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Author Topic: Post an interesting coin purchased from Forvm Ancient Coins  (Read 2772 times)

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Offline esnible

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I realized I haven't bought anything here since before the Pandemic.

Here is one of my 2019 Forum purchases.  It's a rare almost-medallion (36.2 mm) of Septimius Severus.  Looking for others I found five: von Aulock/Leventa (a true medal at 49mm), The BNF museum collection, the ANS collection; this one, also one in the personal collection of a coin dealer I know.). Thus perhaps one of two in private hands.

It has an amazing reverse featuring the Emperor (as Perseus) standing left, nude to waist, sacrificing over a flaming column altar.  There is also a statue of Apollo Lykios standing on a cippus holding a wolf standing on its hind legs in each hand.

The Γ B in the reverse upper center indicates, Γ EΠAPXEIΩN ΠPOKAΘEZOMENH (presiding in the three provinces [Cilicia, Isauria, and Lycaonia]), and B NEΩKOPOC (guardian of two temples of the imperial cult).

Please reply with something cool you bought here.

Offline shanxi

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Re: Post an interesting coin purchased from Forvm Ancient Coins
« Reply #1 on: July 08, 2021, 12:46:04 pm »
Please reply with something cool you bought here.

Nice almost-medaillon  +++


My coins are more common. Here is one I bought here, with a "cool" reverse:

Vitellius
Denarius, Rome, AD 69
Obv.: A VITELLIVS GERM IMP AVGVST TR P, laureate head right
Rev.: LIBERI IMP GERM AVG, confronted draped busts of Vitellius' son (on left) and daughter (thought to have been named Vitellius Germanicus and Vitellia)
Ag, 3.090g, 18.1mm, 180o
Ref.: RIC² 103, RSC II 2, BMCRE I 29, BnF III 62

Reply with something cool or nice you bought here.

Offline Jay GT4

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Re: Post an interesting coin purchased from Forvm Ancient Coins
« Reply #2 on: July 08, 2021, 01:07:03 pm »
Since I can't  "Like" the above coins I'll tell you I like them  :)

One of my favorites from Forum:

IMP CAESAR VESPASIANVS AVG
Laureate head of Vespasian right

IVDAEA
Judaea as mourning captive seated right on ground at foot of trophy.

Celebrating the success of Vespasian and Titus in quelling the first Jewish Revolt. Portrait looks like a cross between Otho and Vitellius

Rome 69-70 AD

RIC 2 (C2); Sear 2296

3.285g

Ex-Maridvnvm; Ex-Forum!

Offline Virgil H

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Re: Post an interesting coin purchased from Forvm Ancient Coins
« Reply #3 on: July 08, 2021, 11:46:25 pm »
All nice coins above, thanks for sharing. Here is one of two I received from Forum in late June.

Kingdom of Thrace, Lysimachos, 305 - 281 B.C.

Bronze AE 13, Müller pl. XLII, 14, SNG Cop 1168, SGCV II 6822, VF, dark green patina, scratches, earthen deposits, a few patina, Kallatis (Mangalia, Romania) mint, weight 2.733g, maximum diameter 12.8mm, die axis 180o, c. 297 - 281 B.C.; obverse head of Herakles right clad in Nemean Lion's scalp headdress; reverse BAΣI/ΛYΣI within a wreath of grain


Offline PMah

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Re: Post an interesting coin purchased from Forvm Ancient Coins
« Reply #4 on: July 09, 2021, 09:51:18 pm »
Excellent idea. 

  This item is quite interesting in terms of scarcity, and an example of the heavy wear that most Roman Republic bronze exhibits.   Small change in the Republic was haphazard at best, and the bronze coins circulated actively for many decades.

