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 Replies: 42 / Views: 1,715 |
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Moderator
United States
23270 Posts |
@t360, to the best of my knowledge, the AP along with the Omega-looking suspension mark above is a mintmark for
Apulia. Here is a reference in JSTOR for further study:
L. Travaini. Hohenstaufen and Angevin Denari of Sicily and Southern Italy: their Mint Attributions. The Numismatic Chronicle. V153. 1993.
"If you climb a good tree, you get a push."
-----Ghanaian proverb
"The danger we all now face is distinguishing between what is authentic and what is performed."
-----King Adz
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Pillar of the Community
United States
2394 Posts |
@Spence. Fantastic. Thank you for the information and reference!
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Pillar of the Community
Spain
2560 Posts |
A great diversity of coins/artifacts have been posted so far.  ...Thanks to everyone for sharing.. Iberian, Medieval, Byzantine, Greek, Persian, Roman, Mongolian and some cool Greek Olbia sherds! My last purchases/gifts arrived on the 31st... I was very lucky this year and received 4 nice light read books to disappear into... Last year I read B. Strauss' "The ten Caesars" and thoroughly enjoyed it. I do like the way he writes....My family had obviously taken note of my enthusiasm hence 3 new Titles...Also a fellow collector knows of my interest in Lucius Verus and sent me Bishop's "Roman defender of the East"...What lovely gifts!   |
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Pillar of the Community
United Kingdom
755 Posts |
You have plenty of reading material to keep you occupied well into 2022 now, Paul. As the topic header says, "Purchased In 2021", here is the last coin I was waiting for, purchased on 26th December and arrived yesterday. Another Alexander, but with a nicely detailed reverse.  Alexander the Great. AE Unit. 323-310 BC Obverse: Head of Alexander the Great as Herakles right, wearing the lion-skin headdress. Reverse: Bow right in bow case above, club with handle right beneath the name, filleted torch with handle right below. Reverse Inscription: ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ. Bronze. Diameter: 19 mm. Weight: 4.5 gr. Uncertain mint in Western Asia Minor. Reference: Price 2799; Alpha Bank Hersh 188; SNG Munich 917-918. |
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Pillar of the Community
Spain
2560 Posts |
Wow!...What a lovely looking coin Jim! Great patina and yep, now that's detail.. Congrats on a cool looking coin..  |
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Pillar of the Community
United Kingdom
755 Posts |
Thanks Paul. Quote:
I did wonder if the animals depicted were domestic animals, as I see a horse and a bull, and the elongated muzzle on the animal in the image that Gerry posted does look like a meerkat, but it also reminds me of the stylised stag (without horns) on some Ephesos coins, or the Segesta hound. However the appearance on the bottom row of what does indeed appear to be a chimera, nullifies the domestic animals theory. This has been bugging at me for some time, and after digging around some more I did find an animal that could possibly fill the bill. The search was quite enlightening and enjoyable. The greyhound has been depicted in ancient art works and sculptures going back thousands of years, and is thought to be one of the oldest breeds of dogs. The long muzzle is similar to the depiction on the pottery.  This sculpture by Sarah Regan Snavely is apparently similar to those found at Etruscan dig sites. The Cirneco dell Aetna, or Italian Greyhound, is often seen in the art of ancient Greece and Rome as well. These dogs were not kept as working animals, but as companions and objects of beauty.  A reproduction Etruscan triangular tile.  Another greyhound type, the Saluki, also known as the Ancient Royal Persian Greyhound today, has the long snout similar to the head on the animal on the Etruscan pottery fragment. The breed was believed to have the protective qualities of divinity, being benevolent creatures. They were thought to ward off evil spirits, comfort, guide, and watch over one's most valuable possessions. From a dog blog: They were considered so important that their role as guardians was preserved once the early religion of the Persians was reimagined by the prophet Zoroaster (c. 1500-1000 BCE) who kept them as the keepers of the Chinvat Bridge, the span across the abyss between the world of the living and the dead. Like all other animals, the dog owed its existence to the life-giving energies of one of the first of Ahura Mazda's creations, the Primordial Bull. |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
5395 Posts |
Finally arrived ... a couple of coins from the December Elsen auction. They told buyers they would wait until after the holiday crush to mail the packages. As everyone knows, the gros tournois was quickly copied all over norther Europe after its introduction by Louis IX of France in the late 1260s (if I got that wrong, @erafjel will correct me). When adopted in Brabant in the 1280s, they upgraded the castle on the obverse with a more realistic design (called "gros au chatel brabancon"). Since one theme in my colletion is Duchy of Brabant, I've had my eye out for a nice example; this one issued by John III can be dated to 1337. Witte 337. I am sure @spence will appreciate the letterforms of the A in BRABANT reverse    Next up, this unusual coin of Venice. By convention, the doges of the Venetian Republic did not use their portraits on coins (similar to the medieval coins of the Florentine Republic). Nicolo Tron, the 68th doge, re-formulated the coinage system in May, 1472, creating the new denomination of the lira (6.5 g), and then broke with the convention, placing his portrait on the new type, as well as some smaller denominations. The numismatic gods apparently did not take kindly to this, as he died just over a year later in 1473 (OK ... he was at least 73 at the time). Never again did Venetian coinage use a doge's portrait like this on a circulating coin. Biaggi 2901.   Edited by tdziemia
01/27/2022 11:33 am
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Pillar of the Community
United States
2394 Posts |
Nice coins @tdz! I'm still waiting for my Elsen win.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
5395 Posts |
Should arrive soon... Too bad for the obverse damage on the Venice coin, but Venice is less a focus for me than other themes. And I like the way the state of wear makes it look the lion is studying the Gospel with spectacles  |
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Pillar of the Community
Spain
2560 Posts |
@tdziemia....A couple of very nice acquisitions!...I really like portrait coins so your Venice Nicolo Tron coin really appeals even with the nick on the obverse, just gives it more character......Do like the exquisite rendition of 'A' on the BRABANT reverse though.....Great pick ups ..Congrats and thanks for sharing.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
2394 Posts |
Just arrived today from the Dec 2021 Elsen Sale. Some evidence of cleaning in the obverse fields, but with a Numista rarity index of 94 for the type, I can't be too picky...  1607 Charles IX of Sweden 4 Marks - MEVM inner legend...besides it has sharper detail than my 1610 (shown below).  1610 Charles IX of Sweden 4 Marks - MVEM inner legendInteresting to see the larger king on the obverse of 1610. I'll keep an eye out now for an opportunity to obtain the 1608, 1609 and 1611 dates. |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
5395 Posts |
 Well worth the wait.
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Replies: 42 / Views: 1,715 |
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Posted 01/03/2022 04:02 am
