Friday, November 17, 2006
Æ31, Tarsus in Cilicia, Valerian, Lindgren & Kovacs 1648
AVT K Π ΛI OVAΛEPIANON C, Radiate draped cuirassed bust right, Π before and behind | TAPCOV MH_TPOΠOΛEΩN, Artemis standing right, holding bow right, drawing arrow from quiver on shoulder. A / M / K in left field, Γ / [?] in right.
A number of coins from Tarsus display Artemis, although there's there's much variety in the reverses of this famous city.
Thursday, November 16, 2006
Silvered Æ antoninianus, Valerian, Rome, Göbl 201a
IMP VALERIANVS AVG, Radiate draped cuirassed bust right | CONSERVT AVGG,Apollo standing left, raising branch in right hand, resting left hand on and lyre at feet left. Q in left field.
With its degraded surface, I took a chance on this one and bought it, at a low price, hoping it'd turn out to be something slightly other than a duplicate of this. When it proved to be exactly that, I skipped posting it.
Wednesday, November 15, 2006
Æ 16-nummi, Justinian I, Thessalonica, Sear 175
[...]ANVS P P AVI, Laureate draped bust right | AISP, cross above I, TES in exergue.
Flavius Petrus Sabbatius Iustinianus was the nephew and adopted son of and successor to Justin I and was made co-emperor in 527 by Justin a few months before his own death.
Justinian sponsored Tribonian's still-influential collection of Roman law and excercised some military success against the Vandals and other invading tribes.
Justinian died in 565, a victim of natural causes.
Tuesday, November 14, 2006
Æ27, Anemourion in Cilicia, Valerian, Lindgren & Kovacs 1455
AVT K Π ΛI [OVAΛEPIANONC], Radiate draped bust right | ANE / MOVPI / EωN / ET B, Legend in four lines in wreath, amphora at top.
This city used a variety of more attractive figures, although this reverse features only text, specifically the city's name and the date. Overall, this is a rather unattractive coin, with an ugly bust, uninspired reverse and ugly encrusted spots.
Monday, November 13, 2006
“Anatomy of a Fel Temp”
These readily-available coins from Constantine and his sons are introduced at Scotvs Capitis.
(Fixed my bad link.)
(Fixed my bad link.)
Billon antoninianus, Gallienus, Mediolanum, Göbl 1118kvar ...
(IMP GALLIENVS P AVG)(Göbl does not list this field mark with this obverse legend)
GALLIENVS P AVG, Radiate head right, slight drapery on both shoulders | LAETITIA AVG, Laetitia standing left, holding wreath in right hand, resting left hand on anchor at feet. S in right field.
My last acquisition before I got sick, what makes this interesting are the fine details: Göbl's catalog features no precise match. This obverse legend, GALLIENVS P AVG, is seen matched with a Mediolanum LAETITIA AVG reverse only from the first officina: this second officina reverse is only cataloged for a number of longer and shorter obverse legends, but not this one.
This looks quite authentic to me, the slight drapery is a preferred bust-type at Mediolanum at this time.
My best guess is that this is a variant of 1118, normally IMP GALLIENVS P AVG, with the obverse legend missing the first word. It does not appear to be a clogged die, but a die that never contained the correct legend.
GALLIENVS P AVG, Radiate head right, slight drapery on both shoulders | LAETITIA AVG, Laetitia standing left, holding wreath in right hand, resting left hand on anchor at feet. S in right field.
My last acquisition before I got sick, what makes this interesting are the fine details: Göbl's catalog features no precise match. This obverse legend, GALLIENVS P AVG, is seen matched with a Mediolanum LAETITIA AVG reverse only from the first officina: this second officina reverse is only cataloged for a number of longer and shorter obverse legends, but not this one.
This looks quite authentic to me, the slight drapery is a preferred bust-type at Mediolanum at this time.
My best guess is that this is a variant of 1118, normally IMP GALLIENVS P AVG, with the obverse legend missing the first word. It does not appear to be a clogged die, but a die that never contained the correct legend.