144/4 AE Quadrans c. 189-179 bce L. Furius Philus?
o: head of Hercules right, clad in Nemean Lion's scalp, three pellets (mark of value) behind
r: prow of galley right, Victory flying right crowning LFP monogram with wreath above, three pellets (mark of value) before, ROMA below
 Rome mint, weight 7.513g, maximum diameter 22.3mm.
Quite scarce.  All of the fractions of the As in this LFP/Victory series are scarce, but the As is more readily seen.
Be Well, Stay Healthy, Support your Local Numismatic Club

Paul 

My Gallery: https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/thumbnails.php?album

Offline *Alex

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Offline Tracy Aiello

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Re: Post an interesting coin purchased from Forvm Ancient Coins
« Reply #6 on: July 10, 2021, 02:02:22 pm »
This is a great thread! Forum with its outstanding shop and resources is what gave me the confidence to start collecting. It is the place from which I purchased my first coin, the place from which I’ve purchased most of my coins, and the only shop/discussion board that I check multiple times a day.

I’ve had many interesting purchases from Forum, coins that I love, but the coin below was for me a purchase that in many different ways pushed me to a whole new level. It is one of my top three prized coins and although two of those three have rotated in and out over the years this coin has never been bumped out of my top three.

Sextus Pompey, Imperator and Prefect of the Fleet
Obv: MAGPIVS⦁IMP⦁ITER; Pharos of Messana, Neptune on top standing r. with r. hand on a trident and l. hand on a rudder, resting l. foot on prow. Galley sailing l., aquila atop a tripod placed in prow and a scepter tied with a fillet in stern. Border of dots.
Rev: PRAEF⦁ORAE⦁MARIT⦁ET⦁CLAS⦁S⦁C [AEs and MAR ligatured]; Scylla attacking l. wielding a rudder in both hands, the torso of a nude woman with two fishtails and the foreparts of three dogs as the lower body. Border of dots.
Silver denarius; Sicily, uncertain location;summer 42 - summer 39 BC; 3.566g; 19.8mm; 225º; BMCRR v. II Sicily 20 variant; Sydenham 1349 variant; Crawford RRC 511/4d; Sear CRI 335b.


Offline Virgil H

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Re: Post an interesting coin purchased from Forvm Ancient Coins
« Reply #7 on: July 10, 2021, 05:54:52 pm »
Tracy,
That is an incredible coin, both obverse and reverse. So much information contained on both sides. Beautiful. I agree with you on Forum and the Forum Shop, both gave me the confidence to get serious about collecting after I discovered Forum many years ago to buy my mother-in-law a Celtic coin as a gift. She was not a collector, but was Irish/English and loved all things Celtic. I now have that coin in my collection as she has passed. I am so happy it wasn't the well known auction site that came up when I was searching. And I just ordered a coin and book from Forum yesterday. LOL.

Virgil

Offline Kamnaskires

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Re: Post an interesting coin purchased from Forvm Ancient Coins
« Reply #8 on: July 10, 2021, 09:17:59 pm »
Terrific coins, all.

The little AE below is quite ugly. But it is special enough that it prompted my first coin purchase since January of 2020. (I've been totally immersed in collecting ancient pottery and weapons for several years.) Joe couldn't have had it listed very long before I spotted it, and snagged it.

According to my records, I've been collecting coins from Elymais since 2011. My Elymaeans are here:
https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/thumbnails.php?album=3637

Now, the history of Elymais is divided into three historical/dynastic phases: the Early Kamnaskirid Dynasty (c. 148 - 127 BC), the Later Kamnaskirid Dynasty (c. 82 - 32 BC) - which emerged after almost a half century of Parthian rule, and the Elymais Arsacid Dynasty (c. 25 BC - 228 AD), which ended when Elymais fell to the Sassanians.

One of my longtime numismatic "holy grails" has been a coin - any coin - from the Early Kamnaskirid Dynasty. They are very, very rare. All of my Elymaeans prior to this purchase are from either the Later Kamnaskirid Dynasty or the Elymais Arsacid Dynasty.

So, this coin - being from the Early Kamnaskirid Dynasty - fills an important gap in my collection.

