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 Replies: 12 / Views: 1,813 |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
5155 Posts |
was looking for a nice Rome mint Augustus coin without breaking the bank (not easy), and I recently found one. This will most likely be the last coin I purchase in 2013 so I thought it should count. This coin will sit nicely with my meager collection of Roman As(s). Octavian (27 BC - 14 AD) AE As (dated. 11/12 AD ) 31.0 mm x 9.89 g Obverse: Bare Head of Octavian Left. Latin Legend- IMP CAESAR DIVI F AVGVSTVS XX Reverse: Latin Legend- PONTIF MAXIM TRIBVN POT XXXIIII-Legend around large SC Ref: RIC 471, Sear 1689 (dated series) From what I gather from my Sear book. The coin replaces the moneyer's titles with the titles of Octavian, setting the trend for later Julio-Claudian aes coinage. All opinions, comments, additions and evaluations are appreciated and encouraged. Oh, and I might have over paid for it, but hey, I guess we can't win them all. right?  |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1316 Posts |
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Pillar of the Community
 United States
5155 Posts |
Thanks Eng, Your the man. I always appreciate the fruit!
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Pillar of the Community
United States
2480 Posts |
Lots of character, crisp letters, nice centering for the type! Like.
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Moderator
 United States
23731 Posts |
I agree this is a really nice coin with excellent details. Congrats.
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Bedrock of the Community
Australia
21788 Posts |
It is a good thing that we don't know what you paid for it, because in the end, it doesn't really matter anyhow.
It is still a nice piece to have in your collection.
The detail around Octavian's face is a little weak, but at least it is not tooled.
This coin may have been recovered more than a century ago, and would have been heavily cleaned, but it has nicely patinated since.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
3446 Posts |
Nice coin which no collection of 'Romans' should be without. Interesting double strike reverse too. As far as the color goes I think it maybe less from the cleaning than it may have survived an ancient fire. There is a slightly scorched look to it and one half looks more so than the other. I have an Alexander drachm which was fused to another coin due to being 'scorched'.
This 'type' was one of the first coins I purchased when I began making the 'great schlep' into Boston for the NENA shows in the late 1970s. Back then they were not so easy to come by but I had to have them. The BBC "I CLAVDIVS" was still new and recent and made me quite passionate about finding some nice portrait AE. I paid just under $100 35 years ago ! Does not sound like much but remember a pair of "Levi's" cost around $9 and a new Chevy was about 6K ! I think I was earning around $3.25 an hour.
$100 was 'Mad Money' !
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Pillar of the Community
United States
582 Posts |
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Pillar of the Community
United Kingdom
3626 Posts |
I want one of those so bad, I can practically taste it :)
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Pillar of the Community
United States
5155 Posts |
Thanks all-
FR I had to use an online program to calculate the 2012 value of something that was $100 in lets say 1978, that same $100 commoditiy would cost approx. $352 in todays money. If that price is accurate then I did pretty well paying only about 61% of that number.
As for the double strike, you are the first to point it out. I did notice it, but I didn't think that it would take away from the value or the appeal, so I went for it anyway.
As far as the circumstances that the coin endured. It might actually be both yours and sel's hypothesis. I could easily believe that the a carbon layer adheard to the surface maybe as a result of fire. From my experience the coin does appear to be cleaned (consistent) with old cleaning and has since repatinized.
I am happy to have acquired this, and for me the condition fits perfect in my collection. I was actually surprised how difficult it was to find a decent Octavian lifetime bust coin from the Rome mint for not insane money. The coin is rated "common" but based on my searches I question by what definition common is going by these days. For me it was downright scarce.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
5155 Posts |
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Pillar of the Community
Netherlands
1204 Posts |
Very nice Anoob, if you really want a coin, most of the times we overpay :)
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
36903 Posts |
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Replies: 12 / Views: 1,813 |
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Awesome coin, love the color and details, very nice my friend very nice...
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Posted 11/12/2013 9:31 pm
