5 Coin Lot, Vabalathus & Gallienus And 3 Others To Identify Please?

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Author	Replies: 7 / Views: 1,225
paralyse Bedrock of the Community United States 12057 Posts	Posted 05/05/2019 9:41 pm I don't see Vabalathus turn up often as a single coin, much less mixed in with random unattributed lots, so this auction was quite fun to win (assuming they're not fakes!) My guesses as to identification - can you refine or correct them? (Going clockwise around the picture) 1. Vabalathus / Aurelianus AE Antoninianus. RIC V.1 381, gamma (3rd officina) IMP C AVRELIANVS AVG / VABALATHVS VCRIM DR 2. Gallienus AE Antoninanus. RIC V.1 612 (Asian mints) Radiate & cuirassed bust right / Mars? standing right, holding spear in left hand and leaning on shield with right hand / "PXV" in ex GALLIENVS AVG / VIRTVS AVG 3. Constantine I (commemorative) follis (?) RIC VIII Antioch 37, poss. 7th officina (SMANΗ ?) Veiled bust right / emperor driving quadriga with star in field and manus dei above, mint in ex. DV CONSTANTI-NVS PT AVGG / no rev. legend 4. This one is killing me. AE something or other. Head looks eastern style and later empire. Can't read the legends, except perhaps "DN..(A?)(R?)C(A?).." obverse. My GUESS is possibly Arcadius based on the draped bust and beaded head; the reverse appears to be a "Victory crowning the Emperor" type, executed somewhat crudely (?), and there is a mintmark, perhaps Antioch or Cyzicus (?) -- could this be an imitative issue or just a poorly engraved branch mint? 5. Constantius II (?), AE3 or thereabouts if I am right Diademed, draped, and cuirassed bust right "Soldier spearing fallen horseman" reverse Constantinople mint, CONSε perhaps, or Θ ? in ex. Reverse legend mostly gone but presumably FTR. There does appear to be a center dot but no visible field marks. Looks similar to RIC VIII Constantinople 121 (Epsilon) in design and legend breaks. Rotated picture below to fix rev. orientation. DN CONSTANT-IVS PF AVG / FEL TEMP RE-PARATIO Thoughts/additions welcomed! Member ANA - EAC - TNA - SSDC - CCT #890 "Most of the things worth doing in the world had been declared impossible before they were done." -- Louis D. Brandeis Report this Post to the Staff

Kamnaskires Pillar of the Community United States 7066 Posts	Posted 05/05/2019 10:11 pm Quote: 4..."DN..(A?)(R?)C(A?).." obverse. My GUESS is possibly Arcadius... Hard to tell but I think we may see "MNA" for the mintmark with - possibly - an "S" trying to exit stage left. I would guess Nicomedia. Report this Post to the Staff
paralyse Bedrock of the Community United States 12057 Posts	Posted 05/05/2019 10:17 pm Good eyes, Bob. I thought about Nicomedia as well but couldn't find an example with a similar reverse motif. The more I look at it the more it looks like ARCA but that could just be my bias. I'm pretty happy with the Vabalathus; I just won another one recently and the one in this lot is in much better shape. Member ANA - EAC - TNA - SSDC - CCT #890 "Most of the things worth doing in the world had been declared impossible before they were done." -- Louis D. Brandeis Report this Post to the Staff
Kamnaskires Pillar of the Community United States 7066 Posts	Posted 05/05/2019 10:28 pm Quote: ...couldn't find an example with a similar reverse motif. Still looks more like MNA to me, Adam, with a trace of an S at left. But I could just imagining things. Here are two Arcadius SMNA's from Nicomedia: http://augustuscoins.com/AVEc.jpg http://www.coinproject.com/siteimag...10251q00.jpg Edited by Kamnaskires 05/05/2019 10:30 pm Report this Post to the Staff
paralyse Bedrock of the Community United States 12057 Posts	Posted 05/05/2019 10:46 pm Given your experience and knowledge I'd tend to think you were right in any case. Once I get these coins in-hand I will see if I can make it a bit clearer. I see (S)MNA as well when I look at it, the S is nearly off the flan. The 2nd link you posted appears to be the exact same die pair! That would make it RIC X Nicomedia 62a, listed as an AE3 struck btw. 395-401 w/VIRTUS EXERCITI rev. Member ANA - EAC - TNA - SSDC - CCT #890 "Most of the things worth doing in the world had been declared impossible before they were done." -- Louis D. Brandeis Report this Post to the Staff
Paul Bulgerin Pillar of the Community United States 3098 Posts	Posted 05/05/2019 11:38 pm I was a bidder on that lot but had to go to bed before the auction ended. I was interested in the Aurelian and Vabalathus. The Constantine quadriga wasn't a bad coin either. Congratulations on winning it. Paul Bulgerin Report this Post to the Staff
paralyse Bedrock of the Community United States 12057 Posts	Posted 05/05/2019 11:43 pm Sorry, Paul. I wasn't looking to snipe fellow CCF members, but when I saw that Vabalathus ... Member ANA - EAC - TNA - SSDC - CCT #890 "Most of the things worth doing in the world had been declared impossible before they were done." -- Louis D. Brandeis Report this Post to the Staff
pilegicvs Valued Member United States 66 Posts	Posted 05/06/2019 04:49 am An interesting group, as Vabalathus and Constantine's posthumous types sell very well all by themselves. I sometimes think of ARCADIUS as the patron of Computer Aided Design/Drafting/Drawing (CAD). The CA, or CAD always seems to be visible on his coins. The Victory crowning the Augustus is a common reverse for Arcadius and Honorius. Report this Post to the Staff
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