The two decades of the so-called Early Kamnaskirid Dynasty were a time of political flux, where the rule of Elymais seemed to constantly change hands. At times the Seleucids ruled, while at other times Parthia controlled the area. During some periods the indigenous Kamnaskirids ruled. And, on perhaps three occasions, it seems, usurpers took control. The first usurper, Okkonapses, ruled for a short time around 140 BC before Parthia's Mithradates I took control of the region. Another usurper, Dareios, may have ruled around 127 BC - although some have speculated his rule was earlier.

One of the three usurpers, Tigraios, was likely a local king. He conquered the Elymaean capital Susa in 138/7 BC. In doing so, he seized power from the Parthian viceroy to Elymais, Phraates II, who was the son of Parthia's King Mithradates I.

Tigraios
Usurper in Elymais, c. 138/7 - 133/2 BC
AE unit
14 mm, 1.6 g
Obv: Helmeted, youthful male bust facing right, pellet border
Rev: Eagle standing right, wings open, legend (BAΣIΛEΩΣ on right, TIΓPAIOY on left) largely obscured and partially off-flan on this example
Van't Haaff 5.5.1-1
(photo credit: www.forumancientcoins.com)

Offline Virgil H

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Re: Post an interesting coin purchased from Forvm Ancient Coins
« Reply #9 on: July 10, 2021, 10:47:56 pm »
Robert,
Very nice. I just got my first Elymais coin, a common one of Orodes I. I find these coins quite interesting and have thought about expanding into collecting them on a wider basis.
Virgil

Offline Enodia

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Re: Post an interesting coin purchased from Forvm Ancient Coins
« Reply #10 on: July 11, 2021, 02:12:04 am »
This is one of my very favorite coins which I received as a birthday gift some years ago. The horses are nicely detailed, but it is the portrait of Persephone which really touches me...

https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=87593

~ Peter

Offline Enodia

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Re: Post an interesting coin purchased from Forvm Ancient Coins
« Reply #11 on: July 20, 2021, 12:24:35 am »
No one else? Okay then I will go again.
This coin was struck in Syracuse when Pyrrhus arrived to relieve that city while it was besieged by Carthaginian forces around 278 BC. Historically important, it also has a really nice portrait...

https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=82287

~ Peter


Offline Virgil H

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Re: Post an interesting coin purchased from Forvm Ancient Coins
« Reply #12 on: July 20, 2021, 01:30:05 am »
That is a beauty and of major historical significance. I will post another, as well. This one has Homer, that is why I bought it. Plus it fits into my area of interest.

Bronze AE 18, SNG Cop 184; SNG Munchen 556; Milne Colophon 178; BMC Ionia p. 41, 42; SNGvA 2017 var. (magistrate), aVF, green patina, some corrosion, light earthen deposits, Kolophon (near Degirmendere Fev, Turkey) mint, weight 5.484g, maximum diameter 17.9mm, die axis 0o, magistrate Apollas, c. 50 B.C.; obverse Homer seated left in himation, right hand raised to chin (the thinker pose!), scroll in his left hand resting on his knees, AΠOΛΛAΣ (magistrate) downward on left; reverse Apollo standing right, phiale in right hand, kithara in left hand, KOΛOΦΩNIΩN downward on left


Offline Ron C2

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My Ancient Coin Gallery: Click here

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Offline Enodia

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Re: Post an interesting coin purchased from Forvm Ancient Coins
« Reply #14 on: July 25, 2021, 12:08:20 am »
This one is not rare or anything, but it's kinda pretty and I like the Dionysian reference...

https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=102395

~ Peter


Offline Enodia

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Re: Post an interesting coin purchased from Forvm Ancient Coins
« Reply #15 on: July 30, 2021, 01:53:07 pm »
I'm a bit surprised that this topic hasn't gained more posts... oh well.
Here's another Forvm coin from my collection, a silver fractional from Ephesus. The bee is nicely detailed and the confronted deer are pretty cool too...

https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=138209

~ Peter

Offline Pekka K

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Re: Post an interesting coin purchased from Forvm Ancient Coins
« Reply #16 on: July 30, 2021, 02:03:06 pm »
This coin deserves to be posted again.
Purchased among a group lot from Forum.

