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 Replies: 18 / Views: 1,902 |
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Valued Member
United States
326 Posts |
Can someone ID this coin? My brother is visiting and asked me what it is and I have no clue. Looks ancient to me. Thanks.   |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
4253 Posts |
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Pillar of the Community
United Kingdom
2100 Posts |
I believe it to be a Faustina II Denarius with a VENVS, Venus standing left, holding apple and dolphin-enwined rudder reverse.
Regards,
Martin
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Pillar of the Community
United States
4253 Posts |
I was wrong on this one. Faustine II is correct. However, I haven't found what I think is a match just yet. maridvnvm is probably correct, but I'm now trying to satisfy myself by finding which RIC matches.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
4253 Posts |
The reverse figure looks like she is leaning on a column with her left arm rather than holding a rudder. The closest I can come to this is RIC 740, but the reverse figure is Aeternitas standing facing, head left, leaning on column, holding phoenix on globe in right hand. I see no evidence of the phoenix on your coin and the reverse legend does not seem to fit. Venus is most probably correct. I bow to maridvnvm on this one  |
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Valued Member
 United States
326 Posts |
Thanks folks. Around what year was it made? Were these counterfeited?
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Pillar of the Community
United States
4253 Posts |
They were struck 128 - 175 AD. Faustina II was the daughter of Antoninus Pius and Faustina Sr. and wife of Marcus Aurelius. She was also the mother of Commodus and Lucilla, wife of Lucius Verus. Her claim to fame, or rather notoriety, was her rampant unfaithfulness to Marcus Aurelius who, it seemed, was the only Roman who wasn't on to her. Upon her death a mournful Aurelius asked for her deification. Alarmed at the possible scandal but unwilling to test the will of the beloved emperor the Senate complied.
If you are wondering if your coin is authentic, I don't think you have anything to worry about. Your coin looks genuine in all aspects.
Regards,
JW
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Valued Member
United States
326 Posts |
Thanks again everyone. The prices on these old coins seem depressed. Is that because of the nice weather in Italy and hoards of coins found over the years?
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Pillar of the Community
United States
4253 Posts |
You may be correct. It's the weather.
Actually, these coins have seen a sharp rise in the past couple of years. I think its due to more interest in collecting Ancient coins thus increasing demand. I bought a Marcus Antonius coin back in the 80's for $75. In the shape that its in you would be lucky to find it for less that $300 now.
Stay with us and perhaps you will find this numismatic road to be of interest to you as well.
Regards,
JW
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1549 Posts |
As usual, coin prices 'depress' with demand and demand goes down when the economy is down and unemployment is up some people drop out of the active hobby. Usually this is seen first in damaged, low grade coins like this because the people who are buying can find examples in better shape for better prices and don't consider low end coins. There is no softness in the super high end coins. Go to the CNG Coins site and examine the coins in 'Cabinet W'. Pay attention to the estimates. http://www.cngcoins.com/About+Affil...uctions.aspx |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
2044 Posts |
That's one thing I'm slightly confused about is how these ancient Roman coins are priced other than by supply and demand. With US coins it's usually easy. Low mintages usually but not always say that the price will be higher and other factors. |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1549 Posts |
I think the difference is that many US collectors go on an assumption that they want a complete set while ancient collectors want a bunch of nice coins. A complete set of ancients is well over a million coins and there never has been a complete collection. Very few of us ever have the hope of a complete subset like my wild desire to have all the Eastern mint denarii of Septimius Severus and Julia Domna. There is another collector on this list who also collects these. If we combined our collections we would be a bit closer but still far from complete. Great rarities in US generally include a few untouchable coins but leave open the hope for getting the set minus the 1913 nickel, for example. With ancients there is not even a catalog that lists all that exist so rarity moves from a prime position and demand follows what we want rather than simply coins we don't have. There is little demand for coins few people even know exist.
Edited by dougsmit
11/23/2011 08:57 am
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Pillar of the Community
United States
2044 Posts |
That actually makes a bit more sense to me now but still doesn't seem to follow any particular logic pattern. Lately I've been using this rarity scale to help me find coins. I've had good luck finding a lot of coins at low price for the rulers that are listed from 1-3 on the rarity scale with a couple of exceptions. I wonder how accurate this scale is. http://www.dirtyoldcoins.com/roman/rarity.htmSince I have hardly no Roman Imperial coins it seems like a good idea to find the common ones first. |
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Valued Member
United States
326 Posts |
I have my doubts that this is a real coin. It appears to be plated but I really don't know anything about them. Here is a picture of it's edge where it looks like the plating is wearing off. Your thoughts?  |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
4253 Posts |
You may be correct. That looks like it might be a casting seam running the circumference of the edge.
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Valued Member
United States
326 Posts |
The edge of the coin has 6 or 7 of the ridges or lines running all the way around the edge.
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Replies: 18 / Views: 1,902 |
Posted 11/22/2011 4:29 pm
