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 Replies: 12 / Views: 2,887 |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
2480 Posts |
Very excited... today I received a package from Ira & Larry Goldberg. Basically on a leap of faith and gamble I bought a large mixed lot (34 coins), minimally described ('mostly Greek and Roman bronzes') and it arrived today. The coins are in a variety of packages, from new 2x2's to old manilla coin envelopes to whatever. Some have full attributions, some just a few words, some nothing at all. Looks like many are keepers; all are decent; will at least provide good trade fodder and contest prizes. Looks like the mix is ~2/3 Roman and 1/3 Greek. A few silver, the rest bronze. Some very interesting things. I have few Romans and fewer Roman Imperials... a jumpstart! At a glance there is a nice Germanicus As, a Claudius As, a few Augustus, and a Nerva. None are fleurs, of course, but all should be attributable. The coin pictured below had no label. I can't make out much of the remaining legend. The coin looks somewhat familiar and because of its distinctive style I bet one of you Roman folks can quickly point me in the right direction. Sorry for the crummy pics, I'm sitting at my computer with a USB camera and snapped them with that. It's a good tool for inspecting but not so great for quality photos-- I'll take those later after I get a preliminary ID and inventory of the lot. Anyway, I'd appreciate your input on this one. It's 27mm, thick, not sure of the weight because my scale needs a new battery.   Edited by ThisIsFun
10/09/2013 8:55 pm
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Moderator
 United States
23731 Posts |
TIF, you seem to find the most interesting coins. I believe this is a Roman provincial of either Geta or Caracalla, can't be 100% sure though but I seem to remember seeing a similar one for one or the other.
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Pillar of the Community
Canada
579 Posts |
I would say Caracalla as well. I couldn't find anything on wildwinds but I don't know of anyone else off the top of my head that enjoyed that bust type as much as him.
Also I sure do hope to see the rest of the coins in that lot TIF!
Edited by Whizb4ng
10/09/2013 9:26 pm
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Pillar of the Community
 United States
2480 Posts |
You're right... there are several similarly posed Caracallas and I didn't see a match on Wildwinds either. Will continue the hunt tomorrow with fresh eyes.
As for seeing the rest of the coins-- it's going to take some time to even do a prelim ID and cataloging. Pictures even longer. What fun!
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Pillar of the Community
United Kingdom
946 Posts |
I agree on it being of Caracalla. You can see the second half of the obverse legend " ANTONEINOC" which is typical of his legends. Finding a match, online, is not easy. The reverse style reminded me of an AE27 of Gordian III, from the Edessa mint, I bought months ago. It depicts the city Tyche facing Aquarius, who stands on a column.  Below is an example of a Caracalla AE27 from the Edessa mint.  http://www.tantaluscoins.com/coins/40914.phpEdited by Masis
10/10/2013 07:39 am
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Pillar of the Community
United States
2480 Posts |
I took better pictures of this coin today. Well, I used a better camera... not sure the pictures are any better in terms of diagnostics. Still haven't come across a match. Still not sure of the various reverse features behind/blow the seated deity. Rocks? Shields? Globe? Whatever it is, I like it. A very interesting coin and very thick. 27mm, 15.0 gm, 3 mm thick.  |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
3443 Posts |
Not sure but I am thinking along the lines of a 'globe and rudder'. The torso of the figure is curiously twisted with the left arm extended to the rear and resting on the 'thang'. Some of the spots on the coin look like they may be 'active'. Some additional conservation may help clean the reverse details a bit.
Fabulous coin !!
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Pillar of the Community
United States
2480 Posts |
Hey, I think I found it, or one very similar! Thanks for the Edessa tip, Masis. On the reverse, the blob (right) is a rock and the thing below a river god. The wildwinds example shows a radiate head and mine appears to be laureate; the right hand holds a frond-like thing and the wildwinds example shows a raised right hand... so maybe its a variant of this. Elagabalus, from Edessa, Mesopotamia. Here's a similar one from wildwinds:  Quote:
Elagabalus, AE of Edessa, Mesopotamia. 13.49 g.
AVT K M A ANTWNEINOC, radiate, cuirassed bust left, holding
shield and raising right hand.
MAR AV[R ANT KO]LON EDECCA, Tyche seated left on rock, holding
corn ears, to left a column surmounted by statue of Marsyas, river god
swimming right at feet.
Mionnet Supp. 8, 26. Very rare.
Mionnet is the only work which lists a coin with the column on the left.
ex Sternberg auction XXV (1991), 383; Helios Auction 5 (2010), lot 1154 .
Courtesy of Helios Auction 5, March 2011 Edited by ThisIsFun
10/13/2013 10:04 am
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Pillar of the Community
United States
2480 Posts |
I found the reference book online (free) and read through all of the Mesopotamia entries for all cities and emperors. A painful process since I don't read French. Since it was a pdf document I couldn't copy and paste into Google Translate so I had to type everything in. The cited reference for the wildwinds Elagabalus Edessa coin does seem to be the closest. Interestingly, no mention is made of whether the bust is radiate or laureate. [ edited to correct this mistake; the Mionnet reference indicates a laureate bust] My best guess at this juncture is that the coin is from Edessa and is Elagabalus but I'm far from certain. The Mionnet reference:  and the Google translation: (obverse) laureate of Elagable , bust left , right hand raised , left arm armed with a shield(reverse) Tourrelée and veiled woman sitting on a rock, left, holding ears of the right hand in front of her , a column at his feet, a river swimmingThis is the reference cited in the wildwinds example. It is not a very complete description. I wonder how they decided the statue was Marsyas? Seems unfitting. Edited by ThisIsFun
10/14/2013 6:32 pm
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Pillar of the Community
United States
4964 Posts |
 well, it's cool, whoever it is. |
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Moderator
United States
23731 Posts |
Other than the Radiate bust it does look very similar.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
2480 Posts |
Interestingly, the Mionnet reference (photo excerpt a few posts up), which is the citation for the wildwinds entry, describes a laureate bust! So mine appears to fit the description better than the wildwinds example.
In the citation post I mistakenly said it made no reference to laureate vs radiate. I corrected that post.
Still not certain that it is Elagabalus. Most likely yes-- but without a readable legend there is room for doubt. It definitely fits no other entries in Mionnet, but the Mionnet book probably doesn't have every type of Edessa provincial coin ever found. It's an old book, surely many more have been dug up by now.
Edited by ThisIsFun
10/14/2013 6:33 pm
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Pillar of the Community
United Kingdom
2838 Posts |
Very interesting coin, can't help unfortunately |
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Replies: 12 / Views: 2,887 |
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Posted 10/09/2013 9:25 pm