Parlais, Pisidia. AE11
Obv. head of Zeus
Rev. panther standing on a small platform more
like the end of a boat than a ship’s prow or stern.

1,5g 10,8mm

https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=159119

Offline Virgil H

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Re: Post an interesting coin purchased from Forvm Ancient Coins
« Reply #17 on: July 30, 2021, 06:56:53 pm »
I haven't posted more because I don't want to over do it, but I love this thread and love all the coins posted, so I will no longer be shy. LOL. That Ephesus coin rocks, as does the Parlais. Here is one I got earlier this month. Sinope is special to me as I did short tours three times there in the Army. Best tours I ever did, went fishing on a Turkish fishing boat almost everyday and hung out in the tea/beer/raki house with my Turkish friends every evening. I was almost never on post except during work, although also made friends with the Turkish military officers and NCOs. So, I am very attuned to Pontus and Phaplagonia when it comes to coins. I have some from Amisos, as well, down the road from Sinope, modern day Samsum. Being in Turkey get me interested in all the Turkish mints, as well as the Byzantine Empire (and Crusaders).

This one is pretty standard.

Bronze AE 22, SNG BM 1536 var. (M); BMC Pontus p. 100, 48 var. (ME monogram); SNG Stancomb 800 var. (same); SNG Cop 308 - 9 var. (same); HGC 7 419; SNGvA -, VF, dark patina, earthen deposits, flan adjustment marks, open edge crack, Sinope (Sinop, Turkey) mint, weight 7.096g, maximum diameter 21.5mm, die axis 0o, c. 105 - 85 B.C.; obverse aegis with facing head of Medusa (gorgoneion) in center; reverse Nike flying right, palm over shoulder in both hands, ΣIN-ΩΠHΣ divided across field,  (retrograde ME monogram, control symbol) lower right; although apparently unpublished, we have handled several examples with this retrograde ME monogram control; from the Errett Bishop Collection;

Cheers,
Virgil

Offline Enodia

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Re: Post an interesting coin purchased from Forvm Ancient Coins
« Reply #18 on: July 30, 2021, 07:29:40 pm »
Those coins always remind me of Peter Gabriel doing Supper's Ready when he was with Genesis (back when thet were great!).

~ Peter

Offline Virgil H

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Re: Post an interesting coin purchased from Forvm Ancient Coins
« Reply #19 on: July 30, 2021, 07:46:40 pm »
LMAO.

Virgil

Offline Tracy Aiello

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Re: Post an interesting coin purchased from Forvm Ancient Coins
« Reply #20 on: August 01, 2021, 02:50:15 pm »
I haven't been on this post for a while. So many great coins have been added. Virgil H, don't be shy, keep 'em coming.  :) The same for everyone else!

Tracy

Offline *Alex

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Re: Post an interesting coin purchased from Forvm Ancient Coins
« Reply #21 on: August 01, 2021, 05:47:01 pm »
Another three coins I purchased from FORVM. Click on coin for details.








Alex


Offline esnible

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Re: Post an interesting coin purchased from Forvm Ancient Coins
« Reply #22 on: August 04, 2021, 10:16:18 pm »
(retrograde ME monogram, control symbol) lower right; although apparently unpublished, we have handled several examples with this retrograde ME monogram control

William Henry Waddington, Recueil général des monnaies grecques d'Asie Mineure (1904), p. 195
https://books.google.com/books?id=ipOQsjW8aNkC&pg=PA195#v=onepage&q&f=false

Offline Virgil H

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Re: Post an interesting coin purchased from Forvm Ancient Coins
« Reply #23 on: August 04, 2021, 11:53:48 pm »
Thank you for that reference, ensible.

Virgil

Offline Blindado

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Re: Post an interesting coin purchased from Forvm Ancient Coins
« Reply #24 on: September 07, 2021, 08:02:54 pm »
Here is a coin from FORVM depicting Caligula's sister Drusilla as Persephone, identified by name. I had no idea a coin existed depicting her other than the famous (and expensive) one showing all three sisters.


 

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