corinthian helmet, wreath behind, A below 

nikos k

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« Reply #145 on: October 10, 2009, 06:03:41 am »
hallo Adrian S

Forget about pitting,Athena is fantastic. Super classic

Offline cliff_marsland

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« Reply #146 on: October 10, 2009, 03:40:15 pm »
This one arrived amazingly quickly after my order, wow that was fast!

I don't usually collect AE Antoninianii, but I was intrigued by the S-C mint.

 

Recycled photo, looks better in person.  coins like this are difficult to photograph.

36246. Bronze antoninianus, RIC V - unlisted, gF, soft strike, "S C" mint, weight 4.243g, maximum diameter 24mm, die axis 180o, obverse IMP C CARAVSIVS P AVG, radiate, draped and cuirassed bust right; reverse VIRTVS AVG, Virtus standing right, spear vertical in left, right rests on grounded shield, S - C across fields;

I amended the description because I'm told there was a slight mistake, it's actually PAVG, not PFAVG.

nikos k

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« Reply #147 on: October 13, 2009, 01:33:24 pm »
Another one from Forvm,
 Istros Silver stater, CNG 58 (2001) lot 328 (same reverse die, obverse die by the same hand), otherwise unpublished, nice VF, 5.612g, 18.3mm, 90o, Istros mint, 400 - 350 B.C.; obverse facing male heads, left inverted; reverse "ΙΣΤΡΙΗ", sea-eagle grasping a dolphin with talons, Θ below tail, "ΔΙ" below dolphin

I really like this,has a better than average style,and arrived once again super super fast.

In case someone is interesting in this type,there is a quite recent article about the obverse design.

See here http://articles.adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-iarticle_query?bibcode=2005JHA....36...21S&db_key=AST&page_ind=0&plate_select=NO&data_type=GIF&type=SCREEN_GIF&classic=YES

Offline dougsmit

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« Reply #148 on: November 03, 2009, 08:09:03 pm »
Nice coin of interesting type.  I trust you have noticed that these come with the right head inverted (turning the coin over does not change this!).   The reverse also comes facing the other way.  I guess that means we need several coins to make a set.  ;)
http://dougsmith.ancients.info/feac64ist.html

Offline Philoromaos

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« Reply #149 on: November 04, 2009, 04:45:10 am »
I wanted it too but had no money spare to put the layaway deposit down on it >:(. Oh well I still get to pay for my caesar denarius friday so that will be winging it's way to me.  ;D

 

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